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Cleaning Rods
- Thread starter Dave S
- Start date
Bob,
I have to share a story about my visit to Bill's shop back in 2010. My daughter's rifle needed to be rebarreled. She was on the Jacksonville State University Rifle Team. I researched for great gunsmiths that specialized in precision work (I was not in the 22RFBR game at the time - rather I was an old position shooter) and found Mr. Bill Myers. I called him and told him that my daughter needed a new barrel. He said that he didn't work on general rifles. He then asked me about her and I told him that she was shooting for Jacksonville State. He then asked me how soon I could get the rifle to him!
I was on the road heading from Michigan down to Jacksonville the next day. I arrived that evening at Andrea's apartment. I was heading up to Bill's shop near Luray the day after I arrived at Andrea's. I arrived at Bill's shop around 4:00pm and I literally handed him the rifle and he told me to come back the next day around the same time. That I did.
Now comes the interesting part of this story. I swear to God that I am telling the honest truth when I tell this part of the story. After arriving at Bill's to pay him for his exemplary work, he asked me if Andrea had a nice cleaning rod. I told him what she was using and he drew a smile on his face and he led me over to a small steel table that had a ground flat surface. There were several rods on the table that were in the assembly stage. He picked up one of the rods and he said "watch this!". He proceeded to grab a hold of the rod on both ends and bend the rod until he made a 'U'. Then he let the rod relax. I thought that he was showing me how to ruin a rod! He placed the rod back on the table's surface and it was still dead straight! I was in awe! He proceeded to tell me that he had a source for the steel from one of the vendors that he worked with when he was in the aerospace industry (if memory serves me correctly I think he said the aerospace industry).
Meeting Bill was one of the greatest highlights of my shooting career. He will forever be in my memory and I am always very grateful for what he did for my daughter.
P.S. My daughter still has her 22 along with Bill's cleaning rod. I doubt that she will ever part with it.
Matt
I have to share a story about my visit to Bill's shop back in 2010. My daughter's rifle needed to be rebarreled. She was on the Jacksonville State University Rifle Team. I researched for great gunsmiths that specialized in precision work (I was not in the 22RFBR game at the time - rather I was an old position shooter) and found Mr. Bill Myers. I called him and told him that my daughter needed a new barrel. He said that he didn't work on general rifles. He then asked me about her and I told him that she was shooting for Jacksonville State. He then asked me how soon I could get the rifle to him!
I was on the road heading from Michigan down to Jacksonville the next day. I arrived that evening at Andrea's apartment. I was heading up to Bill's shop near Luray the day after I arrived at Andrea's. I arrived at Bill's shop around 4:00pm and I literally handed him the rifle and he told me to come back the next day around the same time. That I did.
Now comes the interesting part of this story. I swear to God that I am telling the honest truth when I tell this part of the story. After arriving at Bill's to pay him for his exemplary work, he asked me if Andrea had a nice cleaning rod. I told him what she was using and he drew a smile on his face and he led me over to a small steel table that had a ground flat surface. There were several rods on the table that were in the assembly stage. He picked up one of the rods and he said "watch this!". He proceeded to grab a hold of the rod on both ends and bend the rod until he made a 'U'. Then he let the rod relax. I thought that he was showing me how to ruin a rod! He placed the rod back on the table's surface and it was still dead straight! I was in awe! He proceeded to tell me that he had a source for the steel from one of the vendors that he worked with when he was in the aerospace industry (if memory serves me correctly I think he said the aerospace industry).
Meeting Bill was one of the greatest highlights of my shooting career. He will forever be in my memory and I am always very grateful for what he did for my daughter.
P.S. My daughter still has her 22 along with Bill's cleaning rod. I doubt that she will ever part with it.
Matt
bob finger
New member
Matt: Your story is not at all unique. If Bill took a liking to you he could be the most gracious of folks. If he didn't then you were lucky to get the time of day from him.
I remember sitting in his shop one day when his phone rang. The conversation went something like this: Do I know you? Tell me who you know that know me? Please have one of more them call me and vouch for you and then I'll consider doing some work for you, Click. Another story; I had a friend from NY with me shooting at Piney Hill and his rifle went down. We were having a match that weekend and NY is a pretty good drive with a bad gun. I called Bill and asked him to see what he could do. Bill had the guy drive the 2 or 3 miles to his shop and replaced that bad barrel for him within a few hours....that was when he likely had six months of work backlogged in the shop.
Bill was indeed a master welder in the aerospace industry. Much of the materials he used came from that industry, stuff not generally available to the masses. Bill was a master and a character. I miss him everyday. bob
I remember sitting in his shop one day when his phone rang. The conversation went something like this: Do I know you? Tell me who you know that know me? Please have one of more them call me and vouch for you and then I'll consider doing some work for you, Click. Another story; I had a friend from NY with me shooting at Piney Hill and his rifle went down. We were having a match that weekend and NY is a pretty good drive with a bad gun. I called Bill and asked him to see what he could do. Bill had the guy drive the 2 or 3 miles to his shop and replaced that bad barrel for him within a few hours....that was when he likely had six months of work backlogged in the shop.
Bill was indeed a master welder in the aerospace industry. Much of the materials he used came from that industry, stuff not generally available to the masses. Bill was a master and a character. I miss him everyday. bob
Matt: Your story is not at all unique. If Bill took a liking to you he could be the most gracious of folks. If he didn't then you were lucky to get the time of day from him.
I remember sitting in his shop one day when his phone rang. The conversation went something like this: Do I know you? Tell me who you know that know me? Please have one of more them call me and vouch for you and then I'll consider doing some work for you, Click. Another story; I had a friend from NY with me shooting at Piney Hill and his rifle went down. We were having a match that weekend and NY is a pretty good drive with a bad gun. I called Bill and asked him to see what he could do. Bill had the guy drive the 2 or 3 miles to his shop and replaced that bad barrel for him within a few hours....that was when he likely had six months of work backlogged in the shop.
Bill was indeed a master welder in the aerospace industry. Much of the materials he used came from that industry, stuff not generally available to the masses. Bill was a master and a character. I miss him everyday. bob
A fantastic story Bob! After I checked in at the Luray Caverns Motel, I immediately headed over to Bill's. I thought I was lost! I was following the Garmin but I was driving between barns on dirt trails! I mean to tell ya - I was thinking that some property owner is going to be chasing me down! I made to his place though without any trouble.
Matt
bob finger
New member
Sorry for the thread drift. It was a nice walk down memory lane tho.
My advice, for what it is worth rods currently available you cannot go wrong with the Stiller. Pay once and never need to look for another, unless you leave it behind. bob
ps and perhaps even more important Jerry stands head and shoulders above most in his support for our sport.
My advice, for what it is worth rods currently available you cannot go wrong with the Stiller. Pay once and never need to look for another, unless you leave it behind. bob
ps and perhaps even more important Jerry stands head and shoulders above most in his support for our sport.
Does anyone happen to have a picture of the Rod Locker or can you explain the type of case it is? There are no pics on the KSS site.
Thank you,
Gjmen22
Thank you,
Gjmen22
All of the Holeshot Cleaning rods are 17/4PH stainless steel. We start with 0.187 rod, centerless grind it to get a smooth surface finish and them heat treat them to Rc 42 and Melonite treat them after that. That leaves the surface about Rc60 and it will never gall, stick, etc to the bore. The handles are 6061 aluminum hard anodized with chrome steel ball bearings inside. The end is slightly tapered such that it cannot ever scrape the bore. If there was any reasonable way of making them better, I would. KSS sells them with the best shipping prices and should have them in stock, they just picked up about 50 of them. Get the Rod Locker to protect it also. The whole setup is not the cheapest thing out there, but will last forever and has the quality to match.
stiller
Does anyone happen to have a picture of the Rod Locker or can you explain the type of case it is? There are no pics on the KSS site.
Thank you,
Gjmen22
Nevermind, I found the video.
Scroll to the bottom of the page.
https://www.killoughshootingsports.com/firearm-cleaning/705-melonited-187-cleaning-rod.html
https://www.killoughshootingsports.com/firearm-cleaning/705-melonited-187-cleaning-rod.html
Where do I go to find that video?