Ruger Old Army caps?

[Frank44]

I finally started shooting my Old Army.Easy to load, and fantastic accuracy. Sometimes it takes 2 hammer blows to fire. I am using the original nipples with #10 CCI caps (I have 2000 of them). I polished the nipples with a felt wheel on a Dremel tool, lowered the hammer, and pushed as hard as I could to seat the cap. The next step is to try and find a heavy hammer spring. Any more ideas?
Frank

 

[Patocazador]

I have 2 ROAs. They take Remington #10 caps. No problems with those.

 

[bpd303]

I think before going to a heavier hammer spring, I would pull the nipples, chuck them in a drill and lightly file them so the caps fit. It takes a little more than polishing, but go slow as it's easy to make them too small. They are probably mushroomed a little from dry firing. Other than that you could replace them.

 

[TFoley]

I think before going to a heavier hammer spring, I would pull the nipples, chuck them in a drill and lightly file them so the caps fit. It takes a little more than polishing, but go slow as it's easy to make them too small. They are probably mushroomed a little from dry firing. Other than that you could replace them.

Sir, Ruger Old Army nipples do nit usually go flat from dry-firing. The reason for that is plain if you look carefully at the relationship of the face of the hammer and the nipple. The frame of the pistol interferes with the hammer-fall, preventing it from actually making contact with any of the nipples. The percussion cap 'fills in' with the minute difference between them and it therefore set off by the hammer as a result.

This is why the instructions state that you may safely dry-fire the ROA as 'it has been designed expressly so that this important feature is possible without endangering the longevity of any part of the revolver'.

tac

 

[bpd303]

I did not know that, never owning a Ruger Old Army.
Then the problem is the CCI #10 caps being too snug. If the OP want's to use up his supply then the nipples will have to be modified to use them or put up with the problem. Not all caps are created equal. http://www.theopenrange.net/forum/index.php?topic=9093.0

 

[Frank44]

tac: Thanks for the info on dry firing. Problem solved. In the past I tried #11 caps. I don't remember the brand. I had to pinch them to keep them from falling off. I have a large supply of CCI #11 Magnum caps for my other guns. They fit tight, and go bang every time. Thanks for all your help.
Frank

 

[rodwha]

My stock and replacement nipples wouldn't reliably set off the CCI #11 magnum caps.

The replacements are from ToTW and state they were designed for CCI #11's. I hadn't realized then they were different from standard #11's.

 

[FishDFly]

My stock and replacement nipples wouldn't reliably set off the CCI #11 magnum caps.

The replacements are from ToTW and state they were designed for CCI #11's. I hadn't realized then they were different from standard #11's.

CCI 11's and Magnum are the same size, read the High Road article..

Seeing as TOW makes a living and selling caps, they might know something you do not know. Carefully read the TOW site and you can learn about nipples amd caps.

TOW nipples are used my major winners at the national level.

 

[aross007]

Ruger Old Armies are notorious for developing this problem. They are designed for dry firing, but that means that the tolerances are very close. When one of mine starts misbehaving, I find that replacement nipples are a significant improvement. I do not use ruger or ruger replacement nipples, rather the T/C replacement that has the same thread, but has a cone that is .030" longer. With these replacements I can no longer dry-fire the pistol, but since I never do that anyway, it is not a problem.

The hammer has two shoulders which contact the frame. Any crud build-up on the shoulders or in the notch will also cause this. I clean the hammer and the frame after every one or two cylinders.

To the OP, I do not believe that a heavier hammer spring will help, because the problem is that the hammer isn't crushing the cap. However, Wolff makes a set of replacement springs for the Rugers with a range of weights.

Hope this helps,
Alan

 

[rodwha]

In fact CCI makes a standard #11 and a magnum # 11. I have certainly been in contact with ToTW whom I bought the replacement nipples from when the magnum #11's took 2 strikes to set off way to many times. Their response: standard #11's and not the magnums.

Look at Grafs who sell CCI caps exclusively. You'll note the #11 magnums and standards of size #11.

 

[dickydalton]

I just received another ROA today. After a cleaning it shot well with the same Remington #10s I use on the others. :idunno: