Fiberglass, Wood, Stainless, Brass

[Daryl]

I used a fiberglass rod yearsa go for loading some tight bullets in a fast twist Bauska barrel I had. The 3/8" diameter rod was great for loading.  I also had to re-crown the muzzle every 300 shots - about once a month sometimes 2 months.  I'd watch the groups gradually measure from 3/4" out to 1 1/2" at 100 yards, then re-crown, back down to 3/4".  Just one of the experiments I did - way back when.

 I-too have just recently built 2 stainless long rods for cleaning my Sharps. I used one for a range rod the other day and will stop that practise immediately.  For the Sharps, I have a collar that fits into and protects the chamber and throat, so the stainless rod is a go- as long as I keep it straight.

 The two volumes I have, titled Firearms of the American West - note in a couple places, the rod wear and other damage caused by the loading rods used in the muzzleloaders. "Other" damage noted is the 'pounding' against the rifling down inside the bore. One must use care when loading. The cupped ends on the rods, and the habit of slamming the rod down on the seated ball to expand it as needed in the Tige and Delvinge would indeed damage the rifling down inside the bore.  This slamming of the rod actually came over to the rifles due to being a normal loading ritual for the smoothbores - that of slamming the rod 3 or more times against the seated ball and ctg. I've seen a number of people on the range at Hefley doing the same with their round ball guns. I've never seen any of those people in the winner's circle. 

[roundball]

Actually I have a supply of new nylon muzzleguides on their way from Muzzleloader Builder Supply right now...I've used the nylon guides on all my underbarrel and range rods for years...but the short starters have always had brass ones that came on them.

While the short starter muzzleguides might have grooves beginning to wear in their tapered brass areas they are used with more than one ML so there's not a corresponding 1:1 amount of pounding on any given muzzle...a short starter might have a few thousand short starts on it but any given rifle may only have  25 % with that particular starter.

When the batch of nylon ones arrive, I'll switch them all out and not worry about it...the nylon won't hold up as long as the brass would but they're cheap and at least I'll know there's no chance I'm damaging muzzles

[Daryl]

I'm not worried about short starter wear as the starter's 6" rod doesn't slide down the side of the bore. The rod's tip has a cup that fits the ball's upper surface and the starter knob, a chunk of elk or moose antler has a thick leather ring to the antler down't smack the muzzle. The sharter' shaft punches the ball straight down until it stops.  It's rod wear that interests me - mostly from cleaning.  It may be that a coned muzzle somewhat protects the very end of the muzzle's crown due to being tapered. It's possible the cone is more accurate when appliced to  an older that had a badly rod-damaged muzzle?