The ROA is a fine percussion revolver. I had my mouth watering for one back in the mid 70's, should have bought one as the retail price was only at around $125, but seemed to always be this and that to buy. Didn't buy one until around 7 yrs or so ago paying the equivalent of what I could have bought three for back in the 70's plus alot of balls, powder, etc. It had been well taken care of, not shot much, and almost looked NIB. Already had a stable full of Colts and several Remingtons, but it is a nice full barrel, blued, adjust sight model. Good shooter, heavy and sturdy, nice looker. I will admit though that if I were to the point of only having one percussion revolver for shooting it would be my Uberti 2nd Model Dragoon. Just like that ol hogleg, its looks, history, and feel. Ifin I had to rely on a percussion revolver for defense, well the ROA would win in a landslide. I've been shooting percussion revolvers since 1972 and have pretty much the full agenda of types except the Thuer and smaller Colt 5 shot mini revolvers. The 44's are my favorite.
Something I haven't read on any of the six pages of this thread is about Rugers announcement not long ago that they were producing a run of ROA's. Read about the claim on several forums (CAS, SASS, Ruger.net, etc), but haven't seen any or read much about them. Was this a Ruger gonna-be that never happened or were they produced in such a limited quantity that only a few reaped one? Curious!!!. If I recall the retail price was going to 'be up there', but not anything earth shattering. Where are all of the so-called 2nd Generation ROA's if they exist?
In regards to the history of the ROA, William Lincoln in his #36 post penned that Bill Ruger patterned the ROA after the Remington Bisley/Beals revolver. I can recall reading and hearing this back in the early 70's when the ROA was introduced. In fact read this not to long ago in a 1970's produced gun magazine I was thumbing through. This article and others I recall mentioned some similarities also to the Blackhawk line. Tried to find the magazine, but its buried in a box of many boxes of old mags of months gone by. In 'OldMaineWoodsman's' #102 post just before this one , he mentions Wilsons book on Rugers that Ruger didn't really duplicate or want to duplicate any older design. Have heard this also through the years. Pulled my Wilson book on Rugers and read the info. Some have said in the past the Wilson has taken liberties in the past with some of his books. Some have been proven, some haven't. Not saying either way here, although I enjoy Wilsons books, very informative. One gripe on his Colt books is that he shows to many pictures of fancy engraved Colts, those for the high price collector instead of the common run of the mill Colts. Guess Wilson intended his books to be laying on some fancy exotic wood living room table. Whether it was copied from the Remington, was influenced by the Blackhawk, and/or was all original or a combination of all three, it's one mighty fine, tough shootin hogleg. Price's are high, can't buy as cheap as the Italian imports, but if can have one or two at least, ya have a excellent example of a modern percussion revolver.
I'll take a small liberty here, please bear with me 'Zonie', aware this thread is about ROA's, but in regards to France's helping America during the Revolution, that they did and America does owe France alot of thanks for that. My maternal Great-G-G-G Grandfather was a Captain in the Continental Army in that War and who knows, his life may have been saved due to France's help. France and the whole European continent do owe America also big time for WW1 and WW2, saving them from being overrun by Germany and its allies. Especially WW2. I get burned when I hear Europeans trashing America about this and that. So-called big music and movie stars, royals, politicians, and all. Hey Brits, Frenchie's, and all of you, my Dad's family sent five over in WW2, two came back (one being my Dad and his cousin). Two brothers and another cousin left their blood and lives on French and Belgium soil, all three shot down in heavy bombers. Enough said.
