Lyman GPR arrived, ramrod question

[Dave_B]

My new Lyman GPR arrived this afternoon! :thumbsup:
I'm impressed, it has nice fit and finish.

When I was scrubbing the protective lube out of the bore, I noticed the brass ends of the ramrod aren't pinned. I'll assume they are secured with an adhesive.
Any risk I'll lose an end in the barrel? :cursing:
Should I pin the ends? :hmm:

Dave
PS
I like the smilies!

 

Pin the ends.Trust me I know.I tried to clean mine with the ramrod and lost the end and a jag in the barrell.Bad day :cursing:

 

[Gary]

Pin in place helps to save face.

 

[Zonie]

Although this is best answered on the Builders Forum, I'll give my method for those interested.
Anyone with a Factory rifle should do this if the previous owner has not already done it.

The whole process will take about 4 minutes of your time (after you get back from the hardware store).

Buy a 1/16 inch drill bit, a length of 1/16 diameter brass rod and a very sharp nail. I will assume you have an electric or a hand powered drill.
Do NOT buy a larger pin or drill bit. Bigger is Not better. They will remove too much wood from the ramrod making it weaker than not pinning at all.

Use the sharp nail (or a center punch) to make a small indent into one side of the ramrods brass end about 1/8 to 3/16 ahead of the back adge.
Use this indent to locate the drill bit and holding the drill perpendicular to the ramrod, carefully drill all the way thru the end.

Use the "not real pointed" blade of your pocket knife (or a countersink)in a rotary direction to enlarge the mouth of hole in both sides of the brass forming a little internal chamfers or countersinks. These don't have to be real big, but they should be noticable.

Cut the brass rod so it is 1/16 longer than the diameter of the ramrod end to make a brass pin and insert it thru the hole so it is sticking out both sides about 1/32 of an inch.

Place one end of the little pin on a hard surface (like a vise or steel plate) and use a hammer to lightly tap on the other end of the pin several times. Rotate the ramrod and tap on the other end of the pin. Do this several times until the pin is uniformly deformed down into the countersinks.

When you can't see any of the countersinks because the pin ends have filled them take the file I forgot to tell you to buy and file the ends flush with the outside of the brass ramrod tip.

Your finished. :hatsoff: :grin: :thumbsup:

 

[jtmattison]

It wouldn't hurt to put a dab of epoxy on the pin before you insert it...just for extra confidence.

HD

 

[Old Salt]

The rod tips on my Lyman rifles are threaded onto the wood. As long as you turn the rod in CW direction during use it should never come off.

Old Salt

 

[buckknife]

you right,when i was shooten one day and swaben the fouled bore the top brass pulled off with the ramrod in the barrel.I jerry riged it with a little duck tape on the rod and screwed it back on.That was about 3 years ago and i had forgot all about it.Still in one piece.

 

[Dave_B]

The rod tips on my Lyman rifles are threaded onto the wood. As long as you turn the rod in CW direction during use it should never come off.

Old Salt

Thanks for telling me that! I wondered if they were threaded, but I figured that glueing was cheaper and most likely the way they were attached. It looks like it is threaded and glued from the factory (some glue squeezed out and is visable).
But! My ramrod is now threaded, double glued and pinned!
After reading the great suggestions here, I drilled a neat 1/16" hole into each brass fitting about 1/2 inch from the wood and pressed in a 1/16" X 3/8 blued steel dowel pin. I also put some adhesive into the holes prior to pressing in the pins. The pins are slightly recessed (.002" or so) and look great. I used a spring-loaded center punch to mark the drill location and to make an indentation deep enough to prevent the drill bit from walking across the brass. I think I spent 10 minutes or so in total. I can't imagine that the ends will fall off. I'll still look them over every once in a while.
Dave