One-Piece Cleaning Rods

[Bob Riley]

Gentlemen (and the rest of you, too...)

I'm in the market for a couple of one-piece cleaning rods for a three-band musket. A friend has a pair of really nice fiberglass rods from someone named DeWalt (I think...), but acquisition of these rods sounded like a complicated process and I hope for more immediate gratification. I've been making do with wooden rods I built a while back, with brass or iron ferrules pinned on one end, but it's time to upgrade.

S & S Firearms, Winchester Sutler, and Southwest Sutler all have one-piece aluminum rods with big handles, bore/muzzle protectors, and accessories to fit. I think the rods from these three suppliers are all different. The S&S rods have nylon muzzle protectors and wood handles. The Southwest Sutler rods appear to have metal handles and brass bore protectors. The Southwest rods are also double-ended, with 5/16-27 female threads on one end and 10-32 female threads on the other. I guess the handle has male threads on both ends to match, so you can swap ends with the rod according to the accessory you want to screw in to it. S&S does not say what thread pitch their rods have, but they stock components to fit them. Winchester does not really give a lot of that sort of detail about his rods, but they are the least expensive of the lot.

I have been guilty of over thinking this sort of thing in the past, but I would like to hear some opinions about these one-piece cleaning rods from those who are using them. What are your preferences?

Much obliged,

Bob Riley

[Ron/The Old Reb]

The person with the fiberglass rods is John DeWald of Norteast Traders in Muncy PA. I have bouth wooden handel and aluminum handel with brass and nylon muzzle proctors. I like the wood handle with the nylon muzzle proctor the best. The wood handel ones have a tear drop shape whitch are file handels. To me the wooden handle is easer the hang onto when you are trying to pull a stuck patch out of your barrel.

[rachbobo]

For what it's worth, there is an outfit called onlinemetals.com. If anyone wants a solid brass cleaning rod, a 1/4 inch X 3 ft length is $5.12, a 4 ft length is $6.07
A 3/8ths piece 3 ft long is $11,62 and a 4 ft length is $13.66.
Of course this is just straight rod and you would need access to a lathe or something to thread the ends.
I have bought a lot of the C360 Free Machining Brass Rod to make cleaning rods for many rifles and pistols.
I you are handy and have access to the tools or you can twist the arm of someone with them you can machine your own tips and either solder them or screw them on.

Bill Cheek

[John Holland]

It is actually John DeWald.

JDH