Ruger Old Army problem to have

[LongWalker]

I acquired another Old Army today, and can't think of a reason I need a spare. I've got a spare parts kit, but in all the years I've had mine it has never needed repair. Anyone have a good excuse to keep it? I'm working on reducing the number of guns on hand that I don't shoot, and this one looks like it might be one of those.

On the other hand, shooting two gun might be a new excuse for my failures to hit the target. . . .

 

[jcs266]

There are worse problems to have!

 

[appalichian hunter]

Blued or stainless.

 

[LongWalker]

There are worse problems to have!

Exactly. I wanted one from when I first shot one in '81, bought and sold a couple over the years til being given "mine" for my 40th birthday. Having a spare seems almost "wrong" somehow!

Appalichian Hunter, mine are both blued, made in the '70s.

 

[Sam squanch]

KEEP IT! Down the road it will worth more than today.

 

[appalichian hunter]

I also have a older blued one great pistol, I am now looking for a stainless one.

 

[M. De Land]

I also have a older blued one great pistol, I am now looking for a stainless one.

I have one of the centennial models in blue and it's a keeper. Stainless guns never looked right to me and they still need to be cleaned to not corrode.
About all that can go wrong with them is to bend the base pin by not turning the lock screw down before reloading using the barrel rammer. They just don't seem to ever break or get in disrepair.

 

[user 48679]

I yam a doctor : Take ONE of the ROA's, and sent the other to me ! !

 

[Zonie]

I have one of the centennial models in blue and it's a keeper. Stainless guns never looked right to me and they still need to be cleaned to not corrode.
About all that can go wrong with them is to bend the base pin by not turning the lock screw down before reloading using the barrel rammer. They just don't seem to ever break or get in disrepair.

This is quite true. Especially for the types of stainless that can be hardened.

In my early days in tool design, I had to design a fixture to hold a part being machined in a Anocut machine. That is a machine that is used to do electrochemical machining by using massive amounts of electricity and highly conductive fluids that contain a lot of different kinds of salts. It basically forms the part by dissolving or unplating the waste material.

Anyway, I needed a stainless that would be hard so I selected a 400 series stainless. The first time it was used, in no time at all, the salts in the fluid attacked the stainless and it began rusting.

The 300 series stainless steels are better at resisting this type of rusting but they too will corrode if the salts in black powder fouling is not cleaned off of them.

 

[M. De Land]

This is quite true. Especially for the types of stainless that can be hardened.

In my early days in tool design, I had to design a fixture to hold a part being machined in a Anocut machine. That is a machine that is used to do electrochemical machining by using massive amounts of electricity and highly conductive fluids that contain a lot of different kinds of salts. It basically forms the part by dissolving or unplating the waste material.

Anyway, I needed a stainless that would be hard so I selected a 400 series stainless. The first time it was used, in no time at all, the salts in the fluid attacked the stainless and it began rusting.

The 300 series stainless steels are better at resisting this type of rusting but they too will corrode if the salts in black powder fouling is not cleaned off of them.

Halibut fishermen here in AK find that out pretty quick with there stainless guns they use to brain them before bringing aboard in the salt water.

 

[Woody Morgan]

Halibut fishermen here in AK find that out pretty quick with there stainless guns they use to brain them before bringing aboard in the salt water.

A marine environment rots anything.
Used to fish Puget Sound all the time.
Get trailered, first stop the dollar car wash.
Went through a lot of WD40 too.

wm

 

[LongWalker]

Sam Squanch, I had to laugh at your reply! I've spent so much time helping clear houses and barns and garages of stuff people saved because "someday it will be worth something!" that I'm developing a bit of a phobia.

I've never seen mechanical problems (not due to shooter error) with an unmodified ROA, but I figured the folks here have seen more of them than I have. I wondered if maybe I'd overlooked something and should keep it as a spare: I used to keep a spare 1860 around for "as issue" matches, because my main shooter kept breaking springs.

 

[Sam squanch]

Better keep it. Quality guns never drop in value. Old army’s are selling high.

 

[BullRunBear]

Keep it as a spare, to use for two handed shooting, just because it is cool to have more than one, or to make somebody one heck of a nice present. I don't keep guns just for possible future value but the other reasons can apply. If nothing else, you can make sure that a desirable, useful firearm is kept in good shape.

If none of these reasons are sufficient, you can always send it to me and I'll deal with the conundrum.

Jeff