So might "need" a couple revolvers....

[L Ross]

The Ruger Old Army is the very best C&B ever built. I've had one, most of the Colt replicas and Remington too.
The Ruger is head and Shoulders above all the 19th Century designed Revolvers.

From a purely strength and function stand point certainly. However I am only interested in experiencing the foibles of a more period correct piece. For a person who wants a cap and ball as a semi practical alternative to a modern revolver for legislative reasons, or a special season, or as some sort of survival gun, the Ruger makes the most sense. For myself when we were dressing in hand made clothing, with period correct leather gear, and wondering if my boots should have square toes or were round okay, the stainless Ruger would have been completely out of context. But then there were SASS guys shooting smokeless and dressing like the Lone Ranger too.

 

[Mainiac]

To buy a Ruger BPR today you could probably buy 2 Pietta 1858's.

Or 3,,,or4....

 

[Mainiac]

Glad i bought my rugers before they was discontinued ,,,

 

[Intel6]

I only own one BP revolver and fortunately it is a stainless ROA. Picked it up for a great price used and really enjoy it. I cast regular balls and conicals for it for regular shooting. I also got a Lee 6 cavity that makes a 250 gr. heavy flat point that shoots really well with triple 7. Great shooting strong gun that is easy to clean!

Here is a crappy pic I took when I put a new set of grips on it.

 

[Dimner]

Primus has a great song that is pretty much an ode to Lee Van Cleef.

The video is kinda bizarre, but ....well it's Primus.

 

[Mainiac]

The roa shoots,very accurately!!!

 

[fiver]

at least it wasn't Janes Addiction.... LOL

 

[Michael]

Ruger stupid, Old stupid, Army stupid

Had one years ago and traded it off.

Could replaced it 4 years ago for $425, but didn't because the grips were bubba'd and the shop did not have any #10 caps. In my defense, and it is a poor one, my wife was with me and was giving me the stink eye, we were on vacation and flying, wasn't like I could go back and sneak it home. Still, stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

[Winelover]

My ROA



Results (bang flop) with Lee 220 conical over thirty five grains of Pyrodex "P" and a Ox Yoke grease cookie.

 

[Bret4207]

And once again, I was unaware a gun had been discontinued. The ROA always appealed to me, in blue, not stainless. Never got one, or to shoot one that I recall, but it was a modern, accurate, BP revolver with real sights. I've done a little with a Colt replica 36, and there's a Dragoon clone around here. Neither gave me the warm and fuzzies. I'd say go with whatever floats yer boat and be happy! Have to admit the cartridge guns have a shade more appeal than the C+B, but either is way better than nothing. Obvious some of you put a whole lot more thought into this area than I ever have. To each their own!

Lee Van Cleef eh? I may have to do some watching. Spaghetti westerns aren't my forte. Maybe I'm missing something?

 

[Petrol & Powder]

Spaghetti Western is a subset of the western movie genre. They were directed by Italians and filmed in Italy of Spain. Perhaps the most famous spaghetti westerns were the “dollars trilogy” featuring Clint Eastwood. These were “A Fistful of Dollars”, “For a Few Dollars More” and “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”.

Fistful of Dollars is a an almost exact copy of Yojimbo, an early Japanese samurai film. In fact, it was such a close copy that there was a lawsuit. The plot has been remade countless times, with “Last Man Standing” (1996 starring Bruce Willis) being one of the more notable remakes.

The Dollars Trilogy is always worth watching. They are iconic films in the history of westerns and the music alone is worth the time invested.

And just for fun, A couple of really good performances by the Danish National Symphony:

 

[Winelover]

The ROA always appealed to me, in blue, not stainless.

That's why they offer chocolate or vanilla. Some shooters like holy black. All my muzzleloaders get Pyrodex "P". I'm not storing an explosive in my house.

However, there are advantages to the SS over the blue. Main advantage is the SS has a pinned front sight. The blue version, doesn't. Now you might think, so what. If you shoot conicals, the front sight is too low. Arkansas requires conicals for hunting. A phone call to Ruger, a .455" high front sight (same one they use on BH's) appeared in the mail, free of charge.

BP and the substitutes are corrosive. SS offers much easier clean up and more forgiving. Scratches can be repaired with crocus cloth and/or 3M pads. When I shot that buck, it took one shot. All I cleaned was the barrel and the spent cylinder chamber. Loaded it back up, since muzzle loading season wasn't over. That deer was taken in the early October season. We have a late season, in December. I didn't shoot it again till Spring, then gave it a thorough cleaning............no worse for wear. I'm not a traditionalist............ the ROA doesn't qualify, anyways.

 

[Walks]

Another advantage to a stainless gun for Black Powder, Ya can see the dirt, i.e. the powder fouling, making them much easier to clean.

 

[Mainiac]

I have 2 blued ones.one of them has the factory brass dragoon grip frame.the patina is so nice on that brass,,and this gun will chew 1 hole in the paper,with a roundball and 30grs ff,,,love it.

 

[Bret4207]

This is an area where personal preference is king. Some like stainless and colorful plasticy grips, some like blue and walnut, some don't care! Stainless is great for some things, not so great for others and just awful for yet others. Myself, considering the ROA is discontinued, I'd likely grab whatever one happened to cross my path were I so lucky!

 

[Winelover]

Better have deep pockets cause the ROA is nearing a grand, nowadays.

 

[Winelover]

Never could see the point of the cylinder conversions. When I bought my ROA, the conversions cost more than the revolver. Then they had to fitted. Slow to load, also. Always thought it was more economically feasible just to purchase a modern BH in 45 LC and have an entire gun. Did just that.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

 

[Winelover]

Big difference in the type of front sights.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

Never could see the point of the cylinder conversions. When I bought my ROA, the conversions cost more than the revolver. Then they had to fitted. Slow to load, also. Always thought it was more economically feasible just to purchase a modern BH in 45 LC and have an entire gun. Did just that.

Many of the users of cartridge conversions are people that enjoy the historical significance of that transition from Cap & Ball to cartridges. For those folks the conversions represent a cool time in history. Sort of like the folks that collect the old 23 channel CB radios or 1970’s hi-fi receivers.

Unfortunately, there’s another set of people that acquire cartridge conversions for unlawful reasons. That group are prohibited persons that cannot lawfully possess a firearm. They order a cap & ball revolver and then acquire a conversion cylinder. This is still an illegal act because even if the gun falls outside of the 1968 GCA, it still meets the definition of a firearm. So, while the seller can unwittingly deliver the cap & ball revolver without committing a violation, the buyer in that case is still violating the law.