Why Was the Ruger Old Army Discontinued?

Status
Not open for further replies.
"That's a revolver I really like, the finest percussion revolver ever made, and we'll never discontinue that revolver--not if I can help it."

The Ruger Old Army died with William Ruger Sr.
Click to expand...

You won't find a bigger fan of Ruger firearms than me, but Bill Ruger wasn't god. He built some good guns, of which I currently own 9, with plans for at least one more for sure, and who knows how many more by happenstance.

That he had the power to keep the ROA on the line doesn't mean he should have, to put it another way.

Also, despite my respect for what he did, By the time Bill Ruger died, Ruger had sort of turned into a stodgy old company. They still made good guns, but I think we can all agree that "innovation" wasn't exactly a buzzword at Ruger. I hope the new management keeps the key elements of Rugers ideals, but I also hope that they continue to roll out new products that actually get people excited.
 
I read on another thread that used Ruger Old Army's are selling in the range of $200 - $300. I can't find a used one anywhere here....heck I can't even find a new one in the state of GA. Where are these $200 - $300 Rugers?
 
Look, the reason that the in-line is popular is because a lot of hunters -- the vast majority of hunters using them -- figured that they could get another season and another tag without actually having to become proficient with a primitive firearm. They are not muzzleloading fans; if anything, they consider BP to be nothing but a PITA and wouldn't ever shoot a BP gun other than to sight it in for muzzleloder season -- see some threads here.

Want evidence? Muzzleloader season, even in some good hunting spots, once had few hunters. The in-line changed that. Sure, there are some guys who have sidelocks also and hunt with in-lines, but the vast majority of in-line sales have more to do with the people who never hunted with a muzzleloader before and have no interest in muzzleloading in general, hunting with historic gun designs, or anything like that.

Now you can think whatever you want about in-lines, in-line hunters, slob hunters, hardcore buckskinners, etc. but that's not the point. The point is that the bulk of sales in the in-line market are driven by the following promise: "Hey Elmer Fudd, you can hunt a whole extra season with a gun that shoots pretty much just like your trusty old centerfire! Just buy one of these!" And nobody uses them for target shooting or plinking, at least not that I've ever seen.

Now what about the ROA? Why would anyone without a real interest in cap-n-ball revolvers buy one? There's no special hunting season for cap-n-ball, at least anywhere I know about. Our F&G laws require single-shots.

Are there BP target competitions? Sure. Are there BP competitions that appeal to people who don't really want to shoot BP? No.

So, as I see it, the ROA market is limited to those with an intrinsic interest in shooting BP revolvers. Within that market, it's limited to those whose purchase is driven purely by the performance of the gun, as opposed to playing with historic gun designs and experiencing a bit of the past. And frankly, that market is pretty limited.

People buy replicas to shoot out of curiosity, and for reenactments, rec room decorating, etc., in addition to just wanting one to shoot like a S&W 686 or something. That's not true of ROA's. Only someone who has a very specific interest in shooting an accurate BP revolver would spring for one -- probably not just an occasional BP plinker or someone who takes his kids or buddies out to shoot BP once a year.

Sales of something like the ROA are not driven by the question, "Will somebody, somewhere, buy this thing?" They're driven by, "Will a bunch of people buy these things on a regular basis?"

The USFA can probably get by on "Will somebody buy this thing?" The answer will be "Yes!" That's one reason it's not cheap.
 
Armedbear, you covered the subject well except for one thing, the one shot one kill group. My hunting experience is mainly with the muzzleloader and it has fostered in me the practice of never taking a "hail Mary" shot. I've hunted with those that thought that you shoot first to wound and slow down the prey and then you quickly shoot to finish it off. I've never been able to wrap my brain around that kind of hunting and muzzleloading has only reinforced my skills when I've got one in the chamber and two in the tube. I'd sooner burn my tag. At deer camp we've taken to nailing unused deertags to the wall of the cabin and it's become a wall of pride.
My post is not meant to do anything other than to state a matter of pride in our muzzleloading brotherhood even thought I get really bored when the conversation turns to 150gr. magnum sabot shooting 209 sparking synthetic stocked inlines.
 
ArmedBear, perhaps I am an exception to the rule, but I purchased an in-line Knight rifle for the purpose of target practice in the 1990s. It served me well in that capacity. In 1995, a friend who owned a Ruger Mini-14 challenged me to a shooting match at 100 yards. He believed his gun would easily defeat my Knight rifle. He was wrong. I beat him with every shot. Now, most people who own in-line rifles may purchase them for hunting, but I am sure some people own them for target shooting also. Their accuracy makes them well suited for that task.


Timthinker
 
Tim, people do all sorts of things. But if they had to rely on you and both other people who bought one of the things for target shooting, Knight would be out of business.:) (Probably ditto for hunters who choose to use an inline where a centerfire rifle is legal.)

That's what I was saying when I wrote:
Sales of something like the ROA are not driven by the question, "Will somebody, somewhere, buy this thing?" They're driven by, "Will a bunch of people buy these things on a regular basis?"
Click to expand...
 
ArmedBear, I do not doubt that the in-lines were marketed primarily for hunters, but they do make great target rifles for those interested in BP shooting. Indeed, the accuracy claims of Knight and other in-line manufacturers brought me back to the world of BP shooting after some negative experiences with "cheap" BP firearms some years earlier. Are my experiences with BP firearms typical of others involved with this sport? Perhaps not, but I hope presenting my views on a forum such as this encourages others to think seriously about BP shooting. At the very least, I hope to provide food for thought.


Timthinker
 
Tim,

You are far from alone. I've owned several MLs (including several inlines) and spent many an hour at the range target shooting with them. I've never been hunting and hunting was no part of my decision to buy a muzzle loader, inline or otherwise.
 
Let's not forget one of the biggest differences between shooting all ML's whether they be sidelocks or inlines and cartridge guns. Muzzleloaders load and experiment at the range and use that knowledge to hunt. Cartridge gun people either buy or build their loads and then go to the range or to the hunt.
 
I ran into three inline muzzleloaders last fall, just before hunting season, at my gun club, that did not know a damned thing about BP, or guns. I fired off my Remington and one of them came over to me and said, "How'd you make it fire more than once?"
 
Last edited:
No one has really mentioned just how popular the Ruger OA is in some of the European countries.
Maybe their markets have just about reached their saturation point too.
 
Well, I guess you've gotta figure that they've been in constant production for 35 years, so there's more than a few of them out there. Granted, I assume a lot of them have fallen by the wayside, for one reason or other. However, I'd bet the good majority are still more than serviceable. It was a pistol built to last.
 
Muzzleloaders load and experiment at the range and use that knowledge to hunt. Cartridge gun people either buy or build their loads and then go to the range or to the hunt.
Click to expand...

Huh?

Handloaders I know have extremely in-depth knowledge of their loads, and experiment a lot. They may divide their fumbling between the range and the reloading bench at home, rather than doing all the fumbling at the range, but I really don't understand what you're saying at all. Ever met any BPCR guys? Serious varmint hunters? If they use muzzleloaders, they tend to understand them very well, too, and there's much to learn from these guys.

Most of the in-line guys seem to want to just drop in a few pellets and get on with things. It's hardly true that everyone who uses a ramrod has a lot of knowledge.

It all depends on what someone wants to do, either way.
 
No one has really mentioned just how popular the Ruger OA is in some of the European countries.
Maybe their markets have just about reached their saturation point too.
Click to expand...

Well here in France, although it is a Black Powder weapon it is not a reproduction of an 'OLD' BP weapon so instead of being freely available to buy without any paperwork it is classed as a category 4 arm that requires your club, the local prefecture and the police to agree that you can have one! Cat 4 =lots of paper and jumping through hoops = not many people bother to buy one. They have not been available 'off the shelf' for a long time. :fire:
 
Muzzleloaders load and experiment at the range ... Cartridge gun people either buy or build their loads and then go to the range or ....
Click to expand...

Dunno about that. I've known people who consdered a fine range day to be:

30-06 rifle.
100-pack of primers
handfull of bullets
pound of powder
Lee loader
a few loaded cartridges or cases from the last time you went shooting
optionally: small balance scale

Set up a target, set up your bench, and from then it's prime, measure, seat, fire, make your notes... knock out the primer and hammer in a new one, measure powder, seat a bullet, fire, make your notes... keep that up until you run out of time or materials.

Not sure where that gets us regarding the ROA though. :)
 
Pancho,

It's actually not that much stuff. The lee loader, in its case, is about the size of a paperback book. You need a small hammer and a log, bench, or similar for pounding but that's not a big deal. Primers are no harder to carry than caps and the bullets are actually smaller/lighter. Powder is powder. A few cases aren't a burden either. You could carry everything to load and fire 250 shots in what would be a fairly small possibles bag.
 
ROA

Well with all this discussion on Old Army's, I have to ask, does anyone have one for sale?

Looking for a 5.5" barrel, stainless steel, fixed sights.

tnx

Blue Mesa
 
Tooling?

The ROA has the same lockwork as the pre transfer bar Blackhawk. I had heard that when the transfer bar came out the tooling for the old Blackhawk was used for the ROA. At some point that tooling would wear out. Perhaps we have reached that point and the current sales don't justify new tooling? That and Rugers don't wear out.
 
I think they have just been declared honorary tactical nuclear weapons under DC law.:eek:

After all, anything holding as many as SIX shots has to be a weapon of mass destruction.:neener:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

T
  • Locked
What BP Revolver Is Most Like the Ruger Old Army?
Replies
23
Views
2K
GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL
G
L
  • Locked
Why did Ruger discontinue the Old Army?
2 3
Replies
63
Views
7K
CharlesK80
C
straight-shooter
  • Locked
Ruger Old Army Discontinued ?
2 3
Replies
59
Views
5K
Shawnee
S
T
  • Locked
Will the USFA 1858 Remington Die in Infancy?
2
Replies
48
Views
3K
Perk
P
G
  • Locked
Ruger Old Army Cylinders
Replies
3
Views
654
4v50 Gary
4v50 Gary
Back
Top