Nice rifle. :thumbsup:
By all means, check to see if there is any trace of cross pins going thru the ends of the metal ram rod tips and thru the wood.
Factories don't bother to pin the ends onto the wood and they have a bad habit of pulling off when your using it.
If your not familiar with pinning the metal ends of the ramrod in place check out my sketch.
The pinning can be done with a short piece of steel or brass 1/16" wire/rod (I like brass, available from my ACE hardware store), a 1/16" drill bit, a pocket knife, a flat file and a small hammer. A 2 penny nail is also handy.
To install the pins, use the hammer and nail to make an indentation in the end about 1/8" from where the metal starts and the wood seems to end.
Using the 1/16" drill bit and the indentation, drill a hole completely thru the brass and wood.
Use your pocket knife, stuck into both ends of the hole to make a countersink by rotating the knife blade.
Cut off a length of wire about 1/16" longer than the diameter of the ramrod end and stick it thru the newly made hole.
Laying the rod on a hard surface so one end of the wire is resting on it, lightly hammer the upper end of the pin, swelling it into the countersunk hole.
Now, turn the rod 180 degrees and flaten the other end of the pin.
Use your file to remove any pin material that is sticking out above the outside of the metal end.
Now, the end is pinned and you have done your first gunsmithing job. That always makes a new gun feel more like it's yours.
