Ramrod help

[Sidney Smith]

Here's the scraping tool I made. As you can see it's just a simple rod, bent on one end to form a handle. It's hard to make out but I peened the end of the rod until I had enough metal beyond the rods diameter, so I could file it into a scraping edge. The small burr of metal was filed opposite the handle side so I would know exactly where the scraping edge was in relation to where I placed the handle. This tool is slow to use, and had to be resharpened every now and again, but for ovaling out the ramrod channel in order to make room for the ramrod to glance off the lock screw, it did it's job perfectly. Trick is to taper the ramrod end, plus round off the tip so there is nothing to catch the bolt on, plus ovaling out the hole near the lock bolt and down inside beyond it. You will be surprised how little wood needs to be removed from scraping and from tapering the ramrod, to get things to function.

 

[Bergmann]

I'm not a genius. I've just accumulated a lot of experience.

And experience IS the best teacher!

 

[Bergmann]

Nobody seemed to mention why the rod is disappearing into the barrel. The simple answer to that is, there's no charge of powder and ball inside the bore taking up space. Now the OP didn't say how far in it disappeared, and if I read things right he mentioned it sticking out of the ramrod hole. His video showed the forward lock bolt protruding into the ramrod channel. Yes, you can file away some of the lock bolt. I would not recommend that. It's easier to taper the ramrod the last few inches, and or widening the ramrod channel opposite the lock bolt, to allow more room for the ramrod tip to clear the bolt.

My .32 caliber rifle's ramrod channel veered into the lock mortise. I made a tool out of a piece of steel rod to scrape wood away inside the channel. I will dig out the tool and upload a photo for you to get an idea. It worked beautifully

Their is also a size 6x32 lock bolt that can help - IF the bolt doesn't go squarely through the center of the rod hole! That forward bolt is likely a carryover from the huge early flintlocks which threw a **** and flint so massive that the weight of the ****/flint striking the frizzen and "bottoming out" was enough to actually move the front of the lock and split the wood under the front of the lock. If a "Lg Siler" size lock is properly inlet, the bolt serves no real purpose. I have built guns using just a dummy front bolt! Freddie Harrison's cure for the problem was routing out the space from just past the entry pipe to the breech just deep enough for the rod to fit under the bolt. A tapered rod minimizes the depth of the channel needed! I've done it "several times but I usually glue a strip of wood into the top of the cut for strengthening the stock - though Freddie always maintained it wasn't necessary! I always felt like better safe than sorry.

 

[SamTex1949]

that video ! geeeze ! thought I was doing a bronchoscopy at the hospital !

 

[Mulebrain]

Look at the picture of the young fellow with the southern rifle. He’s gonna have to find a stump to stand on to load up. Lol ...

LOL, look whats behind him

Anyhow, I bet he could load it with ease, just tip that muzzle down and get it done.

 

[Sidney Smith]

Their is also a size 6x32 lock bolt that can help - IF the bolt doesn't go squarely through the center of the rod hole! That forward bolt is likely a carryover from the huge early flintlocks which threw a **** and flint so massive that the weight of the ****/flint striking the frizzen and "bottoming out" was enough to actually move the front of the lock and split the wood under the front of the lock. If a "Lg Siler" size lock is properly inlet, the bolt serves no real purpose. I have built guns using just a dummy front bolt! Freddie Harrison's cure for the problem was routing out the space from just past the entry pipe to the breech just deep enough for the rod to fit under the bolt. A tapered rod minimizes the depth of the channel needed! I've done it "several times but I usually glue a strip of wood into the top of the cut for strengthening the stock - though Freddie always maintained it wasn't necessary! I always felt like better safe than sorry.

A 6x32 lock bolt will only work if the lock hasn't already been drilled and tapped.

 

[oldwood]

Last year was able salvage a pre-carved sugar maple stock P++++++ grade , with a nasty crack from the lock side plate on a slow angle through the forearm behind the entry r/r pipe. The r/r drill followed the crack and came out the bottom flat of the barrel. What a mess , but fixable. The crack didn't open up until the r/r was drilled , and the lock was installed. Had fixed one before w/ a similar fault. Drilled and Dremeled enough wood under the bottom barrel flat so the r/r would fit under the front lock bolt. Placed a piece of thin wall 3/8" brass hobby tubing from about 3" behind the entry r/r pipe to under the front lock plate bolt. Inserted a piece of 3/8 dowel rod into the hobby tubing to keep it straight while the epoxie sets up. Wrapped a layer of plastic grocery bag around the barrel for a release agent. Poured a serving of brown stained epoxie into the barrel channel and over the 3/8" hobby tublng. Soon as the epoxie just starts to set up , extract the dowel holding the hobby tubing in place. Epoxie hardens , and perfection. Glass bedded barrel , perfect r/r hole , and crack repaired in the forearm. Love it when a plan comes together...............oldwood