length of gun's ramrod?

[Sunkmanitu Tanka]

Hi all! All of my shooting is done on the club range. I use a convenient range rod with all necessities... I often wonder about the shortness of the ramrod that is delivered together with the gun.Since I live in Europe, I ordered several extra ramrods when I ordered my TVM Iron Pennsylvania.
When I attach a ramrod tip or a bottom scraper to the wooden ramrod, and enter it into the barrel, I just have about one inch of ramrod sticking out. With the gun loaded that would be just three inches sticking out... Do you use it just like that? Or do you use some gimmick for lengthening it like one can find at Callahan bagmolds?

 

[Redstick Lee]

Hi !
Each of my wooden ramrods has a cleaning "button" jag attached to the front end of it.
it adds +/- 13mm length and is very handy for patching/cleaning between shots.
I don't use the jagged ends to seat the ball, but as a small handle when loading.
I don't use what's commonly called a "range rod".

 

[Grenadier1758]

I make my ramrods so that they are at the end of the muzzle when installed under the barrel and generally the length of the barrel of the unloaded rifle. The cleaning jag gives a bit of grip by adding the length of the jag to extend past the muzzle.

I have and use one of the ramrod extensions from Larry Callahan. Its just too useful to have that extra 4 inches of rod at times. I have threaded tips for both ends of the rod so that I can attach a T-handle for a better grip.

A T-handle can be made from a dowel rod or a short piece from a broom handle. Epoxy and pin a threaded bolt or threaded hangar to the center of the handle so that it is cross ways to the ramrod. I used a threaded brass insert in the center of the handle and threaded a short section of bolt through the insert. Easy to attach to the rod when I need some extra grip.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

I use my wood underbarrel rod for two things only, seating ball and swabbing.

For scrapping or heavier cleaning I always use a range rod. At the range, I keep the underbarrel wood in place and use my range rod.

I don't like to twist the wood rods, shivered a pistol rad that way a while back and really ruined my day at the range as I had no spare. This game will learn you quick!

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I ordered several extra ramrods when I ordered my TVM Iron Pennsylvania.

Prudent even when there is a black powder supply store just down the street. :grin:

My ramrod when the rifle is empty, or the musket, give me an inch to an inch and a half above the muzzle (1.5 cm to 3 cm). A cleaning jag attached should give you a few more inches, and when the rifle or gun is loaded you should have about the same amount sticking up past the muzzle (7 cm or more)

I do have one musket that the metal ramrod when the barrel is empty, sits level with the edge of the barrel, but with the metal worm, it sticks up about 1 inch, and since it has a wider tip than the metal rod..., I can grip it.

My favorite rifle has a plain rod, no metal. On the back end it has a small "eye" [] through the wood, where I can pull the edge of a cleaning patch through, and it also accepts a wire-worm if I need it.

I always try to make up two ramrods when they are wood, one in the rifle, and a spare, and as suggested, I use a range rod, brass or synthetic (be sure you don't rub the inner edge of the muzzle with this on a regular basis)

LD

 

[mooman76]

I used to cut them off flush with the end of the barrel. Any more I usually use a range rod but when I get a new RR I like it to be about an inch longer than the barrel to give me a little extra grip when loading. For cleaning, I just use a regular cleaning rod.

 

[BrownBear]

I like a little "extra" beyond the barrel, just so I have a little more meat to grab with cold greasy hands on a hunt.

But I learned a hard lesson. Small caliber rods hang on brush and easily break. Talk about a certain formula for putting a sudden end to a day of hunting! No way to defend my cuttoff other than instinct, but long as I might make my larger caliber rods, those under 40 caliber will be flush with the muzzle when seated under the barrel.

 

[Vaino]

On all the LRs I've built, the first thing checked when the blank/bbl is returned from the person who does the bbl/RR work, is the RR hole depth. The depth should be at least as long as the bore and if it isn't , I have a RR drill that will make it at least that long.

If one uses a TG that has a front tab for drilling the retainer pin, the hole depth is limited by the tab.

I've attached a TG/trigger plate ass'y which doesn't have a forward tab and then the hole can be 1-1/4" deeper. But this ass'y isn't HC and I discontinued it's use.

In the field. I've used a RR that's bore long and haven't had any complications. When cleaning at home an extension is used.

Some of the difficulty in grabbing the RR is the short length behind the Mcap or having the RR groove into the Mcap or that the RR groove is too deep and doesn't expose the RR sufficiently......Fred

 

[Rifleman1776]

On the range I use a dedicated rod of Delrin or stainless steel.
In the field I use a Delrin rod about 1 1/2" longer than muzzle end.
For rendezvous and display I use a wood rod about 1/2" longer than muzzle end.
But, I'm kind of a ram rod fanatic. I must have in excess of 50.

 

[Black Hand]

I drilled out my rammer hole to the front lug of the trigger guard which gave me another ~1.5 inches - this is sufficient length when loading. When cleaning, I have a jag that is ~3.5 inches long that gets screwed into the threaded tip. Your easiest approach might be to find a threaded jag with a long stem.

 

[stubshaft]

I like about an inch of ramrod showing ahead of the muzzle, and use it for seating balls or light swabbing only. For heavier cleaning or pulling balls I use a range rod.

 

[Sunkmanitu Tanka]

Thank you all! :hatsoff:

 

[smoothshooter]

I don't want the ramrod to be beyond flush with the muzzle, when stowed.

When they are longer than that, powder fouling and patch/wad lubricant gets blasted on the end of it each shot, adding to the overall mess.
The ramrod hole needs to be drilled deep enough in the stock that the rod is flush when stowed below the barrel, and the rod needs to be long enoughthat whem dropped down into the empty barrel, 1/2" to 3/4" 'sticks out of the muzzle before any screw-on attachments are added.

Free advice, and worth every penny, no doubt.

 

[Rifleman1776]

When they are longer than that, powder fouling and patch/wad lubricant gets blasted on the end of it each shot, adding to the overall mess.

Not quarreling that you do, or don't, have that problem. But, in many-many years and countless shots, I have never had that issue. I like a little longer rod to give me something to grab onto, especially when swabbing. Each to his own. Do yer own thang. :v

 

[tenngun]

We read about a wiping stick sometimes an extra rod carried in the bore. We see some photos from the 30s and before of rods four inches or more. My rods stick out about an inch and most of the time I have a jag on the end as I like to wipe between shots. However I do have to mind the muzzle in the tall timber, I often pull the jag before going through heavy brush.