Range Rod

Hey anybody ever make their own range rod? Or do most of you buy them? If you make them what do you use and how do you make em?

I bought mine because I didn't have a handy local source of rods and because I don't think I have taps in the right size anyway. It's stainless. I've seen brass and heavy wood too though. I liked the stainless one because it has a muzzle guard.

The Wolf,
I most always use just good old wood. I like to have the ramrod longer than the one in the rifle as it gives you more to hang on to when cleaning. Go to a favorite vendor and purchase a round brass rod tip to interchange the various accessories that are needed. Pin the rod tip to insure that it stays on.
I also have a nice metal one that I received as a prize, and use it for one of my shorter rifles. The niece thing about metal is that when you get crazy with the cleaning liquid, it will of course not be affected. If your going to shoot, I say have one of each. Also the metal one of mine has a brass guide to protect the rod from rubbing on the side of the bore at the muzzle.
Flintlocks Forever
Lar
:thumbsup:

Someone has always been thoughtful enough to build one right on the rifle or smoothbore that hangs under the barrel. :rotf:

I keep a 48" cleaning rod (hickory) at home, but otherwise use the "regular" rammer for everything. Haven't broken one in 30 years, but I am choosey and use only straight grained hickory (or the old impregnated rods that came with my T/C's). I make a spare rammer for each rifle and Murphy sees to it that I never need it.

Range rods can be purchased through RMC Sports web site. The rod kits come with breakdown brass rod, jag. patch worm. muzzle protector and bore brush. Search for Rightnour manufacturing.
Blackpowder forever.

one metre length of 9mm stainless rod, threaded at each end for 10-32 and 8-32 jags. Been meaning to make a handle for it but my little lathe is too small and its never been urgently needed apart from needing to pull a ball once

There is a company in Colorado that makes a dandy anodized aluminum range rod in various lengths--including long enough for my 44" barreled rifle. They are threaded on both ends--for each of the standard thread sizes. Not PC, but for the nonPCrange and for cleaning after shooting, they are great. I cannot remember the name but I found them by googling for range rods...the name has just letters in it...

I've got a Tesio stainless steel 44" x 1/4" rod I've had for 25 years or so that I have used for a range rod. The long length made it kind of awkward for my shorter barreled rifle. Especially when cleaning. All of those rifles have hooked breeches and the long rod was really a pain.

I built a 38" range/cleaning rod out of a 7/16" wooden rod. I pinned a brass tip to one end to take cleaning jags. On the other end I epoxyed an old palm pleaser I had hanging around. I picked up a muzzle protector from TOW and put it on. It has worked great for the last two years.

I have a bunch of stainless rods for range work and cleaning. The only time I use the one on the gun is for reloading while hunting.

Unfortuneately, when I go to the range with a couple guns, and my two boys each with a gun, we take a lot of stuff.

I envy Stumpy's simplicity in this area. :hatsoff:

Same here. I have a range rod for every gun. I am too lazy to just chamge jags. At Friendship I can pick one up for less than $20 and I have to bring something home from there anyhow.

Why use something simple when you can go totally insane? :thumbsup:

This is my favorite. Stainless rod with ballrace so it turns with the rifling, oak and brass top held on with a split collet, nylon muzzle protector :rotf:

I buy mine from Cain's Outdoors, the retail half of Mountain State Muzzleloading. They are stainless, come in two diameters, & have a nylon (PC?) bore guide & high-impact grooved handle. They also do a range rod in that unbreakable flexy material (Super-Rod?), but I prefer the stainless ones & have one for each of my longarms & pistol. I also have a brass range rod that I bought some time back, it has a round wooden knob for a handle, but I prefer the long grooved ones on the Cain/MSM rods as I was always taught not to place your hand over the end of a ramrod but around it, in case of an accidental discharge.

I make mine out of w-1 or 0-1 drill rod. Drill rod is 36 inches long and if I need a longer length, I machine the ends to fit togather and sliver braze them.

Thats what Harry pope did.

Olie

mine are not pc, but I use pool billiard balls and old door knobs on mine. some are wood, some are fiberglass. I file a spiral groove in the ends and epoxy them into the balls and the ends, which some are store bought and some are made from '06 cases which I tap out to 10/32.

I'm not PC so I use a dewey cleaning rod with accessories I turned at work on my lunch breaks. Lucky for me I bought a rod long enough years ago that can make it to the bottom of a 36" barrel.

Clutch

Made mine out of brass, the handle turns and threaded on the other end.

Sorry, but no way could someone PAY me to use a range rod with a round handle on it! I once had one with a cue ball on the end and propped up my custom made Southern Mountain flintlock against a tree while it was still in the bore. Five seconds later I heard something hit the ground. It literally rolled right off the tree trunk, snapped clean through the wrist - broken curley maple stock! What an expensive lesson that was. :cursing: The ones I use now have deer antlers for handles installed in a "T" fashion.

Problem solved.

I like that!

If you want an inexpensive option as a range rod - or perhaps as an option for a brass replacement ramrod - WalMart has started marking down their muzzleloading supplies. The cleaning kit has a 3 piece solid brass cleaning rod. The kits are down to $7 here...

Cool, and besides that Wall Mart will even say Merry Christmas too ya this year. :thumbsup: