Ruger Old Army Rebarrel Project

[AnnieOakley]

I just purchased a stainless Ruger Old Army from a local gun store. Unfortunately it came from an abusive home. The barrel is very rough inside making it difficult to clean. It seems to shoot okay. We have located a new takeoff barrel and would like to replace the old barrel. How would one go about taking off the old barrel and putting on a new one without harming the firearm, and then indexing the new barrel correctly.

The cylinder is very rough as well. Does anyone know how deep it can be reamed out?

Thank you for any advice and wisdom you can send our way!

[MBTcustom]

Best advice I can give is to send it back to Ruger. Ruger handguns are not worth trying to repair when Ruger is willing to handle almost anything for free or close to it. It doesn't look like this would be much of a problem for them.
I would send it back to Ruger, and ask for a quote. I'll bet they fix it for free.

If you're unwilling to do that, or if you do that and it doesn't work out, you would be money ahead to take it to a pistol smith who knows what he's doing (send it to me if you like). It would be far better, and probably cheaper, to pay a man who has the right tools (and experience with them) than to buy the tools your self for a single use, or use the wrong tools and mess something up.
That's my 2 cents worth.

[oldred]

I agree 100% on finding a good 'Smith because it's not all that simple and as the old saying goes "if you have to ask", not at all trying to be a smart@## it's just that I found out the hard way on a blued version of that same gun.

[AnnieOakley]

Thank you all so much for your help! We will contact Ruger and see if they will change the barrel for us.

We were thinking of reaming the cylinder with a 29/64 reamer to smooth it out and increase powder capacity. Does this sound like a good idea?

Happy Labor Day!!!

[KCSO]

First buy a good barrel vise and then a Ruger frame insert and wrench or make one on your milling machine... Is goodsteel staring to make sense???

[DougGuy]

We were thinking of reaming the cylinder with a 29/64 reamer to smooth it out and increase powder capacity. Does this sound like a good idea?

Happy Labor Day!!!

No. Polish it with a fine ball hone unless you send it back to Ruger. I cannot recommend using a chucking reamer on a cylinder because there is no way to insure it stays centered on the hole you are enlarging and you can lose the cylinder to bore alignment really easily like this.

From what I know of the ROA, it is pretty much a magnum level cap and ball revolver right out of the box. If you need more powder than the cylinder can hold as it shipped from Ruger, you may consider the purchase of a second Ruger SA revolver in your choice of caliber.

[country gent]

Another issue with the cylinder is when loading it is meant to be a press fit and shear a thin ring of lead from ball or bullets to insure the charge is sealed off completely. This also sets actual bullet dia for bore. Reaming cylinders chambers larger would increase powder charge along with bullet dia. possibly causing bullets to be oversized for barrels bore.

[nicholst55]

I don't think Ruger is still offering service on the Old Army since they discontinued it. I may be wrong, but it seems like that's what I've heard.

[AnnieOakley]

Well, I called Ruger this morning. They won't have anything to do with our Old Army, except send us a user manual. Looks like we will be seeking a gunsmith to help us out. Thank you all for your help!

[Outpost75]

Best technical solution, if not the least expensive, is to rebarrel and fit new cartridge conversion cylinder and forget about trying to save the old one.

[AnnieOakley]

"If you need more powder than the cylinder can hold as it shipped from Ruger, you may consider the purchase of a second Ruger SA revolver in your choice of caliber. "

We have been wanting a .45 Colt/.45 ACP Blackhawk convertible revolver for some time now, but this Ruger Old Army was a sweet deal that we couldn't pass up.







"Best technical solution, if not the least expensive, is to rebarrel and fit new cartridge conversion cylinder and forget about trying to save the old one. "

This was definitely something we were considering. The cylinder functions well, it is just rough on the inside. Overall though, this revolver is really nice.

[oldred]

Have you shot the Old Army yet? Unless that barrel is horrendously trashed you might be surprised.

[M-Tecs]

Have you shot the Old Army yet? Unless that barrel is horrendously trashed you might be surprised.

Excellent point. I have a 30/40 Krag that the barrel looks like a rat tailed file turned outside in. I won't say how well it shoots because it shoots way to well to be believable. Doesn't foul either.

[MBTcustom]

Have you shot the Old Army yet? Unless that barrel is horrendously trashed you might be surprised.

This is advice very much worth listening to. Been there, done that.
Put a lube felt under and wipe crisco over the ball, and you have that ball riding on a cushion of lube. I grew up on C&B revolvers and I was surprised at how effective and consistent they were. Definitely worth trying before going a step further unless it's rusted beyond all hope.
Don't you fellers just love Pyrodex? That stuff could make orange rust come up on a gold ring.

[joatmon]

You could get a 45LC convertion cylinder and since you say "It seems to shoot OK" the old barrel may be fine! Then you've got your 45.

Aaron

[AnnieOakley]

"Polish it with a fine ball hone unless you send it back to Ruger."

That is good advice. I didn't know ball hones were made that small. I've seen the ones used on engine blocks. Is it necessary to purchase the Flex Hone oil or will something else work as well? The chambers in the cylinder measure 11.3 mm. The ball hones come in 11 and 12mm. We were planning to purchase the 12mm, 240 grit, silicon carbide. Does this sound like a good choice or should we stick with the 400 grit ball hone for Colt .45?

Thank you again for your help!

[AnnieOakley]

Whoo Hoo!!! I just realized I made "Boolit Buddy"!!!

[oldred]

Is it necessary to purchase the Flex Hone oil or will something else work as well?


I have used these hones for many years and in various sizes for everything from engine cylinders to brake cylinders to hydraulic and air cylinders from 1" size up to 5" tubes and I have found that kerosene is hard to beat. It's a bit smelly but IMHO it's even better than the specified oil and the balls will stay a lot cleaner, that is they don't tend to clog up like they do with the oil especially on the first few passes where crud and oxidation must be removed before the hone reaches bare clean metal.

[johnson1942]

im curious what ruins a stainless steel barrel? i know iodine does, but what else? i also have a regular steel ROA from the 70/s like new and i bought a howell conversion cylinder and shoot 45 long colt in it and it drives tacks. love the gun. ive never liked ruger grips and bought some nice checkered rosewood grips for it and now it is as i want. i use blackhorn 209 powder in the long colt case and any bullets i get ahold of. some i swage my self. it shoots anything and every thing the same. again what ruins stainless?

[MBTcustom]

im curious what ruins a stainless steel barrel? i know iodine does, but what else? i also have a regular steel ROA from the 70/s like new and i bought a howell conversion cylinder and shoot 45 long colt in it and it drives tacks. love the gun. ive never liked ruger grips and bought some nice checkered rosewood grips for it and now it is as i want. i use blackhorn 209 powder in the long colt case and any bullets i get ahold of. some i swage my self. it shoots anything and every thing the same. again what ruins stainless?

There are many grades of stainless, and they "stain" "less" than regular steel. 300 series stainless steels are much much more resistant to rust than 400 series steels (like 416 which is the industry standard for SS gun barrels). 400 series stainless steels are also much stronger than the 300 series stainless because they can be heat treated. If Ruger (who is renown for making guns that are strong) used a 400 series in these guns, opting for strength over corrosion resistance, then it is entirely possible for corrosion to set in if left uncleaned.

[johnson1942]

thanks

[Boogieman]

You couid try soaking the cylinder & barrel in Kroil for a few days. then take a bore brush, unwind strands from a COPPER pot scrubber& wrap around it. scrub the bore & cylinder. You can use it in a low speed drill in the cylinder. When you get everything you can out the barrel & cylinder can be lapped to smooth out the worst pits

[Geezer in NH]

All gun stainless rusts that's the way it is, all must have protection same as chrome molly

[John 242]

Well, I called Ruger this morning. They won't have anything to do with our Old Army, except send us a user manual. Looks like we will be seeking a gunsmith to help us out. Thank you all for your help!

We had a customer, who for one reason or another, decided to drill a hole into bore of his Ruger Super Blackhawk. After checking the usual sources, we couldn't find a factory new barrel to replace it. We decided to give Ruger a call.

Well, calling Ruger to purchase a barrel was a complete waste of time. They want you to send the gun in. That would have been fine, as the customer wanted a barrel and didn't care who did the work. The problem was that the nice lady on the end of the line wouldn't give us a quote over the phone for the cost of a barrel.

Ruger lists an install fee on their website, but not the cost of the barrel. We were able to determine the barrel might end up costing more than a couple hundred dollars, plus a $90 install fee, plus shipping to Ruger. We quickly ditched the idea of returning the gun to the factory. Instead, one of our guys scored a take off barrel from Lee's Gun parts for $50. We installed the replacement barrel, and in the end, the customer was happy.

[Dryball]

I may be wayyy off, but couldn't the barrel be relined?

[johnson1942]

drybal, you are right, contact john taylor a member here. it would be a good way to go. unless your dead set on precussion, then get a conversion cylinder, love mine for my ROA. in fact tomorrow im going over to a friend of mine and he is going to change the three springs in mine to the after market target springs. he has done several so it will be easy for him to do it. going to bring a bunch of handloads and then well do some shooting. ROA/s are worth getting fixed up as they are good strong shooters.

[Tracy]

I disagree with all the folks who recommend getting a conversion cylinder. IMO it would be a better idea, for several reasons, to sell it and buy a Blackhawk. Probably cost less overall.

[45 Dragoon]

IMO, the best platform Ruger ever made is the ROA. You will soon find out why! If you can find one, get one.


Mike

[Outpost75]

45 Dragoon is right. My ROA is the most accurate out of the box single-action I have ever owned. With Walt Kirst .45 ACP conversion cylinder you can shot either .45 ACP or .455 Webley in it, if you have other revolvers of that caliber, which I do. VERY satisfying and versatile, especially when you put Bowen sights on it so that you can actually zero those slow-moving 255-265-grain REAL BOOLITS at 700 fps!

[Bad Ass Wallace]

When my ROA lost accuracy after approx 43,000 rounds I had 10 1/2" of Shillen c/m fitted and continued for another 12,000 rounds. I stopped using it due to gas cutting almost 1/2 through the frame just near the cylinder gap!

I wrote Ruger and they were amased that anyone would shoot their ROA so much!

[Texas by God]

This may sound dumb but what about fire lapping with fine valve grinding grease over the ball? About 10-15grs of 3F to push the ball slow? I had a blued one once and traded it for a Colt 3rd model dragoon(2nd Gen). I regretted that trade. Best, Thomas.

[Tracy]

I agree that the ROA is a great revolver. I really enjoy mine.... as a cap and ball revolver.
But every time I see the ROA mentioned, the discussion immediately devolves to converting it to fire cartridges.
I'm no purist, and if you have a ROA and want to convert it, have at it. It's your gun. But I've run across a lot of people who don't see the value in a c&b revolver, and seem to think it's worthless until it's converted. For those people, Ruger makes Blackhawks every day.:Fire: