solid brass rod...October Country's have a wood handle on some of 'em...they are tapped on an end or both ends for jags or whatever...I love mine..they'll get all nasty with a lot of shooting and cleaning but then ya clean 'em up with a wee bit of Zep metal cleaner and they shine like gold
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Ramrod
- Thread starter rancher
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No question is dumb...we all start out in this hobby in exactly the same place, usually knowing nothing about it...the only time 'dumb' comes to mind is when someone has never done a particular thing, posts a request for advice, then argues with the people giving it, still wanting to do it his own way. :shake:grits said:
October Counbtry has made both solid brass and tubular brass rods for me.
The solid brass rods are one piece with 10/32" drilled/tapped holes on each end for a jag to screw into and a T-handle or ball to screw into the other end if desired...strong rods and add a lot of weight out front where I happen to like it for less muzzle wander and increased accuracy.
The tubular brass rods have 10/32" threaded tips slipped in, glued & pinned...then the jag and/or T-handled screws into them the same way as on the solid rods...very strong rods...a little heavier than wood which is good, but lighter than the solids which is good for carrying/still hunting long distances.
paulvallandigham
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Grits; Its not a dumb question. The whole rod is made of brass, usually solid, but occasionally you will see thick brass tubing used. If the rod is solid brass, it weighs a bit. That is why you can buy stainless steel range rods, ( usually tubing ), and aluminum alloy range rods, usually tubing, also.
At Friendship, and other big shoots, you will see several rods at the loading bench of most shooters, rather than just one. One will have a bore brush; the other will have a cleaning jag or swab on the end. The brush is used on humid days to knock loose scale and crud building up in the barrel. At Friendship, the valley's winds, and the Brandywine creek provide lots of humidity, so shooters learn to come prepared to get the crud out of the barrels between shots. Its a different matter at the Winter Nationals held in Arizona in late February( this weekend).
At Friendship, and other big shoots, you will see several rods at the loading bench of most shooters, rather than just one. One will have a bore brush; the other will have a cleaning jag or swab on the end. The brush is used on humid days to knock loose scale and crud building up in the barrel. At Friendship, the valley's winds, and the Brandywine creek provide lots of humidity, so shooters learn to come prepared to get the crud out of the barrels between shots. Its a different matter at the Winter Nationals held in Arizona in late February( this weekend).
Wondering just how much a 3/8" x 44" rammer would weigh! :shocked2:
I like and use hickory. I use tapered rammers on my Lehigh. Made two extras - one without any fittings (just spiral grooved for a tow worm) so I'll never break one. :winking: I use a 48" x 7/16" hickory rod with a pinned brass tip for cleaning at home.
My T/C's all have the original treated hickory rods they came with. The one on my Renegade is 30 years old this year and hasn't snapped yet . . . knock wood.
I like and use hickory. I use tapered rammers on my Lehigh. Made two extras - one without any fittings (just spiral grooved for a tow worm) so I'll never break one. :winking: I use a 48" x 7/16" hickory rod with a pinned brass tip for cleaning at home.
My T/C's all have the original treated hickory rods they came with. The one on my Renegade is 30 years old this year and hasn't snapped yet . . . knock wood.
alton russell
32 Cal.
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:applause: Good info... Thanks, maybe I will be ready soon.
Grits
Grits
Johnny Tremain
Silversmith in training
Every BP rifle Ive ever owned has had a steel polished ramrod. I dont have time to mess with wood, Never have hurt any one of mine.
Wipe it down with a brillo pad and its happy
Wipe it down with a brillo pad and its happy
paulvallandigham
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YOu know, back when T/Cs were first on sale, I never heard any complaints about the ramrods breaking. It just was never a concern. Then, sometime in the 1980s, the complaints began about the time they came on the market with their synthetic ramrods- the ones that could be bent into a full circle and not break.
The first such ramrod of that type I saw weighed much more than my hickory rod, and I wanted nothing to do with it. Solid brass rods are also very heavy, and I don't use them. However, I know a couple of slug gun shooters, who are loading large bullets down the barrel that use solid brass rods for the purpose. With a 4 foot barrel, and large bore size, I suspect the extra weight of the rod helps in loading those guns.
I have never weghted my hickory rod, simply because I don't have access to a scale that woud give a reliable reading for something that light. I would fall over if my hickory rod weighs even 1 pound. That is one of the advantages of carrying a wooden ramrod in your gun in the field.
The first such ramrod of that type I saw weighed much more than my hickory rod, and I wanted nothing to do with it. Solid brass rods are also very heavy, and I don't use them. However, I know a couple of slug gun shooters, who are loading large bullets down the barrel that use solid brass rods for the purpose. With a 4 foot barrel, and large bore size, I suspect the extra weight of the rod helps in loading those guns.
I have never weghted my hickory rod, simply because I don't have access to a scale that woud give a reliable reading for something that light. I would fall over if my hickory rod weighs even 1 pound. That is one of the advantages of carrying a wooden ramrod in your gun in the field.
Out of curiosity I just weighed mine (44-1/8" X 7/16" hickory full length tapered to 5/16" with a brass tip). Three oz. on the nose. Probably half of that is the brass tip.
