The RUGER OLD ARMY Club

[mykeal]

Probably one of these: http://howelloldwestconversions.com/

Aftermarket nipples: Treso part number 11-50-12, thread size 12x28. Available from many sutlers.

Track of the Wolf catalog number PRA-A: currently out of stock, but stainless steel version PRA-S is in stock: http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/807/2

ROA grips are not generally available, but Ruger Blackhawk grips will fit.

[J-Bar]

"Spares for the ROA are few & far between. Is there a company which makes/sells nipples for the original black powder cylinder.
Can wooden grips stil be bought for the revolver. Who markets them."

Several companies market Treso brand nipples for the ROA, and they give better ignition than the factory originals.

http://www.possibleshop.com/s-s-nipples-cb.html

You might also consider "Slix-Shot Nipples" which are a new design.

http://longhunt.com/storelh/index.ph...product_id=267

Any grip that fits the old model Vaquero or Ruger Blackhawk (not the Super Blackhawk) should fit the ROA. Do a search for Vaquero grips and indulge yourself. If you like custom elk antler grips, this fellow does nice work:

http://www.grashornsgunworks.com/index.html

[arcticap]

Originally Posted by Yamavira

I have recently bought a ROA which has been fitted with a modified cylinder enabling nitro powder & shotgun primers to be used.
To load the cylinder is removed from the frame. then the back of the cylinder, with 6 firing pins, is removed. Shotgun primers are inserted into the back of the cylinder, the plate replaced & the cylinder refitted into the frame. A small quantity of nitro powder is added to each chamber & a ball or lead RN bullet seated on top of the powder. Works well.
I have 3 questions.
I know that this modified cylinder was manufactured on the USA & then imported into the UK. Can anyone suggest which USA company could have manufactured these cylinders.

The only company that I ever heard of that makes C&B nitro conversions is the British company Westlake Engineering.
Does thier nitro conversion look the same as yours?

http://westlakeengineering.com/4640/4694.html

http://westlakeengineering.com/

[Patocazador]

Originally Posted by arcticap

The only company that I ever heard of that makes C&B nitro conversions is the British company Westlake Engineering.
Does thier nitro conversion look the same as yours?

http://westlakeengineering.com/4640/4694.html

http://westlakeengineering.com/

That West Lake model must be what you have. I am unaware of any aftermarket cylinder available here that uses shotgun primers. The photo showing the disassembled cylinder didn't look like there was a place for an additional primer. Yamavira, can you send a photo showing the primers in place in the disassembled cylinder?

[AbitNutz]

I had a chance to look at one of those conversions a while back when I was in Europe. They are beautifully made and horribly expensive. I would have bought one but I would have had to wait for it to be made and then shipped. They're almost impossible to import.

[J-Bar]

Yeah, like one English pound is 1.6 dollars or so, That makes a 500 pound (currency of course) conversion cylinder worth $800.

Makes my two Kirst cylinders look like a bargain!!

[Yamavira]

Hi Guys
Thank you for the replies & useful info.
Having contacted both A. Westlake & R. Kershaw I know that they did NOT make this particular cylinder. The cylinder was made in the USA for Bob Dunkley & then imported into the UK.
We have the same problem in reverse with the price of goods. First thing an importer does with goods from the USA is change dollars straight into pounds sterling. Then he adds on his import costs etc. So anything from the USA costs "an arm & a leg" here in the UK.

Cheers
Yamavira.

[AbitNutz]

As the owner of an original 1999 Mini with a Garrett GT2860RS turbocharged Honda JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) B18C Type-R engine. I will not divulge how much I paid for the Mini here in the states. I bet I could have bought three in Britain, thrown two away and still paid less. Of course, I doubt a 1500 lb Mini with 300 hp at the wheels would have passed MOT and if it did, would not be able to get it insured.

One of the advantages of living in the states is playing one state's laws against another. I would never have been able to register this car in Ohio but you could register a space shuttle in Georgia...and once you have plates in one state, then other states usually leave you alone. The laws in this federation are not universal.

Imagine being arrested in London and having to be legally extradited to Liverpool.

I know, way off topic.

[arcticap]

The cylinder was made in the USA for Bob Dunkley & then imported into the UK.

Have you tried to contact Bob Dunkley to ask about the origin of the cylinder?
A Google search shows a UK gun shop having that name.
Perhaps the conversion was custom made for Bob Dunkley by a U.S. individual or company and not mass produced or marketed to the general public here.

http://www.bobdunkley.com/

http://www.bdfirearmsmiddlesbrough.co.uk/

http://www.bdfirearms.piczo.com/?cr=6

[Onty]

Originally Posted by Yamavira

Hi from the UK
I have recently bought a ROA which has been fitted with a modified cylinder enabling nitro powder & shotgun primers to be used.
To load the cylinder is removed from the frame. then the back of the cylinder, with 6 firing pins, is removed. Shotgun primers are inserted into the back of the cylinder, the plate replaced & the cylinder refitted into the frame. A small quantity of nitro powder is added to each chamber & a ball or lead RN bullet seated on top of the powder. Works well.
I have 3 questions.
I know that this modified cylinder was manufactured on the USA & then imported into the UK. Can anyone suggest which USA company could have manufactured these cylinders...

Cheers
yamavira.

Looks like I was on right track.



From http://bdfirearms.piczo.com/blackpow...linkvar=000044 , click on BLACK POWDER,NITRO

I tried to convince few manufacturers of those ROA conversion cylinders for 45 Colt cartridge, to make muzzle loading version for 209 shot shell primers, but no luck.

If you find manufacturer of ROA cylinders that could be used with 209 primers, please let us know. If there is sufficient interest, I can start group buy (GB) on castboolits.

[AbitNutz]

Now isn't this an odd scenario; gun gear that is manufactured in England that we can't get in the USA.

[robhof]

Loading a primed cylinder with an open firing pin seems to violate all the basic rules of safety, or is it just me???

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

Originally Posted by robhof

Loading a primed cylinder with an open firing pin seems to violate all the basic rules of safety, or is it just me???

I was thinking a similar thing but lets hope that there is a smaller flash hole than what it looks like and it can be loaded before being primed.

[Onty]

Originally Posted by robhof

Loading a primed cylinder with an open firing pin seems to violate all the basic rules of safety, or is it just me???

In my opinion, loading such primed cylinder is no less safe than loading conversion cylinder with 45 Colt cartridges.

Originally Posted by Malachi Leviticus Blue

I was thinking a similar thing but lets hope that there is a smaller flash hole than what it looks like and it can be loaded before being primed.

I would like to know how British shooters load their muzzle loading cylinders with shotgun 209 primers? Do they put bullets first, load powder through primer hole, and prime cylinder?

I remembered seeing in Europe shotgun hulls (Italian?) with primers considerably larger than 209. Having such cylinder will make noted method of loading easier.

[Yamavira]

Hi Guys
You got it !!!!. Exactly the cylinder fitted to my ROA.
Loading is usually done with the cylinder in a loading machine. Cylinder is removed from the frame & the back plate with the firing pins is replaced by a blank plate to hold in the 209 shotgun primers (the hole through to each chamber is the push fit diameter of the 209 primer & is therefore too big to load powder & ball without the primers in place). The 209 primers are inserted & the blank back plate fitted. The cylinder is then placed in a small loading machine. Each Cylinder is charged with powder (less than 4.3 grains Alliant Unique In my case) & ball (or a RN lead bullet). Carefully remove cylinder from loading machine & replace firing pin back plate. Replace cylinder in frame & prepare to fire.
Do not consider this procedure has any more risks than loading a centrefire round on a loading press.
As you are not using the loading ram assembly this can be replaced by a nice looking Belt Mountain Base Pin & Latch assembly.

I am awaiting a response from B. Dunkley but I am quite sure Bob had these cylinders made, perhaps to his specs; in the USA. Hence my request for more info on them.

Yamavira

[robhof]

Ah so; that is truely a horse of a different color, and safer to boot!!!

[wap41]

The old army club should make ruger put another warning on their guns.No one told me they were sooo adicting.I just started collecting them 3 mo's ago and this is just the start I have more on the way.

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

Originally Posted by wap41

...I just started collecting them 3 mo's ago and this is just the start I have more on the way.

Wow you hit the road running!

[wap41]

I have some 1873 colt clone percussion and some original 1860 colts but as soon as I shot a ruger old army for the first time I was hooked.Talk about accurate.Wow!

[ClemBert]

ROA Club Members:

01. ClemBert 02. Eights 03. kanook 04. kwhi43@kc.rr.com 05. mykeal
06. adaptandovercome 07. 461 08. junkman_01 09. lonewolf5347 10. rcflint
11. MCgunner 12.madcratebuilder 13. AbitNutz 14. eastbank 15. robert garner
16. philuk44 17. HUnter58 18. arcticap 19. BullRunBear 20. theotherwaldo
21. SC Slowhand 22. Prairie Dawg 23. wittzo 24. Tallbald 25. Smokin_Gun
26. OB One 27. jungle 28. plumbernater 29. daveinvegas 30. JanZ
31. George Mabry 32. Benmathes 33. Loosenock 34. higene 35. Rock Island
36. Erich 37. robhof 38. J-Bar 39. Nomad, 2nd 40. TAURUSBOB
41. martindl99 42. Vermonter 43. wasatch 44. fogg64 45. BConklin
46. Howdy Doody 47. bushrod2 48. rdstrain49 49. FirinFlatTop 50. rem1858
51. straight-shooter 52. edorfox 53. KevininPa 54. Ringo1234 55. pohill
56. The Don 57. jeepcoma 58. Dave Markowitz 59. Chazz 60. andrewstorm
61. Steel Wheels 62. Legionnaire 63. NineMilePete 64. 94RUGER 65. Acorn Mush
66. R.Ganister 67. Boom-stick 68. Buddy 69. Ghost Dog 70. BML
71. Cult of 1858 72. Jaymo 73. bigbore442001 74. Engineer Bill 75. azyogi
76. Dr. Leaky 77. Clermont 78. Indy4570 79. ozarkguy 80. Plastikosmd
81. mrdo1 82. bax504 83. Constrictor 84. BC Mosaic 85. clepidus
86. did 87. gunboat57 88. Malachi Leviticus Blue 89. Blue Hill 90. Power Keg
91. SUMIKITO 92. ChasMack 93. Larry Flett 94. RugerShawn 95. tdperry
96. Rettech 97. renoman 98. tk1971 99. Curator 100. Dan Carey
101. Old No7 102. Muddydogs 103. Oldnamvet 104. 6.5x55swedish 105. crazysccrmd
106. Jim, West PA 107. rodwha 108. Varmiter 109. Indian Outlaw 110. Patocazador
111. Fingers McGee 112. h0use 113. Huntingsaddles 114. GregP42 115. esims
116. Doak 117. BubbaGoose 118. FreddyKruger 119. Calvados 120. ruger357
121. wap41

Welcome wap41!

[Jim, West PA]

That's a perty sight right there Wap.
Ya needs a brass framed and a few fixed sighters now.

Where'd ya lose a loadin lever at ?

[wap41]

Thanks Jim.I'm looking,I thought you were going to find me a bunch of those $3-400 DOLLAR 5.5"s at the gun show this week end.I was looking at buying another safe just to have room for them.Ha Ha.

[Jim, West PA]

Worry not my young addicted ROA enthusiast.
I've allways got my ear to the wind.
Oh, the show aint 'till 12 December.
That's plenty time to buy a few more before the world ends next month.

[DurangoKid]

I would like to join the ROA owners club. Just found out about it. I started shooting ROAs a few years back. I now have 4 and go to gun shows searching for more. Been shooting BP 6 guns for 50 years but just got involved in this ROA addiction.

[Yamavira]

Finally got a tidy picture of my ROA. Request membership of the Club.

Yamavira