ORIGINAL: Mister Tiny
I was at the range the other week and made a huge mistake. Long story short my ramrod is no where to be found. It got fired down range. When it happened the rifle kicked like a mule and I thought I had goofed on the powder charge, but upon further inspection realized what I had done. After purchasing a new ramrod and thoroughly cleaning the gun, I see no visible defects. What things could be wrong that I can't see? I haven't took it to a gunsmith yet, but intend to.
If you can't see or feel any ring in the bore at the point where the rod end was resting when it went bye-bye, chances are good that the gun is OK. If it is an inline, take the breech plug out & inspect the threads in the breech and on the plug. If they are sound and the barrel is not ringed, I think I'd shoot it!
Don't feel bad! Many a ramrod has gone downrange with no ill effects on either gun or shooter. This happened a lot in the heat of battle, even to seasoned shooters! Rifles picked up on Civil War battlefields after a battle sometimes held as many as 10 to 15 charges of powder and Minie balls! No doubt the troops often failed remember tocap their pieces when "firing" at the enemy!