[arcticap]

2 of the 4 answers can be selected.

Click on each link and then again on the picture to view it at full size.

What do think, has this Ruger old Army been fired or not?

Is it worth $425?

Auction link (The ROA has been sold pending funds):

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=145217070

Larger pictures:

http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/625/p1090941a.jpg

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/9505/p1090961a.jpg

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/6122/p1090949a.jpg

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/1125/p1090948a.jpg

http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/5622/p1090951a.jpg

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/4029/p1090954a.jpg

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/9900/p1090955a.jpg

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/6093/p1090958a.jpg

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/7113/p1090959a.jpg

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/5539/p1090960a.jpg

[4v50 Gary]

Looks unfired to me, but whether it is or not, I think it's a good price.

[husker]

ditto on the price. i haven't seen an roa under 5 bills for some time now. maybe 08

[Oyeboten]

Looks unfired, and, mighty nice...


Gunna make someone happy..!

[eastbank]

i would not sell my roa for that. eastbank.

[higene]

It looks like it might have some BP residue on the forcing cone. Maybe - Maybe not. To me that just testifies to the owner's good sense and a compulsiveness about cleaning things. There does seem to be crusties here and there on the hard to get at places meaning that it has probably been stored for long periods of time allowing the irl or lubricant to decompose.

I'd send that puppy to Clements Custom guns and have a .50 cal made out of it. That would give the Walker owners something to froth at the mouth about.

:evil:

Higene

[arcticap]

The pistol isn't mine but the owner wants me to help him sell it.
According to the serial number it was made in 1999.

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/PS-SerialNumberHistory-RE.html#

[Das Jaeger]

Too much wear on the Grips not to have been used some , I have owned alot of Presentation Pachmyers and those are well worn , also the Plunger looks worn too . Plus the tell tell signs of YELLOW crud on cylinder release pin . Looks as though real care was takin to clean cylinder to new but not enough time to clean off anything else . JMHO of course .
But so what , the gun is vertually new , and the price is excellent regaurdless .

Jaeger

[BHP FAN]

+1 on what Jager said.Took the words right outta my mouth,or some Meatloaf song.Seriously,who cares?That's the going price for a well maitained ROA,and they're not makeing them anymore. BUY IT,NOW!

[bigbadgun]

If you look at the ramming lever you can see wear on the ram itself. Would indicate to me that it was fired. And there is a couple rust spots inside the cylinder looks surface but that would also tell me that it was fired. And also the grips like Jaeger said.
Um and yes I think it is worth $425 if you are into the ROA

[mykeal]

I voted no, it's not been fired and yes, it's worth $425. In fact, that's a good, fair price.

I note the comments about 'yellow crud'; in my opinion that's factory grease, not bp residue. I have a NIB, unfired Liberty model stainless ROA with the same, in fact more, such 'crud' in some joints.

WRT the grips - Rugers don't come with Pachmyers so they're of unknown pedigree and their history is of no relevance. However, the first thing I'd do is replace them with the Lett factory rosewood grips.

[Chawbaccer]

Wear on the loading ram? Sure, but being un-fired doesn't mean nobody played with it.

[madcratebuilder]

The grips may have been off another revolver.

The wear on the loading ram, you don't normally see parallel lines like that unless it actually pushed a rb in to the chamber.

Residue around the nipples.(I hate that)

Are these test fired by Ruger like they do their center fire guns?

The price is right fired or not.




eastbank, that's some nice looking stag.

[pohill]

You don't put Packmyers on a gun for looks - they're all about shooting. I say it's been fired but well cared for - an extended "proof" firing. That's a good price for a great gun. Mine was made in 1972-73 - you cannot kill or hurt these guns.

[whosyrdaddy]

I'll be the odd man out here and say that I don't think I would pay that much for it. Not because I don't love my ROA, but because, I agree with Mykeal that the grips would have to go and that means more $. With a little patience, I think a person could still acquire one in near mint condition for $400 or less.

I know that this gun has been fired otherwise it wouldn't have left the factory. Zoom in on the second pic and tell me what you see on the inside of the trigger guard behind the trigger.

[Wildfire]

Hey There:
yes IMO. It looks like it has been steel wooled a lot to clean it up.
the photos in the other post where the two shots of another ROA is shown looks
less fired then the one you are asking about.
That is a well cared for ROA.

The chambers have been cleaned and that cylinder looks as if it was turned in a lathe. The chambers are very ruff looking and look close at the cylinder.
There is black residue at the turn point where it would normally show wear and looks as if they did not get it all.
the yellow stains are a dead give away.
The grips ? Why would ya put used grips on an unfired gun and call the thing new ?

That cylinder and the chambers should have an almost polished look if it were new and unfired.

I have never seen any chambers in any wheel gun that ruff.

It should still be worth that money , but I would really question the guy about his claim of unfired.

[Wildfire]

Hey again;
After looking again. It has been fired.
No doubt about it.
There is powder residue in many places.
Yep behind that trigger too.
The screws have been removed also. Look close.
Ruger does not let a gun go out with those kind of scratches on it . the front sight has been removed and the barrel steel wooled or scotch brite was used.

the original finish has been destroyed.

[dispatch55126]

My guess, this was fired but well maintained. Jaeger basically pointed everything out to included the wear lines on the ram. There also appears to be some residue in the channel where the hammer drops and the trigger appears to be shinier where the finger would rest on it. This isn't to say that someone wasn't dry firing it but that would be a problem if it was.

The price is still good though.

[NoAlibi]

The gun appears to have been fired.

The gun is worth whatever you are willing to pay for it, but to reduce the post-purchase gnashing of teeth I'd suggest researching the price from several publications.

[arcticap]

The chambers have been cleaned and that cylinder looks as if it was turned in a lathe. The chambers are very ruff looking and look close at the cylinder...
...That cylinder and the chambers should have an almost polished look if it were new and unfired.

I have never seen any chambers in any wheel gun that ruff.

The lathe marks inside the chambers led me to look at my own unfired ROA and sure enough the same lathe marks were present and they don't look polished either.

When viewing photos enhanced by magnification, folks are able to see details not normally seen with the naked eye and that aren't always recognizable.

A nice gent purchased the other ROA on Gunbroker for $499 by using "buy it now".
We briefly talked on the phone and he said that he used to have a blued ROA and that they're very tough guns and not easily damaged, so he wasn't worried about its condition.

Below are photos of my new & unfired ROA chambers.

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=108571&d=1257405957

[madcratebuilder]

That cylinder and the chambers should have an almost polished look if it were new and unfired.

I have never seen any chambers in any wheel gun that ruff.

I would think that the unpolished chambers aid in retaining the ball during recoil of adjacent cylinders being discharged. You don't need to eject a fired and expanded case with C&B so polishing is not really necessary.

[Smokin_Gun]

Looks fired and very well cleaned ... the last two pics show BP (black)Residue in the barrel and the center of the cylinder face at the front by the frame.
Yes, now it'sd be worth $425.

[NoAlibi]

arcticap - Very descriptive photography - well done, my compliments!

[Wildfire]

Hey There:
Well looks like ya may have got me on this one.
I still say the outside finish is not right even for a SS gun. Stainless guns as a rule most generally come with milling marks and tooling marks that just do not show on blued guns. I do not have an ROA to compare with.
The Ubreti's that I have been looking at to purchase have no marks like these
in the cylinders. From what I could see. But then I did not take a picture with flash at close range.

None of this is to say that the gun is not worth the price. It likely is. They are well made no matter what they look like.
Hope all goes well with the sale.

[kanook]

Different grips, Tape on front sight, Buggered screws from taking apart.

[Bill from NJ]

Of corse this revolver has been fired.

Look at all of the subtle tell tale signs.

The price is good and it is a ROA.

Get it.

[highlander 5]

I'll let you gentlemen know as I purchased said pistol and hope to have it Tues or Thurs.

[highlander 5]

The ROA has been fired,the nipples are slightly rusted and have carbon on their faces but the rest of the pistol is in excellent shape. Minor light scratches here and there that's it,worth the asking price. Now to find the time to test fire the piece.

[Wildfire]

Hey :
I knew It , I knew It , I knew it.......
No matter , still a fair deal. I looked at a few today. BUT , I ended up taking home two Uberti's 1860 Army's ...
Man these are very pretty guns.

I will likely end up with the ROA sooner or latter TOO.....

Have fun with it...

[kanook]

I hope the nipples come out for ya. I got burnt twice on a nice looking ROA only to have the nipples rusted in.

[Smokin_Gun]

Highlander 5 Congrads on your new ROA ... ya done good.

[highlander 5]

I had no trouble getting the nipples out. In case anyone is interested I used a 3/16 deep socket to get them out. I plan to try this out with Triple 7 when I can get a day off.

[pohill]

I'll bet you can hit Egg Rock with it...
Do you shoot in Danvers?