This spring, if you turn it over can it act like a spring tension to keep the ramrod from falling out of the ramrod hole??? It's dang hard to tell without pictures...I can't imagine them using is to put pressure on the barrel...

Don't worry about looking at the bore, you'll know what kind of shape it's in when you run a cleaning patch down or load a ball or sabot, whatever you decide to use...

With my flinters I just stick a toothpick in the touch hole, pour rubbing alcohol, cleaner, water, whatever I want to use and tilt the barrel over a few times...This pours most of the fouling out and you can go from there...