Enfield ram-rods

[no1_49er]

I have done a advanced/search of the forum and not found the info' I'm hoping to find. Maybe you knowledgeable folks can help?

I have a number of PH Enfield rifles that I enjoy shooting - 53, 58, 61, Volunteer, Whitworth. Each has its own ramrod but I choose to use dedicated PH rods, with the appropriate tips for wiping and loading.
What has always puzzled me is that the original rods are threaded and so captured in the rifle, but if used as the wiping/loading tool, what was fitted to that threaded end so that ones fingers did not eventually get torn to shreds?

Thanks,
49er

 

[Artificer]

I have done a advanced/search of the forum and not found the info' I'm hoping to find. Maybe you knowledgeable folks can help?

I have a number of PH Enfield rifles that I enjoy shooting - 53, 58, 61, Volunteer, Whitworth. Each has its own ramrod but I choose to use dedicated PH rods, with the appropriate tips for wiping and loading.
What has always puzzled me is that the original rods are threaded and so captured in the rifle, but if used as the wiping/loading tool, what was fitted to that threaded end so that ones fingers did not eventually get torn to shreds?

Thanks,
49er

Welcome to the forum!!!

The threaded ends of the Steel Rammer/s were for screwing on worms or ball screws (ball pullers).

Both the Enfield and Springfield Rifle Muskets had threaded ends on the Steel Rammer for these tools. There was not something screwed onto the threads for the standard Loading/Firing of the muskets, though they sometimes had tools that screwed onto the threaded ends to use when cleaning the muskets.

Gus

 

[no1_49er]

Thanks Gus.
Hard to imagine that there wasn't a "normal" tool for that purpose. One can only imagine that it must have been rather painful after loading a succession of rounds in the heat of skirmish.

49er

 

[robinghewitt]

Enfield worm, screwdriver, pick, nipple key and oiler in one.

 

[Artificer]

Thanks Gus.
Hard to imagine that there wasn't a "normal" tool for that purpose. One can only imagine that it must have been rather painful after loading a succession of rounds in the heat of skirmish.

49er

Hi 49er,

I have never read where it was considered a problem. Steel rammers with threaded ends go back to the P1748 "Brown Bess" Long Land Pattern Musket, though none were ever used here in America. The next Pattern 1756 Brown Bess with a Steel Rammer was used here in the AWI.

U.S. Muskets from the M1795 Springfield had them as well.

It was just something the Soldiers had to get used to, to get the benefit of being able to screw on a worm or ball screw.

Gus

 

[Artificer]

Does yours have the "hook" on the other side to capture the mainspring of a lock?

Though I owned an original Sergeant's Tool for many years with the hook on it for the mainspring, I was never sure if it was true the Sergeant's Tool had the hook and the Private's Tool did not have one? That because they did not want Private Soldiers disassembling the lock without the Supervision of a Non Commissioned Officer?

Gus

 

[hawkeye2]

I've been shooting military arms with threaded ramrods for many years and never had anything happen to my fingers or hand. Heck, I don't even notice the threads are there.

 

[Artificer]

I've been shooting military arms with threaded ramrods for many years and never had anything happen to my fingers or hand. Heck, I don't even notice the threads are there.

I think it important to add that you have probably been using tighter fitting Minie' Balls than were originally issued, since you have probably been using Minie' Balls that were only .001" to .002" undersize from the bore diameter. That also means the Minie' Balls you shoot would be harder to load when the bore fouls.

Though the period Minie' Balls issued were smaller in diameter and thus easier to ram down the bore; even when the bores got fouled, they probably didn't notice it in battle, either. When the Adrenaline is pumping during a battle, they probably didn't notice at all.

Gus

 

[hawkeye2]

Gus, you are right and by the way the adrenaline is pumping during a team skirmish event too. :grin:

 

[Artificer]

Gus, you are right and by the way the adrenaline is pumping during a team skirmish event too. :grin:

Oh, Yeah Buddy!!

One year at the Nationals, our mutual friend Bucky handed me his original Smith Carbine about 7:00 PM and informed me his brother Joe had done some work on the rifle before he passed, but hadn't gotten the trigger pull down at the time. So I asked Bucky when he needed it done. His answer was, "Tomorrow Morning." (We had already been there a few days and he had not mentioned it earlier. PLUS it normally takes between 6 to 8 hours to put a REALLY good trigger pull on an original Smith Carbine.)

Talk about PRESSURE!! Bucky's Brother Joe had been my main mentor on working Smith Carbines, so the last thing I wanted was not doing the job up to his standards. Bucky was a dear friend, so I also wanted to get it right for him. Finally finished it between 1 and 2 AM in the morning. I was half asleep later on that morning when Bucky picked it up and said he really liked the trigger.

Much later that night, I finally got Bucky to talk about how they did in the clay pigeon
Team Match that day? He said they came in Second, because he had missed one of the clay targets. I asked him with no little trepidation, "OMG, was there something wrong with his Smith Carbine?" He grinned a wry smile and told me there wasn't, but he had not taken the time to get used to the lighter trigger pull and it went off unexpectantly before he was ready. The Adrenaline pumping had gotten to him on his second shot. He then told me the trigger pull was great all the way through the Match.

Gus

 

[stubshaft]

That tool was normally issued to Sergeants.

 

[robinghewitt]

Though I owned an original Sergeant's Tool for many years with the hook on it for the mainspring, I was never sure if it was true the Sergeant's Tool had the hook and the Private's Tool did not have one?

Hi Gus

That's what I was told, but just because I find something is in my head does not necessarily make it so.

This tool does not have the main spring thingy

Robin