Fiberglass ramrods?

[VtBlackdog]

Hi All,

I tried cutting back a fiberglass ramrod, and tapering it on one end, and it still has particles coming off of it that itch in a most annoying manner.....is there some way to "cure" the fiberglass to seal it?  Or should I just junk it and look for a "plastic" one?

[Roger Fisher]

Throw it out unless you like a belled barrel muzzle.

[rdillon]

As Roger said, THROW IT OUT!!!  Never use a Fiberglass rod.  EVER!!!  Use a stainless loading rod with a muzzle protector made out of delron or plastic. 

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Roger is correct.  Get rid of it.  It will cut your muzzle like a rat tailed file.

[Acer Saccharum]

Toss it out, Amen!

That will ruin your barre in one season.

[Candle Snuffer]

Agree 100% - rid yourself of that thing.

[VtBlackdog]

Thanks for setting me straight!

I'll get rid of it, and order a stainless loading rod (that I assume can be used for cleaning also).....

Do you guys use wood rods for hunting?

[Long John]

I use the wooden rod for hunting.  I took a 45-70 shell casing and drilled out the head large enough for my ramrod to pass through.  I use that as a muzzle protector.

Best Regards,


JMC

[northmn]

I use the wooden rod for hunting.  I took a 45-70 shell casing and drilled out the head large enough for my ramrod to pass through.  I use that as a muzzle protector.

Best Regards,


JMC

Just hit me on what to use for a muzzle protector for my 25.  I can use either a 222 case or a 17 HMR.  had all kinds of plans for a time consuming one. Thankyou

DP

[steg49]

After reading the responces to  fiberglass rods, I went back to my Nov. 2008 Muzzle Basts "stump the experts" there they tested four ramrods, wood, fiberglass, brass, and stainless steel.  Their conclusion, only the stainless steel rod damaged the barrel, thus if using steel a barrel protector is a must, I use a brass rod with barrel protector for range shooting and wood in the field with a barrel protector.

[Candle Snuffer]

I do keep an aluminum range rod on hand for cleaning purposes.  I also have wood range rods with muzzle protectors on them that I use to load with at the range, and to swab with if needed.

The only time I use my rifle's (wooden) ramrod is when I'm hunting, or at Rendezvous.

I like to soak my new wooden rods in lamp oil for about 3 to 5 days, let them cure in a seperate tubing for another couple of days, then drop them in a tube of polyurethane for another 3 to 5 days - then remove them - wipe them off and store them in PVC tubing until I need one.  

I don't know if the polyurethane step is even needed, but I've been doing it this way for a long time and I guess it's just habbit to do it.

I know there are many who use coal oil to soak their new rods in.  I haven't tried this yet, though I believe it has some historical usage for such cases as treating ramrods.  

[Roger Fisher]

After reading the responces to  fiberglass rods, I went back to my Nov. 2008 Muzzle Basts "stump the experts" there they tested four ramrods, wood, fiberglass, brass, and stainless steel.  Their conclusion, only the stainless steel rod damaged the barrel, thus if using steel a barrel protector is a must, I use a brass rod with barrel protector for range shooting and wood in the field with a barrel protector.

I gotta tell ya, The Bevel column is the first thing I read in MB!  But; my Getz barrel has well over (well over) 60,000 rounds thru her and she still shoots where I point her (bench target 8 ring black bullseye 3 wks or so ago open sights no shaders 48x at 100 yds for example).  I use the super hard stainless steel rod w/a nylon guide and only use a wood rod when I Must and then @!*% careful like! The short starter (which recently got longer) is nylon with a guide also!

[Daryl]

I tried a fiberglass rod many years ago - real fiberglass - no coating. When accuracy dropped off in this slug barrel, I cut off 1/4" and re-crowned it.   Loss of accuracy was easily noted as I only shot this barrel at 100 yards and off the bench and offhand for turkey shoots against the modern rifles.  I ended up cutting and re-crowning it every 200 to 250 rounds.  It started out at 38" on a 1/2 stock and I stopped using that rod at around 34".  It was a MOA barrel with two different weight slugs, 370gr. and 450gr., 38" twist.
If you want to see wear- don't take anyone's word for it - take the rod and rub it briskly across a barrel corner about 20 strokes - if of real fiberglass, not plastic, there will be a groove worn just as if a very fine file was used.

[VtBlackdog]

 
that is scary
Sounds like fiberglass rods are only good for smoothbores!

are plastic ones ok?

[Gene Carrell]

Fiberglass rods are useful only when cut up and used to build cartriddge case drying racks. They will reshape the crown on your smoothie.

[TPH]

that is scary
Sounds like fiberglass rods are only good for smoothbores!

are plastic ones ok?

Not even good for smoothbores, why ruin a good barrel?

[Glenn]

After reading the responces to  fiberglass rods, I went back to my Nov. 2008 Muzzle Basts "stump the "experts" there they tested four ramrods, wood, fiberglass, brass, and stainless steel.  Their conclusion, only the stainless steel rod damaged the barrel, thus if using steel a barrel protector is a must, I use a brass rod with barrel protector for range shooting and wood in the field with a barrel protector.

I do the exact same thing and have never had any problems.  I plan on staying with this technique also.

[Kopfjaeger]

Don't use fiberglass, its bad on barrels. I only use hickory ramrods.  I like the look of wood.

[Daryl]

I made a home test on the various material for rods last year, or maybe the year before.  This subject creeps up at least once a year and there are always people who jump to the protection of fiberglass as being the end-all best material for a rod - becasue that's al they use, or read in Muzzle Blasts it was one of the best.

The lack of knowledge in this subjuect will ruin your barrel.  There is fiberglass - bare and MOST abrasive just as many of us have said - believe it - we are not lying.  So- why the defenders - COATED fiberglass where the fiberglas never touches the barrel walls is being called a "fiberglass rod", wherein it is not a fiberglass rod, but a coated fiberglass rod. The difference is a ruined barrel in less than 200 shots.  Now, 200 shots is more than some members here have fired total, or more than they fire in a year. 200 shots is not very good mileage for a $100.00 to $300.00 barrel + costs of installing and finishing.

In my tests, Hickory and nylon were the least abrasive doing little more than wearing off the bluing on the piece of 12L14 I used for the test. Stainless steel was second to fiberglass, then tool steel ie: commercial drill rod, then aluminum, then nylon then hockory.
Differing hardness of barrels steel might also produce different results, but I'd think, only in severity, not in order of abrasiveness.

[54Bucks]

 I think many are supporting an old wives tale. I'de like to know who are selling these ramrods currently that are supposedly made of "fibreglass" that have the abrasive caracteristics of a rat tail file? Not something that happened 30-40  years ago made of unknown composition. If these reports were accurate such things would have replaced sharpening steels and other abrasives. I have no doubt that at one time there were rods to be avoided. But they have nothing in common with current rods such as those marketed as "super rod" and/or others called "fibreglass".
 As for the bevel brothers test.... only makes sense to me that the hardest material tested as a ram rod would show the most barrel wear.
 For those who subscribe to the embedded grit theory causing excessive muzzle or bore wear, exactly what is the composition of that grit your rod or bore are being exposed to?

[bob in the woods]

I gave up trying to convince anyone not to use fiberglass rods, or other "modern" loading equipment being marketed. If these weren't "better", why would they sell them , right??   I load with my split ash rod, and have over 30 thous. through one rifle. I love competing against those who use fiberglass rods 

[54Bucks]

 It's not a competion where there's a winner and a loser. It's about dispelling old wives tales that have no real basis. I have no dout some old fibreglass rods probably had something abrasive in the resin.

[Dave Faletti]

The glass itself is abrasive. The fiber ends do the cutting. Same hardness as some sandpapers just not as many grains on the surface.  A number of plastics can be bought with glass fiber fill for strength and rigidity.  The plastic when injected or extruded will have a smooth surface without protruding fiber but remove a small amount off the surface and its exposed.  If someone is dead set on a fiber rod they might consider a slightly undersized rod and use a length  of heatshrink tubing for the outersurface. Bore guides at the range are cheap insurance whether or not its needed. 

[FRJ]

I am assuming these statements are for using a "glass" rod without benifit of a rod guide. What happens to the barrel when a guide is used? And if the answer is nothing why not just recommend that a rod guide be used at all times when using a glass rod? FRJ

[The other DWS]

Fibreglass rods are thin glass fibres in an epoxy matirx.  Glass is harder than most steels and the sharp ends and edges of the strands are more abrasive than a fine rat-tail file.  Trying to taper one just exposed a whole lot more ends and edges.

Rods themselves like the glass ones can be abrasive, other softer rods like wood and some of the plastics and coated steel, brass, and aluminum can "pick up" grit form some types of fouling and basically turn into free-form uncontrolled barrel laps. 

In most of the target shooting sports the top competitors have gone to near-bore-diameter, precision-ground, hardened stainless rods to minimize wobble and flex inside the bore and to avoid picking up grit.  most also frequently wipe the rods as they are using them.