"cleaning Toggle"

[pcrum]

Does anyone here use one? A friend of mine uses one, and made one up for me. It is essentially a long piece of stout string, with a wood "toggle" (fancy name for short stick) on one end, and a loop on the other. The theory behind this is that there is very little evidence of cleaning jags or worms in the colonial era, so he did some brainstorming on how they would have cleaned their guns. Anyway, you put a patch through the loop, then use the rammer to shove it down the bore, then pull it back out by the toggle. This is pretty much the same way that the army issue m1903 Springfield cleaning kit was designed, as well as British SMLE and no4 rifle kits(of course it was pulled through rather than pushed in and out- being a bolt action.)
Anyway, it packs away very small and light in your pouch, and works really well. I've found that it actually seems to get into the rifling grooves better that the "traditional" jag tip with a patch.
It also allows you to carry around a rammer without a modern threaded tip.
Any opinions on this?
I'd post a pic, but I'm damn near illiterate when it comes to computers.....
Cheers,

 

[musketman]

Email me the pictures and I'll post them for you...

 

I read somewhere that early folks used to tie a string around patch material, wet it and simply push the patching down the bore with the ramrod, keeping the end of the string out in your hand, then withdraw the patch using the string. I have not tried it, but it sounds like it should work...not sure I can picture your 'toggle', but it sounds like the same basic idea.
P.S. "Worms" were pretty common, and can also be used to pull a patch that was rammed down the bore without a jag.

 

[pcrum]

I read somewhere that early folks used to tie a string around patch material, wet it and simply push the patching down the bore with the ramrod, keeping the end of the string out in your hand, then withdraw the patch using the string. I have not tried it, but it sounds like it should work...not sure I can picture your 'toggle', but it sounds like the same basic idea.
P.S. "Worms" were pretty common, and can also be used to pull a patch that was rammed down the bore without a jag.

Same thing yes. The "toggle" is just a handle to make it easier to pull out.
I'll take some photos this weekend....