Inexpensive Fibergalss Ramrod

[MMA1991]

So my oak 5/16" diameter ram rod for my KY long rifle broke and I wanted to make a new one.

Went to Lowes and tried to find a 5/16" aluminum rod as a replacement for the oak shaft...no joy...they had 1/4" and 3/8" diameter only :banghead:

As I was walking down the aisle, I saw some fiberglass rods in the section where the FOR SALE signs are sold. They were 5/16" in diameter and 48" long and were priced at $1.99 a piece.

Needless to say I grabbed one, took it home and transferred the ram rod jig onto the fiber glass rod using some JB Weld to hold it in place.

This new ram rod should last a lifetime and its probably the best $2 I have ever spent.

Just thought I would share in case this little bit of Yankee ingenuity is of use to anyone else...

MMA1991

 

[AJumbo]

The trouble with fiberglass is that it is madly abrasive, and I've ruined a barrel with one. If you keep it for use when hunting, you'll probably be OK. Use it as your primary loading tool, and your rifling is in danger. Any ramrod is cheaper than a new barrel; dig through the interwebs for 5/16" aluminum rod stock, it's out there. Even stainless is safer than fiberglass. Dixie Gun Works, Track of the Wolf, etc, could be a good start.

 

[straight-shooter]

The CVA Lifetime Rod is the best rod I've tried to date and I've tried quite a few. It's made of brass and I've witnessed no ill effects from it. It has a nice handle that provides plenty of power to push with.

CVA Lifetime Rod

 

[DoubleDeuce 1]

I have used a fiberglass rod almost exclusively for thirty years or more. I carry it as opposed to sliding it into the rod guides under the barrel. The main difference with mine is, that I made a small rod guide/ collar. The guide fits around the rod and stays on unless I remove the brass tip from the rod. The guide protects the muzzle and rifling from being worn down during the loading process.

My guide covers the entire muzzle end of the barrel. It has a cylindrical portion approx 1/2" long that slides down into the barrel. The whole thing was made from a chunk of brass I had in the shop. It is very stout and will last several lifetimes.

The rod also has a handle about four inches long and about one inch diameter at one end. That makes it very comfortable to use.

 

[BHP FAN]

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/list/Item.aspx/570/1

 

[BHP FAN]

I'd go with this one...
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/570/3/RAMROD-S-5-8-B

 

[Hellgate]

MMA,
I made a bore guide/muzzle protector from a piece of copper tubing big enough to go over the rod and just flared the end so it wouldn't go down the barrel. I keep it on the ramrod under the barrel.

 

[Diogenes415]

Thanks for the tip MMA1991! I'll keep my eyes peeled.

 

[MMA1991]

Fiberglass is abrasive to steel...I had no idea...thought I was pretty smart but looks like I should go back to the oak dowel I had been using...too bad... the fiberglass rod came out pretty sweet.

 

[1911 guy]

Buy a hickory rod from track of the wolf or some other retailer. I have used one for years and it's never given me problems.

 

[Kynoch]

The trouble with fiberglass is that it is madly abrasive, and I've ruined a barrel with one. If you keep it for use when hunting, you'll probably be OK. Use it as your primary loading tool, and your rifling is in danger. Any ramrod is cheaper than a new barrel; dig through the interwebs for 5/16" aluminum rod stock, it's out there. Even stainless is safer than fiberglass. Dixie Gun Works, Track of the Wolf, etc, could be a good start.

Everything is "mildly abrasive", particularly when it has some some barrel gunk on it. I suspect the Rockwell hardness of a commonly available aluminum rod is far greater than that of a fiberglass rod.

The only caveat I have of fiberglass rods is that they can potentially give slivers as barrels can bite into them a bit because the barrel steel is far harder than the fiberglass.)

Using a $2.00 fiberglass rod is a great idea by the way. I personally use 1/2" wooden dowels capped with .44 mag brass...

 

[Field Tester]

How about Carbon Fiber Vs. Fiberglass?

 

[4v50 Gary]

Even water can be abrasive. Look at the rocks that sit in a stream.

Just wipe down your cleaning rod after every pass.

Thanks for the tip MMA1991

 

[BCRider]

Look up "lapping" and "making a lap" to get an understanding for why materials that are softer than steel can still cut into the harder steel. Once you do you'll nod your heads knowingly at those that mention using a muzzle guide/protector.

It's simply humanly impossible to NOT slide the ramrod on the muzzle crown at some points if using normal loading practices. So a guide of some form as a protector is just a great idea.

Wood rods aren't as bad as the crown edge tends to shave the wood off instead of letting it glide over this critical area instead of letting the grit work away at the steel.

Consider that a perfectly good blade strop can be made by charging a piece of open grain hardwood or any old softwood with an abrasive polishing compound. It'll last for quite some time too.