It wasn't all that many years ago that the majority of shotguns sold had plain barrels. As a kid growing up in western North Carolina, I rarely even saw a shotgun in the field with a vent rib. Those I did see belonged to local high rollers, the movers and shakers of our small town. They had the money to buy the fancy "extras" for their guns, like barrels with vent ribs. As worldly authorities on all matters pertaining to firearms at the age of 15, my buddies and I dismissed ribs as just fancy window dressing. We sure didn't have ribs on any of the assorted break-open single shots, economy pumps, and old semiautomatics we used each season.

The Remington 870 shotgun had suffered a shallow dent in its rib and was a good candidate for repair.

That's all changed now. Manufacturers put ribs on the vast majority of shotgun barrels sold in the U.S., and in fact, those plain barrels are now the exception. This is due to a number of factors. First, and perhaps most importantly, guns with vent rib barrels sell better. It seems like gun buyers have more disposable income nowadays, and the extra cost for a vent rib is not a significant factor. Also, new technology has made it faster and consequently cheaper for manufacturers to install ribs on barrels. And, finally, regardless of what my buddies and I thought years ago, a rib does make a shotgun look nicer, and it provides a nice platform for a variety of different types of front and mid-rib sights or beads.

With more and more shotguns sporting ribs, it's to be expected to run across those that have become damaged. Vented ribs are by their very nature susceptible to damage. Ribs normally consist of a relatively thin, flat bar of steel or aluminum attached to the barrel by a number of separate posts. Vent ribs can also be found that are made of a single bar of steel or aluminum in which spaces between the posts have been milled away. Both types of ribs are easily damaged.

In most cases the damage is caused by a shotgun being dropped on its rib, which generally results in a section of the rib being bent down towards the barrel. The real problem, however, arises in repairing the rib.

A rubber O-ring holds the two claws and the crosspiece (L) of the Vent Rib Tool against the shotgun's rib (C), and the elevating screw exerts gentle pressure against the tool's crosspiece as it lifts the claws and the damaged rib (R).

Over the years I have seen numerous attempts by gun owners to repair dented ribs. Seldom were they successful. Typically, the gun owner uses a tapered blade screwdriver to try to pry up the depressed section of the rib. This causes a number of problems. Because the screwdriver blade is tapered or wedge-shaped, the gun owner often inadvertently scars the barrel or the sides of the opening of the vent in the rib below the dent. In addition, the top of the rib may be twisted as it is pried up. This is due to uneven pressure being applied to the underside of the dented rib.

An Easy Fix
Dented ribs can often be repaired quite easily. All it takes is the right tool and a willingness to go slowly and work carefully. It doesn't take much in the way of tools to do this job properly. In fact, it only takes one--and it's not all that expensive.

The tool is called Murray's Vent Rib Tool. I have no idea who Murray was, or is, but his tool is truly the answer to a gunsmith's prayer. As far as I know, the only source for this amazing tool is Brownells, Dept. ST, 200 S. Front St., Montezuma, IA 50171; 800-741-0015; www.brownells.com. The tool sells for only $30, and considering the cost of a new shotgun barrel, it's well worth it!