My new baby... ROA

[tacklebury]

Well after 20 years of wanting one I jumped. Got a High polished limited edition unfired 1996 model ROA. Cannot wait to make some smoke. This is the BP match to my .45 LC Blackhawk. ;)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-O0uJDZ7neOs/T1VXncvIjcI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/T8FnGL1ECIM/s800/ROA_Flap_Holster_Scene.jpg

[MtGun44]

Had to see what a "ROA" was. Nice Ruger.

Bill

[Bullwolf]

I am curious if you will pick up a conversion cylinder for 45 LC cartridges for it, or only shoot cap and ball?

Either way the Ruger Old Army is one solid, sexy looking gun, It sure looks like a keeper to me.

I have always wanted a Stainless ROA myself, especially with the faux ivory looking grips!

Congratulations on taking that jump. That sure is one nice looking Ruger.



- Bullwolf

[stubshaft]

Sadly I had to sell my last ROA around Christmas. But you've got a heck uva gun there.

[tacklebury]

Thanks guys. ;) I currently have a Blackhawk convertible in .45 LC /.45 ACP convertible. I was looking at the conversions, but seems like a pain to have to remove the cylinder each time to reload. Since I already have the blackhawk will probably stick to that for my Colt loads. ;)

Sorry you had to sell yours Stub, maybe things will turn for you to get another? ;)

[DLCTEX]

I love mine. Played around with various boolits in it for a while, but have settled on using round balls as they are plenty accurate and easy to load. Haven't shot it in a while, but this stirs me to do so.

[garym1a2]

I like mine a lot, it is the blue version so its harder to keep clean and rust free (Prydex).
Its one of my most accurate handguns with round balls.
Yours is prettier than mine, almost too pretty to shoot.

[44man]

I shoot deer with mine but there is a problem. I use a RB at 1102 fps using 41 gr of Swiss FFFG. Lack of accuracy with too much velocity shortens my range. The twist is wrong as the gun is real accurate with 20 gr and a filler.
I also shoot many boolits, even some .45 ACP stuff along with a boolit I made a mold for but they are too slow for hunting. Boolits cut the powder amounts a great deal. Fun to shoot though.
Load it hot and shoot close, the thing will bust deer like crazy. Cut the charge for accuracy. Corn meal, cream of wheat or wads make good fillers.
I did find that a good BPCR lube in front of a ball is better then Crisco. Crisco blows away from the next chamber. It also works better in a boolit's grease grooves.

[Potsy]

I REALLY wish I had bought one of those years ago.
I know where there are a few NIB, but they ain't goin' cheap.
Somewhere around here I've got an old "Shooting Times" where they interveiwed Bill Ruger and he said that Ruger would always make the ROA.
He wasn't even down to room temperature when the bean counters knocked it out of production.
Oh well....
At least they've given us AR's, cheap .38 revolvers and .380 autos and a new cheap plastic bolt gun. Not like anybody else is filling those particular niches.

[Puerto Morelos]

I shoot deer with mine but there is a problem.

Our ROA hunting load is the same as our silhouette load, ~50gr 777 under a 195gr swaged taper heel SWC. This delivers 1170-1200fps with accuracy not far behind our bullseye target loads, same lead, 25gr Swiss. It will drop a hog in place with a quartering shoulder shot, and it is fine on whitetails out to 100 yards which is about all we're comfortable with reaching.

The tricks are our cylinder (classicballistx.com (http://classicballistx.com)) and throating to remove the choke where the barrel shoulder meets the frame.

Shooting ball is great for plinking.

PM

[Lefty SRH]

VERY nice! I'm still looking for an ROA, timing has been the main issue.

[Blue Hill]

Tacklebury;
I sure admire your new smokewagon. Love the grips.
Mines a stainless 7.5" barrel with adjustable sights, built in 1984. I'm not sure if there was trigger work done on it by a previous owner, but this pistol has the nicest pulling, crisp and clean trigger action of any gun I own. You might check out this link:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=538088 It's a thread devoted to the ROA.
Glad you made the leap. You'll not regret it.
Blue

[44man]

Our ROA hunting load is the same as our silhouette load, ~50gr 777 under a 195gr swaged taper heel SWC. This delivers 1170-1200fps with accuracy not far behind our bullseye target loads, same lead, 25gr Swiss. It will drop a hog in place with a quartering shoulder shot, and it is fine on whitetails out to 100 yards which is about all we're comfortable with reaching.

The tricks are our cylinder (classicballistx.com (http://classicballistx.com)) and throating to remove the choke where the barrel shoulder meets the frame.

Shooting ball is great for plinking.

PM
Now that looks really good. I have to start pulling chains to see if I am allowed to spend some money. I bookmarked your page.