I have a couple but the threaded sections give me pause so they get very rarely used. I do use a spent all steel 105mm casing to store all my rods in. A gift from a good friend and Vultee BT-13 owner/pilot.
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Perfect Range Rod
- Thread starter bassncrap
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i have 2 steel range rods. one is stainless and is 48" long. have to get a step ladder to use it vertically.
the other i drilled and tapped 5/16 rod, powder coated it in a moment of stupidity, and epoxied and pinned a antler on it for a handle.
Powder coating is gucci but applying it to a 5/16 40" rod without a BIG oven is a pain.
both of these rods have vice teeth marks on them from those pesky sticky wadded up patches.
the other i drilled and tapped 5/16 rod, powder coated it in a moment of stupidity, and epoxied and pinned a antler on it for a handle.
Powder coating is gucci but applying it to a 5/16 40" rod without a BIG oven is a pain.
both of these rods have vice teeth marks on them from those pesky sticky wadded up patches.
Stainless one piece rods are nice but pricey. Some stainless is softer than the mild steel i use and tend to pick up grit , Jointed stainless are right up there with jointed aluminum in terms of snapping joints at the most inopportune time. This thread reminded me of all the shop time we made drilling out busted rods back in the day.
Always had a big woodworking vise installed at bench center with removable pegs set at intervals out from vise on bench front to either end. Clamping rifle of barrel in wood vise allowing for horizontal use of rod from either direction eliminating need for step ladders.
Straight grain hickory and proper pinning is the key, No amount of pinning however will make a hardware store (hobby lobby) whitewood dowel into a safe usable rod.
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i have a gun vice in the shop where i do all my cleaning. that way when i stick a patch i can switch the setup to the machinist vice and yank on the gun/barrel.
when out shooting at targets i use one of the range rods for swabbing but use the hickory for loading, mainly because i have them marked with tells for loaded/unloaded conditions.
if i hold my mouth just right and have my shooting bench available, i can swab the barrel with the long rod. if i have to swab the barrel vertical then i have to supplement my elevation challenged legs. or call my 6'8" brother in law for help!
when out shooting at targets i use one of the range rods for swabbing but use the hickory for loading, mainly because i have them marked with tells for loaded/unloaded conditions.
if i hold my mouth just right and have my shooting bench available, i can swab the barrel with the long rod. if i have to swab the barrel vertical then i have to supplement my elevation challenged legs. or call my 6'8" brother in law for help!
I agree 100%. But I've also never broken a FACTORY rod either! Now most (but not all, some came pinned!) factory rods I've had to pin. But I've NEVER broken ANY WOOD ramrod EVER.
TOW Creedmore range rods in a couple different lengths is what I have settled on.
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One piece 44 inch SS range rod with brass bore guide from Track of the Wolf. It comes threaded for all my brass attachments.
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I did the same thing except I used a 3/8" x36" galvanized steel rod. Cost like $5 at hardware store. Used a section of old broomstick for a swiveling handle. Best thing since sliced bread.
I use a brass bore guide so it never touches the bore or muzzle crown.
Curious though, how does it pick up dirt/grime more than a bare steel rod ? This one is pretty slick and smooth.
I took the CVA rods and JB weld the CVA handles and love them, very light and inexpensive. I have a TOW range rod but is cumbersome moving through my range. They work really well for cleaning as I got one stuck and it held up good while I tapped it loose.
Quite awhile back a guy at a gun show was selling solid brass range rods with antler handles. Bought a 3/8" diameter 37" long with bore guide that has worked very well for .45 bore up to .72. Sometime later a couple of .32 rifles appeared in my shop somehow and I bought a 1/4" diameter 46" long with bore guide from the same fellow. Very happy with both.
I second the rods from Rice Barrel. They are available in different lengths and diameters, and they come with a muzzle protector. Very reasonably priced.
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Believe it or not, for general cleaning I use a wooden dowel that I cut slots into one end for a jag. On the other end I attach a wooden ball for a handle. If I needed a beating stick to get something down the bore, I'd use a good heavy brass rod. I've never had a problem with the wooden dowel, but if something gets stuck, I resort to CO2.
