Ruger Old Army
- Thread starter Dstarver
- Start date
Yeah, I don't have 'any' safe queens at this point (except this one hasn't been shot yet). I believe most all guns should be shot as that is what they were designed for. However, in this case, my wife let me buy this one thinking of it as an investment as I already have a blued 7 1/2" sighted Old Army as my shooter.
Quite a nice collection some of you guys have
!
Quite a nice collection some of you guys have
!Bill Akins
New member
That fixed sighted Ruger that RClark posted, is a thing of beauty. I've been wanting one of those for awhile. I looked into them a while back and they were over $650.00 then. Not sure what they go for most currently.
I was weighing that stainless Ruger against the fixed sighted Remy in stainless.
Remy has leaf springs throughout. Ruger has less prone to breakage coil springs.
Remy is all Remy design. Ruger uses a Colt style grip frame and trigger guard, as well as a Whitney/Spiller & Burr/Rogers & Spencer style loading lever, Ruger has better cut outs around the nipples ala Rogers & Spencer, than the Remy has. Instead of flats on barrel, Ruger uses round barrel like an 1873 Colt. And of course it's obvious that the Ruger uses largely the overall Remy main receiver design, but with a gentle slope to the receiver to barrel area instead of the scooped out step down that the Remy uses. Still, very similar.
Ruger took all the good points of various percussion revolver designs and incorporated them into one revolver. No doubt it is the very best black powder revolver ever made. Non historical of course (for those whom that matters to).
It isn't the same thing of course, but my (no play at all fluted conversion cylinder) Uberti Remington is a close second and was probably 2/3rd's cheaper. And it ain't bad. For those wanting something as close as they can get to that fixed sighted, 5 & 1/2 inch barrel Ruger, but for less expense, this has to be it.
Easy to compare them in one picture together.
But if I ever find one of those stainless fixed sighted 5&1/2 inch barrel Rugers at a good price I'd jump on it for sure. Not only is it the best black powder revolver ever built, that particular model of RClark's, is in my opinion one of the most beautiful ever made too.
.
I was weighing that stainless Ruger against the fixed sighted Remy in stainless.
Remy has leaf springs throughout. Ruger has less prone to breakage coil springs.
Remy is all Remy design. Ruger uses a Colt style grip frame and trigger guard, as well as a Whitney/Spiller & Burr/Rogers & Spencer style loading lever, Ruger has better cut outs around the nipples ala Rogers & Spencer, than the Remy has. Instead of flats on barrel, Ruger uses round barrel like an 1873 Colt. And of course it's obvious that the Ruger uses largely the overall Remy main receiver design, but with a gentle slope to the receiver to barrel area instead of the scooped out step down that the Remy uses. Still, very similar.
Ruger took all the good points of various percussion revolver designs and incorporated them into one revolver. No doubt it is the very best black powder revolver ever made. Non historical of course (for those whom that matters to).
It isn't the same thing of course, but my (no play at all fluted conversion cylinder) Uberti Remington is a close second and was probably 2/3rd's cheaper. And it ain't bad. For those wanting something as close as they can get to that fixed sighted, 5 & 1/2 inch barrel Ruger, but for less expense, this has to be it.
Easy to compare them in one picture together.
But if I ever find one of those stainless fixed sighted 5&1/2 inch barrel Rugers at a good price I'd jump on it for sure. Not only is it the best black powder revolver ever built, that particular model of RClark's, is in my opinion one of the most beautiful ever made too.
.
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MattShlock
New member
Good, yes. LOL
My stainless, outta the box first time at range...
One hole with five rounds at 15 yards. You could not KNOCK the smile off my surprised face!
My stainless, outta the box first time at range...
One hole with five rounds at 15 yards. You could not KNOCK the smile off my surprised face!
North East Redneck
New member
Wap41, certainly you meant steel framed not brass
, I have a SS adjustable sight, like it, it has faux bone grips. Need to find a set of wood grips for it. But I really want to find a 5 1/2 fixed sight SS for a decent price. And that will not be easy......
, I have a SS adjustable sight, like it, it has faux bone grips. Need to find a set of wood grips for it. But I really want to find a 5 1/2 fixed sight SS for a decent price. And that will not be easy......
)
North East Redneck
Yes as hawg said I meant brass grip frame,the grips are longer and fit my hand better.Also I really like the flat top front sight models but they are really tought to find,they made less than 800 of them in the first year of production.A 5.5" adjustable sight like phil's photo is one I like to find in S.S.
Yes as hawg said I meant brass grip frame,the grips are longer and fit my hand better.Also I really like the flat top front sight models but they are really tought to find,they made less than 800 of them in the first year of production.A 5.5" adjustable sight like phil's photo is one I like to find in S.S.
Gottcha! That's cool. Makes more since! Pre-production? I see Ruger started manufacturing them in 1972 from the product history anyway .
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I do believe it was 1972 when I bought it. I forget. I do remember they had
Just came out. I was shooting lots of competition at the time and I was not
Happy with the 2-3 inch groups at 25 yds. I wanted them in one hole. I put a
45-70 barrel with a 1 in 22 twist and reamed the chambers to .465. Used a
.465 ball from a Lee mold. Finally got a load that would put them in one hole
At 25 yds. It was 40 grs of Hodgdon FFF black powder. This was made by
Curtis & Harvey from Scotland . Still have several pounds. I was young back
Then and could handle it. Still hold the record at our local club of a 99 shot
at 35 yds. We were the only club in the country with a 35 yd range. I can't
Shoot the old gun anymore, can't hold it out. Getting too old.
Just came out. I was shooting lots of competition at the time and I was not
Happy with the 2-3 inch groups at 25 yds. I wanted them in one hole. I put a
45-70 barrel with a 1 in 22 twist and reamed the chambers to .465. Used a
.465 ball from a Lee mold. Finally got a load that would put them in one hole
At 25 yds. It was 40 grs of Hodgdon FFF black powder. This was made by
Curtis & Harvey from Scotland . Still have several pounds. I was young back
Then and could handle it. Still hold the record at our local club of a 99 shot
at 35 yds. We were the only club in the country with a 35 yd range. I can't
Shoot the old gun anymore, can't hold it out. Getting too old.
ROA SS Rusting
The Ruger was like that when I bought it. I don't know why it was pitted as bad as it was. I sometimes think it may have been part of Katrina damage since I picked it up in Slidel Louisiana. I cam with a leather Holster calvary type with Ruger stamped on it. Maybe some on shoot it and just stuck it back in the holster an several years went by. But it was a mess I cleaned it and oiled it down well. All the insides looked fine after they were cleaned. I will say this the Gun has a lot of history i wish i knew.
The Ruger was like that when I bought it. I don't know why it was pitted as bad as it was. I sometimes think it may have been part of Katrina damage since I picked it up in Slidel Louisiana. I cam with a leather Holster calvary type with Ruger stamped on it. Maybe some on shoot it and just stuck it back in the holster an several years went by. But it was a mess I cleaned it and oiled it down well. All the insides looked fine after they were cleaned. I will say this the Gun has a lot of history i wish i knew.
Ruger says, you can dry fire the Old Army without damaging it...but I suggest not dry firing it --- a least not the stainless steel ones. If you do...make sure you wear eye protection. I've cracked and broken off the near top thumb cocking tips of two Old Army stainless steel hammer's, while dry firing. They come flying off rearward at quite a speed, that it could take someone's eye out.
If you take a look at the inside cracked part of the hammer...you can tell that Ruger used some kind of inferior soft steel for the hammer. Ruger discounted my claim of inferior soft steel.
About a year later from my complaint...Ruger discontinued manufacture of the pistol.
My ROA likes 17 grains of Triple 7, triple F powder {water cleanup}, .457 round ball, Cream of Wheat filler, and a mixture of: 1/3 beeswax/2/3 Butter Crisco for the chamber sealer.
If you take a look at the inside cracked part of the hammer...you can tell that Ruger used some kind of inferior soft steel for the hammer. Ruger discounted my claim of inferior soft steel.
About a year later from my complaint...Ruger discontinued manufacture of the pistol.
My ROA likes 17 grains of Triple 7, triple F powder {water cleanup}, .457 round ball, Cream of Wheat filler, and a mixture of: 1/3 beeswax/2/3 Butter Crisco for the chamber sealer.
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