Drum Jags

[Phil McBride]

Ola, Gents,

For 10 years I've been cleaning musket barrels by pouring hot water down the barrel followed with a plunging with drum jags draped with a cloth patch-both lubed and dry, and have gotten them stuck pretty regularly. I've become adept at pouring olive oil down the barrel to loosen the stuck jags, and more than once have put the musket stock in my workbench vice to hold it while I pulled on the greased drum jag. So far, I've always eventually gotten the little devil-drum out.

My question is were drum jags used by the boys from 1861 to 1865? I've never seen a reference to them, and even a search here for drum jags drew a blank.

Obviously, a slotted jag or slotted ramrod was available, and those are rarely stuck in the barrel. But I assume the slotted patch holders also are much less efficient. So what did the real boys use when they were campaigning for months at a time and loading and shooting daily?

Phil McBride
The Alamo Rifles

[BobbyHughes]

Sam Watkins mentions carrying his gunwiper in his pocket... and the worm was made to screw onto the threaded end of the ramrod. The worm, or gunwiper, will hold a patch, since the Springfields dont have slots in tulip and you dont run the risk of pulling the "tulip" off a repop Enfield rod

[7thNJcoA]

your problem is as the hot water runs down the barrel it contracts and thats why you are getting stuck. Try letting it cool or just using some cool water on your last pour to help prevent this. You are not the only person that has the problem. Be sure to dry brush, jag, and bore scrape the barrel before puring anyhing down it will losen up and get out most of the fouling. You shouldnt have a problem after this.

[flattop32355]

Different folk prefer different methods of cleaning. For me, using a wiper/worm and patch is the least likely way to get the rammer stuck. I also have learned to remove the cone/nipple after flushing the barrel with water to decrease the chance of things getting stuck; it ain't happened since I started doing that. I'll also never again use the slot in an Enfield rammer to hold a patch....reaaaaaally bad karma when you do that.

When you use hot water to clean the barrel, it expands, both in its outer and inner surfaces, so the jag that fits easily when it's not hot won't fit so well when it is hot. Let the barrel hang downward (drains out excess water and keeps it from leaking out the bolster onto the stock and lock) 'til it cools a good bit, then run the jag.