ROA disassembly
ROA -
Please go to Brownells and look at the screwdiver bit sets intended for Ruger single actions. They are not expensive and save heartache. The blades are properly ground to not bugger the screws you will need to remove in order to dismount the grip frame and are a welcome part of your kit.
Essentially, the procedure is a simple one -
- Begin by dismounting the cylinder and loading lever-pin assembly from the gun.
- Remove the screw from the grip and remove the grips.
- Remove the mainspring and strut - you do this by cocking the hammer and inserting a pin of some sort in the hole where the strut protrudes through the boss. Anything will do, but I use a drill bit or an Allen key. Once the pin is in place, gently de-cock the gun and the strut-pin-boss can be wiggled out.
- Next, if you have a vise, pad the jaws and clamp the gun snugly, but not terribly tight - if you don't have a vise, pad the top of a sturdy table surface with toweling so you can snugly bed your off hand to solidly grip and brace the gun.
- Remove the five screws beginning by loosening the single screw in the tang forward of the triggerguard. Two straddle the rear of the trigger guard and the other two straddle the hammer at the to back of the grip frame.
I suggest you loosen all the screws without removing them until the grip frame can be freed but not removed. Then you can remove all the screws taking care to not apply any bending to the forward tang of the frame retained by the single screw. The grip frame will come away from the main frame without event.
Likely, no other parts are going to join the grip frame in coming away from the main frame, but the toweling will assure that you see them should that happen.
While you have the grip frame away from the main frame, you may want to finish disassembling the gun in order to clean it all well. A good soak in a solvent-protectant such as Butch's or other gentle nitro solvent which leaves a rust inhibiting residue is a good first. If you have some smallbore brushes and some toothpicks, you'll be able to dislodge any tenacious matter that shouldn't be there. Give a final rinse in the solvent-protectant, wipe out well with swabs in the cavities, and let drain. Wipe again and you're done.
While you're at it, give the base pin a good scrub with steel wool and solvent and run a brush with solvent through the cylinder axis. You may want to replace the nipples while you're at it.
I recommend you replace the original Rugers with one of the good steel after-market items, or better yet with Treso or better beryllium copper alloy nipples designed for better durability, ignition, and consistency of handling caps. You may spend $20 - $30 for the replacement, but you will enjoy a nice return for your money. Be sure to use one of the low torque threadlocking coats as they also insure against thread seizure.
Re-assembly is a reverse of the procedure. Just don't take that pin out of the spring strut.
Ruger's site offers a very good exploded drawing of the Old Army and assembly of the gun is quite intuitive.
There are some other nuances of improvement that can be done at this stage of service that will also please you and do not require money, only some thoughtful application of your time. Should you have the time, send me a private message with email contact and I will be glad to provide any further help I can.
Regards,
Curly Wisent
