Ruger Old Army returns from gunsmith

[nicholst55]

Some time ago I bought a NOS (new, old stock) Ruger Old Army revolver, and set it aside. I figured it might come in handy some day, and I got a good deal on it. Recently I pulled it out of the safe and checked it out closely. Not bad - a bit of creep in the trigger, and the forcing cone (assuming you could call it that) looks like it was cut by a blind man with a dull can opener. At night!

So, while I can certainly tackle a trigger job on a Ruger old model SA, I elected to send it out to have the forcing cone cut. And, as long as its going to the gunsmith anyway, I had him do a trigger job.

The BBT brought it back today, and I anxiously unwrapped it. Wow! And I mean, WOW! Sweet, 3 pound trigger with no creep, and a real forcing cone! I'm a happy camper.

Now I'm gonna hafta go shoot the thing! Well, maybe not till after I have Dave Clements mod the cylinder. He deepens the chambers, which allows them to hold about 4 more grains of powder. That'll give me a chance to crank out some conical boolits to try, in addition to the round balls.

I'd post some pix, but it's just a plain-jane blued ROA. If ya seen one, ya seen 'em all.

[buck1]

Nothin like a SWEEEEET TRIIIIGGGGEEEER!!

[DLCTEX]

I really enjoy my ROA, it's the most accurate revolver I have ever owned. Dale

[Bad Flynch]

I really enjoy my ROA, it's the most accurate revolver I have ever owned. Dale

Dale,

Tell me about your loads, please. I recently picked up one of these at a muzzle loading shoot in Arkansas. The included info plays the lawyer-number game with the loads: huge, cavernous chambers are to be loaded with 22 grains of FFFg and filler to make the thing come out right.

As an aside, I bought one of DGW's 1858 Remington "Shooters" revolvers. It is made by Pietta. I have had some questions in the past about Pietta's QC, but this thing is an absolute gem. It is smooth, there is no play in the cylinder--either for and aft or axially--, the wood fits well, and the polish and bluing are quite good. Best of all, it has a dovetailed front sight that can be moved, if needed.

Many thanks.

[nicholst55]

Follow the link and check back a year or so for threads on the ROA. They are super strong guns, and you can easily use 40 grains of FFFg, some even use FFFFg in them! I use a Wonder Wad on top of the powder charge and then seat either a .457" RB or a conical. If you're using lighter charges, do use a filler to get the projectile close to flush with the chamber mouth. Accuracy will be better that way.

Lee makes a mold for a conical that should cast right at .456" from pure lead. Some folks also use the Lee .45 REAL bullets in C&B revolvers with good results.

http://forums.sixgunner.com/Muzzlelo...umid_52/tt.htm

[DLCTEX]

I have never used anything but Pyrodex P In any of my pistols. I have used cast 45 cal boolits from 200 to 255 gr. as cast at 453 and 454 dia. I find that chamfering the base slightly with a case mouth chamfer tool aids in starting boolits straight, which is key to preventing boolit jump under recoil. I use Oxyoke wads under boolits, but shoot balls without, using Crisco/beeswax to seal the balls to prevent flashover. Some say that the oversized balls (457) seal well enough to prevent it, but it also serves as lube so it does double duty. I have wanted to take a deer with it, and planned to last season, but had a buck and two does insist I fill my tags the first hour I hunted, so I foolishly obliged them. I will not make that mistake next season. I plan to take my deer with black powder altogether. Texas does not have a BP season, you have to use it during regular gun season. Dale

[Bad Flynch]

Thanks, Dale.

[John Taylor]

Several years back I had an old army that wasn't shooting as good as I thought it should. Tried some max loads with 2 F and it shot great.

[44man]

Dale, all I ever used in mine was Pyrocrap P until I started missing deer by undershooting them. I swung by my range and paced off the distance the deer were and shot at my steel gong. Every shot was low in the dirt. I didn't change anything but went down a few days later and every shot was centered. Only difference was the weather. I played with it a lot and found the problem was common with Pyrocrap as weather changed.
I now use 41 gr's by weight of Swiss FFFG, no wad because I want the power for deer, and a round ball. It is very accurate and doesn't change with the weather.
I get 1102 fps and the effect on deer is unreal as is the damage and penetration.
Some compare it with a .357 but I will tell you the cap and ball hits much harder and the effect on deer amazed me compared to the .357. The ball is larger in diameter and is soft but does not lose penetration like an expanding .357. I have never recovered one from a deer and they don't go anywhere after a hit. I have had several just drop right there without a spine hit. The rest never made much more then 30 yd's.
I would use the Ruger old army any day before the .357.
My friend has the long barrel Remington and it is faster. He gets the same results on deer.
We use BPCR lube in front of the ball for barrel lube, you don't want a soft lube like crisco because it blows away, out of the adjacent chambers.
Don't worry about a double fire from the front, it doesn't happen from that end. It happens from the rear and was common with the Colts. I have never seen it with the Ruger or Remington. I think the design on the rear of the cylinders helps prevent flash over from cap to cap or caps firing on the recoil shield.
I used to have it happen now and then with my 1860 Colt, didn't do anything but leave a smear of lead on the barrel key. Never notice until that chamber doesn't fire. After buckets of balls from the Ruger, it never happened.