The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Why on earth did Ruger abandon the Old Army!

Doc Hoy · January 16, 2013, 02:05 AM

....The size of the market for the ROA was and perhaps still is quite small.

It was a handgun that could not be used by reenactors.

It had a mystique for hunters but IIUC the season during which a cap and ball handgun could be used for hunting is and always was quite short in a substantial section of the U.S. I know that in Chester County, PA, you had the option to hunt with primative weapons or with bow for one day and most cartridge or shotgun hunters opted for the bow. I can not say for sure that the ROA was considered a primative weapon in PA.

It never was a serious contender for self defense or home defense even though there is plenty of rationale for applying it to those tasks.

It is not a pistol that appeals to the tinkerers because they don't break and if they do, the revolver is expensive enough that folks just bought the parts from Ruger and fixed it. I've owned a total of three and never had to do anything to them.

Price was at the high end of the C/B revolver spectrum as "BBB" said so this alone reduced the size of the market.

Indeed I wonder that Ruger decided to market the revolver in the first place and that it lasted as long as it did.

I bought my first one sometime around 1985 in Naples, Italy for 85.00. I gave it as a gift NIB to one of the finest gentlemen I ever met. I own two now and I won't part with either of them. I am always in the market for additional specimens even though I don't shoot the ones I have very much.

They are like an ugly flat chested girlfriend. Looks fade, flesh sags but the qualities that matter endure. You love them for right reasons.

January 16, 2013, 02:05 AM	#5
Doc Hoy Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Naples, Fl Posts: 5,440	When you think about it... ....The size of the market for the ROA was and perhaps still is quite small. It was a handgun that could not be used by reenactors. It had a mystique for hunters but IIUC the season during which a cap and ball handgun could be used for hunting is and always was quite short in a substantial section of the U.S. I know that in Chester County, PA, you had the option to hunt with primative weapons or with bow for one day and most cartridge or shotgun hunters opted for the bow. I can not say for sure that the ROA was considered a primative weapon in PA. It never was a serious contender for self defense or home defense even though there is plenty of rationale for applying it to those tasks. It is not a pistol that appeals to the tinkerers because they don't break and if they do, the revolver is expensive enough that folks just bought the parts from Ruger and fixed it. I've owned a total of three and never had to do anything to them. Price was at the high end of the C/B revolver spectrum as "BBB" said so this alone reduced the size of the market. Indeed I wonder that Ruger decided to market the revolver in the first place and that it lasted as long as it did. I bought my first one sometime around 1985 in Naples, Italy for 85.00. I gave it as a gift NIB to one of the finest gentlemen I ever met. I own two now and I won't part with either of them. I am always in the market for additional specimens even though I don't shoot the ones I have very much. They are like an ugly flat chested girlfriend. Looks fade, flesh sags but the qualities that matter endure. You love them for right reasons. __________________ Seek truth. Relax. Take a breath. Last edited by Doc Hoy; January 16, 2013 at 02:13 AM.