Howdy
I won this Old Army at an auction at my club a couple of years ago.
It came with a box of .457 diameter balls, which were considered standard for this model.
Here are a couple of targets fired at two different ranges with the Ruger as a C&B revolver. I think the 25 foot target is better simply because I was holding better, not because the revolver was more accurate at that distance. Also, the target on the right was shot two handed from a rest. Not sure about the 15 foot target, this was a few years ago.
I contacted the folks at Howell Arms and had them make up a 45 Colt conversion cylinder for it. The conversion cylinder is on the left in this photo.
The conversion cylinder is on the left in this photo.
Notice both 45 Colt ammo as well as 45 Schofield ammo, with the slightly larger rims, fit into the conversion cylinder.
Ken Howell is actually retired now, and a couple of nice folks are running the company for him. When I called to order the conversion cylinder, they asked for a measurement. I forget at this point exactly what they wanted me to measure, probably the length of the C&B cylinder. They made the conversion cylinder to the same length.
Anyway, in answer to the question, I load my Black Powder 45 Colt cartridges with .452 diameter Big Lube bullets. I do not recall if I slugged the bore of the Old Army or not. I cannot imagine I didn't, but if I did I don't recall what the groove diameter is. Anyway, I always load all my Black Powder 45 Colt cartridges with .452 bullets, and they worked just fine in the Old Army.
Just for the fun of it, here is the Old Army with five of my 45 Colt rounds as well as five of my 45 Schofield rounds. It was a few years ago, but I think I only fired the revolver with the 45 Colt rounds, not the Schofield rounds.
HOWEVER......... When shooting my Black Powder 45 Colt rounds out of the conversion cylinder, the cylinder tended to bind. This is not because of the BP fouling, I decided the fired rounds were slapping back against the cylinder cap and forcing the cylinder open just a couple of thousandths. I believe this is what was causing the cylinder to bind. In the future I will have a machinist friend shave just a teeny amount off the cylinder bushing, probably only about .002 or so. This should open the Barrel/Cylinder gap up about an extra .002, allowing the cylinder cap to open up ever so slightly and prevent binding.
Have not gotten around to doing it yet, if I ever do I will report the results here.