The RUGER OLD ARMY Club

Here's my entry. New in late 1993. I want to replace the loading lever with a knurled base pin and a ClemBert pin. I have a loading press to load the cylinder in I don't want to chance breaking the loading lever.

P1010695_zps52b60b51.jpg
 
Hi everyone, was wondering if I can join the club. I love the thread, I did some reading of your discussions when thinking about getting an Old Army. Here is mine, found it this past week at $550. Hopefully a decent deal. It was made in 1995 and looks like it has been fired but well looked-after. There is some minor scratching/wear. The one thing I did notice is that there is some rattle/looseness with the loading lever assembly. Seemed like it was supposed to be that way. Also, there is a slight bit of cylinder rattle/movement. A little more so than my Bisley Blackhawk. I jumped at the chance to buy this one, but it worried me a little. Anyone else have some rattling?
 

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IIRC, my unfired (no longer) 1976 ROA's loading lever rattled like a bag of bones when I bought it.
 
bri: My loading lever also rattled and I read and found that the cause is likely the loading lever latch has a screw on the end that will tighten/loosen the tension. Try adjusting the screw and see if it holds it tighter.

Obviously I suffer from lack of reading comprehension...
 
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bri1462 said:
Also, there is a slight bit of cylinder rattle/movement. A little more so than my Bisley Blackhawk. I jumped at the chance to buy this one, but it worried me a little. Anyone else have some rattling?
Click to expand...
The cylinder rattling .... Is it a lot? Lower the hammer with the trigger pulled and try to wiggle the cylinder. If there is more than very minor movement when it is in the fired position, you may have a slight problem. The more the movement, the bigger the problem.
 
rodwha, thanks, I did not even notice the screw head there. I unthreaded it slightly and that lengthened it a little, increasing the tension against the lug on the barrel. That helped - now the only thing rattling there is the actual piston/ram.

The best I can measure, the amount of cylinder rotation at lockup is .030" - .035." The amount of cylinder endshake looks like as much as .010." The gun looks in good shape, but maybe it's been shot a ton with heavy loads? I'm thinking I should call Ruger and see what they say, and go shoot the thing and see what it does.
 
bri1462 said:
rodwha, thanks, I did not even notice the screw head there. I unthreaded it slightly and that lengthened it a little, increasing the tension against the lug on the barrel. That helped - now the only thing rattling there is the actual piston/ram.

The best I can measure, the amount of cylinder rotation at lockup is .030" - .035." The amount of cylinder endshake looks like as much as .010." The gun looks in good shape, but maybe it's been shot a ton with heavy loads? I'm thinking I should call Ruger and see what they say, and go shoot the thing and see what it does.
Click to expand...
I own six. You got me curious. Out of my ROAs, five of the six cylinders wiggle perceptibly, about an RCH, in rotation at full cock. Four of the six have a perceptible (RCH) end shake; two don't wiggle at all, fore to aft. Only one of the six locks up like a Python, with no perceptible rotation or end shake.

I would shoot it and enjoy it. If you are not pleased with its performance, then send it to Ruger with a specific complaint. They were not intended to be Pythons in the first place.

But I'm betting you will be pleased with it.

If you are not pleased with it, I'm betting you can get your money out of it
 
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Update on Doak's Primer Capsules

I got my scale fixed with a new transformer and have been trying to develop an accurate hunting load for deer with a 255 gr. cast bullet.

21.0 grains of BlackHorn 209 by wt., Remington 7 1/2 sm. rifle primer. 35 yards using a sandbag for a wrist rest:
ROA-BH209-210.gif

19.0 grains of BlackHorn 209 by wt., Rem. 7 1/2. 35 yards:
ROA190BH209web.gif

I had a fizzz load with the first primer I tried when I got the kit. Since then I have fired about 35 shots using 7 1/2 primers in the capsules. I have had no misfires since but there are always a few unfired granules in the chambers after firing.
If using the 7 1/2 primers, it is difficult to remove the spent primers so I had to use Doak's tool as a punch with a leather hammer to tap the primers out. Sometimes it took quite a bit of firm tapping.
PrimerDriver2web.gif

The BlackHorn 209 is non-hygroscopic so corrosion isn't much of a problem like black powder but the fired powder residue builds up quickly and starts to obstruct the flash hole to the primer. In order to deal with this, I use a 5/64 drill bit by hand every time to clean it out prior to inserting a new primer.

DrillBitWEB.gif

The whole loading procedure takes me about 45 minutes so it's not quick for plinking. For hunting I think it's worth it. That 45 minutes includes lubing the bullets.

BulletLubeWEB.gif

I'm going hunting for deer with it Saturday. Maybe I'll get lucky.
 
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ROA

 

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ROA & Cast Lee Bullets

Hi
Have been shooting 0.457 soft lead cast balls in my ROA which has a modified cylinder enabling me to use nitro powder & s'gun primers.
(see earlier posts for pictures)
Lee have a RN lead bullet of 220 grains specifically for the ROA.
What is the opinion of the forum to casting these bullets using lead recovered from wheel weights. Would it be okay or is the lead from wheel weights too hard. Not sure if they contain tin or antimony.
Also appreciate wheel weights need a lot of fluxing to get rid of the dirt & rubbish.
Would appreciate your thoughts.

Cheers
yamavira:)
 
Yamavira,

If you look at the rifling in your barrel, it's very shallow. Shooting anything harder than pure lead (or close to it) would probably have adverse consequences for your barrel in my opinion.
I don't use any bullets in mine that I can't scratch a line in with my fingernail.
 
Primer capsule kit arrived today. Many thanks to Doak. The workmanship is amazing.
He's a LOT better on a lathe than I.
It was like Christmas, all over again. When it stops raining, I'll take 'er to the hunting lease and test the capsules out.
 
Yamavira said:
Hi
Have been shooting 0.457 soft lead cast balls in my ROA which has a modified cylinder enabling me to use nitro powder & s'gun primers.
(see earlier posts for pictures)
Lee have a RN lead bullet of 220 grains specifically for the ROA.
What is the opinion of the forum to casting these bullets using lead recovered from wheel weights. Would it be okay or is the lead from wheel weights too hard. Not sure if they contain tin or antimony.
Also appreciate wheel weights need a lot of fluxing to get rid of the dirt & rubbish.
Would appreciate your thoughts.

Cheers
yamavira:)
Click to expand...
Don't do it. Roundballs are one thing encased in a patch, an engraved bullet is going to be next to impossible to load if it requries engraving going into your barrel or cylinder.

My opinion is NO NO NO! Patched ball is no matter cuz the patch takes up the "windage" in the barrel.

Much Aloha,... :cool:
 
Yeah... I ran across them on Cast Boolits... you could spend a whole saturday on them sites.... and do the weeds on sunday... after church of course... and brunch... after the visit to the yacht club... :)
 
Target rear sights for ruger old army

Hi everyone I'm new on here & need to chase some much needed info, I've just recently taken up black powder target shooting using my ruger old army, I am looking for a suitable rear adjustable target sight that will help improve my shooting, another shooter recommended a LPA sight but can't seem to find one for the old army, I'm also in Australia which make getting black powder accessories a challenge , any help would be greatly appreciated

Cheers
 
The way I understand it is that an Old Army will accept any sight for a Blackhawk. I don't think the newer or older model effects that ability, but I'm not certain about that. Anyone comment on that?
 
robhof

The ROA was built on the frame of the RBH old model and most parts are interchangeable. A friend of mine actually put a BH 45 barrel on his ROA and it works just fine. I've put BH rear sight blades on my ROA, after grinding the opening deeper to lower POI.
 
"...after grinding the opening deeper to lower POI."

I have been thinking of doing this once I get a hunting load developed. My sights are bottomed out and it's still quite high at 25 yds, which is where I want them 0'd.
 
Got the same problem. Only remedy that's worked for me, so far, is to tongue 'n' groove an extension atop the front sight. This on a blued ROA. Stock ramp on ROA's is way wrong for a good front sight picture anyway.

Stainless has a roll pin holding the blade in. Gonna see if it's easily removed, comin' up here soon. Anybody know?
 
I hear that it is. Been considering changing the front sight out to one with fiber optics. I'm not sure if I want to go that far though...

While hunting from a tree blind I had a hog come in at dusk. It got so dark I couldn't make out the sights. I had to raise the rifle up to the skyline to align them and bring it steadily back down to put it through the chest. Since then I've wanted fiber optics, which i have on my side lock.
 
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