.36 cal Ball Starter

[walley]

Guys, I've got .36 cal CVA Bobcat rifle and
the wooden ball starter I use for my larger
rifles won't go in the bore. Do you know
of something I could make or purchase that
would work in this rifle?

Thanks!

 

[renovato]

It seems that one of the sites I visit frequently had starter components. Probably either TOW or Dixie. You could buy a ball from them, or your local hobby shop, drill a hole and insert a piece of hardwood dowel. It's fun to make your own stuff anyway.

 

[shmrck1]

Boom,
I agree with Plink.... Get the proper
sized dowel and go to work.....Simple &
inexspensive. :hmm:
snake-eyes :thumbsup:

 

[Nugget]

I made the short starters I use in my .50 and .36 for just a few dollars and it's fairly quick and easy. Here's how.

Go to a craft store and buy a wooden doll head that fits your hand size well and is comfortable for you. Drill two holes one inch deep in it, 90 degrees apart or there about. Doesn't need to be perfect. Use a drill bit 1/32 smaller than your dowel size. .36 cal is 5/16, so use a 9/32 bit.

Go to a hardware store and buy a section of brass rod, 5/16 diameter. Cut one piece about six inches long, another about 1 1/4 inch long. Driving these into your wooden ball (that used to be a doll head) will give you 5" and 1/4" of brass sticking out to start your ball with.

 

[paulvallandigham]

If ou want to cup the end of the ball starter's rod, put the brass stock into a drill press chuck, or a handdrill chuck, with the handdrill held in a vise, and spin the brass rod so you can use a file's edge. to carve our dish out a round cavity in the end of the rods. The will help keep you from putting a flat on the side of the ball that is struck by the short starters. Once the Patched Round Ball is started down the barrel, unless you are very violent with the ramrod, a flat end on the jag will not distort the shape of the ball as it is moved down to its seat on the powder. However, be nice to that ball when it reaches its seat. Load to a mark on your rod, and don't pound the ball to see " if its all the way down on the powder!" It doesn't take much to distort the shape of those small caliber balls, and you will get fliers out of your group if you let this happen.

I pin my rods into my palm piece, rather than attempt a press fit, as described. I would rather not take a chance on splitting the wood and use epoxy and pins to hold the rods in place. If you don't like the round ball shape, you can still find old door knobs that can be used, or you can make your own handle on a turning lathe in any shape you desire. My first short starter was made from the fork of a deer antler. The next from a nice block of walnut i had from a stock project, that I turned down on a friend's wood lathe, to a doorknob. I also have a commercially made Round ball starter I was given as a gift.

Hope those ideas give you some of your own answers.

 

[walley]

Excellent suggestions guys.
Those should fix me right up.
Many thanks to you fellas. :hatsoff:

 

[Pablo232]

I just made a ramrod and a short starter for my 38 cal barrel that takes a .36 patched ball.

I used
5/16” oak dowel for each and for a thimble on each and for the ball starter

I used three deprimed .32acp cases, sanding the dowel to a tight fit in the case, and fixing with epoxy glue. I used a 1/2 “ drill to lightly cup each case base, centring on the primer pocket.

On the other end of the rod I intend to fit another case, drill out the primer pocket hole and into the rod up to the mouth of the case large enough to fill with JB Weld then drill and tap the the hole to accept a jag, cleaning brush etc. I just need to buy the tap.

finished the rod off with an oil stock finish.

 

[rafterob]

Dang, Pablo beat me to it. I also use .32 ACP cases for the starter tips. I do not bother cupping them.

 

[FishDFly]

Log Cabin has them.

Send a note to simonbeans, he makes some good ones.

 

[FishDFly]

Geez, a post from Paul V. from 15 years ago. He was a wealth of knowledge.

Shared a scotch with him going thru Illinois.

 

[Des52]

It seems that one of the sites I visit frequently had starter components. Probably either TOW or Dixie. You could buy a ball from them, or your local hobby shop, drill a hole and insert a piece of hardwood dowel. It's fun to make your own stuff anyway.

Just what I did for my .36. Took about ten min, let the glue dry over night and done.

 

[Bighorserider]

Don't forget to pin anything you plan to put down a barrel for anything but ramming balls. Don't ask me how I know.

 

[simonbeans]

Here is one that I made up yesterday. 5/16" (0.3125") brass rod. Curly Ash for "knob". Rod drilled and tapped for 8 X 32 accessories if desired. $18.50 Shipped. Based on actual early 19th Century starter.

 

[Scota@4570]

I made one with 5/16 brass rod and a golf ball.

 

[FishDFly]

Here is one that I made up yesterday. 5/16" (0.3125") brass rod. Curly Ash for "knob". Rod drilled and tapped for 8 X 32 accessories if desired. $18.50 Shipped. Based on actual early 19th Century starter.

View attachment 92277

simonbeans makes a quality product, happy with mine.