Ruger Old Army Fixed Sights

[straight-shooter]

I'm looking into purchasing my first Black Powder Revolver. I found a great deal on a Ruger Old Army Stainless but it has fixed sights.

My question is if the fixed sights present any type of disadvantage or should I hold out for a model with the adjustable sights ?

 

[66gt350]

What barrel length are you looking for? I've got a stainless ROA with adjustable sights with a 7 1/2" barrel that i might be presuaded to be part with (I've got a pair of the fixed sight SS ROA's that I love).

66gt350 -- Rob

 

[straight-shooter]

66gt350... I sent you a PM.

 

[straight-shooter]

Well I just bit the bullet and purchased a brand new ROA with the fixed sights. It should be here by the end of the week. Here is a photo that was online of the actual gun. Merry Christmas to ME !

 

[Macmac]

Just because it is SS, don't mean you treat it different. SS can and will rust, it just takes longer. Have fun with that.

 

[Vermonter]

I saw those online. Good deal. Have fun

 

[straight-shooter]

Believe me if you knew me you would know I'm fussy as all get out about my guns being clean. Treat them with respect and they will treat me with alot of enjoyment

 

[Macmac]

I was just making sure. I hear guys with SS and they say they never need to clean, and or they are shocked they get rust stained guns.. If I knew you I would have known better, but the fact remains we are both new around here.

As it is I loand a Bess to a guy I have know for over 20 years, and he shoots and owns other BP guns.. He allowed another to use my Bess while I was touring the USA on a motorbike and he never cleaned it in a year!

New Hampshire is humid all year unless on certain winter days it is too cold, and below 0.. so basicly he ruined my Bess which was bright and military, and made for the Bi- Centenial. I told him straight out no more loans for anything, and that it was ruined. He should have known better.

I got lucky and will a long mandrel set to take a 3 stone hone sort of fixed it.

I can mill another barrel if it comes to that as I hunt with this, but had it been my pre bible ROA in blue someone would be dead.. Probably me with a busting artery from to pissedoffedness... I think you will understand.

 

[Pancho]

I've got a rule Macmac never lend a gun or a chainsaw to anyone.

 

[Macmac]

I do now.... I have always been afraid to lend my saw...and bikes for the most part, unless the rider has a like bike himself.

 

[bigbadgun]

Guns chainsaws cars and bikes are a dont ask because the asnwer is no.

 

[straight-shooter]

Can anyone tell me if .20 pillow ticking pre-lubed patches can be used with this ROA ? Unfortunately the Wonder Wads aren't available anywhere around here.

UPDATE: I got the answer on another forum.... I was told I cannot use ticking patches because they a specifically design or muzzleloaders only.

 

[Macmac]

SS find wool felt from a mill, it won't be easy, or find card board and glue up the thickness you want. Get an arbor punch at 7/16" and make all you like.

 

[Pancho]

loaning guns, chainsaws and..........bikes

Macmac, I forgot about motorcycles. I just sold a 1975 Triumph Trident and while the buyer was test riding I was so nervous I broke out in a sweat. Of course he like it so much he rode it longer than I would have liked.

 

[Pancho]

Back to firearms, Straightshooter does the Ruger feel comfortable in your hand? I've never held a ROA but the replica 1858, which the Ruger is patterned from, is very uncomfortable in my hand not enough space between the triggerguard and the grip for my middlefinger. It actually hurts to hold the 58 replicas. All of the colt replicas fit fine even the pocket colt replicas.

 

[straight-shooter]

Pancho, at this current time I can't answer your question since the gun is still in transit to my house. I should have it either tomorrow or monday. Those two photos I posted are from the dealer. Maybe someone else here can answer that as I would be curious also.

 

[Macmac]

My Ruger Super Black Hawk cuts my 2nd knuckel often, with that square back trigger housing. This isn't any issue with my ROA, and I don't believe the ROA has changed much since I bought mine back in 72' used, and mint.

I don't have a 1858 anything, and so as close as I can get is my EMF kit Colt Army clone, which has a good pointy feel to me.


As to my do it yerself stuff, well, first of all I am big into do it myself, then it is a long haul down the road to most anyplace, then I scavange like a vulcher, and last it seems fun and more real.

Sort of feed man and you always feed him, teach a man to hunt, and he feeds himself.

OT: I had a 1974 Trident.. great bike. I had always wanted a xs 850sh Yammi and in 99' got one off a scrap heap in a auto bone yard. I did steps fixing it, and in Spring 02 painted it with the face of Liberty under a American Flag like motif.
There are pics on line if anyone wishes to see them, say so.

I also had recently a used 01 Nomad, and rode the length of the USA and back almost. It got stolen in W.Va. I had pretty good insurance on it and bought a 06 Nomad also used. To date I have never had any brand new bike. Bikes are my only 20th/21st century toys really as I see, while I do have some modern guns if you count 1898 as moden.

 

[straight-shooter]

Ok, I have another question for you seasoned veterans

I just made a dozen paper cartridges consisting of 25gr FFF and 10gr of cream of wheat for filler. Since I would no longer need any bore butter in the cylinder with these, is it still a good idea to maybe load the first three cylinders with some bore butter to get the bore lubricated? Then from then on not use any lube for the entire shooting session ? Or can I just entirely eliminate any lube at all ?

 

[Macmac]

You better add a greasey goo lube of one sort or another over every ball you shoot, any time you shoot.... If you plan to holster the gun leave one chamber empty, and wipe the excess flush to the cylinder face.

Tell me how you made these paper cartridges.. 1 I never have for a wheel gun, and 2 I have a few concerns since I have for long guns..

I am not so sure 35 grains volume and a ball will fit, but if it does and leaves the ball under the face of the clyinder that part should be ok..

 

[straight-shooter]

There is actually a sticky here on THR that taught me how to load these paper cartridges for the revolvers. It sounds as though with very good results! The cream of wheat added for the filler is suppose to act as a wad thus eliminating chain fires. This is the reason i'm asking about still using lube just for barrel lube and whether or not it is needed with every cylinder throughout the shooting session or just periodically to keep the barrel lubed.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=144094

 

[Macmac]

thxs for the thread. Being pretty new here I hadn't tripped on it. He has the taper part down ok with that little fold, but maybe another way is to pre taper a mess of papers.

To do that the non-glue side would be trimmed from something like 1/4" to nothing along the length.

The cap will have to burn thru this paper, but I see no reason it won't. If you do ever get a delay "hang fire" REMAIN AIMING for 30 seconds. The last thing you want to do is Think "whats up?", and flip the bore in your face!

With out papers I have seen a some shooters pull that stunt, and so far none have been more than burned... lucky huh?

Something you can make if you are a hands on guy is a leather double lidded cartridge box to fit 30 maybe 60 rounds, with a wooden block drilled to fit the box and the rounds. Probably a good How To for Civil War re-enators would have that sort of thing. The lids should over hand the edges (sides) of the box a bit too.. Keeps out water, but it also keeps out sparks.

I have one that holds 30 paper blanks at a time, and these blanks hold 110 grains of FFg. At events the thinking is If there is a problem it will be a nasty fire... When not at events I much prefer a horn, which is at least water tight if no air tight. It is said a horn can explode, but I can't see how....unless you don't refit the stopper plug anyway.

I would still grease after loading. It won't matter to the paper then anyway. The grease is a safety issue as well as a lube. If ever you have a chain fire you will understand better. Lets hope you never do eh?

I did and I can assure you it is no fun... The gun was also greased, so there is no way anything is 100% sure. At that time I had some years under my belt and figured I was well past having that happen, but old murphy stepped in and had his day...

I have no clue how that chain fire got off, but I know it did. I didn't skip one rule under safety either. The good part was no one was hurt not even the gun...

 

[Pancho]

straight-shooter, The forum went through the reasoning for cream of wheat topping off the powder a couple of months ago at my request ,and the consensus was that when using lighter loads the wheat would merely act as a filler to finish the ball just flush with the cylinder face. The consensus also that Chain fires were probably due to loose fitting #11 caps I can't think of a better seal than swaging the proper oversized roundball into the cylinder.

 

[Pancho]

Dwave has done some extensive research with lube pills that effectively cuts down on fouling and is not as messy as topping off with lube. The lube pill would probably work just fine in a paper cartridge.

 

[straight-shooter]

That's exactly the point i'm trying to get at. Using lube to keep the barrel cleaner and the powder residue soft for when it comes time to clean.

 

[Macmac]

Pancho, I wondered about the caps allowing a spark by. I can recall the brand I used the day I had that chain fire.

SS, it is important to know there are at least 2 types of caps uyou can use. CCI makes a crimped style, which usually seem a bit snugg, and may be the better to use. Sometimes these will be struck and nothing happens. If they are struck a 2nd time they go Boom.. What has usually occured is the cap wasn't seated fully on the nipple.

I find when, once as many caps are installed as I plan to use, usually 5, I go around very carefully and thumb drop the hammer on each one real slow, and press down on the hammer with the trigger still pulled.

Batches of tins vary enough, that I don't always need to do that task, but once a tin of caps shows this particular tins caps are too snugg, then I do.

Remington makes a 4 skirted cap, and these can tend to be looser, and may fall off in holster carry, and sometimes fall off after just being installed, upon recoil.

If you are in the act of shooting and notice a cap on a charged chamber is missing, stop shooting and recap the missing chamber.

I am a bit to primitive to have even heard of lube pills.

Probably I am wrong, but I wonder if these are no more than a oiled over the ball wool felt?