The ramrod (among other parts) in an early percussion pistol.
Ramrods were thin (small for pistols, long for rifles) rods that were used in older firearms, ranging from matchlocks to caplocks, that were used to force the projectile against the powder down the barrel.
Time
When firearms were used in the American Revolution, time frames were about 1-2 minutes to load a rifle, ramming the lead ball down the barrel and pulling out the ramrod probably took a lot of time.