ROA Screw Question

[Tequila Shooter]

Sorry if this has been asked and answered before but I couldn’t find it in a search.

I recently bought a pair of Ruger Old Armies with the short barrel and I love them.  My only issue is that I want to load the cylinders off the gun but the screw lock makes it a PIA.  I’m pretty sure someone smarter than me out there has come out with a fix so you don’t have to use a screwdriver to turn the screw.  Maybe a replacement with a knurled piece?

Thanks in advance

[Warden Callaway]

Over on The High Road black powder forum is a topic on the Ruger Old Army that runs for hundreds of pages.  Lots of interesting stuff if you're interested.  The first page shows a conversion to a simple cylinder pin and a latch bolt with a wing nut.

 

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/the-ruger-old-army-club.538088/

 

[Yul Lose]

Belt Mountain makes a great ROA quick disconnect cylinder pin, no screws or thumbscrews needed.

 

[Yul Lose]

Here’s a picture of the gun with the cylinder removed. The Belt Mountain pin has a notch cut into it that the pin protruding from the knurled knob fits into to lock the pin in place. It works pretty slick. They are very easy to install and Belt Mountain gets them right out to you.

[Sgt. Hochbauer, SASS #64409]

I have found that a dime works real well to open the screw. Do you have more than one cylinder for the guns or will you be using conversion cylinders? If not  you can make or buy  a simple stand to use to reload the guns also this is a great tool to have for loading . If you would like a pic of the stand that I have feel free to message me and I can send a picture of it. Dont have one on my computer.

 

Hochbauer

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

Do your ROAs still have the loading levers on them?  In other words what do you mean by Ruger Old Armies with the short barrel?

 

[Warden Callaway]

I have a couple of SST that I've not shot yet.

 

And I recently got a this blue one with adjustable sights that I've been shooting.  The latch bolt on it turns with no effort.  I'm afraid it could turn to the release position and the base pin could slide forward when I load.  This,  they say is the major cause of bending the base pin.  It's got a 7-1/2" barrel so I load on the gun. 

 

[Tequila Shooter]

13 minutes ago, Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 said:

Do your ROAs still have the loading levers on them?  In other words what do you mean by Ruger Old Armies with the short barrel?

 

 

Yes they still have the loading levers.  I thought the ROAs were made in 2 models a long and short barrel version, of course I could be wrong.  The cylinder pin slides enough to release the cylinder, but if you want to remove the pin from the frame you have to take off the loading lever latch. 

[Tequila Shooter]

1 hour ago, Sgt. Hochbauer, SASS #64409 said:

I have found that a dime works real well to open the screw. Do you have more than one cylinder for the guns or will you be using conversion cylinders? If not  you can make or buy  a simple stand to use to reload the guns also this is a great tool to have for loading . If you would like a pic of the stand that I have feel free to message me and I can send a picture of it. Dont have one on my computer.

 

Hochbauer

 

I only have one cylinder for each, and no conversion cylinders.  When I load on the gun I just hold it, so far it hasn’t been an issue.  The only thing that I’ve done (twice) is pinch my index finger, of course in the same spot.   I get my balls from @Springfield Slim SASS #24733 and he must use very good lead because they are nice and soft so I don’t need extensions on the loading levers. 

[Tequila Shooter]

1 hour ago, Yul Lose said:

Here’s a picture of the gun with the cylinder removed. The Belt Mountain pin has a notch cut into it that the pin protruding from the knurled knob fits into to lock the pin in place. It works pretty slick. They are very easy to install and Belt Mountain gets them right out to you.

 

That’s a really neat set up.  What is the finish on your gun? 

[Yul Lose]

Just now, Tequila Shooter said:

 

That’s a really neat set up.  What is the finish on your gun? 

It’s a Snake Oil George bead blast finish. If you’re going to charge your cylinders off of the guns those Belt Mtn. pins really work nice. You don’t have to fool with the screw at all.

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

You are correct.  The factory models only came in 7 1/2 and 5 1/2 inch models.  But several of the photos in this thread show shorter barrel custom models.  I have built several with barrels less than 5 inches so we needed to know what you have as a starting point for suggestions. First as noted above IF you are loading with the cylinder in the gun you do have to be careful to make sure the base pin lock is engaged.  If it is not and the base pin partially comes out of the frame you can bend it.  The notch where the base pin lock engages makes the base pin very thin at that pont.  Note in top photo there is a ball started and the base pin has come partially out of the frame.  This is the bending point.

 

 

 

 

This photo shows an aftermarket base pin release if you no longer have a loading lever.

 

 

On the 7 1/2" models the base pin latch is brazed to the barrel.  But the barrel is long enough that the loading lever and  base pin can still be removed from the gun.  In order to be able to remove the base pin on the 5 1/2" models the loading lever latch is screwed to the barrel (yellow arrow) and you remove the latch to remove the loading lever and base pin.

 

 

IF you are loading the cylinder OUT of the gun with a 5 1/2" model the solution is simple.  Leave off the rammer plunger (purple arrow) and leave the base pin lock UNLOCKED.  When you get ready to remove the cylinder just lower the loading lever and pull it forward.  The latch on the end of the barrel will keep everything from falling out.  Load the cylinder and put it back in the gun push the base pin into place and raise the loading lever.  The lever will hold the base pin in place.

[Tequila Shooter]

@Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 I do have the 5 ½ incher.  I’m following you on the leaving the screw in the unlocked position, I wouldn’t have thought to do that, but is there a reason to take the plunger off the gun?  Is it just for convenience since it’ll be loaded off the gun?  But I do like @Yul Lose’s solution, looks to be neat and clean. 

Now let’s talk about that hammer. 

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

The plunger just sits on the loading lever.  When you pull the base pin forward it can fall off and get lost or is a PITA to make sure it re-engages its hole in the frame every time you reload.