How thick should the web between the ramrod and barrel chanel be?

[Rolf]

A lot of people say 1/8"= 3.2mm. I've been practicing making ramrod pipes.
I use 1 mm (0.04")thick brass. I tried to inlet the pipes in a practice stock I made.
It's web measure 3mm.  Let's do some math.

The pipes have to be inlet 1mm(0.04") into the ramrod channel.
The pin for the pipes is 1.5mm(1/16") thick.
This means you've got 2mm thick web to stick a 1.5mm pin through without breaking through any of the channels. If you put the pin exactly in the center, you've got 0.25mm(0.01") clearance to both channels. No way thats going to work.

As far as I can see you need at least:

Pipe inlet  1mm (0.04")
+ pin thickness 1.5mm(1/16")
+ clearence below pin 0.5mm(1/64")
+ clearence above pin 1.5mm(1/16")
-----------------------------------------------
= 5mm

5mm = 0.20"= 1/5", thats almost 2/8" which is twice the recommend thickness.

Please, could someone check my math?

Best regards

Rolfkt

[Brian Jordan]

I have read several tutorials that stated 3/16" between ram rod groove, and barrel channel. The book "Gunsmith of Grenville County" also states 3/16" on page 67

Hope this helps

[northmn]

 A weak 3/16 always worked for me.  1/8 inch is doable but you have to hit exactly at the bottom of the barrel for the underpinning lugs when you drill for pins and skim the bottom of the thimble.  Remember that if you are talking about a straight barrel that is carried all the way through.  On a swamped or tapered barrel the web is the distance in the ramrod hole between the barrel and the hole.  It can be a little thicker in the groove.

DP

[Curt Larsen]

Hei Rolf:  3/16" is what I use and that by my calculation is just shy of 5 mm.  You also don't have to use the 3/32" pins that places like Track of the Wolf sell.  I think Hershel House just used lengths of coat hanger wire which are only 1/16 or so.  Nails also work pretty well.

mvh
Curt Larsen

[billd]

.25mm is .010", not .001".

[Stophel]

You lost me with all the millimeters....

I usually go with about 1/8" at the breech, and probably 3/16" at the muzzle, maybe less...depends upon the amount of taper and flare and how close the size of the muzzle is to the size of the breech.  For an octagon to round barrel, with a really small muzzle, I might go 1/4", but definitely no more.

For a straight barrel, 1/8" is not really enough.  It really almost has to be 3/16" or 1/4".

[Rolf]

You are Right ,Billd. I did a mistake. One zero to many.
1inch=25.4mm,  therefore 0.25mm = 0.25/25.4 = 0.0098= 0.01"
I've corrected my mistake. But it still seems the web has to be some where between 3/16" and 1/4".

Best regards

Rolfkt

[cglynn]

3/16" is a good dimension.  It allows for enough room to pin the barrel (1/16" pins are plenty to hold the barrel.  You are just keeping it from rising out of the barrel channel, not from moving forward or backward) and still allows for a slim rifle.  To me there are few things worse than a huge gap between the ramrod and the muzzle cap.  If you look at most original rifles, the rod is very close to the muzzle cap, which is obtained by using a web of minimum thickness.

Hope that helps
Chris G

[David Rase]

Are you guys trying to inlet ramrod pipes with out breaking into the barrel channel?  Why?  When I build my ramrod pipes I leave the tabs long enough to go all the way into the barrel channel.  Once inlet, I pin them and then cut and file the tabs until they are flush with the bottom of the barrel channel.  Why?  Because having the ramrod pipe tab fit up against the bottom of the barrel stabilizes the pipe and keeps it from rocking.   I know there is more then one way to skin a cat so this is just my 2 cents worth.
DMR   

[Rich]

If you're using a swamped barrel, there's more web where the pipes go even if only 1/8th at each end is used. I also have the ramrod pipe tabs rest against the bottom of the barrel.

[ironwolf]

  Same here

[Rolf]

Thanks for the answers. I'm making a pair of pistols, left & Right hand, using L&R Bailes locks, and straight oct. GM.barrels, 15/16", 0.50 caliber.

I'll make the web 3/16" on the next practice stock and cut the thimble tabs flush with the barrel channel bottom, and see how it looks. I liked the idea stabilizing the tabs with the barrel.


Best regards
Rolfkt

[jerrywh]

 I second David Race. The tabs on my RR ferrels are never over 1/16" Also file off the bottom of the thimbles so you don't have to inlet them so deep.

[T*O*F]

I liked the idea stabilizing the tabs with the barrel.

If they're inlet properly, they don't need to be stabilized.  They already are.  Of course, if you hog them out with a router that's another story.

I use two pins per thimble instead.

[Randy Hedden]

I second David Race. The tabs on my RR ferrels are never over 1/16" Also file off the bottom of the thimbles so you don't have to inlet them so deep.

Jerry,

If your ferrule tabs are only 1/16" then what size pins are you using to hold them in?

Randy Hedden