Will Ruger ever make ROAs again.?

Status
Not open for further replies.
As I understand it Ruger dropped the ROA because it really wasn't making all that much profit for them but also because they got freaked out about the gun being converted easily to cartridge use.
Liability Lawyer crud strikes again.
True? I dunno. In these times who knows?
 
Pretty clear that Ruger doesnt intend to start making new ROA guns. If they did consider it then people would know by having been involved in market research of some sort.

The big question though, is how simple would it be to take a Blackhawk or vaquero and swap hammer and cylinder to use as a CB revolver. Get a .45 Colt gun for example and have a new cylinder made just short enough to fit standard nipples, and change out the hammer and firing pin setups to allow for a cap friendly ignition. Load off the gun proposal in its entirety but likely the only way we would ever see anything resembling a brand new Ruger CB revolver at any point in the future. Likely expensive and not feasible as a commercial venture, but for a hobby machinist it’s possible.
 
Texas Moon said:
As I understand it Ruger dropped the ROA because it really wasn't making all that much profit for them but also because they got freaked out about the gun being converted easily to cartridge use.
Liability Lawyer crud strikes again.
True? I dunno. In these times who knows?
Click to expand...
For Remington and Colt clones revolvers you can get conversion cylinder and other related parts,. with loading gate so you can load and unload revolver without removing cylinder from the frame. Something I will prefer. Not so with Ruger Old Army; there is no conversion with gate, and cylinder has to be removed and installed every time. In that respect, IMO, when compared with other BP revolvers, Ruger Old Army is not easiest to convert and use with cartridges

mages?q=tbn:ANd9GcSbCbd4hZ27SXgtvsEC_L267H4PBCLQfyAmIRPacmfLBjG-s84agAadgRf96Ao2hCW3ZS8&usqp=CAU.jpg

1851-Navy.png
 
45 Dragoon said:
Wow! That's a new one!! Converting a bp revolver into a cartridge gun . . . haven't they been doing that since the 1870's?!! It's not against the law for you to make your own firearm.

Mike
Click to expand...
I know some dummies talked like they thought it turned the Old Army into a Blackhawk and safe for "Ruger only" loads, even though the conversion cylinders are only rated for 1000fps. Don't know of anyone actually doing it and hurting themselves. There's always a lot of armchair legal pondering when it comes to Ruger.
 
Just checked cylinder on my 44 Magnum SBH: OD 1.730", (front side of cylinder) wall between chambers .115", outside wall .104"

Assuming that same cylinder is used for large NMBH 45 Colt, dimensions will be: OD 1.730", (front side of cylinder) wall between chambers .095", outside wall .094"

Ruger Old Army cylinder: OD 1.668", wall between chambers .072", outside wall .088"

So, there is no way that Ruger Old Army with conversion cylinder could be used for "Ruger only" loads.

Well, it could, but ONLY if conversion cylinder is made from same Carpenter's Custom 465 stainless steel Ruger use to make SRH 454 and 480 cylinders, see https://www.carpentertechnology.com/blog/most-powerful-revolvers-get-lift-from-aerospace-alloys .
 
Last edited:
Onty said:
Just checked cylinder on my 44 Magnum SBH: OD 1.730", (front side of cylinder) wall between chambers .115", outside wall .104"

Assuming that same cylinder is used for large NMBH 45 Colt, dimensions will be: OD 1.730", (front side of cylinder) wall between chambers .095", outside wall .094"

Ruger Old Army cylinder: OD 1.668", wall between chambers .072", outside wall .088"

So, there is no way that Ruger Old Army cylinder with conversion cylinder could be used for "Ruger only" loads.

Well, it could, but ONLY if conversion cylinder is made from same Carpenter's Custom 465 stainless steel Ruger use to make SRH 454 and 480 cylinders, see https://www.carpentertechnology.com/blog/most-powerful-revolvers-get-lift-from-aerospace-alloys .
Click to expand...

Big difference between Ruger onlys and 454 Casull. And, I just happen to be finishing up a gated conversion for the ROA. Could possibly be shooting it this weekend or next week.

Mike
 
I am a HUGE fan of the ROA, and have several variants and more than I need really, but I enjoy owning them, shooting them and calling them George.
That said, most folks will never have an interest in them and wouldn't be willing to pay half of what it would cost to produce.
I think the used market will support the demand for years and years to come.
 
Texas Moon said:
As I understand it Ruger dropped the ROA because it really wasn't making all that much profit for them but also because they got freaked out about the gun being converted easily to cartridge use.
Liability Lawyer crud strikes again.
True? I dunno. In these times who knows?
Click to expand...

Lots of 1858 remington conversion cylinders. They've been available for years and there is no problem that i know of.
 
Texas Moon said:
As I understand it Ruger dropped the ROA because it really wasn't making all that much profit for them but also because they got freaked out about the gun being converted easily to cartridge use.
Liability Lawyer crud strikes again.
True? I dunno. In these times who knows?
Click to expand...
If ruger was truly worried about people misusing their products, they would drop all of the semi auto’s. Hell, people can misuse any of their other firearms. They were dropped for lack of sales or poor profit margins.
 
Bill Ruger promised as long as he was alive he would make the Old Army. During his life he had
reservations about conversion cylinders and crazy things experimenters were doing. All this
centered on liability and risk of lawsuits. His Son, after the crash with flagging sales ended it.
Now, the ROA is the BP revolver Mike Bellivue recommends for defense using a BP revolver.
He refers to it as the swiss watch of Percussion Revolvers. Bill Ruger built it strong for tall loads.
Mike did a series of load tests for the ROA and some of his results exceed 9mm and 45ACP
performance ,bordering on Magnum performance. Definitely a defense handgun to be respected.
I have had ROAs over the years buying/selling and have noticed that the ROA is the consummate
item that ,after people have BP revolvers for years ,migrate to. Now someone mentioned that as
the older guys die we will see a flood of these come on market. Disagree. First Male heirs will
have first dibs and family friends will take many. These are Legacy items and will always be
prized. Especially with Bellivue stating that the ROA is the gun to have for home defense in
the BP Revolver genre ,the demand will outstrip supply for years to come. The market today
is supplied by estate guns and has been for years---but supply is short of demand. Will Ruger
re-Introduce the ROA? I doubt it. Especially if liability stays an issue. I do think that they would
license it to,say Uberti (OR?), to make a clone. Black powder guns are not going away. True, in
many jurisdictions there are some controls on them: but not many. Looking ahead to Europe
might give us a glimmer of our future,unfortunately, where long guns are available BUT
hand guns are severely limited. But in many Countries you can have a black powder hand gun.
 
bannockburn said:
robhof

Where did you get the grips for your ROAs? Especially the pair on the left!
Click to expand...
Ebay finds the left is Zebra wood, they were for the Blackhawk, but fit just fine with some minor work. I see I had already answered this awhile back...
 
Last edited:
Bibbyman said:
Why would anyone need to get any approval from Ruger to make a clone? (Unless they wanted to use the Ruger branding.) The Ruger Old Army is already a mutt cross bread of historical designs.
Click to expand...
Exactly. It's not like the ROA is anything special from a design standpoint.
 
Oh contraire!!! The ROA is a masterful adaptation of a 3 screw Blackhawk into a premium cap and ball revolver!! Taking cues from the better makes from yesteryear, Bill Ruger turned the Blackhawk into the finest "out of the box" cap gun ever!!
There's a market for them and it's up to Ruger to see if it's worth satisfying.

Mikr
 
351 WINCHESTER said:
They would be making them right now if they thought they would sell.
Click to expand...
If they thought they would sell at the margins they want to make...

There’s definitely a market.
If Ruger had had a functional crystal ball they’d have ramped up production a year and a half ago and been selling them like hot cakes..
 
You might be able to make a clone without the Ruger endorsement,but
if Ruger would get involved,even just with indicia,it would help sales.
Whatever happened to that project to make a smokeless cylinder from Howell
for the ROA? Mind you I'm not chomping at the bit for one. But it was this
project that was all the talk. I know one was made in Europe or England.
The cylinder is pared down internally and thicker to take higher pressures.
Was it ever made? Just wondering? And on another point, did Belt Mountain
ever get back to making the quick change cylinder latch for ROA again?
 
Last edited:
WestKentucky said:
Pretty clear that Ruger doesnt intend to start making new ROA guns. If they did consider it then people would know by having been involved in market research of some sort.

The big question though, is how simple would it be to take a Blackhawk or vaquero and swap hammer and cylinder to use as a CB revolver. Get a .45 Colt gun for example and have a new cylinder made just short enough to fit standard nipples, and change out the hammer and firing pin setups to allow for a cap friendly ignition. Load off the gun proposal in its entirety but likely the only way we would ever see anything resembling a brand new Ruger CB revolver at any point in the future. Likely expensive and not feasible as a commercial venture, but for a hobby machinist it’s possible.
Click to expand...

Your on there. Swell plan.

I imagine a BH could be converted. Would be nice if an outfit started?
 
BEEMAX said:
Whatever happened to that project to make a smokeless cylinder from Howell
for the ROA? Mind you I'm not chomping at the bit for one. But it was this
project that was all the talk. I know one was made in Europe or England.
The cylinder is pared down internally and thicker to take higher pressures.
Was it ever made? Just wondering?
Click to expand...

I started topic Any interest for smokeless powder cylinder with 209 primers for Ruger Old Army? https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...r-with-209-primers-for-ruger-old-army.873826/ . They need at least 50 potential buyers to start production. Unfortunately, interest was low.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

A
  • Locked
Explain the ROA to me.
Replies
20
Views
1K
John C
J
T
  • Locked
Why did Ruger make the Old Army a .457 ball and not .454?
Replies
13
Views
2K
jaxenro
J
S
  • Locked
ROA
Replies
7
Views
925
Grey Wolf
G
O
  • Locked
ROA Base Pin Latch problem
Replies
3
Views
457
ottsm
O
A
  • Locked
ROA bullet starter
Replies
3
Views
459
AbitNutz
A
Back
Top