550 ring for flat plate

[DirtyDusty]

I notice the 550 rings and similar versions, listed as inskirt rigging. The only ones I see for flat plate are the 5053 style. Is there a reason you couldn’t use the inskirt rings on a flat plate?

[EdOdgers]

A 550 will work just fine in a flat-plate rigging.  I have put 550s in flat-plates but usually prefer the 5053 or 777 due to the smaller overall area (rigid area created by the hardware) and because I like the separate slot for attaching the latigo (doesn't wear out latigos as quickly). 

You can also put a 5053 or 777 in an in-skirt but I never do because they require that the rig/skirt leather extends to the depth of the bottom of the rig plate.  This becomes an aesthetic challenge since the skirts/rig will need to be very deep for a "dropped 7/8" rig position that I want to achieve (1 5/8" behind full and 6 1/2" below bar bottom).  With a 550 the bottom of the plate extends about 2 1/4" below the skirt/rig leather.  The reason this isn't a concern with a flat-plate is because the skirt's depth and shape is independent of the rig.