Ramrod
Encyclopedia
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s to push the projectile up against the propellant (mainly gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
). It is also commonly referred to as a "scouring stick". The ramrod was used with muzzle-loading weapons such as musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
s and cannons, and was usually held in a notch underneath the barrel.
Bullets that didn't fit snugly in the barrel were often secured in place by a wad of paper, but either way, ramming was necessary to place the bullet securely at the rear of the barrel. Ramming was also needed to tamp
Tamp
A tamp is a device used to compact or flatten an aggregate or other powdered or granular material, typically to make it resistant to further compression or simply to increase density....
the powder so that it would explode properly instead of fizzle (this was a leading cause of misfires).
The ramrod could also be fitted with tools for various tasks such as cleaning the weapon, or retrieving a stuck bullet.
Early revolvers were loaded a bit like muskets - powder was poured into each chamber of the cylinder, and a bullet was then squeezed in. Such revolvers usually had a ramming mechanism built into the frame. The user pulled a lever underneath the barrel of the pistol, which pushed a rammer into the aligned chamber.