new ruger on the way need info

[jsams]

i just found some new ruger old army pistols and ordered one. i also ordered .457 round balls, over the powder wads and a loading stand. i have fff powder, #11 caps, powder measurer, and cleaning supplies. what else will i need? my bp clubs will start having pistol shoots this spring. thanks for the help.

 

[Jim/OH]

You got almost everything you will need. Since you will most likely be shooting target loads (15 - 20 gr.) you will need some filler to take up the rest of the space in the cylinder. Must use either cream of wheat or corn meal. Without a wad there is space enough for 40 gr. of powder, or a combination of powder and filler. 40 gr. is way too heavy a load for consistent target shooting. Also if your wads are not pre-lubed, you will need some kind of lube to smear on the front of the balls after they are loaded in the cylinder. Something quick and easy to find is wonderlube or Crisco, but they are a little messy. There are a lot of mixtures out there, some using a beeswax as part of the formula. Then you should be good to go. :thumbsup:
Hope this helps, see ya, Jim/OH :hatsoff:

 

[jsams]

the wads i ordered are pre-lubed and the pack stated that with the wads no need for messy grease. powder first wad and ball but does the filler go between the wad and ball?

 

[Jim/OH]

Ok, then you may not need the lube on the front of the balls. Try them and see. I personally do not like the wads, tried them a couple of times and went back to lube.

Lots of luck, fun shooting pistols, Jim/OH :hatsoff:

 

[FishDFly]

jsams,

Jim/OH is offering sage advice, you might want to consider his offerings, he knows what he is talking about. His scores tell the truth.

Try 20 grns of 3F, 18 or 20 grns COW (Cream of Wheat) and a good lube.

RDE

 

[jsams]

i will try the 20 grns 3f, 20 grns of cow, round ball and the wonderlube. can't wait for everything to come in. many thanks to jim and richard. one other question. is the ruger old army a good pistol for target shooting? we are planing on having revolver and single shot both at our shoots.

 

[R.M.]

is the ruger old army a good pistol for target shooting?

Sure is.

 

[FishDFly]

jsams,

It is the most popular pistol on the line when the revolver match is not "As Issue".

I did very well with it in Phoenix, the pistol brought home, four medals and I was first in the Percussion Revolver Championship for my level.

Find a good gunsmith to do a trigger job if you are serious about shooting.

Lube, try beeswax, mineral oil and vasoline, or parrafin wax, mineral oil and vasoline. Mix until you find what works for you local temperature. What works in February is not good for August.

There is some really good advice that is available here, Jim/OH has helped me a lot, even though I have never met him.

RDE

 

[mazo kid]

One more thing....you need a good heavy black powder-type grease to put on the arbor pin to keep the cylinder free. I have heard (on another forum) that synthetic grease (non-petroleum based) will work great for this....something like Mobil-1 or similar. Where did you locate your ROA? They are pretty scarce here and are not being made anymore.

 

[jsams]

mazo kid,
a friend at our cub said he found them on line and ordered one. i checked the web sight and it said that they had one in stock so i called and the lady said she had two more in stock. blue with 7 1/2 inc barrel and adjustable sight. all are new pistols. just goggle THE GUN WORKS. they are located in springfield oregon. as of today they should have one left.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

a .38spcl caseful of 3F is a good 'target load' in my ROA.
I punch out my own felts so I stack up 3 felts to raise the slug up.
try some Lee mold conical slugs in that Ruger sometime.

 

[TFoley]

One more thing....you need a good heavy black powder-type grease to put on the arbor pin to keep the cylinder free. I have heard (on another forum) that synthetic grease (non-petroleum based) will work great for this....something like Mobil-1 or similar.

For the last almost thirty years I've used Shakespeare fishing reel grease sold for their spinners, works fine, doesn't bind up or cake
even after many shots - usually at least 144 per session....in either my ROA or Second-series Walker.

tac

 

[OB OBrien]

Been chasing the dollar with my own business. So I have been away from shooting for over 30 years. Opened the gun safe and am getting reacquainted with my guns. Have an old ROA that came through a friend from Bill Ruger himself. It has a very low serial number. Got the bug again. I have some conicals in .457 for the ROA. As I remember I believe I was using about 30 grains of PS or FFFg and an over powder creased felt wad.
So my question is, do I also need some cream of wheat filler with the conicals?

Thanks for helping me get back into black powder
OB

 

[R.M.]

No, not at all. We use filler when the projectile doesn't sit close to the chamber mouth.
Sounds like a neat gun to have with it's history.

 

[oldwolf]

mazo kid,
a friend at our cub said he found them on line and ordered one. i checked the web sight and it said that they had one in stock so i called and the lady said she had two more in stock. blue with 7 1/2 inc barrel and adjustable sight. all are new pistols. just goggle THE GUN WORKS. they are located in springfield oregon. as of today they should have one left.

They still list them for $430.

 

[bdhutier]

What happens without the filler? Is it important to have in there for some reason?

 

[R.M.]

If the load is small enough, the rammer won't be able to push the ball all the way down onto the powder, creating an air-space. Air-spaces are bad.
Some believe that the closer to the mouth of the chamber that the ball is, the more accurate it will be, so the filler will accomplish this. Many believe that this step is wasted effort. To each their own. We all have our beliefs, right or wrong.

 

[jsams]

old wolf,
they had them listed for $430 last week when i ordered mine. plus $2.00 handling and shipping charges. they will give you a ups tracking number. mine should be here in two more days.