Let's talk ram rods.
- Thread starter Painkillers
- Start date
Probably the reason I don't own any golden age flint locks. I'm the only museum piece at my house.
I once put together a CVA Kit of a Kentucky long rifle intended for patch and ball. I shot it the day I finished it and haven't had it down off the wall except to move from one house to another since that day.
I know a guy who got hit by lightning while riding a motorcycle in a rainstorm ... so what?
Firearms blow up at rates WAY higher than people who break ramrods and injure themselves. IF a wood dowel ramrod is such a hazard then you should probably not shoot guns at all because the incident rate there is much worse.
Since 1975 at our range I have only seen two guns actually blow up.I know a guy who got hit by lightning while riding a motorcycle in a rainstorm ... so what?
Firearms blow up at rates WAY higher than people who break ramrods and injure themselves. IF a wood dowel ramrod is such a hazard then you should probably not shoot guns at all because the incident rate there is much worse.
I have seen far more ram rods broken.
Some of the big issues I see ( especially with replicas from Europe) is that the ram rods are of poor grain quality, and of very small diameter with the ferrules not pinned properly.
Stuff like broken ram rounds are about the same as safe hand loading in my books.
Cat
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Recently made a replacement rod for a shotgun. Very small diameter channel at the breech end of the ramrod channel, not much over a quarter of an inch. Too small for a tip with a covered screw, so I just drilled and tapped the tip 8-32 so a screw could be installed if needed. Epoxy & cross pin for security, but I would be cautious using it to pull a load. I've used oak dowels from Lee Valley to make rods, not having any hickory or ash at hand.
It machines extremely well - cutting with a knife is hell, I wouldn't even attempt sanding. That being said, it is plastic, you could probably heat the section you want tapered and give it a little stretch - it's cheap enough to chock up a couple failures if it doesn't work.
A note on the tapered rods though. I've seen where it is necessary to get under/over a badly positioned lock bolt partially blocking the channel.
I've heard people say they are tapered to make life easier ... I think it's more probably they get tapered over time running in and out over the pipes!! My unsolicited $0.02
Licensed to kill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Peace Country Alberta
No, they were tapered on purpose. If it was due to “wear” the rod would be bulbous on the end that never goes in the barrel.
If you are scared of it happening AT ALL, you are NEVER going to handle it in a manner that would allow it to pierce your hand. All you really have to do is clean the barrel when it STARTS to get tight instead of "going for just one more and then I'll swab it out". It is the operator not the equipment that is a danger to it self.
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That is the end that fits in the little shallow hole on your ball starter that you can push tight ones on down or to give it that final UMPH to make sure it is seated. Never stand there and slam that rod up and down jacking it on the ball like a fool making a tik tok video.
Licensed to kill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Peace Country Alberta
Not sure what you are getting at or how it relates to my post that you quoted.
It's amazing what a person can do with a good portable drill and the proper sandpaper!
Cat
The end that doesn't go down the barrel is still the same size because it fits in the hole in your ball starter. So you can use the ball as a handle on the end of the rod when you really need to push it down hard.
Over and over on videos and TV shows "depicting" muzzle loader they will seat the ball and then jack the rod up and down pounding the load and say "to make sure it is seated all the way". It is a sure sign of a "beginner".
It sounds worse than I meant it to be when I wrote it. Sorry.
Having trouble picturing what you are saying. With a tapered ramrod, it is the fatter end, not the smaller end, that follows the charge down the barrel. Don't know what you are talking about when you refer to holes on ball starters. Assume you are referring to short starters and am not accustomed to seeing shooters use a short starter as an attachment to a ramrod to aid in seating. Sounds like an excellent way ro break a rod. Refer to post #2 for a much better way grasp the ramrod when loading. It is much more effective to raise the rod slightly and thump it down on a tight load than to exert incresaed constant pressure. Also much less chance of breaking a ramrod.
Seasoned shooters develop a rhythm when loading and that often involves giving the load a couple of thumps when it appears to be fully seated. It is just a way to ensure the load is not fetched up on something -such as a fowling ring. You have it backwards, my son. It is a sign of a seasoned shooter. NOT a sure sign of a beginner. I would say thinking it is a sign of a beginner is a sure sign of a beginner.
Seasoned shooters develop a rhythm when loading and that often involves giving the load a couple of thumps when it appears to be fully seated. It is just a way to ensure the load is not fetched up on something -such as a fowling ring. You have it backwards, my son. It is a sign of a seasoned shooter. NOT a sure sign of a beginner. I would say thinking it is a sign of a beginner is a sure sign of a beginner.
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I have a mark on my ram rod so when I know the ball is seated correctly.
To get thee I do not thump the rod on the ball, I use a steady push so I can feel the ball just crunch the powder.
Same thing for my shotguns......
Cat
I have the exact same CVA Kentucky long rifle. I assembled it 50 years ago as a young lad and it shows...poor fit of the brass to wood due to my total inexperience but still shoots fine. I NEVER use the rod that came with it. It is still there but I now use an aluminum rod with brass jags.
