Hi guys. I am new to muzzle-loading and maybe I have been a bit rough on the stuff I bought to get started! I purchased a kit which contained all sorts of bits and pieces to get a percussion rifle going. Anyway the ramrod which come in three part snapped where it screwed together. I was probably holding it two high but I thought steel would be stronger? The worm attachment snapped when pulling a patch. Apparently it caught on the breach plug on my Kentucky Rifle. The brass rammer attachment broke up. Am I loading too vigorously?
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Italian Muzzleloading Kit!
- Thread starter khavell
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rafterob
62 Cal.
You are maybe being too brutish, but you probably got a less than adequate kit of supplies. You should seek a "range rod" for most range shooting. The ramrod that comes with the rifle should be good for field work. One-piece brass or stainless steel are most common for range rods. You will want a good cleaning/loading jag and a muzzle protector for it. If your patch worm is the "corkscrew" type, you may have very well got it stuck in the breech if you have an imported production rifle. Most of them have reduced size chambers in the breach. If your patch puller had 2 opposing twisted wires, well, they are very sensitive and don't stand up to much abuse. If, by "brass rammer" you mean a "short starter" then yours was probably not constructed very well. Weakness is usually at the junction of he tip and rod. Go online to one of the reputable dealers and buy some quality products, or if capable, build them yourself.
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a three piece gadget sounds suspiciously like a cleaning rod which was re- labelled and sold as a ramrod... the advice Ghettogun gave about getting a range rod is good- you should get one and a spare, just in case. Look for pins where accessories meet the rod: the tips should have both glue and pins- glue alone will fail, and Murphy's law dictates that this failure will happen as you're trying to reload. The the Boone & Crockett buck walks by. He didn't flip you off 'cause they have no fingers.
grab the rod no more than eight inches above the muzzle, and don't put your hand on top of the rod (there was an incident where an accidental discharge happened as the shooter was loading. there was no cap on the nipple, but the rifle went off as the ball was being seated. if the shooter had had his hand on top of the ramrod, as opposed to just having his fingers around it, it would have blown an impressive hole all the way through his hand). Of course, never pour from the horn- always use a measure.
on the don't- run- with- scissors rant, don't stand directly over the muzzle at any time, and don't blow into the muzzle (never understood why anyone would do that, but i've seen it done) a short starter shouldn't snap off as you described: i'd invest in a replacement from a reputable manufacturer.
these problems are bumps in the road- overcome them and you will make a boatload of good smoke!
grab the rod no more than eight inches above the muzzle, and don't put your hand on top of the rod (there was an incident where an accidental discharge happened as the shooter was loading. there was no cap on the nipple, but the rifle went off as the ball was being seated. if the shooter had had his hand on top of the ramrod, as opposed to just having his fingers around it, it would have blown an impressive hole all the way through his hand). Of course, never pour from the horn- always use a measure.
on the don't- run- with- scissors rant, don't stand directly over the muzzle at any time, and don't blow into the muzzle (never understood why anyone would do that, but i've seen it done) a short starter shouldn't snap off as you described: i'd invest in a replacement from a reputable manufacturer.
these problems are bumps in the road- overcome them and you will make a boatload of good smoke!
Sorry for the delay in answering - timezone difference!. Great advice guys.
The ramrod that screws together in three places - you are right that is going to be weak.
My local gunsmith is devoted to Black Powder and has a good range of ramrods so I should be able to sort myself there. ( I did not buy the Italian kit from him). I think the patch puller was probably too brittle for an irregular breach. A member in the club has suggested getting some curtain wire - the stuff you use for net curtains and making it into a worm by turning up one of the loops and turning it into a hook.
All your kind advice I will take on board.
The ramrod that screws together in three places - you are right that is going to be weak.
My local gunsmith is devoted to Black Powder and has a good range of ramrods so I should be able to sort myself there. ( I did not buy the Italian kit from him). I think the patch puller was probably too brittle for an irregular breach. A member in the club has suggested getting some curtain wire - the stuff you use for net curtains and making it into a worm by turning up one of the loops and turning it into a hook.
All your kind advice I will take on board.
What I do is push the ball down in short strokes. When it at the bottom I may give it a few sharp jabs with the ramrod making sure everything is down there and I don't walnut(?) the breech. Someone said I should not do the last part.
How do people load? ( good safety advice above)
How do people load? ( good safety advice above)
I pour in the measured powder from a separate powder measure, not the one on my flask.
I place a lubed cloth patch on the muzzle and then place the roundball in the center.
Holding this in place with my thumb I get my short starter.
Using the short dowel in the starter I give the round ball a light whack to drive the patched ball into the muzzle.
Then, turning the short starter so I can use the longer dowel I press the patch/ball down until the starter hits the muzzle.
Using my range rod (or a ramrod) I then grab the rod about 10-12 inches above the muzzle and press the ball/patch down.
Moving my hand upward about a foot I repeat this until I feel the patched ball hit the powder load.
A medium push down on the rod completes the initial loading.
By the way, when doing all of this, the nipple is not capped nor, in the case of a flintlock is the pan primed.
With a percussion gun the hammer is at half cock.
With a flintlock gun the cock (hammer) is in the fully down fired position with the frizzen open.
I place a lubed cloth patch on the muzzle and then place the roundball in the center.
Holding this in place with my thumb I get my short starter.
Using the short dowel in the starter I give the round ball a light whack to drive the patched ball into the muzzle.
Then, turning the short starter so I can use the longer dowel I press the patch/ball down until the starter hits the muzzle.
Using my range rod (or a ramrod) I then grab the rod about 10-12 inches above the muzzle and press the ball/patch down.
Moving my hand upward about a foot I repeat this until I feel the patched ball hit the powder load.
A medium push down on the rod completes the initial loading.
By the way, when doing all of this, the nipple is not capped nor, in the case of a flintlock is the pan primed.
With a percussion gun the hammer is at half cock.
With a flintlock gun the cock (hammer) is in the fully down fired position with the frizzen open.
caintuck rifle
32 Cal.
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Just a question is it a jukar?
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