Ram rod wont go all the in....im stumped!

[LeeC.]

Putting finishing touches on my Kibler colonial. I may have goofed because I completed rifle, instead of assembling and fitting ram rod. The rod has been thoroughly sanded and fits through thimbles and entry pipe, but seems to be hitting something about 5 1/2" before it should be home.
I've marked rod where it hits bottom of barrel...used a smaller rod to guage depth it should go, but for the lfe of me, I just can not figure it out!!
I certainly hope I don't have to disassemble rifle again! It came out quite well....all tight and well fit....
Thanks for any thoughts guys...

 

[Bnewberry]

Does this rifle have a lock bolt that is grooved to clear the ramrod? If so make sure you use that bolt in the forward position and orient it to clear.

Just a guess on my part!

 

[Pete G]

Ramrod should be tapered on the rear portion where it goes into fore end.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

... thoroughly sanded and fits through thimbles and entry pipe, but seems to be hitting something about 5 1/2" before it should be home.

Was it that it fit through the entry pipe with the pipe loose (off the stock) or installed?

If it went through OK when off the stock, then some edge in the pipe or wood is catching on your ramrod tip ... if it isn't the forward-most lockbolt interfering like someone else already suggested.

 

[LeeC.]

I think I goofed. I assembled entire rifle....then I fit ram rod end on,pinned,countersunk, peened pin tip and sanded well. I should have it it before final assembly.
I'm going to remove local, and lock side plate, and make double sure lock bolts are where they belong
I remember Jim making a point of this...
Otherwise, ramrod is straight, nicely sanded and fits thru thimbles and entry pipe


Goes into stock about 5 1/2" and just stops....as it seems to be hitting something. Weird!

 

[Gum Slough Muzzleloader]

Putting finishing touches on my Kibler colonial. I may have goofed because I completed rifle, instead of assembling and fitting ram rod. The rod has been thoroughly sanded and fits through thimbles and entry pipe, but seems to be hitting something about 5 1/2" before it should be home.
I've marked rod where it hits bottom of barrel...used a smaller rod to guage depth it should go, but for the lfe of me, I just can not figure it out!!
I certainly hope I don't have to disassemble rifle again! It came out quite well....all tight and well fit....
Thanks for any thoughts guys...

LeeC, I recently assembled a Kiblers Colonial. I had to do a good bit of sanding on my ramrod. Very similar to what you described. Pete G is right because that's basically what I did, I favored that end of the ramrod, I ended up get a piece of 80 grit, just a few passes though. Like I said a good amount of sanding. Sand a little and check, don't want remove to much.

Take Care Stay Safe

 

[Kevin Houlihan]

Putting finishing touches on my Kibler colonial. I may have goofed because I completed rifle, instead of assembling and fitting ram rod. The rod has been thoroughly sanded and fits through thimbles and entry pipe, but seems to be hitting something about 5 1/2" before it should be home.
I've marked rod where it hits bottom of barrel...used a smaller rod to guage depth it should go, but for the lfe of me, I just can not figure it out!!
I certainly hope I don't have to disassemble rifle again! It came out quite well....all tight and well fit....
Thanks for any thoughts guys...

Sand the rod and tip until it fits all the way in. My Kibler SMR was the same way. You can rub pencil lead on the ramrod down near where the tip meets the rod, install the rod until it stops and pull it back out. The pencil lead will be rubbed off where the rod was tight in the hole.
Good luck,
Kevin

 

[Gum Slough Muzzleloader]

Sand the rod and tip until it fits all the way in. My Kibler SMR was the same way. You can rub pencil lead on the ramrod down near where the tip meets the rod, install the rod until it stops and pull it back out. The pencil lead will be rubbed off where the rod was tight in the hole.
Good luck,
Kevin

I like the pencil lead trick.

Take Care Stay Safe
Fred

 

[S.Kenton]

Can you shine a bore light in the ramrod entry area to see if there’s an obstruction? I wonder if it wasn’t drilled all the way and bottoming out? I know a fella who’s woodsrunner was like that, took him a couple seconds of drilling and it was fixed. You could also call Jim Kibler and ask him.. Just my thoughts

 

[oldwood]

Does the r/r miss the rear stock forearm pin??????

 

[Gun Tramp]

I wonder if it wasn’t drilled all the way and bottoming out?

The ramrod hole on mine hadn't been drilled at all; back to Kibler it went.

 

[tunadawg]

Maybe debris in the channel?

 

[Andrewmtnman]

Can you use a thin dowl or even a cleaning rod to see if it goes all the way down. That may give you an idea of what's going on in there

 

[Appowner]

At the risk of being told I don't know what I'm talking about, at least three if not all of Keblers kits have a tapered hole for the ram rod. So the ram rod itself must also be tapered for the last foot or so of the rod down to about .315" or about 5/16" thick.

If your kit came with a threaded tip, that's the one that goes down the hole and you should taper the rod down to that.

 

[Gum Slough Muzzleloader]

At the risk of being told I don't know what I'm talking about, at least three if not all of Keblers kits have a tapered hole for the ram rod. So the ram rod itself must also be tapered for the last foot or so of the rod down to about .315" or about 5/16" thick.

If your kit came with a threaded tip, that's the one that goes down the hole and you should taper the rod down to that.

I feel that, that's the same as my Colonial. As I said it took a good bit of sanding, and it about a foot +or-
It go in a lit bit further after sanding, and testing the fit. I did this several times.
Fits well now.

Take Care Stay Safe

 

[Weldah]

I had the same problem. He makes great kits though. Keep sanding it'll go.

 

[Mike in FL]

Same deal with mine. The rod does need a taper. The trick is to sand and check, sand and check, or you might go too far.
Another thing to consider: once it is tapered and finished, be certain at the range that you don't return the rod to its place backwards. It will get really stuck. Stuck enough you must take the gun home to get it out. But I didn't do such a stupid thing. A friend did. Yeah, a friend, not me.
Also, if it fits in its raw form, it may not when finished. That same friend had to retro the finish. He is such an idiot.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I have run into several problems with ramrod fit on other guns and had this one on my Kibler SMR, I left the forestock underlug too long and it stopped the ramrod tip. Gotta' love a good borescope for finding some problems.

 

[Terrier]

I have run into several problems with ramrod fit on other guns and had this one on my Kibler SMR, I left the forestock underlug too long and it stopped the ramrod tip. Gotta' love a good borescope for finding some problems.

I made the same mistrake

 

[Appowner]

I have run into several problems with ramrod fit on other guns and had this one on my Kibler SMR, I left the forestock underlug too long and it stopped the ramrod tip. Gotta' love a good borescope for finding some problems.

View attachment 291317

Hmmm! Looks like my last colonoscopy!