Ramrods plain or fancy

[hawkeye1755]

Yesterday we had a discussion about ramrods. Someone had made a really fancy looking ramrod. And now the discussion starts. Half of the guys said it was wrong the other half said it

 

[Stumpkiller]

If, by fancy, you mean spiral striped, then I vote for plain as a personal preferance. Some original Pennsylvania rifles have them in their thimbles (now) in collections and on display. Some fowlers have ivory tips to prevent splitting and as further ornamentation.

Some guns are "correct" with a simple wood rod with no metal tips, just a grooved pattern the last few inches to grip the tow and, or, tow worm.

Then as now, any owner can stripe a rammer (perhaps decades later) whether the smith produced it that way or not. It's always good to have a spare. Make one striped and one not and you're covered. ::

 

[Swampman]

Straight grained hickory is correct. Stripes are a modern thing.

 

[Uncle Jed]

I reckon I opt for the plain ramrod myself, them fancy rods just takes away from the natural beauty of the wood grain in the stock.

 

[tg]

I put a faux curl on a ramrod to match the curl in the stock wood once, it had to be put in the right way to line up, it looked real cool, I use shoe polish to paint the curl,can't say if any originals were ever done this way, I broke it shortly after making it
( stepped on it} and never replaced it.

 

[Tedfl]

Swampman, By modern do you mean the percussion era as I have a picture of Caleb Vincent shooting one of his rifles with a striped ramrod.
Tedfl

 

I think the spiral striped rammers came into vogue in the early 19th c. When you look at the originals of the earlier period you don't see them. Start progressing through the decades and by the 1830 and 40s you see more and more of them. Just my opinion, can't prove it one way or the other. If half your party was carrying early rifles and half were carrying late rifles then everybody was right.
Don

 

[rebuse]

I like the ones that push the ball into the hole...all the way to the bottom. :grin:

Preacher

 

Those are my very favorite kind too. :thumbsup:
Don

 

[lacerote]

I was talking to my Gunsmith, Custom Maker Tim Brown who has researched the striped rod and said he has quite a few orriginals with orriginal striped Rods. He told me the striping had a definate use in that the rod was wrapped and cured in this manner giving a striped appearance but a stronger Rod. Contact him, and he can give you the details.

 

[Richard Allen]

Most of the muzzle loading firearms that ended up in national museums and military armories probably still have their original loading rods. I don't recall seeing any photos of any of those with striped rods.

It is very hard for me believe that many, if any, of the muzzle loading firearm that were built, used by the common men, and in circulation prior to 1900 still have the loading rods that the gunsmiths made for them. I also suspect a lot of the original rods were worn thin enough through normal use that the owners made replacements to prevent having a rod break during use.

Those guns were built and bought to be used, not stored away and protected because they may become more valuable in later years.

That is just my opinion and I have been wrong before. If you don't believe me you only have to ask my wife.

Richard/Ga.

 

[lacerote]

I asked Tim for some brief examples. California gunsmiths 1846-1900 by Lawrence P. Shelton has some examples of orriginal striped rods. In thoughts on the Kentucky rifle in its Golden Age by Kindig...J Haeffer Nov 1774 in Lancaster, striped Rod. The Kentucky Rifle by Merrill Lindsey, Photographed by Bruce Pendelton...The York School in York Kentucky....Fredreck Zarger 1734-1815 striped Rod orriginal as well . Littlestown in York County Fredrick Sell 1807 Emmitsbutgh school, George Schreyer 1820's all with striped Rods. He says these were done by taking a piece of buckskin , soaking it in water andn wrapping it around the ramrod in a candy stripe patteren. Then the Rod was heated over an open flame , could also be done with cloth . He said to check out more than one Muesuem, forinstance the Helena Mt Museum as more than one orriginal rifle with orriginal striped rods. These are just a few of his examples.