ramrod muzzle protection

[RobD]

started doing this to protect the muzzle from the ravages of a wood ramrod.  beats using those ugly plastic-non-period/era-correct "ramrods". 

the brass cone stays right on the rod, right on the gun, and withdraws with the rod  easy peasy.  note that the rods i use for all long guns have a brass (or plain wood) rod end into the stock for easy/fast loading in a continuous stroke - pull straight up and out of the thimbles, ram straight down on patched ball for seating, pull up and out of the barrel, then straight down and back into the thimbles.

[greyhunter]

Good idea, have only seen a few of these over the years. Mostly, I saw brass ramrods at matches, but I like your idea better.

[Bigsmoke]

To borrow from an advertisement

I don't shoot very often,
But when I do -
I prefer a brass ramrod

Soon after I started shooting I gave up on the undergun rod and acquired a 1/2" wooden range rod which I still have.  However, sometime about 30 years ago I got a brass rod and haven't looked back since.  I just do not care for them.  And besides, when is the last time you saw a brass rod break, splinter and jam through someone's hand?  It's a safety thing as much as a personal preference thing.

Rod, I like your concept of the muzzle guide staying on your rod.  It makes a lot of sense.  Good idea, if you like to load with the undergun rod.  Of course, just using the undergun rod does cut down on the amount of paraphernalia one hauls to the range.

[Ohio Joe]

That's a heck of a good idea! 

[Winter Hawk]

I picked up a flared fitting at the hardware store which does the same thing.  I'll see if I can't get a photo of it in action.  The idea of leaving it on the rod is pretty clever.  I can see how that would be real handy, and may have to borrow it as I already use a straight brass tip on the ramrod and have the cleaning jag solidly screwed in place. 

~WH~

[Uncle Russ]

That's a great idea Rob!
 

The wooden ramrod, w/o the crown protector, can be more aggressive than sandpaper insofar as the crown is concerned, and I've redone a few crowns over the years that were damaged really bad due to the ramrod constantly being used in the same position, which is typically 6 O'clock, due to the location of the thimbles.

When you can actually see, without any magnification, the damage that was done by a ramrod, you have to wonder that with such a crown, how on God's Little Green Acre did that gun every hit ANYTHING? 

I like your idea Rob, and as soon as I find that "crooked just right" Hickory Rod, I intend to build one just like it.
I have tried a couple of times to put that just right "bow / bend" on blank Hickory rods, but I have yet to get it just right.

Hank from West Va laughs at my "stronger, and sometimes bigger than usual" rod tension springs to hold my ramrods in place....according to him all I need is a good West Virginia limb, one that resembles a Dog's Hind Leg, and that'll get the job done just fine, and that ol' boy does know a thing or three about muzzleloaders....

Uncle Russ...

[Winter Hawk]

Here are a couple of photos of my "poor boy's" muzzle protector.  It is pretty big for the .45 which I show it on.  It's a better fit in the .50, and would be even better with a .54.

~WH~

[Uncle Russ]

That'll work WH, good thinking on your part.
 

Uncle Russ...

[Maven]

I use those as well, WH.   And they're as near as my local big box hardware store in case I need extras.               

[Ohio Joe]

Here are a couple of photos of my "poor boy's" muzzle protector.  It is pretty big for the .45 which I show it on.  It's a better fit in the .50, and would be even better with a .54.

~WH~

I do the same thing Winter Hawk with my cleaning rods. Found out years ago that those flare fittings just aren't for plumbing! 

[Winter Hawk]

That'll work WH, good thinking on your part.
 

Not my thinking; I read about it somewhere (MLML, maybe).

~WH~