RR length

[Puzzledprofessor]

Is it a crime against humanity to leave the ramrod a tick long? I like the look of the tip being flush with the muzzle of the barrel but worry about stuck ramrods. I looked and have seen it both ways, but would like to know if there was a "correct" length.

[FDR]

I have seen several originals with an inch or so sticking beyond the muzzle. Seems to be quite common.

[Daryl]

Not a crime, but can be a pain in the arse, that is, if you seat the ball flush with the muzzle using a ball or short starter, before drawing the rod out. 

If the rod is even with the muzzle when it is in the pipes and runs under the barrel to the front of the breech block, it will be sticking out the muzzle when the load is seated on the powder, by the length of the load (powder and patched ball) itself, thus is longer than needed to seat a ball and gives enough finger purchase to remove, etc. 

With a rod of a length to not stick out past the muzzle when in the pipes is used for cleaning, by screwing a jag into a rod tip, the jag's length will make the rod that much longer than the bore needing cleaning, which also should give adequate finger purchase on the rod.

I've also seen pictures of rods sticking well out past the muzzle of the gun.  They can be a pain when hunting, catching on branches, trees, underbrush, etc.

In the movie about hin, Alvin York's ram rod stuck well out past the muzzle of his rifle, while he was carrying it and when it was above the door (fireplace?) in the house.  My memory's a bit foggy on that as It's been at least 45, maybe 55 years since I saw the movie - with Gary Cooper, I think, playing Alvin York.

[kaintuck]

I think when it's on a thin rifle...46" barrel...sticking out makes the rifle look even thinner.......and you can always cut it off~ 
I made most RR even with the barrel..........just a couple leaving it longer~just for fun....

marc n tomtom

[smylee grouch]

If by chance you used an English style (Noch)sp breech or some other patent breech, you could drill your RR hole a tad deeper too.

[EC121]

There are ramrod extensions on the market that add a few inches to make it longer while cleaning.  Make it flush and use one of them in your bag.

[Dave B]

It has been many years now but I had the pleasure of meeting a man by the name of Jack Rouse just on the other side of the border in Kentucky from Ohio. He was kind enough to invite me over for an afternoon I had off from a business trip. He made it a point to always make his ramrods an inch and a half longer than the usual. He did it by modifying his ram rod holes at the 8" mark from the breach by routing out the inside of the barrel channel for about 4" into the ramrod hole. This hole was angled over to the area between the front trigger guard lug/screw and the side plate. He made a drill shank with a universal joint that allowed the new direction to be drilled. I have used this on a couple of my rifles and it has paid dividends when dry balled. The ramrod stays flush with the end of the muzzle and my pulling fixture has room to do its job. Jack would put in a plug of wood to cover the angled channel hole and flush cut it to level again.