'Stuck' ramrod on a hawken .50 bp rifle

S

sully2311

New member
Hello, my father picked up a 50cal hawken rifle today... Beauty of a piece but the ramrod is stuck he says... It pulls about an inch but stops... Is it screwed in or something?
 
Does the rifle have a removable breech plug? Maybe tap it out. Or maybe one of the CO2 discharge kits. Make sure its pointed in a safe direction!
Be Safe..
 
Was the ramrod stuck there when he bought it or did he do it?
The reason for the question is to determine why it's stuck.
If it was already there, maybe it's got a bullet puller on the end and is stuck on a jammed in bullet.
 
If its stuck in the ramrod channel maybe it has a lock that needs to be depressed. Since it moves and stops??
 
some of the production models have a S spring thats retained by the front lock bolt . the spring retains friction on the rr so it will not simply fall out . if someone put the spring in backwards and the rod has a brass end , or the rod is alittle rough , it can catch .
to check if thats the case , simply pull the barrel key and lift the barrel out . you should see the spring in the channel . with the bartrel out you can then remove the spring
 
Assuming its stuck in the ramrod channel.

Pull the barrel I bet you money the "U" spring has flipped over & is snagging on the end cap.;)

If it isn't then its probably been allowed to fall out when pulling the lock for cleaning & installed upside down on the cross screw.

It should be reinstalled facing back towards the butt &with the curve down.
 
Got it out... Yep, there was a s bent clip at the base of the channel.
Got the barrel loosened up enough to get the catch to let go. Thanks guys!

(Brass ends- btw)
 
Ahhh . . . wogpotter . . . if it is a Hawken and it is stuck in the ramrod channel . . . a Hawken is a half stock which means the ramrod would be on the inside of the barrel thimbles and in the fore stock. Not being picky here . . just saying . . . stuck in the fore stock and through the thimbles, it's going to be a real job to get that barrel off? :)

Glad you got it solved Sully . . . now go and enjoy shooting it! :)
 
your right bed bug . it will slip alittle though and alot of times just enough to allow the under lug to slip the stock and thus slide the barrel down the RR . also with those S springs , when you slide int he RR is forces the spring up against the barrel . by pulling the pin it will let just enough pressure off the spring so as to pull the RR or slip the barrel
 
Its not a problem, the barrel just lifts off away from the spring when you push out the wedge & pull up on the end.
The ramrod, barrel & thimbles all come off as a unit & the ramrod just lifts up from the channel which is open at the top.:)
 
Its not a problem, the barrel just lifts off away from the spring when you push out the wedge & pull up on the end.
The ramrod, barrel & thimbles all come off as a unit & the ramrod just lifts up from the channel which is open at the top
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I don't think they all will. Mine won't but its hand made.:confused:
 
So true !!!

I don't think they all will. Mine won't but its hand made.
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You are correct and I can tell you by the description of the problem and fix, it is not a TC model. There are a number of ways that manufacturers use to retain a wooden RamRod. Some better than others ..... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
My Trapper pistol is like that. The ramrod won't come out of the channel and I have to pull the barrel to allow it to be pulled free.

The way the maker drilled the wedge hole was too close to the barrel (I also had to re-drill the ramrod hole as it was canted too far up toward the barrel). The ramrod stays in nicely without the spring but I put the spring in in hope of weakening it. I should just rebind it and temper it afterward and that would also take care of the problem.
 
You are correct and I can tell you by the description of the problem and fix, it is not a TC model. There are a number of ways that manufacturers use to retain a wooden RamRod. Some better than others .....
Click to expand...

I don't think my Investarms Hawken was like that either. It seems like I had to pull the ramrod to remove the barrel. Its funny but I had that rifle for over 30 years. I sold it about five years ago but you'd think I'd still clearly remember something like that.
 
Just part of program !!!

I don't think my Investarms Hawken was like that either.
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Both of my Big- 's are not that way and I do recall a CVA, that was. .... ;)
Then you have locks that you can't pull till you remove the tang .. Crazy !!:confused:
My Trapper pistol is like that. The ramrod won't come out of the channel and I have to pull the barrel to allow it to be pulled free.
Click to expand...
Now that is even crazier. Don't own one but will have to check this out !!

Be Safe !!!
 
With the CVA rifle , the RR pipes are screwed to an under rib , that’s screwed to the barrel . Once the RR is the stock it the barrel should not come completely off with the rod in place . . There are however exceptions to that . IE where the complete RR channel has been routed and thus is not surrounded by wood or a nose cap which has a hole . In which case the rod has to flex enough so that the breech will unhook and allow the barrel to slide forward ..
I have actually had cases on Traditions and rifles where the rod had to be cut off so as to remove the barrel and reverse the spring . But in most cases one can eather flex the rod just enough OR remove the front lock bolt so as to let the spring fall and reduce friction on the rod .

Concerning locks that wont come out without the barrel being removed . a lot of times that do to the bolster applying down pressure to the lock once the barrel is in place . While the lock needs to suport the drum type bolsters , the bolster should not wedge the lock in . if does then the saddle needs cleaned up little so as to allow the lock to slide out . But in doing so one needs to keep in mind that the lock should slide strait out .

With custom guns , for the most part the RR hole is drilled not fully routed . There for the RR will need to be removed “excluding full stocks “ so that the barrel can be lifted out .
Very few originals have any type of retaining spring . The rod is held in place by either a muzzle tab, canting of the RR channel or by making a slight bend in the RR which acts to hold the rr in the stock and not allow it to slip
 
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