Ramrod stuck

tallPercshooter said:

SUCCESS!! thanks Morehops52 - it WAS the front triggerguard screw. The screw was directly in line with the drum, I didn't think the ramrod was that long. There was a dimple from screw tip in the last 1/8 inch of the ramrod, holding it tight. NEVER would have thought of that - but now I remember I did take TG off to check on set triggers, then put it back (with ramrod in place). I think I will turn the screw down tight, THEN put rod back and let it bottom against the screw. Thanks again! you saved me a lot of unnecessary work.

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Yay!

I'm curious... Is this a southern-style iron-mounted rifle? Brass trigger guards usually have a tab for a crosspin, at least in front of the bow, and often behind the bow, too. The forward cross pin can be placed very low, so as not to interfere with the ramrod channel. Traditional hand-forged iron guards are generally screwed on. Old photographs of southern mountaineers with their muzzleloading rifles frequently show the ramrod protruding an inch or two beyond the muzzle when the rod is mounted in the pipes on the rifle. This could be written off as a regional style, a "southern thing," but it is not really a very practical arrangement and the mountain folk were very practical people. There had to be a sensible reason for that excessive ramrod extension. That screw in front of the trigger guard bow was probably it.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

Every now and then I have an internal issue I can't figure out; my bore scope will quickly identify the problem. My last use of the bore scope was on a ramrod that would go in but catch on something coming out, this was on a Kibler SMR. My borescope showed that the underlug protruded just a little bit into the ramrod hole, the sharp leading and trailing edge of the lug caught the brass ramrod tip when I tried to remove the rod from the gun. I rounded these edges and all was good.

tallPercshooter said:

SUCCESS!! thanks Morehops52 - it WAS the front triggerguard screw. The screw was directly in line with the drum, I didn't think the ramrod was that long. There was a dimple from screw tip in the last 1/8 inch of the ramrod, holding it tight. NEVER would have thought of that - but now I remember I did take TG off to check on set triggers, then put it back (with ramrod in place). I think I will turn the screw down tight, THEN put rod back and let it bottom against the screw. Thanks again! you saved me a lot of unnecessary work.

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Been shooting muzzleloaders for 45 years and never heard of anything like that. Learned something new today. I'd file off the screw tip as EC121 suggested . That tip is doing you no good as it is, and won't hurt a thing if you file just the protruding part away.

tallPercshooter said:

There is no retaining spring (like on a factory halfstock). Just a hole in forearm and two thimbles. What if I left rifle in a hot truck cab in the sun for a day? Would get mighty warm in there. I know where there is a big bench vise; might clamp brass jag in that and try to jolt rifle backward and see if that works. Thanks for all advice. Anyway, it is a heavy rifle and I don't hunt with it, just target shoot, where I use a range rod. But bugs me it won't come out....

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Ì was about to text this same suggestion re: all day in closed vehicle in the sun.. A shortcut some bowyers use to speed drying process on freshly-split whitewood staves. Should work as well in Louisianna as it would here in N. Florida, I would think. Careful grabbing/touching any metal components after it has been in there a while. Interior temps can reach 130+ F.
Have had to deal w/ sticky ramrods on both flintlocks that have been sent to me from other parts of yhe country...
Welcome to the South!

Ooops... Just saw post re: triggerguard screw being the culprit. Glad that worked out.
Maybe someone else for whom humidity IS the issue csn benefit from the hot vehicle idea, so I'll leave this up.

Dave Markowitz said:

Track of the Wolf sells wooden ball and aluminum T-shaped handles that will screw onto the end of a threaded ramrod.

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/list/Item.aspx/849/1
I have their T-handles for both 8-32 and 10-32 ramrod ends. I had to use one last weekend to pull a ball. I screwed the ball puller into the ball and with the T-handle installed, inverted the rifle so I could hold the handle down with my feet. A quick tug up on the rifle and the ball came right out.

The T-handles are light enough to carry in your shooting pouch, too.

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An idea for a T handle. Both 8 and 10-32 installed

who would have thunk?

I suggest twist, don't pull.

Attach a jag to the end, clamp vise grip pliars on jag, and turn. If you have penetrating oil, put some of that on the edge of the thimble first.

Also, be sure that a trigger guard screw isnt hanging up on the ramrod in the stock. I had that happen on a Lyman GPR. Needed to shave 1/16 off the end of the screw...fixed.

Sentry44

Doc said:

An idea for a T handle. Both 8 and 10-32 installed

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I like that a lot.

Doc said:

An idea for a T handle. Both 8 and 10-32 installed

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How are the threaded rods screwed into it? Is it a piece of pipe or a solid bar? I like the idea!

Yes, it is a Southern style fullstock rifle with steel TG and thimbles, no buttplate. The TG is inletted flush and screwed down with a flathead screw. I felt dumb for not checking this until I see others had not thought of that either. Learn something every day.

garypl said:

How are the threaded rods screwed into it? Is it a piece of pipe or a solid bar? I like the idea!

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I have a brass end on each end of my loading rod. Many of us do out west, it makes it easy to remove dry balls.. holes are drilled, tapped and counter sunk into the stainless steel rod.
Doc,

morehops52 said:

Just a thought but I found a screw on my trigger guard was screwed in a teeeny bit too much. Ramrod wouldn’t come out. Took some work to figure it was the guard screw. Never would’ve thought it was the culprit

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That’s where experience over comes knowledge!