Ramrod Loose in Channel - Help !

[Gray Ghost]

The ramrod in my Euroarms Mississippi is so loose in the ramrod channel that a hard shake will move it forward. I can barely notice any resistance from the retainer spring when returning the ramrod to it's carry position. Do I need to buy a new spring or can the exixting one be bent in some way? Has anyone run into this before? Any ideas out there on how to fix this?

Thanks.

Larry

[Bob F, 1st NJLA]

The problem may be a weak spring (spoon), but it also may be possible that the spoon is not inlet properly and is bound up on the wood. Take the barrel off the stock, then press on the back of the spoon with a screwdriver as hard as you can and try to move the ramrod. If there is not a noticable difference in the tension on the ramrod then it might be an easy fix to find where the wood is holding back the spoon and remove the wood.

If pushing on the spoon increases the tension on the rod then my choice would be to bend the spoon, but I can't tell you if that is possible because I don't know if Euroarms makes their ramrod spoons in the same manner as originals or what they are made of. With an original spoon it would have to be heated cherry red to be bent, then re-tempered. If the spoon is the same size and shape as an original, and it is in fact the spoon causing the problem, the easiest solution might be to buy an original and replace the spoon.

Another possibility is that the spoon might have been inlet improperly at the wrong angle. If you have the tools, you might re-inlet the spoon changing the angle to put more pressure on the rod. You don't want to drill a new hole to reposition the pin that holds the spoon in place so you would likely have to add a spacer of some sort so the pin continues to hold the spoon in place.

Hope this helps,
Bob

[Muley Gil]

Or you could just bend the rod. Green

[Southron Sr.]

HUH?

One of the very first things I do when I glass bed a musket is to take out the ramrod spoon and throw it away. Ramrod spoons are next to useless.

A good habit to get into is to always carry a muzzleloader with the muzzle elevated, to indvertently avoid pointing the arm at another individual. I always keep the muzzle elevated (for example) when deer hunting with a front stuffer. A Minie in a clean barrel might slide forward, away from the powder charge because the muzzle was depressed. This, of course, could result in a badly bulged barrel if the arm is fired with the Minie ball forward in the barrel.

[ken chrestman]

Take the spoon out and soot with candle.

Reinstall spoon, push in ramrod, check spoon to see it it touches.

If no or little contact, JB weld some epoxy in the spoon side of the spring.

When hard place in stock and see if ramrod is tighter, file away till ramrod has desired tension.

You might consider bending the spoon down to increase tension, but place in a vice with the pin clamped, heat and bend slightly. These springs on repos are cast and will break if you try and cold bend.

Good Luck;

Ken Chrestman 7147V