Am I the Last Person Alive Who Prefers The Plain Barrel??

[longarm]

Honestly... i find it shoulders faster, swings faster and more 'naturally', and is lighter to carry in the field. Re: the touted heat transfer of the vented barrel.. given that i can't legally fire more than 3 consecutive rounds I don't believe the barrel heats up sufficiently to make a difference. Further, ducks and quail where i live don't seem to have a preference. So why the Vented rib? Does it just boil down to personal preference? Or is the vented barrel a product of marketing?

[mbs357]

I dunno.
I guess it depends on the gun.
My Savage single barrel doesn't have one and I wouldn't like one on it, same as my double barrel.
My 870 has them and I think they look just fine on it.

Heck, I've seen pistol slides with them, and they look decent.

[Dave McCracken]

Vent ribs have a few advantages for certain types of shooting.

High volume stuff where heat mirage may blur one's view of the target.

The rib leads the eye towards the target.

And they look spiffy.

The downside, of course, is they cost more, weigh more, and sometimes lead to aiming in trap.

And yes, marketing plays a part. So does fashion.

[rustymaggot]

i dislike ribbed barrels as well. biggest complaint is that the rib hurts my thumb when i grip the gun during reloading. ive thought about grinding it off but i decided that would make the gun uglier than i like. i like ugly guns but not too ugly.

[plateshooter]

I like them on my sporting clays guns, but prefer the plain barrel for hunting.

[Rupestris]

Vent ribs have a few advantages for certain types of shooting.
The downside, of course, is they cost more, weigh more, and sometimes lead to aiming in trap.

I'm probably wrong but don't some of the raised ribs lend themselves to a trap gun naturally pointing high for rising clays?

[Dave McCracken]

Yes, Rupestris. Some of the high ribs are adjustable, others made to provide a certain COI/COA relationship, like 60/40.

Better, on a field gun, is stock fit to give what you want. I like a slightly high hitting field gun since most birds are rising and I can thus still see them without covering them with the muzzle.

[longarm]

Nice to see there are others who feel the same re" the plain barrel and hunting. I once again exposed my ignorance re: sporting clays and want to thank you all for the information on the subject.

[9mmMike]

I only have one 870 with a plain barrel. It is my '55 WM. I am determined to make this my primary clay buster but the plain barrel has been a problem for me.
Without a rib or at least a ramp for the bead, I cannot get my eye low enough without compromising my mount. In fact, I am so screwed up now that I cannot recall the last time I shot without hurting my cheek.
I used to be able to shoot a couple hundred shells a day on a SC course with no ill effects.
I do think that the plain barrel is easier to keep clean and also has the classic style that my '55 deserves but jeepers, I really need to get this gun fitted.
As an aside, I do have some tapered spacers on the way from Brownells. They should be here this week and I'll have another "go" at fitting this stock.
I have a 30" VR barrel waiting in the wings.............

[SShooterZ]

I hate plain barrel shotguns. They look like oversized rifles.

I really like the raised vent rib on a Browning trap model shotgun but any vent rib gun I think looks top notch. :)

[el44vaquero]

Really depends on the gun. Usually I like my shotguns plain, and my pistols blue.