Sruffy,
What would you say is a disadvantage about a ribbed barrel?
Also, besides being a looker, it has 3.5" chamber and screw in choke which make it far more versatile.
The vent rib on a barrel does a couple things. One it adds weight. On a shotgun you want a nice even swing with, a vent rib helps with that, weight and balance. On a shotgun that is shot very little but carried over long distances and shot in a non swinging manner, the vent rib, IMHO, does not justify it's added weight to the gun. Also, in bad weather like rain, snow, sleet, etc a smooth barrel is much easier to dry off. The vent rib will shelter water that takes extra effort and time to remove. To some that isn't a big deal, to me with a tight safe I don't want to get any moisture in there, moisture = rust. Also, in a truck or brush gun, I prefer ribless for the same reasons that most LEO agencies perfer ribless. Ribless is lighter and easier to clean, easier to maintain, reblue, etc.
A 3.5" chamber wouldn't make my pardner more versatile. I prefer not to shoot 3.5" mag loads in my weighted down 9lb super mag 870, much less in a 6lb nef shotgun. And unless I was buying a "turkey gun" I wouldn't buy a shotgun with a 3.5" chamber. Primarily I shoot 2 3/4" and 3" shells. Those lengths of shells pattern better (usually, every gun is different...) out a 3" chambered barrel. So for me, having a 3.5" chambered barrel doesn't add versatility, it decreases the pattern for 99.9% of my shots (assuming I shoot 1 turkey a year, otherwise 100%).
Does it decrease the pattern alot, no. But why decrease it at all? And if I needed a 3.5" chamber in my pardner I'd just ream it out to a 3.5" chamber. Cheaper than $150 for a new gun.
On screw in chokes, I've writen alot about this. If you do a search you can find posts were I document how you can control pattern density with the ammunition rather than changing chokes. Unless you're trying to build a 45+ yard turkey gun, you don't need screw in chokes to hunt everything, a fixed mod is versital enough to cover it all.
So if I went to a TDC I'd have a shotgun that would quite likely not pattern 99.9% of my shots as well (depending alot on the shotgun of course), had a longer chamber I'd never use, had screw in chokes I'd either have to bother changing or just leave in the mod choke and do what I do today, and I'd have a vent rib that would make my light little carry shotgun heavier and harder to clean. The whole reason I love my pardner is it's feather light weight and ease of cleaning and maint. For me, there really would be no benefit, actually negative benefit.
But if you want one, go right ahead. Don't misconstrue what I've said as saying "you shouldn't buy one". I hope you do, I hope everyone does, buying and selling grows the economy, which benefits all of us. All of us shoot different, hunt different, buy guns for different purposes. For me, as one person on this board, it doesn't make since to "upgrade" because in my world, a TDC is not an "upgrade". It doesn't even reach the bar my pardner has set. :grin:
So get what fits you best, I did and do. My safe is full of ribbed and unribbed shotgun, depending on their use. For what I use my NEF pardner for, it works best without a vent rib, 3.5" chamber, or screw in chokes.
Later,
scruffy
