The RUGER OLD ARMY Club
- Thread starter ClemBert
- Start date
SUMIKITO
Member
Regular folks loving the Old Army..........
Beetle Bailey: How very true indeed about shooting the Old Army for the first time. Most shooters, or onlookers at that, are always drawn to an Old Army firing away and belching white smoke at the range/ranges that I shoot at. Even the range masters seem to hover around it more than behind the guys firing away with their Glocks and what nots like there was no ammo shortage at all! It has an aura all its own. When I go out to shoot, the regular cartridge guns come too. But in the end, the Old Army seems to consume most of the range time with me, using both regular black and the conversion cylinders [.45acp/.45 Colt]. Have also made more friends at the range than all my other pistols combined could ever do. It is a very 'user friendly' pistol. No noobie ever forgets their first cylinder load with the Old Army. Love those smiles as they walk away thanking you for having them have a go with it. ["Like bees to honey"] What a honey of a pistol!
Beetle Bailey: How very true indeed about shooting the Old Army for the first time. Most shooters, or onlookers at that, are always drawn to an Old Army firing away and belching white smoke at the range/ranges that I shoot at. Even the range masters seem to hover around it more than behind the guys firing away with their Glocks and what nots like there was no ammo shortage at all! It has an aura all its own. When I go out to shoot, the regular cartridge guns come too. But in the end, the Old Army seems to consume most of the range time with me, using both regular black and the conversion cylinders [.45acp/.45 Colt]. Have also made more friends at the range than all my other pistols combined could ever do. It is a very 'user friendly' pistol. No noobie ever forgets their first cylinder load with the Old Army. Love those smiles as they walk away thanking you for having them have a go with it. ["Like bees to honey"] What a honey of a pistol!
I dont think precision describes a ROA. It is a very well thought out design that has addressed nearly all the weaknesses of other cap and ball guns and is over built in most ways. It is easilly the most practical pistol ever. When i think of precision i think of a P08 luger or a colt python. The luger was so precision that it often failed from small amounts of dirt in the action. The python, at least the earlier ones where also very tightly fitted precision guns , so much so that a small amount of wear caused them to lose timeing. You could toss a ROA out the car window at 60 mph and it could bounce skid,get run over by a semi and land up in a mud puddle on the side of the road and it would probably still shoot fine,lol.On top of that,,it comes with its own reloading outfit.
SUMIKITO
Member
Precision.........
Well said Kituwa, have owned both of the pistols you mentioned before. The venerable and infamous P'08 would jam on anything but European full power NATO type 9mm ammo.Why heck, spit would cause it to mulfunction, as well as feeble saami spec american made ammo. The big Colt would need a visit for timing problems after about 700-900 rounds of full power wrist wrenching .357 ammo. Unlike a real true precision lockwork S&W revolver, Colt revolvers allways had this little weakness. The ROA has never to my knowledge nor to the gunsmiths all around me in my side of town, ever needed ANYTHING but maybe a good scrubbing and cleaning. That is what I really meant by that. It sure is a pistol that can take a lot of abuse and it still works, and works, and works! All the very best again.
Well said Kituwa, have owned both of the pistols you mentioned before. The venerable and infamous P'08 would jam on anything but European full power NATO type 9mm ammo.Why heck, spit would cause it to mulfunction, as well as feeble saami spec american made ammo. The big Colt would need a visit for timing problems after about 700-900 rounds of full power wrist wrenching .357 ammo. Unlike a real true precision lockwork S&W revolver, Colt revolvers allways had this little weakness. The ROA has never to my knowledge nor to the gunsmiths all around me in my side of town, ever needed ANYTHING but maybe a good scrubbing and cleaning. That is what I really meant by that. It sure is a pistol that can take a lot of abuse and it still works, and works, and works! All the very best again.
There is something, "je ne sais quo" about the ROA. I started years ago with every type of go-fast automatic nuclear launch platform I could get my hands on. I have an original Automag I bought new. It is not what one would call overly reliable. I have had them all and still have most of them. I'm sure my grandson will love me more once I'm dead.
Anyway, the only thing I actively shoot anymore is my ROA. I tweak and tune and try this and that. In the age of the polymer 15 shot, red dot reflex sighted fire-hose, I choose not to participate.
I'm afraid I don't think of guns as pertaining to personal defense. They're mechanical history to me, like my cars. My wife's car is transportation. My cars are for driving and tweaking, tuning and trying this and that.
Yes, that boy will love me lots more once I'm dead...rifles, pistols, fast cars and motorcycles. I'm sure his mother will hate me..heh, heh. Oh, alright. I'll leave her the house...whiner.
Anyway, the only thing I actively shoot anymore is my ROA. I tweak and tune and try this and that. In the age of the polymer 15 shot, red dot reflex sighted fire-hose, I choose not to participate.
I'm afraid I don't think of guns as pertaining to personal defense. They're mechanical history to me, like my cars. My wife's car is transportation. My cars are for driving and tweaking, tuning and trying this and that.
Yes, that boy will love me lots more once I'm dead...rifles, pistols, fast cars and motorcycles. I'm sure his mother will hate me..heh, heh. Oh, alright. I'll leave her the house...whiner.
white smoke
Member
Yeah, maybe it comes with my age, but there is something so relaxing about shooting the ROA and my flintlock while all around me youngsters are going almost full auto,and not hitting a thing. Car, 1993 Volvo, motorcycle, 1977 XS650. Life in the slow lane can be a good thing.
Isn't it the funniest thing? Go to a public range, all the folks are shooting Rambo ultra-Glocks sideways really fast. You start popping off some shots with an ROA....and who draws the crowd?
I've always wished I could wow them, throw one of my wife's cookies in the air, draw and fire, blowing it out of the sky. Of course, that's not possible. I've tried shooting those things and nothing will break them. Boeing is interested in making their black boxes out of them.
I've always wished I could wow them, throw one of my wife's cookies in the air, draw and fire, blowing it out of the sky. Of course, that's not possible. I've tried shooting those things and nothing will break them. Boeing is interested in making their black boxes out of them.
Beetle Bailey
Member
You don't even have to be shooting it to attract attention. The way my favorite outdoor range is set up, you load the c&b revolver on the back bench (well, everything except the percussion cap) and then move to the front bench to cap the gun and shoot it. As you guys know, you spend more time loading than you do shooting. So everyone who walks by sees you loading the darn thing and gets curious. I don't mind, of course. Means I get to play good ambassador of the shooting sports.
But yes, it's nice to hit a steel plate when you have a half dozen people watching you.
But yes, it's nice to hit a steel plate when you have a half dozen people watching you.
Patocazador
Member
AbitNutz: I have an Automag with the .44 and .357 barrels and it has given me very little trouble over the last 35 years. I think the trick is to use 296 instead of H-110. H-110 is dirtier. I don't shoot it much now because of the recoil and the carrying weight. I can and do carry my ROA a lot more. (I hate reaming shortened .308 cases.)
SUMIKITO
Member
Good stuff to pass down to kids and crowd drawing ROAs
Yes, the ROA is indeed a crowd drawer. Always is. However, when those side firing empty shell spitting fellows show up next to me and don't give a hoot if their empty shells are smacking me all over and messing up my table at the range, I put on my earplugs AND large hearing muffs and wip out my old .30 Carbine Blackhawk with mill-spec. ammo and fire 6 rounds in quick succesion. In less than a few minutes, before I can reload and fire six more rounds, they clear out mumbling and move on to another spot. The range master then walks over and pats me on the back and walks away with a big grin on his face. Everyone should have a .30 Carbine Blackhawk. It never fails to shut those fellows up. Never. Those who own one know exactly what I mean. Talk about explosive concussion! It has no peers.......Best regards......
Yes, the ROA is indeed a crowd drawer. Always is. However, when those side firing empty shell spitting fellows show up next to me and don't give a hoot if their empty shells are smacking me all over and messing up my table at the range, I put on my earplugs AND large hearing muffs and wip out my old .30 Carbine Blackhawk with mill-spec. ammo and fire 6 rounds in quick succesion. In less than a few minutes, before I can reload and fire six more rounds, they clear out mumbling and move on to another spot. The range master then walks over and pats me on the back and walks away with a big grin on his face. Everyone should have a .30 Carbine Blackhawk. It never fails to shut those fellows up. Never. Those who own one know exactly what I mean. Talk about explosive concussion! It has no peers.......Best regards......
SUMI: I know what you mean! My old boss had a 30 Carb Blackhawk, and out at the lease he handed it to me and let me give it a go. I can handle shooting a little bit without ear protection, but that thing is horrible! Even with crappy earplugs it still hurts. I didn't care to shoot that thing unless we had proper ear protection. I'm not sure about the ammo. It was just cheap factory (Rem?) stuff.
You guys got that right,a .30 carbine blackhawk is one bad ear ringer.Dont know why but their is nothing that compares.The mil ammo is a good bit more stout than factory loads too. But then,,i hate a .357 mag too,those things always bother my ears, way worse than .44mag or even .454 casul.Even more so in the old days when a factory .357 round made most of the loads you buy today seem like .38spl in comparison.Thanks to a drug bust in a convience store years ago when i fired a .357 standing beside a wall,the noise bounced off the wall right in my ear and it felt like i had been hit by a 2x4,i have almost no hearing left in that ear.
SUMIKITO
Member
rodwa: The only real legitimate reason I keep that old .30 Carb. Blackhawk and a lot of WCC .30 carb. Korean war era ammo is because of that, nothing else. My brother and son borrow it from me for the same reason, it really does what it does best: clearing out those nasty fellows away from you, so I can continue on loading and firing my ROA in relative peace and continue whiffing that heavenly holy smoke. Makes my day.
Patocazador
Member
Try reloading that .30 carbine with a spire point 110 gr. bullet and a case full of H-110. OOO_YAH!! They bind up my AutoMag III.
Seems as though all I have so far is questions...maybe I'm learning though and will have answers in the future. I ordered two pins from Belt Mt about 2 weeks ago and haven't heard from them. I see that my check wasn't cashed so I'm at a loss as to what may have happened...lost mail? Belt Mt doesn't take phone orders nor even answer their phone. Are they still in business?
Karl
I ordered two pins from Belt Mt about 2 weeks ago and haven't heard from them. I see that my check wasn't cashed so I'm at a loss as to what may have happened...lost mail? Belt Mt doesn't take phone orders nor even answer their phone. Are they still in business?Karl
white smoke
Member
I emailed a question about they're products weeks ago and have not heard back.
Patocazador
Member
If ClassicBallistx gets going with theirs, it will be a blessing.
Yes, yes they do. I can only speak for the Kirst but it is fine piece of kit. I use mine with Trail Boss powder. I can get a lot of practice shots in since it's so much faster to load and doesn't get dirty. It shoots extremely cleanly with Trail Boss...that may be because I can only compare it to shooting BP in the ROA. I'm sure that the Kirst would be fine using BP loads.
Kirst is top of the line. As you may know, Classicballistx has them making their cylinders and believe me, that is all that needs to be said about their quality.
The ROA, like most BP firearms, has pretty shallow rifling and is designed to shoot soft lead projectiles. I haven't tried shooting hard cast in it but the results with loads that replicate to my normal ROA point of aim shoot really well. It's as accurate as my 8-3/8" S&W 25-5 (45LC). I have heard hard cast shoot ok but I've not experienced it and I've never heard of anyone shooting jacketed bullets in it.
In short, I've fired a lot of rounds out of rounds through the Kirst and it's nice.
Kirst is top of the line. As you may know, Classicballistx has them making their cylinders and believe me, that is all that needs to be said about their quality.
The ROA, like most BP firearms, has pretty shallow rifling and is designed to shoot soft lead projectiles. I haven't tried shooting hard cast in it but the results with loads that replicate to my normal ROA point of aim shoot really well. It's as accurate as my 8-3/8" S&W 25-5 (45LC). I have heard hard cast shoot ok but I've not experienced it and I've never heard of anyone shooting jacketed bullets in it.
In short, I've fired a lot of rounds out of rounds through the Kirst and it's nice.
What is the powder charge (Trail Boss), what type of bullet? Also, did you have a chance to check velocity shooting such load from Kirst in ROA?
Thanks.
Even though I have a good chronograph setup I've never used it on my ROA. Just haven't gotten around to it. Plus all the B/P flame, smoke and debris may have an untoward effect.
I use 5.2 gr of T/B, federal primer with a 210 gr BigLube bullet of soft lead. That seems to put in the same hole as 40gr of T7. Trail Boss is a super bulky powder so it fills that big case very well.
Here's the IMR load data:
45 Colt 250gr LRNFP 4.5 - 5.8gr (12,700 PSI 727 FPS)
I use 5.2 gr of T/B, federal primer with a 210 gr BigLube bullet of soft lead. That seems to put in the same hole as 40gr of T7. Trail Boss is a super bulky powder so it fills that big case very well.
Here's the IMR load data:
45 Colt 250gr LRNFP 4.5 - 5.8gr (12,700 PSI 727 FPS)
Similar threads
