Ramrod ends - Steel or Wood?

[Clark Badgett]

In a battle, probably the least of your concern. But the military was all about cost. People are expendable.

Wooden rammers were cheaper.

 

[Grenadier1758]

The steel ramrod tips are not hardened and won't draw a spark. They are harder than brass. I do have iron tips on my Hawken. I have never been concerned with drawing a spark. Try getting sparks usinf a flint and soft steel. Brass will tarnish to become very dark and being softer than steel and won't cause excessive wear.

That said, what would look right on an SMR. An all wood rod with the end grooved for a tow wad would be right. I would have a threaded brass tip on the hidden end so I could use jags for cleaning or to hold a ball puller.

 

[ThumperJones]

If steel on steel will spark, we would probably be shooting steel-locks and not flintlocks. Wouldn't that be convenient? Surely someone would have figured that out before they figured out caps

My guns get a tapered tip on the ramrod hole end (always iron) for attaching whatnots, and bare wood on the ramming end. I usually carve a couple grooves in the wood ramming end that acts as a jag for a quick swipe with a patch when needed. Works for me.

I can't see how you're going to scratch the bore with a tapered iron tip when it doesn't even touch.

I almost always use the "onboard ramrod" for pretty much everything. Closest thing I have to a range rod is a little-bit-too-long spare ramrod for each gun that I may use for cleaning. They are all hickory, and I have never broken one.

I'd use a wet noodle before I used fiberglass.

You do you. Wood and steel worked for hunnerts of years and I reckon I'm simple enough for it to work for me.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

63 posts on choice of ram rod end.

 

[Mulebrain]

I have to use a threaded metal tip, brass or steel. If you need to pull a charge out in the field, you gonna need it!

I always carry worm and ball puller with every trek into the woods

 

[Mulebrain]

63 posts on choice of ram rod end.

Cool huh!

 

[yellowhammer]

63 posts on choice of ram rod end.

Haha did you read the one about some dude shoving his steel ramrod so hard the sparks blew the thing up like a grenade heehee... or something like that ... I'm beginning to love this forum!

 

[flconch53]

Haha did you read the one about some dude shoving his steel ramrod so hard the sparks blew the thing up like a grenade heehee... or something like that ... I'm beginning to love this forum!

Yeah but what kind of tip on a delrin rod eliminates windage. Sesh

 

[Mike in FL]

Agree with @Rifleman1776. Either use the wood end for ramming or get a cupped brass jag to thread in your metal kit. I personally seldom, if ever, use the ram rods on my guns. I have range rods for each and use them.

Me too. I take two rods to the range - one for swinging which is Kibler's. It has the 8/32 threads for attacments. My other rod is for loading sanded down to snuggly fit the caliber. I use a drill bit to make the cup end. The hickory rod never comes out of the thimbles except when hunting.

 

[palonghunter]

Stupid question here, but kinda curious what others prefer and why.

Getting close to finishing my Kibler SMR kit in .45. This is my first build and first “nice” muzzleloader. Coming from my TC guns, used to seeing the ball driving side of the ramrod have a metal coned tip…..so never driven any balls with a wood tip only. I see metal tips of every size readily available on TOTW (about to put an order in anyway for some permalyn). Curious what you all think on this? Do you have a preference on this? Any advantages/disadvantages with metal vs wood tip?

Thanks,
Tony

Mine are all brass with a cupped end and 10-32 thread. I bought a solid steel cleaning/range rod so the threads aren’t totally necessary on my ramrod, but it’s still nice to be able to swab in the field if I need to.

 

[Mike in FL]

I prefer 8/32 threads for know other reason other than I relate 10/32 to production rifles. That makes me seem pretentious but I am not. My very favorite flintlock rifle is a Lyman/Pedersoli GPR. Never had a ml that accurate and I surely do admire TC guns. So at best, I'm weird. Anyway, more to the point, I like those flexible rods from TOW. They have those threaded 8/32 on one end and 10/32 on the other, made to the length of many production guns. Very nice rods for an every day working ramrod.

 

[Celt5494]

Haha did you read the one about some dude shoving his steel ramrod so hard the sparks blew the thing up like a grenade heehee... or something like that ... I'm beginning to love this forum!

Oh I thought that was for the cannon demonstration? Gesh, people need to get a handle on this foolishness. What if, What if, Maybe, Maybe , Could most likely happen, I heard my uncles, cousins, brothers, nephews, nice say something about all of this.

I guess I better be scared down to my britches when I load any of my Colt's because those rammers are steel on steel. I bet it might just cause a catastrophic explosion. Lord give me patience.

Crimony people.

 

[Tumbledown]

Wooden rammers were cheaper.

Wood broke, which is why military guns went to steel rammers.

 

[Clark Badgett]

Wood broke, which is why military guns went to steel rammers.

Exactly. It wasn’t for cost.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Wood broke, which is why military guns went to steel rammers.

In the history of my unit, our unit went from wooden rammers on our King's Muskets to iron rammers. Steel was difficult to make as large scale steel production methods weren't available. The iron rammers were soft and easily bent, making them practically useless. Back to wood until steel production improved and steel rammers replaced the wood about half way through the Seven Years War (F&I).