• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

Cheap 46” cleaning rod

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Nobody85

16 bore
Joined
Jul 30, 2022
Messages
258
Reaction score
387
Location
Georgia
I pulled out my squirrel rifle yesterday and was about to take it out to shoot when I realized that my ramrod is getting pretty chewed up from cleaning it. I thought I’d just have to break down and get a range rod. I was looking at a kibler rod, but don’t want to pay $20 to ship it. If I’m paying extra to have something long shipped, it better be a gun. Anyone out there have any suggestions? It doesn’t have to be one piece or even that strong as I’m still using my ramrod for loading. Just need something that’s at least 46” long . Thanks
 
If you live anywhere near a big city you should be able to find an industrial plastics distributor company. When I was making and selling Delrin ramrods, they came in 8' lengths which I cut in half or shorter. You may have a problem getting a company to sell you just one rod , the like quantity orders.
 
I made one from a small diameter aluminum rod from Ace Hardware that is 48 inch long it was in stock at my local store also made a T handle for it you will also need a bore guide to protect rifling and crown
 
If you are up marietta way, deer creek has them. Like R Ellis, i made one from ace hardware 48" stock. 10/32nd on each end with a ball screwed and epoxied on one end.
 
FWIW I buy 5/16” brass tubing in 6’ lengths from my local metal supply company for < $20 each. Then I fabricate 2-3” long threaded inserts for the 10-32 connection, glued (Loktite products) and pinned together, with a round wooden ball handle on top.

Each rod co$ts me about $22. Remember, a hollow tube will have > 95% of the strength at 50 to 60% of the weight of a solid tube.
 
Local hardware or big box store. Get a wood dowel a bit smaller that the bore diameter and at least 6 in longer than your barrel length. When you get home, carve or whittle back 1/2- 1 in of it to make a patch type jag, you'll want the cut at the long end slope (place for patch overage to go and hold), with the shortend a perpendicular cut. Just don't make the cuts too deep or you'll have some other isses. I don't have a pic or drawing of the one I made and still use a half century ago but you get the idea. As a bonus feature if you insert the rod into the unloaded rifle and make a mark with a permanent marker at barrel end, you'll have a quick 'rifle charged' indicator. Its a literal life saver in deer camp.
 
If you live anywhere near a big city you should be able to find an industrial plastics distributor company. When I was making and selling Delrin ramrods, they came in 8' lengths which I cut in half or shorter. You may have a problem getting a company to sell you just one rod , the like quantity orders.
Like this?

Delrin_Rod__Capture.PNG
 
Thanks! I found it. Looking to see if I can order online directly, or must fill out an order form. Thanks for the help!
 
Tractor Supply has 4 ft fiberglass rods that they sell as electric fencing they're great for my brown bess and with a little work they can be made to suit a lot of muskets I think they are five or $6
 

Latest posts

Back
Top