ROA dilemma

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I know a guy selling a used but in good shape ROA ruger old army blued looks very clean a few marks on it but 85% or there about oh and the price is good , I can get it for 220 dollars

my dilemma if you asked me what my next BP gun was going top be last week I would have told you I wanted a 50 cal new englander

so do I dump my savings on a very nice piece or wait it out on a new englander


now I am not sure why I am posting yall are likely to be a big bunch of enablers.

but i would like to hear what your thoughts are on the ROA

[Outpost75]

If you do not own a cap & ball revolver, the ROA is the one to get if you will have only one. Then also get a Kirst conversion cylinder for it so that you can also shoot .45 Colt in it. I have a .45 ACP cylinder for mine, also by Walt Kirst.

[johnson1942]

in the history of my life i have passed up buys that i have kicked my self for over and over later. one is a rolling block remington and the other is my brother in laws 70 ford truck completely rebuilt for 1500 dollars. the gun your describing doesnt come around often or ever again. you will not reget it and if you tire of it you will gain money, not loose any. man i wish i would have bought that truck, best hunting truck out their. dont have regrets.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
That is a great price on the best BP revolver out anywhere. "Strike while the iron is hot" because you may never get it this hot again. No regrets for having one and I would not think of selling mine for double your possible price.
Mike in Peru

[Outpost75]

FWIW mine has five deer to its credit.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

so what your saying is that I will regret this like i did when I not buying 150 dollar k98 mausers with brand new Israelie 308 barrels , got home from that gun show researched them and said if I ever see that guy again I need to buy one of those , well I have never seen one since. much less a 308 Mauser for 150 dollars

I talked to the wife told her if it is still there when I go back it is to good a deal to pass , even if I decide to sell it later it will be worth more

[cwheel]

You decide you want to pass on it, let me know (pm) If in good condition with a good bore, I'll take it.
Chris

[C. Latch]

My rule of thumb is that planned purchases can be delayed or set aside in favor of unexpected deals, but only if the planned purchase is not needed for upcoming hunting trips.

That pretty much means that planned purchases can always be set aside when a deal pops up. YMMV.

[dualsport]

Run, don't walk. Get that ROA while the gettin's good! It will serve you well for a life time. Then start looking for that New Englander. Opportunity is knocking!

[William Yanda]

Just saw a ROA at a lgs for $550. I know what I would do in your shoes.

[Lefty Red]

Get the ROA! At that prices, you can trade for any rifle you want!

[Lefty Red]

In '08, I picked up a pristine stainless ROA for $300. Kept it for two months and traded it for two Renegades with a third barrel! Well worth to have in trading fodder.

[451 Pete]

It is a shame that they quit making the Ruger Old Army, it is by far the best you can get in a black powder revolver in my opinion and I would take one of those over two of any other revolver being made today. If you get it and decide you don't want it you will get your money back .... and then some.

Pete

[Alan]

Unless you are into Hammerli target pistols or T/C Contenders, it will probably be the most accurate handgun you own. Period.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

Dilemma Resolved

In my hand I hold a ROA Bi Centenial marked " Made in the 200th year of American Liberty"

so now there are only a few questions left

1. whats the preferred grease to grease the chambers with

2. whats your best accuracy load -- I have a decent stock of real FFFG --- and apparently a soon to be dwindling stock of #11 cci caps

3. what mold to get

[triggerhappy243]

you could also look at it this way. if you come across another one in better condition than this one, buy the second one and then sell the first one. think like an investment banker.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I know pics or it didn't happen , here you go

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[dualsport]

Congratulations! My two cents says get a loading stand for use at the range. I went without for years and after getting a nice home made stand I can tell you it's much easier to load at the bench with a decent stand. IIRC the plans for my stand came from this site, it's been a couple years and I don't recall for sure. Have fun!

[Outpost75]

....so now there are only a few questions left

1. whats the preferred grease to grease the chambers with

2. whats your best accuracy load -- I have a decent stock of real FFFG --- and apparently a soon to be dwindling stock of #11 cci caps

3. what mold to get

1. CRISCO

2. 30 grs. of 3Fg with Ox Yoke lubricated wad over powder to ensure you can feel compression at the end of the rammer stroke.

3. .457 round ball is what the factory front sight is set up for. Cast them 1:40 tin/lead or pure lead only.

If you try to use heavier conicals the gun will shoot "high" even with the rear sight bottomed out.

[mainiac]

Dilemma Resolved

In my hand I hold a ROA Bi Centenial marked " Made in the 200th year of American Liberty"

so now there are only a few questions left

I have 2 roa,s.. they both show a marked preference for ff powder.I use 30 grs goex, homemade wool wad under ball,and balls cast from lee mold,,.457 naturally. One of my guns is a sister to yours,being a liberty model. They both shoot fantastic!!!

1. whats the preferred grease to grease the chambers with

2. whats your best accuracy load -- I have a decent stock of real FFFG --- and apparently a soon to be dwindling stock of #11 cci caps

3. what mold to get

I have 2 roa,s.. they both show a marked preference for ff powder.I use 30 grs goex, homemade wool wad under ball,and balls cast from lee mold,,.457 naturally. One of my guns is a sister to yours,being a liberty model. They both shoot fantastic!!!

[gifford]

Very nice ROA, fantastic price, you'll really like it. Very accurate revolver and you can't wear it out. Congrats and good shooting.

[451 Pete]

If the nipples in the cylinder are the original Ruger nipples they take a number 10 percussion cap and not the number 11's to get the proper fit. ( New nipples can be had through Track of the Wolf ) This also brings to mind that if you didn't get the nipple wrench for removing the nipples that is also available from Track.
Nice looking revolver ... I think you are going to like it.

Pete

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

the nipples look original , no wrench , so i need to order one
I also need to get a 457 mold

My last track order got here Saturday , with a 6 cavity 490 round ball mold , a 430-200rf 6 cavity , handles and a Tomahawk that i am a little worried my wife is going to beat me over the head with if i place another order this week

well maybe i can live with a 2 cavity mold this time , a wrench , some flints for another project, and hide the tomahawk

[dondiego]

.......definitely hide the hawk.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

.......definitely hide the hawk.

I did , but if I hid everything that is or could be used as a weapon in my house it would look mighty suspicious

So i am living dangerously , I ordered a wrench , 6 nipples , a mold , some ox yoke and some flint If it was to much I am going to blame it on the 1.65 for the flint

I went back and forth on the nipples at 4.99 a piece but they will probably never be any less and I hate to have a non working gun because of a small but necessary part that and trying to make the shipping worth while.

[dondiego]

I just bought a ROA this year as well and will need a nipple wrench and maybe new nipples too. Haven't shot it too much yet.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I use the 457 RB over 25gr of FFF and 15gr corn meal.
I use a beeswax/bear grease lube smeared on the end of the Cylinder over the ball.

BTW, you can easily double your $$$ if you don't like the ruger...maybe triple.

[fogg64]

I agree with JonB on the load but lube is not necessary, just makes a mess.

[John Allen]

That was a great deal on a ruger old army. They are great guns.

[Dan Cash]

Dump your savings. New Englanders are everywhere. ROAs are not.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I was wondering had anyone tried a load with a lube cookie under the ball , say like 25gr fffg , 10 gr corn meal , a lube cookie then the ball

if the point of the lube is to prevent flash over , it would still work under the ball and then gain lube being pushed hydraulically around the ball by the pressure of the powder charge

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I was wondering had anyone tried a load with a lube cookie under the ball , say like 25gr fffg , 10 gr corn meal , a lube cookie then the ball

if the point of the lube is to prevent flash over , it would still work under the ball and then gain lube being pushed hydraulically around the ball by the pressure of the powder charge

Yeah, I put the lube on the end of the cylinder for flashover. Now after I read your suggestion of a lube cookie, I started thinking,,,with the cornmeal why would there ever be flashover with or without a lube cookie ? AND fogg64 is right...it's messy !

[mainiac]

I give up greasing the end of the clylinder,,i just use wool wad over powder.Way cleaner,,

Nipple wrench............3/16ths nut driver works real well,,,

Have always used #11 caps in my guns,,never had an issue.

[fogg64]

I like powder/cornmeal/ball load (less fuss same results). I have tried powder/lube cookie/cornmeal/ball, powder/cornmeal/lube cookie/ball and powder/lube cookie/ball. There is a difference in the recoil but I forget which combination. You can experiment and see which combination suits you. I use 25 grains of 3f, less than full .357 of grits and .457 ball. Seems the most accurate and comfortable for me.

[winelover]

My ROA load = 30 grains of Pyrodex "P" under Oxyoke Wonder Wad, Lee 220 Conical, topped with a Oxyoke "Wonder Seal" lube cookie. Sure, it shoots high. However, mine is the SS model, with pinned front site. Called Ruger and got a complementry front site for a 45 LC Blackhawk.

Winelover

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I called ruger a while back and I have a 45lc blackhawk site sitting on my desk waiting to get installed in my 44 mag super blackhawk so i can shoot my 240gr loads as they were still high with the sight bottomed out , since then i also bought a 200 gr mold so I will see where it shoots with them with the round flat nose they should be plenty for deer and save me lead

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

do you think half a cotton ball could be used instead of the wool ?

where do you get your wool ?

[Maven]

You can purchase high quality felt here: http://www.durofelt.com/

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

oh wool felt , well i can just steal some of the wife's scraps from her wool felt projects , they will be very multi colored do you just use a half inch punch or does someone make a 457 cal punch

for some reason when i first read wool I was thinking loose wool not felted wool , we use raw wool as in unwashed as a lure holder when trapping

but I wasn't sure unwashed wool that can be sometimes dirty would be the thing , then I was thinking there is a sheep farm we have toured with 4H just outside town and I know she washes much of her wool to sell direct to the crafting market for spinners and I was thinking I could pick up a bag of that.

that is why I asked about a 1/2 a cotton ball

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Or wool from a Navy Pea coat at a thrift shop ?
probably a couple bucks

[nicholst55]

Michael's craft stores carry felt, also.

[robertmcw]

I bought a stainless one in the mid 1980’s. You really need to get the nipples out after shooting it – I failed to do that and the nipples got stuck and I had to send it to Strum. The good news that they gave me a new cylinder and a new grip for free. They kept the old cylinder but that was OK.

[dikman]

Don't know about over on your side of the pond, but here virtually all the felt sold in craft shops/haberdashery etc is synthetic!

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

the wife won't give up any of her wool felt scraps she uses them down to the size i would need them to cut 457 wads , but she had a big bag of wool for needle felting , this is a project that was done with a bunch of loose clean carded dyed colored wool so i snipped some pieces about the size of a half of cotton ball , I think this might just work , it is the ugliest color pink

yes what they sell at the craft store as felt is often synthetic now , but if your picky about the materials used in your hand crafts as my wife is she buys only real wool felt , she found some years ago when she ordered some wool batts for our bed quilt that a needle glides right through real wool , while you fight it through synthetics and some cottons.

the bed quilt is a cotton top , cotton flannel back and 2 inch thick wool batting in the middle then tied every 6 inches to join it all but allow the wool to trap lots of air and be warm.

so there is your craft lesson for the day , I might even try snipping some of these pieces of wool they ball up well as they were intended for felting then dip them in warm lube and make lube felt balls , pour in powder , top with a lubed felt ball and seat a ball over it , I will have to see how it works

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

minor set back , and why it was so cheap , 2 of 6 nipples are stuck

I have it soaking in penetrating oil now I will try again tomorrow

the track of the wolf wrench worked for 1 of 6 the other 3 i went and found a 3/16 socket and they came loose

good thing i bought 6 new nipples

if I can't get a grip on them with the wrench because they are to rounded off , then I may have to cut a slot in the nipple for a screw driver and work them out that way


nipple out every time you clean , aaarrrrr

[Maven]

"Nipple out every time you clean, aaarrrrr!"

Always in my rifles as well as my ROA. Then use some kind of grease or lube on the threads when you reinstall them. ATF, white lithium grease, etc. work for me.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I use permatex anti seize , on all my breach plugs , nipples , and choke tubes

I used choke tube grease on my breach plug of my first inline on the recommendation of the guy at the store , had to bring it in after sighting it in and have the store gun smith remove the plug , I have used permatex ever since , the other thing I hear and found worked was go in tight with the breach plug then turn it back 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn , theory is you are already on the way out and they don't glue them selves in place so bad

they are fine to get out any way

[mainiac]

I use never seize on roa nipples as well,,
Also,,joannes fabric carrys a wool felt,that is kind of thin,but its 100% wool,and ya can use 2 wads.Pretty cheap as well.I cut them out with a 45 colt case,that i put a sharp bevel on with the case deburer tool,,,works slick.

[daniel lawecki]

Use never seize very little on threads nipples they are stainless steal gun steel they will seize if over tightened . To loosen the nipples soak with Kroil and tap on the top lightly every so often.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

well I had my go at the nipples , there is a gun smith a few blocks away I took him the cylinder and he is going to get those 2 out

I soaked them in atf and acetone over night , the hex head are striped so i cut a notch for a screw driver in them and couldn't get them to budge

he thought he could have them out for less than 40 dollars , I just don't have the right tools right now

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

Got the cylinder back today , got 6 new nipples in it , now I need to get some balls cast up and maybe next Saturday I can get into the range

almost all the snow is melted , by next weekend I should even be able to drive into the range


I put anti seize on all the nipples before I put them in , and they will be coming out for every cleaning

[mainiac]

must be a nice feeling,,bare ground and able to shoot.......

Up here,i still cant even see my boolit trap,nor my shooting bench,and the white stuff keeps falling!

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

must be a nice feeling,,bare ground and able to shoot.......

Up here,i still cant even see my boolit trap,nor my shooting bench,and the white stuff keeps falling!

26 and sunny today , we got so used to zero that i was running errands in just a fleece

1/2 my drive way is still covered in ice cause it is in the shade

sounds like snow and freezing rain mix tomorrow

but Yeah it may be brown an ugly with no snow but we are sure liking the warm last friday it was up to 48 but has beem mostly freezing since either way the sun is out and 26 feels warm in the sun


got all 6 new nipples turned down to actually take a cap , they came so fat i couldn't even get a #11 on but i have them set now so that a thum seated cap fires every time all the way around

got about a hundred balls cast up

maybe this weekend i can make some smoke

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I got out and made a little smoke today had to run my son to the next town over was only 2 miles from the I had it loaded , with 30gr fffg a .7cc scoop f corn meal , a .457 round ball , and some butter flavored Crisco over the top just for good measure

accuracy was not really tested , i hit all 5 of the 6 inch steel plates i aimed at 20 yards . let my son take a round but he missed , I think he expected a lot of recoil , but said there was very little almost more of a push than recoil then i got a phone call from home and we had to go , spent more time cleaning than shooting but the boy is hooked and wants to shoot it more , hopefully it will warm up some for a nice day of shooting soon

[mainiac]

shoot 30 grs of FF instead of FFF,,and the recoil goes way down.Also,the sound goes from a crack,to a boom.Kind of neat,,give it a try.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

30gr FFFg was not much recoil at all , it is a heavy gun , the boy can take recoil once he knows what to expect

but I might give it a try , i hardly ever break out the FFG but this might be a way to use it I buy only FFFG now and use it in everything because it burned better was the same price and in most cases i could use less of it

[Dframe]

For target or plinking you might want to go lighter. I use around 25 grains of 3F an oxyoke wad and a dab of bore butter over the ball. Crisco works well too. Bring along some hand wipes. They're great for getting the gunk off your hands, and can be used to wipe down the outside of the gun and face of the cylinder for a quick "field" cleanup.
At that price I would have jumped in a "new york minute".

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

total cost at this point is 220 for the gun 31.65 to the gun smith to remove the stuck nipples , 30 in new nipples from TOW for 281.65 and some shipping for the parts still not bad but not a 220dollar gun ready to shoot either , I suspect the guy selling it knew he had stuck nipples , buyer be ware always ask the seller to pull all the nipples before you buy , if they can't get them with a little effort they need to start dropping the price quick

then I bought the most worthless 6.99 nipple wrench get a 6point socket that fits down in for these hex niples there just isn't enough flat to grab them right with only 2 flats , and a 19.29 dollar .457 round ball mold , and some ox yoke

[Dframe]

Congratulations. In terms of cost you're light years ahead of most. You've got an excellent revolver for less than $300

[John Taylor]

I found mine preferred 2F with round ball.

[lonewolf5347]

37 grains of triple 777 with a wad and a .457 RB two hand hold off hand at 50 yards unsupported all shot in a pie plate NO PROBLEMS
I never did find out what the FPS is?

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

Had it out shooting today , yes in the pouring rain , but I think your right it is the most accurate pistol I have ever shot

I bought one of those little steel pop up targets it flips down then springs back up , for my daughter who got a kick our of it and since it was pouring rain no paper to get soaked ,she had retreated to the dry van ,well I asked my son should i try it wit the ROA at 25 yards , he said won't that break the 22 target , i said well if I does I guess I am out another 10 dollars to buy your sister another and pulled the trigger , I couldn't tell if i hit it because by the time the smoke cleared it had popped back up , I said Oh well guess i missed , no dad you hit it , sure enough it took more paint off than the 22 but no damage done this target is kind of diamond shaped and 2 inches wide by 7 tall I hit the middle right were i was aiming

the load is 30 gr fffg .7cc corn meal , a .457 ball , and a little lube over the top , great fun ti shoot not much fun to load or clean

[Tar Heel]

You can purchase high quality felt here: http://www.durofelt.com/

Ditto on over-powder wads. I gave up on grease over the ball since it all blows off anyway. Mike Beliveau put together a nice video on making your own wads. I've been making these now for a while and the accuracy obtained using these is stunning. His video can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgNVPC2wmWI

Be SURE to use REAL FELT, not the fake stuff. The fake stuff melts in the bore. I use these in a ROA I've had since 1977. One of the most acurate guns I have too.

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[Tar Heel]

Oh yea....please for the love of Pete, do not put Crisco over the balls. That stuff gums up the gun real fast and is a chore to remove. If you must grease over the balls, use a commercial product like "Wonder Lube" or something. I think you will find that a greased felt wad betwixt the powder and ball will serve your needs just fine. I've been shooting BP since '75 in revolvers, pistols, flintlock rifles and cap-lock rifles. I quit with the over-ball lube in '85 when I saw it all get blown off anyway after the first few shots. A LUBED felt wad works better between the charge and ball for a variety of reasons.

The lubed felt wad over the powder charge with a ball about to be seated. Not an ROA but you get the idea.
102335

The accuracy potential of a RB atop a lubed (homemade) wad. Here are 36 shots at 15 yards, offhand. Your ROA will group better.
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[Tar Heel]

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[cwheel]

I'm one of those who used Crisco, and food grade Lubraplate over the ball early on. I agree it makes a mess fast. Things got real funky quickly that way. Went to lubed felt wads between the powder and ball, much better. You can get more shots off before some sort of cleaning at least in my ROA. If I carry mine in the field it also makes it much easier to reload without having to mess around with grease of some kind ending up on everything. You have to wonder what they did in the civil war in the field with these cap and ball loaders ??
Bet grease wasn't in the program,
Chris

[Tar Heel]

And from the man himself, Elmer Keith. From Sixguns, 1955, Chapter 14, Page 210-211.

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