Problem with Ruger New Army.

[JimG]

Good friend bought an older used blued steel Ruger New Army. Problem is this-

The percussion caps are being demolished everytime the handgun is fired. When I say demolished, I mean split in multiple places and/or they look like they have been shattered/ripped apart. It does this with the original nipples, Ruger branded replacement nipples, #10 and #11 caps. The caps are so destroyed they often fall off the nipple and jam the cylinder. The gun does this with loaded chambers and when simply popping a cap on an empty chamber. This is his first BP firearm and BP revolvers are new to me so any help would appreciated. I understand (and he does to) that the caps will be 'mashed' after firing and maybe split a bit but this Ruger is obliterating the caps and we don't think that is normal. If any of my percussion cap rifles were doing this I would be concerned as well.

 

[Musketeer]

I had a New Army for a while. I eventually decided it was too modern for my taste in BP guns, but I never had any issues with it. The only thing that comes to mind is that your buddy's gun's hammer is hitting the caps way too hard. Does it feel unusually hard to cock? You might be able to pick up another hammer spring from Numrich (Gun Parts Corp.) and try it to see if it helps. If not, you could clip a coil or two off one of them and try that, keeping the second as a replacement in case you go to far and start getting light strikes.

edit: Just thought of something else to look at. I remember the face of the NA's hammer (the part of it that hits the caps) is a big rectangular piece. Could it be one or more sharp edges on the hammer face are cutting into the caps, causing them to blow themselves apart on impact? It that were the case, it'd be a simple matter to lightly chamfer and polish the very edges of the hammer face. :hmm:

 

[JimG]

All I have to compare the effort to cock the hammer is a Ruger Single Six (Mods please don't delete). The New Army is easier.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Normal.

 

[Musketeer]

Normal.

Hmmm. I honestly don't remember that being an issue with mine. Sure, the caps would be squashed and split,as with any cap gun, but not blown to smithereens or falling down into the action. You may be totally correct, I'm just saying I don't remember it being especially hard on caps. Could be I've just forgotten about it. I didn't have the gun for a real long time. :hmm:

 

[Zonie]

IMO, the caps are supposed to split when they fire.

Yah, the pieces can fall down into the action sometimes but that is why a cap & ball shooter rotates his hand about 90 degrees clockwise when he cocks the hammer for the next shot.
That helps the pieces fall out of the action.

This shouldn't be such a big problem with the Ruger as the caps and nipples are ahead of the recoil shield.
It's a bigger problem with the open top Colts.

Anyway, one of the biggest PITA's is when the caps don't split.

When they just stay locked onto the nipples after they fire you've got to pry the damn things off with a pocket knife.

 

[Patocazador]

Is the NEW Army a derogatory term for the OLD Army. If not, I have never heard of a New Army.

 

[Zonie]

No. It's Rugers term for their cap and ball revolver.

Follow this link
https://www.google.com/search?q=ru...aKMulsQTTyoCACw&ved=0CDYQsAQ&biw=1680&bih=920

 

[Musketeer]

Is the NEW Army a derogatory term for the OLD Army. If not, I have never heard of a New Army.

Nope, just a mistake on my part. We're talking about the Ruger Old Army. The OP mentioned it as the New Army, and I not only didn't think to correct him but also used the same term myself. I always have had a tendency to mix up the names of Remington's New Army and Ruger's Old Army anyway. Sorry about that.

edit: According to Zonie's post I'm not the only one who confuses the name, since a search for "ruger new army" actually does turn up results for the Old Army. :grin:

 

[Zonie]

And I was having a brain fart moment. :grin:

 

[MSW]

odd, mine never did that ... I bought it used about twenty years ago, and it's been through two sets of nipples ... the caps split occasionally, but don't completely break up ...

I like the suggestion about taking the sharp edges off of the hammer face

:hmm:

 

[Patocazador]

I have 2 stainless steel Old Army pistols and neither destroys the caps.

 

[azmntman]

Have had no issues with mine.

The cci mag # 11 (had to use, was all I had) on my lil .31 baby dragoon did destroy caps and distributed them all over with pieces needing to be removed with tweezers to cock again. Maybe try a regular cap? (if he was using mags)

 

[wpjson]

I have a 1860 Army and an 1851 Navy, both .44. I had a problem with caps splitting and falling into all sorts of places and having to dig them out. Switched from 11 to 10 caps and although they split, they don't fall off as often.

 

[azmntman]

That may solve my issues with .31 as well, been like 15 years since I actually had some size 10 caps. Shot excellent outta my pietta few weeks ago. Sad days when we can't get stuff here is good ol USA on-line. Expect shortages to continue?
I plan on getting several molds soon so if/when we all get californaized I can continue to enjoy my sport.

 

[aross007]

I always expect caps to come apart, and don't pay too much attention unless they fail to come apart and stick on the nipple. Most cap locks have a shroud or hollow section on the hammer which traps the cap pieces. Revolvers have a flat face on the hammer, so the fragments can go anywhere.

With revolvers I use 10s on 1858's so they don't fall off when another chamber fires - the possibility of a chain fire is disturbing, and if it happens it will come from an uncapped chamber.

Unless I am in a big hurry with a revolver I always take the gun down, turn the cylinder by hand, and flick out the cap fragment(s) before the next shot. If the OP is bothered enough to work on lessening the hammer force, Wolff makes replacement spring sets with three lighter weight hammer springs to choose from.

JMHO,
Alan

 

[Blizzard of '93]

you're right aross - flash around the nipples when loose fitting caps are present is very likely the cause of most chain fires.
I've posted couple times on threads concerning this a foto I took of a c&b revolver being fired at dusk. lots of fire around the recoil shield.