Please help

[Buckskinquin]

Every, EVERY black powder club I have visited and shot at has a slotted angle iron hung in the rafters of the roof. Its there for this reason and used as needed.

 

[Daveboone]

I dont blame the newbies for asking first, esp. with this topic....but as I can well attest to, a stuck ball/ no powder load is probably by far the most common posting here. Hmmm, perhaps before forum membership sign up mandatory reading of the stuck thread posts?

 

[mmb617]

How hard is it to scroll past a thread you are not interested in or are sick of seeing? Why open the thread just to post a negative comment?

I'm on a number of forums and have been for quite a few years. In my opinion the forum format is dying as most forums are predominately composed of older members. The younger crowd does not for the most part use this format. So why drive a new member away with snarky comments when they are asking what are reasonable questions to them? Ever hear of "If you can't say something nice don't say anything at all"?

 

[FishDFly]

You just did.

 

[cynthialee]

I like the ongoing conversation and topics eventual derail

gives us all something to do

also some other new shooter may see this post while it is active and get useful information

 

[Brokennock]

How hard is it to scroll past a thread you are not interested in or are sick of seeing? Why open the thread just to post a negative comment?

I'm on a number of forums and have been for quite a few years. In my opinion the forum format is dying as most forums are predominately composed of older members. The younger crowd does not for the most part use this format. So why drive a new member away with snarky comments when they are asking what are reasonable questions to them? Ever hear of "If you can't say something nice don't say anything at all"?

You might have a couple of good points. But, quite often repeat topics come up before the last one on the subject is even off the 1st page of listed topics.
Also, there is this thing called a search feature. One can use it and have answers to questions faster than people can respond. And, one might come across some other interesting topics.

 

[DuncNZ]

I know this is going on and on . The one thing I would mention is to make sure your range rod doesn't have a ball bearing rotating handle , it makes it awful hard to turn when trying to force the puller screw into the ball , I fill mine with JB Weld and no problems .

 

[mmb617]

The one thing I would mention is to make sure your range rod doesn't have a ball bearing rotating handle , it makes it awful hard to turn when trying to force the puller screw into the ball.

I didn't know there was such a range rod. I'm trying to think of a reason someone would want that feature.

 

[Artificer]

I didn't know there was such a range rod. I'm trying to think of a reason someone would want that feature.

The idea is that when the handle of a cleaning rod freely rotates, the patch cleans the grooves better and doesn't just get crushed down and only skip over the grooves. A non-rotating handle thus only really works best on the lands.

HOWEVER, you don't want the handle to rotate on a Ball Pulling Rod (different rod for a different use than a cleaning rod) for the reasons mentioned earlier in the thread, I.E. ensuring the ball screw will screw fully into the ball to hold it securely so it can be withdrawn.

Gus

 

[DuncNZ]

Rotating handles also stop the brush , jag, whatever unwinding and getting left in the barrel and clean the groves better , mainly on fast twist, 1/9" etc, unmentionable firearms . The slow twist on my ML rifles isn't sufficient to unwind the jag and I don't put brushes down my barrels , just tow and cloth .Fixed handle also allows the tow or cloth patch to be turned against the breach face to get out the crud that likes to hide in corners

 

[mmb617]

The idea is that when the handle of a cleaning rod freely rotates, the patch cleans the grooves better and doesn't just get crushed down and only skip over the grooves. A non-rotating handle thus only really works best on the lands.

Thanks, that explanation makes sense.

Rotating handles also stop the brush , jag, whatever unwinding and getting left in the barrel and clean the groves better , mainly on fast twist, 1/9" etc, unmentionable firearms . The slow twist on my ML rifles isn't sufficient to unwind the jag and I don't put brushes down my barrels , just tow and cloth .Fixed handle also allows the tow or cloth patch to be turned against the breach face to get out the crud that likes to hide in corners

The fastest twist in any of my flintlocks is 1/48" so I never noticed a tendency to unwind the jag. I also twist my cleaning patch at the bottom in an attempt to keep the breech face clean.

 

[bldtrailer]

We sometimes forget WE started at the bottom of the learning curve. If you were lucky you had a great mentor, others have books and now the internet .
If we don't lend a hand to the new guys (passing on knowlege) then we will be the last of our kind!
Just remember someone was kind to you at the start and we all need help at times .

Thank you Mr. Chuck Dixon
You inspired me to pickup a flintlock!✝

 

[Grenadier1758]

I have some rods that rotate and most that do not. I run the rod down by pushing on the rod and let the rod rotate in my fingers. I don't have that much rotation to unscrew the jags. With the slow twist in my rifle barrels and no twist in the smoothbores, I have had no problems using a fixed handle on my working rods. Also, when the cleaning jag is at the breech, having a fixed handle allows me to turn the rod to really wipe off the breech plug face. Still, I have to use some sort of sub caliber brush to clean out a chambered breech.

 

[DuncNZ]

I have a rod with a fixed end which is a jag made from a 2½" wood screw , wrapped in tow or cleaning cloth it makes short work of crud in patent breaches .