Ruger Old Army

[Pete453]

Thanks. Mine is blued, it's a first or second year gun, it belonged to a good friend who's gone home. He told me he bought it new and shot a box of balls every week for 8 years straight. We did the math, that's 40,000 balls! In that time he broke a hammer. I suspect he was dry firing alot, he was a pretty serious skirmisher. Sure miss that guy, he was quite a character. The curly maple grips were made by another late friend, they're the perfect contour. Kind of a memorial to my friends.

 

[JP 62 Flinter]

My Father had one in the lower cabinet of his gun cabinet (you don't hear of gun cabinets much these days) since the late 70s. It was blued and unfired. We shot a lot of black powder, hunting and rendezvous, but he would never let me shoot it. He passed in 2017. After the dust settled, I was the only one left to sift through 86 years of collecting. As luck would have it, when I got to the cabinet, the Old Army was gone. Guessing he sold it, or maybe took it with him... Either way, I handled that piece a lot growing up. Purchased a stainless one tonight, unfired. Thought of this group. It will not remain unfired...thought I would share.

 

[Blackpowderart]

My Father had one in the lower cabinet of his gun cabinet (you don't hear of gun cabinets much these days) since the late 70s. It was blued and unfired. We shot a lot of black powder, hunting and rendezvous, but he would never let me shoot it. He passed in 2017. After the dust settled, I was the only one left to sift through 86 years of collecting. As luck would have it, when I got to the cabinet, the Old Army was gone. Guessing he sold it, or maybe took it with him... Either way, I handled that piece a lot growing up. Purchased a stainless one tonight, unfired. Thought of this group. It will not remain unfired...thought I would share.

That sux, wish you could have kept the original for yourself as a momento

 

[skeen]

I'm a fan. Love deer huntin' with my ROA.

 

[Tenring]

Gotta love The ROA…

 

[M. De Land]

I'm a fan. Love deer huntin' with my ROA.

View attachment 234730

Nice deer, what was the distance and was it ball or conical, still hunt or from a blind ?

 

[M. De Land]

My Father had one in the lower cabinet of his gun cabinet (you don't hear of gun cabinets much these days) since the late 70s. It was blued and unfired. We shot a lot of black powder, hunting and rendezvous, but he would never let me shoot it. He passed in 2017. After the dust settled, I was the only one left to sift through 86 years of collecting. As luck would have it, when I got to the cabinet, the Old Army was gone. Guessing he sold it, or maybe took it with him... Either way, I handled that piece a lot growing up. Purchased a stainless one tonight, unfired. Thought of this group. It will not remain unfired...thought I would share.

Glad you did and have fun with the new gun, none better in my opinion !

 

[skeen]

Nice deer, what was the distance and was it ball or conical, still hunt or from a blind ?

Glassing and stalking. A chamber filled with 35 grains of Triple 7 FFFg and a .456 Kaido 220 grain conical went clean through the rib cage @50 yards.

A 70 yard death run and, of course, he died down in a dry creek bed (which was about 10' deep). Good thing one of my boys was there to help me get him out.

 

[SOLANCO]

Because they're built three times better than any CnB POS coming out of Italy. But definitely not worth $1,000.00. A range of 650 used to 800 new seems like fair pricing.

And if Ruger made them again, they would cost 50% more than the old ones and the quality would be 50% less.

The very last thing I'd buy in this world is a currently produced, run of the mill, firearm.

The only new guns I have purchased in decades are two flintlock rifles built for me by two very good builders. The last modern firearm I purchased new was a 629 Mountain Revolver out of the S&W Custom Shop. That had to be 30+ years ago.
I like well built older guns, and I have.....several.

 

[11th corps]

Mine was my first BP gun. Purchased in 1975 from a little gun shop in Indianapolis, now long gone. Wife and I lived in Indy, my parents lived 60 miles north and every other weekend I would load up my ROA and the little woman and drive back to Mom and Dad's. Dad and I would hit the gun range. He liked my ROA so well he decided he needed one himself. I own both now.

 

[ROA457]

Yes, it was a sad day when Bill Ruger died and they took the gun off the list the next day...almost.

 

[M. De Land]

Mine was my first BP gun. Purchased in 1975 from a little gun shop in Indianapolis, now long gone. Wife and I lived in Indy, my parents lived 60 miles north and every other weekend I would load up my ROA and the little woman and drive back to Mom and Dad's. Dad and I would hit the gun range. He liked my ROA so well he decided he needed one himself. I own both now. View attachment 235691

I sure enjoy my blued ROA Centenial model except for the "Gettysburg Address" Lawyereze stamped into the barrel !

 

[Pete453]

Skeen,
Beautiful deer, and nice shooting! It sure is a good feeling inviting a deer home for the winter, using a black powder revolver. I hunted all season with my Uberti 1860 Army loaded with conicals. I'm going to be hard pressed to hunt with my modern revolvers from now on.