cleaning without rod

[duca]

Hey guys, Just wondering if your out in the field with a Ramrod with NO threaded end  attachment, How would one clean the bore of your gun? I read in a past Muzzleloading addition that a string with Tow flux was used. The rod pushed the Tow flux down the bore and was pulled out with the sting. Any thoughts on this OR ideas.? 

[SCLoyalist]

Some rods have a few ridges carved into the end for holding a patch or wrapping some tow flax around.   And, there's a spiral attachment called a 'tow worm'  (Track of the Wolf sells them as part number Worm-PR-S or -L) which  doesn't require a threaded rod tip.  The worm could probably be used to retrieve a lost cleaning patch, too. 
 
The closest thing to "pulling out with a string"  I've ever heard of related to breechloading weapons like Sharps rifles, where a corded cleaning wad, similar in function to a Hoppes Boresnake, could be used.

[Chris Treichel]

Gave that two or three tries then had the wonderfull fortune of having the string break and me having to borrow a rod to pull the ball of cloth out of the barrel with a worm at a reenactment.  I have not tried the little spring worms that are supposed to attach to the swiping stick by friction alone...

I will continue using the screw in version... Though a few months ago had the daft idea to forget to cross pin the jag to the stick... took some head scratching, epoxie and some real carefull fiddling to get that cleaning jag out.  

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Duca, with fear of stating the obvious, I would not go into the field without the necessary means to clean the rifle properly.  If you clean it badly just once, you can be sure that your bore will never be as good as it was.  So, add the rod tip to your ramrod that will take the attachments your need to maintain your bore in perfect order, prior to going into the field.

[Dphariss]

Thank you Taylor.
My first thought was why would I be out without a rod that would accept jags and pullers?

Dan

[duca]

Duca, with dear of stating the obvious, I would not go into the field without the necessary means to clean the rifle properly.  If you clean it badly just once, you can be sure that your bore will never be as good as it was.  So, add the rod tip to your ramrod that will take the attachments your need to maintain your bore in perfect order, prior to going into the field.

Yes Taylor, I agree. I was just curious as to how one might fair with out an attachment on there rod and what could be done to clean the Barrel till one got back to camp.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Then I guess the short answer at least in my own opinion, is that it cannot be done.  Wail 'til you have the correct stuff in hand.  Better to know it's really dirty that to think it's clean when it cannot be.

[Dphariss]

Duca, with dear of stating the obvious, I would not go into the field without the necessary means to clean the rifle properly.  If you clean it badly just once, you can be sure that your bore will never be as good as it was.  So, add the rod tip to your ramrod that will take the attachments your need to maintain your bore in perfect order, prior to going into the field.

Yes Taylor, I agree. I was just curious as to how one might fair with out an attachment on there rod and what could be done to clean the Barrel till one got back to camp.

THEN you need a rod that it near bore size  that you can cut grooves in to hold patches/Tow. Spirals will likely work better with Tow. HOWEVER, this rod really needs to be 3" or so longer than the bore....
But going out without a rod that can be used to clean the gun is like not taking ammunition.

Dan

[duca]

Hey guys, Just wondering if your out in the field with a Ramrod with NO threaded end  attachment, How would one clean the bore of your gun? I read in a past Muzzleloading addition that a string with Tow flux was used. The rod pushed the Tow flux down the bore and was pulled out with the sting. Any thoughts on this OR ideas.? 

Hey Guys; Maybe I was saying it wrong. I was just curious to know what the Riflemen would do if they had no threaded cleaning rod in the field. Reading that Muzzleloading Mag. article it seemed that this was common place.   

[Candle Snuffer]

If you had to, you could do this;

[duca]

There Ya go.  I bet that would work with some Tow- Flux spun around a few times.

[Pvt. Lon Grifle]

I once saw a Currier & Ives print of two hunters on horseback hunting in the tall grass prarie. One hand held the reins, the other held the  M/L gun AND a wiping stick. I am sure such sticks were widely used though rarely spoken of. I know many CW rifle shooters hold their ramrods in their hand during shooting events. It never touches the ground. Enfields had a jagged tip for cleaning also and the tulip on many other models would hold a patch.  Lon 

[bob in the woods]

There are worms which thread on to a plain wood rod. These were commonly available for trade guns as far as I know. TOW sells one. 

[Hungry Horse]

 In more than one old painting frontiersmen, and natives, are seen with a spare ramrod stored in the barrel,( probably to keep the charge in place while on horse back). They had a hole cross bored through the end. Leather wangs were knotted through the hole, allowing for quick removal, by simply stepping on the wang, with your foot, and pulling the gun away. This cross bore would also serve as a cleaning device as perviously shown. although I have seen many old guns with provisions for jags and worms, I have seen just as many without.

                   Hungry Horse

[duca]

Thank you Hungry Horse. That is what I thought and heard. That is what I was getting at.

[Black Hand]

A simple coiled-wire worm that fits over the wooden rod will work well to clean a gun without a tapped end.

[axelp]

I use the coiled wire friction fit kind for my smoothbore out in the field. It works fine.

But my rifle has a threaded tip on the ramrod so I use a jag for it.

I have tried the patch tied to a string--- it is doable, but it takes more time. You have to be careful and the process itself is just slower.

K

[David R. Pennington]

Snuffer, I have a hole like that bored in all my ram rods, but I hadn't thought of using it that way. I bored the holes so I could stick the vent pick end of my rifle tool in there to get a purchase on to pull a ball or stuck patch. I always try to clean my rifles in the field as soon as I'm done shooting, that way if some emergency is waiting for me when I get home I don't have to worry. It might be handy to have another way of doin it if you loose or forget the jag.

[Mike R]

Hey guys, Just wondering if your out in the field with a Ramrod with NO threaded end  attachment, How would one clean the bore of your gun? I read in a past Muzzleloading addition that a string with Tow flux was used. The rod pushed the Tow flux down the bore and was pulled out with the sting. Any thoughts on this OR ideas.?  

Hey Guys; Maybe I was saying it wrong. I was just curious to know what the Riflemen would do if they had no threaded cleaning rod in the field. Reading that Muzzleloading Mag. article it seemed that this was common place.  

I don't know about riflemen, but trade gun shooters in the 18th cent [and fusils, etc.] were often supplied only wood rammers with no tip attachments save the little wire "worms" .  You can clean the bore of a smoothie by pouring in water, shaking, repeat, and drying with tow using the little worm...pulling a load is tough, however!

[SleepyHillBarrels]

why dont he wright
 unleaded :