ramrod

thumb|A countersink|countersunk ramrod, used in the 19th century for cylindro-conical bullets, as in the Thouvenin stem rifle or the [[Minié rifle.]]

A ramrod (or scouring stick) is a metal or wooden device used with muzzleloading firearms to push the projectile up against the propellant (mainly blackpowder). The ramrod was used with weapons such as muskets and cannons and was usually held in a notch underneath the barrel.