Question About Ruger Old Army

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Howdy

 

I was not looking for one, but I just acquired a Stainless Old Army.

 

Yes I know the grips are not SASS legal, I will be changing those out for some standard ones when I find some.

 

 

 

 

 

The question is, with its adjustable rear sight, what categories can I shoot it in?

 

No, I am not going to weld it up and get rid of the adjustable sight.

 

Normally, I shoot Frontier Cartridge Duelist, but I suspect the adjustable rear sight will rule that out.

 

I am 72 years old. I suspect I can shoot the Old Army in one of the age based categories?

 

I may leave it as a Cap & Ball revolver, or I may look into a cartridge conversion cylinder for it. I already have cartridge conversion cylinders in a pair of 1858 Remingtons.

 

Boy howdy, this thing is much heavier than a Remington.

 

Thanks.

 

 

[Chief Rick]

Any age-based category.

 

Also could shoot in B-Western with other costuming requirements being met.

[Sedalia Dave]

Legal to use in all age based categories plus B-Western

 

Will not be legal for Frontiersman, any Duelist categories, any Gunfighter categories, Classic Cowboy/Cowgirl, or any of the Frontier Cartridge Categories.

 

 

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Thanks

 

So I can shoot it with a cartridge conversion cylinder with cartridges loaded with Black Powder in an age based category?

 

Along with my Remingtons with their conversion cylinders and cartridges loaded with Black Powder?

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

5 hours ago, Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 said:

Thanks

 

So I can shoot it with a cartridge conversion cylinder with cartridges loaded with Black Powder in an age based category?

 

Along with my Remingtons with their conversion cylinders and cartridges loaded with Black Powder?

 

Yes,

Black Powder (cartridge or percussion) is allowed in ALL age-based categories..

 

Edited December 6, 2022 by PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L
edit txt

[Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329]

Driftwood:

I shoot mine in silver senior.

One-handed (so far) with either percussion or conversion cylinders. 

BP in my rifle & shotgun too!

Next year, I'll be an Elder Statesman.

I've not been "competitive" for a few years now, so I just sign up for my aged-based category, and shoot my familiar fixed sight Frontiersman or FCD guns, or these adjustable sight ROAs.

I have just as much fun as I always have.

--Dawg 

Edited December 6, 2022 by Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

They are quite accurate and would perform well in a long range side match.

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Just posted on the Ruger Forum, looking for replacement grips. The Ruger website says they do not carry any parts for the Old Army.

 

I have found a few websites that claim they have grips for the Old Army, but I am not sure. The grip frame is marked KXR-3. Just like that. No RED or anything else.

 

Anybody have after market grips for an Old Army? All I want is plain, non-checkered walnut. Grips seem to be running around $75 -$100 so I want to be sure they will fit before I order.

 

The nipples came out nicely, they are not frozen in place, and the bore is shiny, no pits or rust or anything.

 

The Pedersoli nipple wrench I used does not fit the nipples correctly, I don't want to risk rounding the flats over. Anybody know where I can get a correct nipple wrench for an Old Army?

 

Hey Prairie Dawg: What type of conversion cylinder are you using? I have the R&D/Taylors 6 shot 45 Colt conversion cylinders for my 1858 Remingtons and I like them a lot. I would go with the same Taylors conversion cylinder for the Old Army, but it is slightly fussier to get the cylinder out than with a Remington. With a Remington, there are no loose parts when removing the cylinder, everything stays on the gun. With the Old Army, the ram assembly has to be completely removed from the frame, it could be easy to drop the loose parts. Maybe with practice I will get better at it.

 

One other thing. I think this may be a pretty early one. Serial Number is 27XX. That's it, just four digits. I have not found a reference in any of my Ruger books to a Serial number like that, and when I plugged the number into the Serial Number Lookup on the Ruger site it came back unable to locate this serial number.

 

Anybody have an idea how old it is?

 

Thanks.

[B.P.Gunns SASS#23578]

Howdy Driftwood.

I could be wrong but I think grips from an old model Vaquero might fit an old army?

 

B.P.

[Painted Mohawk SASS 77785]

9 minutes ago, B.P.Gunns SASS#23578 said:

Howdy Driftwood.

I could be wrong but I think grips from an old model Vaquero might fit an old army?

 

B.P.

Yep OMV grips fit, I'm always swapping between the two.

[Yusta B.]

^^^ What these 2 fellers said.     

[Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329]

Any grip for the XR3-RED gripframe will fit an old army.
I have bought many Old Model Vaquero grips over the years

--Dawg

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Thanks boys.

 

I have a couple of 'original model' Vaqueros in the safe and will see if the grips fit.

 

I was also advised to forget about the original nipple wrench that came with these revolvers and use a nut driver.

 

Interestingly enough, it turns out that the Stainless Old Army revolvers had a satin finish. I did not know that. It looks like an earlier owner may have put the shiny finish on this one.

 

Somebody also told me my Old Army was probably made about 1975 or 1976.

[Cusz M. Dutch SASS Life 55326]

Not sure if you are into handgun hunting. but you can stuff enough H777 into that thing to make it buck and roar like a Magnum.  Taken two does at about 25 yards with mine,

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Yup, 'original model' Vaquero grips fit just fine.

 

Now I will have to find another set so I can put this set back on my Vaquero.

 

 

[Three Foot Johnson]

In the days of Modern category, I would occasionally shoot a pair of adj sight ROA's, and you'd be amazed how many people said, "You can't shoot C&B's in Modern". 

[Chelsea Kid, #47400]

Driftwood,

 

Keep in touch with me as I have a pair as well and want to use them this next year. I may go for the conversion cylinders or keep the cap and ball. I am already missing the cowboy friends from this year. 

 

Chelsea

[Kid Rich]

Driftwood I will check later this afternoon and see if I have a pair.

kR

17 hours ago, Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 said:

Yup, 'original model' Vaquero grips fit just fine.

 

Now I will have to find another set so I can put this set back on my Vaquero.

 

 

 

[Kid Rich]

On 12/6/2022 at 9:46 AM, Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 said:

Howdy

 

I was not looking for one, but I just acquired a Stainless Old Army.

 

Yes I know the grips are not SASS legal, I will be changing those out for some standard ones when I find some.

 

 

 

 

 

The question is, with its adjustable rear sight, what categories can I shoot it in?

 

No, I am not going to weld it up and get rid of the adjustable sight.

 

Normally, I shoot Frontier Cartridge Duelist, but I suspect the adjustable rear sight will rule that out.

 

I am 72 years old. I suspect I can shoot the Old Army in one of the age based categories?

 

I may leave it as a Cap & Ball revolver, or I may look into a cartridge conversion cylinder for it. I already have cartridge conversion cylinders in a pair of 1858 Remingtons.

 

Boy howdy, this thing is much heavier than a Remington.

 

Thanks.

 

 

I checked. I have several sets of OMV  grips and 1 set of ROA grips. I will send you a PM with my cell#.

kR

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Yesterday I fired a couple of caps to make sure it was working correctly. I have both CCI #10 and CCI #11 caps. The 10s were a bit too tight, the #11s worked fine.

 

Then I took it completely apart to clean it. It turns out the spring and plunger for the hand were in backwards, but it worked fine with them in backwards. I put them back in correctly. Very little soot inside, it had been well cleaned. I don't think it has been fired much. After everything was clean I coated everything inside with Ballistol as I do with all my Black Powder revolvers, then put it back together again.

 

 

 

 

 

I may get a chance to try it out this weekend if it doesn't snow. I have plenty of Schuetzen FFg, caps, 100 Speer .457 balls, and I should have some Wonder Wads laying around somewhere.

[Eyesa Horg]

Have a ball, so to speak. 

[Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646]

I had an adjustable sight ROA that my dad, Blue Boy bought new. It was made in 1976 and had "Made in the 200th year of American Liberty" inscribed in the barrel from the factory.

 

Imis

[Tucker McNeely]

No wad required with .457 ball.  The CCI #10 is 0.161 ID the CCI #11 is 0.166 ID.  That’s why the 10s seemed tighter.  Keep the shoulder of the hammer that meets up with hammer channel of the frame free of fouling to let the hammer face seat the spent cap so you don’t get cap jams. 

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

I took some photos this morning out on the deck in diffuse light from a cloudy sky. It really dwarfs my old EuroArms 1858 Remington. The Ruger weighs 3 pounds 8 ounces. The Remington weighs 2 pounds 10 ounces. The Ruger weighs close to what a Colt Dragoon weighed (4 pounds 4 ounces). Not as much as a Walker though (4 pounds 5 ounces).

The thing is so big I don't think it will fit in any of my holsters if I want to take it to a CAS match. Might have to get a new holster.

 

 

 

 

 

P.S, Yes, the Remington is wearing its 45 Colt cartridge conversion cylinder.

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Range Report

 

I took the Old Army to the range today. Here is what I took with me. A mostly full bottle of Schuetzen FFg, a couple of Black Powder measures, Speer .457 round balls, CCI #11 caps, and some Wonder Wads.

 

 

 

 

The temperature was hovering right around freezing, so my fingers got pretty numb putting caps on the nipples. Per standard practice, I fired six caps with no powder to clear the nipples and burn out any remaining oil.

I started out with some single shots, just to see how much powder to put into the cylinders. The manual said to start with 20 grains of powder. I loaded one chamber, but with only 20 grains and a Wonder Wad It was pretty clear the loading lever did not have enough throw to seat the ball and Wonder Wad and compress the powder. So I fired that load and moved onto 30 grains. It's been a long time since I shot C&B, but I quickly realized it was much simpler to use the large, cylindrical powder measure and pour powder directly into the chambers than to pour powder into the measure with the sliding rod and then pour the powder into the chambers. Best I could figure, with the old thumb over the nozzle technique, the funnel on the end of that powder measure was throwing pretty close to 30 grains. I charged each chamber with powder and popped a Wonder Wad on top to keep the powder in place. No grease over the balls for me, I gave up on that long ago when I discovered Wonder Wads. After loading powder and wads into five (yup, just five CAS habits die hard) chambers I then seated a .457 ball in each chamber. .457 is the size usually recommended for the Old Army, and seating these balls shaved off a nice ring of lead and gave a satisfying crunch with the full throw of the loading lever. Then I seated caps on the charged chambers with my partially frozen fingers.

I was shooting sitting down using an improvised rest. I started out very close with the targets only 15 feet away. I fired two five shot groups. I had one flyer on one target, and a ragged group on the other target. Then I moved two more targets out to 25 feet and fired two more five shot groups. I gotta tell ya, I was stunned when I walked up to inspect my 25 foot targets. Yup, I'm pretty sure that is one ragged hole that five balls went through. The other 25 foot target was not quite as good, so I only photographed this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wanted to see what would happen with 35 grains of powder and 40 grains, if I could stuff in that much with the Wonder Wads. But I had been at the range for about an hour and a half with the temperature still hovering around freezing, so 35 and 40 grains will have to wait for another day. All in all, very pleased with the Old Army. A little bit more than 20 shots, no caps failed to fire and most of the spent caps shook loose pretty easily. Not to mention, this sucker is accurate as all get out.

Now I'm gonna go upstairs and clean it.

[Buckeye Pete, SASS # 29941]

A while back, I bought a blued adjustable sight Ruger Old Army from Three Foot Johnson.   It was in very good condition and was built in 1976.  I've owned a couple of fixed sight ROAs in the past, but this was my first adjustable sight model.  The first time to the range, I set a target at 10 yards and from a rest, my first shot was in the exact center of the bull.  A buddy of mine looked at the target and he couldn't believe the accuracy of the ROA.

 

 

[Warden Callaway]

A blue one showed up at my favorite toy store and I brought it home.

 

 

 

 

Then they got a stainless in.  I took the blue one back and traded for it.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2022 by Warden Callaway

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

I find the image of the ROA next to the Remington to be fascinating.  I think we've all always know that the Ruger is heavily based on the Remington, but seeing them side by side makes it clear just how similar they really are.

 

In some ways, I think the ROA is more similar to the Remington than the Vaquero is to the SAA.

Congrats to you on a good find, sir.  I look forward to seeing it at the range sooner or later.  If I know you're gonna be bringing it, I'll bring my Walker to do a size and weight comparison!

[Warden Callaway]

10 minutes ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

I find the image of the ROA next to the Remington to be fascinating.  I think we've all always know that the Ruger is heavily based on the Remington, but seeing them side by side makes it clear just how similar they really are.

 

In some ways, I think the ROA is more similar to the Remington than the Vaquero is to the SAA.

Congrats to you on a good find, sir.  I look forward to seeing it at the range sooner or later.  If I know you're gonna be bringing it, I'll bring my Walker to do a size and weight comparison!

More like the Rogers and Spencer than Remington.