Opinions, strength of the ROA

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MCgunner

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I'm sittin' here thinkin', I wonder if the ROA with a conversion cylinder to .45 Colt could handle the 300 grain reloads I load for my Ruger Blackhawk? The frame seems stronger, beefier than the Blackhawk. Might depend on the quality of the cylinder, I guess? These loads are loaded to the 25,000 cup SAAMI listed "ruger/TC only" level. If I knew the gun would handle it, I might just get a cylinder conversion to have a 7.5" barrel for hunting. My Blackhawk is a nice carry, but has a 4 5/8" barrel.

Probably a stupid idea. I've fired that load from my Blackhawk at 1120 fps, the 7" Contender .410/.45 colt barrel (seven inches with the external choke unscrewed) fires it at 1200 fps. It's accurate enough to hunt to 50 yards with, but I have a .30-30 barrel for that gun I'd rather use for deer hunting and with the scope, well.....:)

Anyway, what's the wisdom on Buffalo Bore type Ruger only loads in a ROA with conversion cylinder? You'll shoot your eye out, kid? You'll blow your hand off? LOL!
 
I have a super Black Hawk,with a 10/12 inch barrel,thats been ported,and have taken 2 deer with it, I think the strength will be with the cylinder.Looking at both guns at the same times says Ruger,but not the after mkt cylinder,which I have also.???
 
ROA

The Ruger Old Army frame might be as strong as a Blackhawk, but the actual steel composition is not public knowledge. As far as the conversion cylinders, neither Kirst nor R&D warrantee their cylinders for anything but "Cowboy" loads. The pressure vessel is the cylinder, blow that and the topstrap will go with it.

So, go by the conversion cylinder maker's recommendation, the Ruger frame is not the issue with hot loads, the cylinder is.
 
The only sane answer is the one provided by the cylinder manufacturer. The frame is not the issue. If the cylinder contains the pressure the frame will stay together. If the cylinder blows up, you won't give a damn about the frame strength or lack of it.

Call the cylinder manufacturer.
 
****WARNING DO NOT TRY THIS YOURSELF****

IIRC, in Ruger and His Guns, by RL Wilson, it is reported that engineers at Ruger tested a ROA with a chamber full of Bullseye smokeless pistol powder under a round ball. That load would blow up most modern revolvers. The gun survived with no apparent damage. They did not test the gun to destruction, so who know if it would have survived much more of that kind of abuse.

****WARNING DO NOT TRY THIS YOURSELF****
 
The story is true, but I sure wish it would just go away. It does no good to bring it up again. There are bubbas out there who just can't help themselves despite the strident, and completely appropriate warnings.

Last words of a redneck: "Watch this!"
 
IIRC, in Ruger and His Guns, by RL Wilson, it is reported that engineers at Ruger tested a ROA with a chamber full of Bullseye smokeless pistol powder
Click to expand...

Ijo! Not me, bubba! Wow, that's pretty scary to even think about. I worry about a double charge of the stuff and go to great pains to avoid such when I'm loading 2.7 grains in my .38 wadcutters. SHEESH! My God, an ROA could hold 60 grains of the stuff or more! It's very dense and it don't take much to pressure up a case.

It's good to know the ROA is that strong, but I wouldn't be wantin' to be hanging on the the thing when it went off. They'd probably have to extract it from your skull in the emergency room at the very least!
 
Is it just me or do I see the same sort of question over and over here, "gee will my black powder firearm handle modern smokeless loads?" Here's a hint, want to shoot modern smokeless loads? get a modern type firearm. Otherwise do so at your own risk.
 
Conversions & pressure

I cannot speak for the Kirst. The R&D cylinder is proofed with standard SAAMI proof loads. The cylinder will obviously handle any 45 Colt factory load, not just cowboy loads.

However, pressure is not the only issue. For example, the S&W 25 will handle the same pressure a Blackhawk 45 will, but will quickly go loose using the Blackhawk only loads due to the weak point where yoke tube bears on the bottom of the cylinder well.

For my Old Army I will use any 45 Colt load that meets SAAMI specs and do not restrict it to cowboy loads. On the other hand, if I had an R&D cylinder for any other cap & ball I would restrict it to cowboy loads only.

If I want more horse power in a 45 I'll drag out my 454 Casull.
 
Is it just me or do I see the same sort of question over and over here, "gee will my black powder firearm handle modern smokeless loads?" Here's a hint, want to shoot modern smokeless loads? get a modern type firearm. Otherwise do so at your own risk.
Click to expand...

Here's a hint, I have blackhawks. I just asked an academic question about conversion cylinders in ROAs which aren't ordinary BP guns.

I have not bought a conversion for the ROA. I don't really see the point. I have cartridge guns, but the thing is so strong, I just figured a conversion cylinder in it, it might could handle the Buffalo Bore "ruger only" loads. The conversion cylinders are a couple hundred bucks. My 4 5/8" stainless engraved .45 blackhawk with sanbar stag grips is paid for.
 
Whos Ned Beatty? Is he a "Bubba"?:D....do I have to use BP in my ROA?How about BP in my Blackhawk SST?
 
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In 1976 I met Bill Mckenny who was the preacher in Breakheart Pass, a western filmed here in the Lewiston Idaho area. He said that he would never be remembered for any of his roles except the redneck in Deliverance that forced Ned Beatty to bend over and "squeal like a pig". I just wanted to share that little tidbid with you people because it seemed important to the conversation:rolleyes:
 
I thought Burt Lancaster made Neal squeal! Didn't he play Elmer Gantry?.....uhhhh what happened to the strength of the ROA? I went outside and took an axe to mine,and it still shoots...
 
Burt Lancaster did play Elmer Gantry in the film of the same name.

Bill McKinney played the hick with a penchant for pork in "Deliverance", the film about the river trip in North Georgia.

Bill from "Deliverance":

deliverance.jpg


Here's Bill in "The Outlaw Josey Wales" as the evil Red Leg guerrilla leader Terrill pointing something big and ominous at Clint.

11706-14413.gif
 
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