Ramrod drill for a 48 " barrel

[Eric Smith]

If using a 48" barrel, allowing 1/2" for the breech plug, the ramrod should be 47 1/2" long, or just slightly shorter to allow for the space to load. If this is true, a 48" drill should get the correct depth hole done, allowing 1/2 " to chuck the bit. Am I cutting this to close or am is my calculating off? I am still working on flintlock arithmetic.

[JDK]

Get the ramrod/hole as long as your architecture will allow.  I want it as long as an empty bore at the very minimum so that when loaded there is something to grab on to to pull it back out.  Others may have different advice.  J.D.

[Eric Smith]

You are right about that , of coarse. I am wondering if the 48" drill is long enough for a 48" barrel or am I cutting it too fine. I can always have the barrel shortened a bit, or look for a longer bit.

[JDK]

I would want a longer bit.  Do you have the 48" bit yet?  The tip will influence usable length.  You will loose some depth there and I would want more than 1/2" in the chuck.

I would lengthen the bit before I shorten the barrel.  Have to learn to do it sometime or pay someone else to drill it for you.....or always use shorter barrels.  You can do a search here and find options for making/lengthening your own.  Enjoy, J.D.

[Eric Smith]

Yes, I have a 48" bit from TOTW. Hadn't really given much thought at that time a bout a 48" barrel. Might have to work up  a custom job. Perhaps having a 10 " piece of drill rod added to this one would be the best option. Opinions welcome. Could have the barrel shortened to 47". Hasn't been made yet.

[rich pierce]

There's a cart and there's a horse and I think the barrel is the horse and goes first.  In other words you either want a 48" barrel or you want a 47" barrel, but whatever you want, it's best to get a drill for it.  I'd like at least 3" extra for the drill.

[Eric Smith]

You are righton the money, Rich. I could have such a bit custom made localy. If there are longer drill bits for this purpose available within the longrifle community, I would consider puchasing from them.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

All your drill bit needs is 3" added to the butt end.  That's easy to do.

[David R. Pennington]

I make my ramrod drills with a brad point bit the size I need and drill rod of the appropriate size. Sometimes it is hard to find drill rod long enough. The first one I made I used a 1/4" turned down shank drill bit and center drilled the rod then silver soldered. I use a bit brace to drill with. My last build needed longer drill so I brazed the shank off an old auger bit onto the end. Here is how I make them now. I lay the bit and the drill rod butted together in a piece of angle iron. With both ends cleaned and fluxed I braze them together with brass rod. I clean up with a file and clamp the bit in the copper jaws on my vise. I clamp vise grips on the rod and test. Havn't had one break yet.

[Dphariss]

Yes, I have a 48" bit from TOTW. Hadn't really given much thought at that time a bout a 48" barrel. Might have to work up  a custom job. Perhaps having a 10 " piece of drill rod added to this one would be the best option. Opinions welcome. Could have the barrel shortened to 47". Hasn't been made yet.

Simply add a few inches to the rod you have. The depth of the hole may be limited by the mounting tang of the trigger guard no matter how deep you drill it. Mark the drill so that you don't drill too deep. Make SURE the rod groove is parallel to the bore in all respects. The gun drill type WILL run the direction its pointed so be sure its not pointed someplace you don't want it to go.
Extending the drill.
The best way is to face it (the drill or the extension no matter) then drill it to 1/4" about 3/4" deep.
Now turn the other part to a snug fit in the hole but only about 1/2 to 5/8 long. File a small flat on it to allow some place for flux and solder to flow along the shaft if you like.
Clean both parts well then put  flux and some hard silver solder in the hole then coat the shank with flux.  Slide parts together.
CHECK ALIGNMENT.
Then heat to melt the solder adding a little to the joints exterior as well. Heat the shaft end first to assure the shank reaches temp when the exterior does, then flow the heat to both ends of the joint. Do not overheat. Just till the solder flows well at the exterior and the heat is uniform in the area of the joint.
Done this way a short rod can be made into as long a rod as needed. If alignment is off a little when it cools it can be straightened.

Dan

[Long John]

TOTW sells gun barrel drills that do a nice job of boring a hole for the ramrod.  I like to bore all the way down to the front lug of the trigger guard - the longer the ramrod the better.  Like others have stated, there are a bunch of ways to add extensions onto the derrierre of a boring bit to get extra length when you need it.

Best Regards,

John Cholin

[Eric Smith]

Bought a piece of 3/8 rod at Lowes today. All I have to do is add a piece of it to my 3/8 TOTW rod drill and I'll have a 58" rod drill. That ought to cover most any contingency. 

[Jim Kibler]

 Make SURE the rod groove is parallel to the bore in all respects.

It's not at all uncommon to have the groove not parallel to the bore.  There can be some advantages to setting up a stock in this fashion.  It can be nice to taper the forestock height slightly from entry point to the muzzle cap.  I've seen a number of original rifles where the ramrood groove basically follows the bottom of the barrel with the exception of the muzzle flare.  Some time ago I was talking to Wallace about this and he felt it was very common practice to set things up like this.  I've stocked up some guns with heavy breeches and narrow forward sections, by running the groove parrallel to the barrel bottom and then bowing the stock slightly while drilling to prevent the hole from exiting through the barallel channel.  This allows a nice slim forestock to be created.

Jim

[Eric Smith]

Mission acomplished! I now have 58" x 3/8ths ramrod drill.

[TMerkley]

Now that the stock has been added to the bit, just double check it for straightness.  If you don't pay attention when drilling, it may cause a runout on the bottom of thestock,  I made a drill bit for  boring the ramrod hole from a standard 5/16ths bit and a 5/16ths round stock about 40" in length.  I aligned them, the best I could in a 3" bench vise and mig welded, one spot at a time and then rotated and ground off excess.  I used the ramrod groove in the stock, that I cut using a hammer and chisel, to keep it in alignment.  I did not get run out until I got to where the trigger guard mounted.  The trigger guard covered it up nicely.  Does the stock your working on already have a groove, or will you be boring it at you go?