Drum and nipple gun snagging patches

[smylee grouch]

A friend and I were shooting today and he was having trouble with getting his ramrod out with a cleaning patch, always hung up right at the breech. The drum is not protruding into the bore and it seems to be placed right in front of the breech plug. I was wondering if anyone else has seen this and if it were posible that if the inside of the drum was coned it might be catching the cleaning patch. Any thoughts or opinions?

[rich pierce]

I have experienced this with jags.  I think the patch pooches out into the drum then when the rod is pulled back, catches a doubled up patch on the jag.  Just a guess.  I've switched away from jags entirely and use worms only now for cleaning and have fewer problems.

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

Do you think there might be a burr at the drum area?

[smylee grouch]

I dont know about a burr as I couldn't feel any thing when we put his ramrod down and slid it over the area of the drum. When he comes back again I will try my brass loading/cleaning rod and see if I can feel any thing in that arera.

[Mark Elliott]

I have this same thing happen with touch hole liners.   The liner doesn't protrude into the bore, but there is a sharp edge to the hole in the barrel.   Since I only use a patch once or twice,  I never considered it a problem.   The patch with the ball is always well forward of this area.  I would have to be using one of those internal coning tools instead of a liner to avoid this problem.   Maybe that is a reason to make one of those tools.

[Cory Joe Stewart]

In Hershal House's gun building video he used a rotary tool to de-Burr the inside of the touchhole and level it with the inside of the barrel.  I did this to trade gun I built and I think it only served to make a rough area that is a pain to keep clean. 

Coryjoe

[Acer Saccharum]

After I cone the barrel, either with a Tom Snyder cone tool, or a liner, I reach inside with a rotary tool to round the corners of the drilled hole where it intersects the barrel.

You could still get the pooch effect Rich mentions, but the rounded corners will help some.

[Acer Saccharum]

More on pooching: If your jag is more parallel sided, it may pull the patch over the length of the jag, not just at the tip. then the loose folds are not so likely to drop into the void and wad up on the retracting.

[Pete G.]

Perhaps the size of the jag and/or the thickness of the patch is causing a problem? If the fit is too tight it might tend to shove the patch into the hole.

[ironwolf]

  Do what Tom suggested.  It also helps the water flow better when cleaning.

   KW

[shortbarrel]

I think were are all talking touch hole liners and drums.  Have pulled some drums from old wrought iron barrels, that had the threaded end rounded to match the bore diameter. I just make one that looks like a end mill and put it on a rod longer than the barrel and have at it.

[Acer Saccharum]

Whether drum or liner, the hole detail on the inside can produce a similar effect.

[galamb]

Yet another reason to build with a patent breech 

[ironwolf]

  Patent breaches are cool,  but not what you're looking for if you want you want the gun to look like a conversion.

   Kevin

[Pvt. Lon Grifle]

If the jag is scarred, the drum or F/H liner is the problem.   Lon