Ruger old army question

Lyle

Lyle

Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2010
Messages
259
Location
Arizona
I only own 36 caliber bp revolvers. I am thinking of buying a 44. I have heard that the Italian revolvers use .454 ball and the Ruger old army uses a .457 ball. Is this correct? I would like to get a Ruger if I could find one.
 
I cast my own pure lead .457 balls for my Ruger Old Army. I also used them in my Uberti and Pietta revolvers that called for .454 balls. The .457 balls cut a bit larger ring when loaded. Not a big deal, and easier to have one size for both. Note: very important to use PURE lead balls. Projectiles made from wheel weights will be much harder, and usually require a separate press to force the alloy balls into a chamber.
 
Good choice in a first larger bore revolver. The Old Army was originally marketed as .44 caliber, but Ruger changed that, I think, in the late 90’s or early 2000’s. Whether the box calls it a .44 or .45 caliber, the manual has always specified a .457 round ball or .454 conical bullet of pure lead.
 
Dad traded me a stainless Old Army for my nickeled Old Army when I graduated from an apprenticeship program in 1977. I'd shot the prototype at Friendship a few years before and our club had ordered six from him. Took 18 months. I foolishly had mine nickeled thinking it would clean easier. Not. Would start to pit within three hours on a humid day.
Still have my stainless and Howells cylinder for 45 Colt. 185 button ball shoots to same poa as round ball. ,..457.
 
More resistant to corrosion, although, not 100%, but better than blue one. I had see ROA stainless with noticeable corrosion on hammer and inside hammer slot. The fact is nothing could replace throughout cleaning.
 
Onty said:
More resistant to corrosion, although, not 100%, but better than blue one. I had see ROA stainless with noticeable corrosion on hammer and inside hammer slot. The fact is nothing could replace throughout cleaning.
Click to expand...
I’ve seen them with corrosion on all surfaces. It’s not exactly stain proof! It’s stain less…
 
Onty said:
They are around, you shouldn't have problem finding a nice one. Unless you must have a blue, I suggest stainless:

https://www.gunbroker.com/Ruger-Old-Army/search?Keywords=Ruger Old Army
https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...vers/ruger-revolvers-percussion.c96_p1_o6.cfm
https://www.gunsamerica.com/s/ruger old army
More https://www.google.com/search?q=for...rome..69i57.8768j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Click to expand...
Yeah, a wee bit higher price than I can afford right now, maybe next year. In the meantime, this will suffice.
Vintage.jpg
 
Onty said:
More resistant to corrosion, although, not 100%, but better than blue one. I had see ROA stainless with noticeable corrosion on hammer and inside hammer slot. The fact is nothing could replace throughout cleaning.
Click to expand...
I think people buy stainless thinking that means maintenance free.
 
Onty said:
If I am in your shoes, I will go in all those pawn and gun shops in small towns. You will be surprised what you can find at affordable prices, a nice ROA also.
Click to expand...
Nothing wrong with the New Army. Replacement parts are a lot easier to find than for the ROA, but the ROA is a lot less likely to need them.
 
Agreed, they seem to clean up a little easier. On these blackpowder revolvers packing the innards with hi temp wheel bearing grease makes a big difference in clean up as well as an action shield, especially on the open tops.
 
C Younger said:
Nothing wrong with the New Army. Replacement parts are a lot easier to find than for the ROA, but the ROA is a lot less likely to need them.
Click to expand...
There is something IMHO more important than anything else:

bUDmttU.jpg

See the difference in frame thickness of top straps, and especially next to loading opening. They just can't compare.

Last, but not the least; protruding boss on Ruger Old Army cylinder. That feature allows shooting Ruger Old Army dozens and dozens of rounds without cleaning. Good luck shooting just one dozen from 1858 without pulling out cylinder and cleaning it.

FYI, I do have both, Ruger Old Army and Uberti 1858, 44 cal. and waiting for Pietta 1858 traget, stainless cal. 36. Don't get me wrong,1858-44 is a GOOD revolver, but I would use just straight black powder only, no substitutes. However, Ruger Old Army is much stronger and IMO better. As soon as I finish with reverse engineering of Uberti 1858-44. it will be for sale, several buyer are already in line. However, I will keep Pietta 1858-36.
 
Last edited:
That's an excellent observation on the cylinder boss. It does deflect powder fouling away from the cylinder pin. The 1858 cylinder pin can be modified with a shallow spiral groove and work almost as well as the Ruger. Barrel to cylinder gap also comes into play as well. It much easier to set on the Colt open tops to about .002. Unfortunately on the Remmie it requires a lot more work.
 
I like the stainless but prefer to shoot the blue. This is high and bright sunshine country and the blue produces less glare. I have the blue model that I fancied up with a brass super blackhawk grip frame.
 
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