How the ramrod holds on a flint pistol??

[valerio]

Ok doing some research here, can someone explain me how the rod holds on british flint pistols?

 

[FishDFly]

Ok doing some research here, can someone explain me how the rod holds on british flint pistols?

Holds what and on to what????

 

[Fred_Dwyer]

Mine is tapered and wedges into place.

 

[valerio]

Ok doing some research here, can someone explain me how the rod holds on british flint pistols?

Holds what and on to what????

How the ramrod holds itself from falling. is there a hidden mechanism that holds it once one push it all way down when finishing seating the bullet?

 

[LRB]

Pretty much, no. It holds by friction. Wedging. You may need a larger diameter ramrod.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Some pistols (notably calvary - some carbines as well) have a toggle link which had a rod-hole in the center. You pull the rod forward, tip it back 180° after raising the toggle bar in front of the bore, push the rammer down, pull it back out and swing it 180° degrees, pull it back forward and finally slide it down through the thimbles.

Multi-step for certain, but at least you don't drop the rammer.

 

[valerio]

Thanks, I'm aware of that swivel mechanism, but what about the older models without it? wedging action? yeah it make sense but where, at the end near the lockplate or at the brass tip?

 

[RADeO]

Some may have had a flat spring within the stock that applied pressure against the rod to prevent it falling out. An alternative might have been a slight bend in the rod itself to provide the aforementioned wedging action.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Like Acorn Mush said: the secret to retain a loose rammer is to have a slight bend in it. ;-)

My longrifle has a forward lock retaining bolt that is just into the ramrod channel enough that it makes the rod a tight fit. I'm not sure if the gunsmith was brilliant or just lucky it was no further down. I learned this once by installing the lock with the ramrod in the channel and locking it in too tight to pull out. ;-)

 

[valerio]

So as far as I get the taper/conical shape of the tip bends a little bit the ramrod so then it holds by its own spring action. :hmm: