Need advice on a Ruger Old Army

Tylden · August 23, 2005, 08:03 PM

I've heard a lot of great things about the Ruger Old Army revolver and I'm interested in getting one. I'm more interested in accuracy and high quality than cowboy shooting or being a replica. Are there any negatives about the Rugers ??? I'm thinking stainless steel would be the best route to go as far as durability and ease of cleaning, but I'm torn between the 5 1/2" barrel and the 7 1/2" barrel. What are the pros and cons of each ? Any difference in accuracy or performance ???

drdirk · August 24, 2005, 05:44 PM

I have both and love them. 5.5 blue and 7.5 stainless. Have a conversion cylinder as well. Had a Pietta before and sold it. Was ok, looked nicer but was just not as reliable as the Ruger. No downside on the Ruger that I found. Maybe now that I think of it, it MAY jam caps a little more than the Pietta Remington. That is about it. otherwise, love it. No difference in accuracy really for practical revolver shooting distances. Plan on using a scope on my 7.5 Ruger. Still looking for a good holster...

mec · August 24, 2005, 05:57 PM

They (or some of them) tend to shoot a bit high even with the sight screwed all the way down. The nipples require a hex-headed wrench and it's easy to turn the edges of the nipples round, making it impossible to remove them. TRESO makes standard shaped nipples for the ruger to eliminate the problem.

Other than that, no negatives in the design and they are usually very accurate.

Tylden · August 24, 2005, 07:54 PM

Sounds good so far. When I get one I'll look into those Treso nipples. Besides, I think it's a good idea to have some spares on hand anyway. I like the idea of the 5 1/2" barrel as far as carrying the gun, but I'd rather have the adjustable sight that appears to only be available on the 7 1/2" models. Also, although I've heard the gloss stainless steel may be a bit easier to clean, I prefer the looks of the satin stainless finish.

A friend of mine at work told me today he has a Ruger Old Army, 7 1/2" barrel, and he's going to let me shoot it tomorrow

He's had his for 20 years or so and is happy with it, although he doesn't use it very often. I'm anxious to see how it feels in my hand and how it's balanced with the longer barrel.

As far as shooting high, if its consistent then perhaps I can deal with that and adjust my POA accordingly if I can't adjust the sights enough to zero it in. My friend at work told me today that his is very accurate....much more so than he is.

I wish I could just get one of each ! But, my firearms wish list is always bigger than my bank account balance

torpedomanusn · September 5, 2005, 03:18 PM

i have a stainless steel one 20-25 yrs old very accurate but high between 10 yds to 100yds once your used to it its fine. has the same problems the original had, the cylinder pin will gunk up and be a pain to get out after hard days shooting (remove grips and toss in hot soapy water) problem solved. when cocking for next round point muzzle straight up the old cap will fall out not down in the action to jam the pistol.your buds will give you a hard time when they see you do it but will soon copy it after they notice your action never jams and theirs does. enjoy a fine pistol. mine is san marco says armsports,miami on barrel.

JohnSmallTX · September 6, 2005, 06:06 AM

MEC is right about some ROAs shooting high with the rear site being screwed all the way down. Mine was that way. I saw a rumor on one of the boards that Ruger had a new front site to correct the problem. Called them up and explained the situation. They sent me a new front site (part # MR03611) at no charge. The new site is considerably taller. Now, that's customer service.

August 23, 2005, 08:03 PM	#1
Tylden Member Join Date: July 25, 2005 Posts: 57	Need advice on a Ruger Old Army I've heard a lot of great things about the Ruger Old Army revolver and I'm interested in getting one. I'm more interested in accuracy and high quality than cowboy shooting or being a replica. Are there any negatives about the Rugers ??? I'm thinking stainless steel would be the best route to go as far as durability and ease of cleaning, but I'm torn between the 5 1/2" barrel and the 7 1/2" barrel. What are the pros and cons of each ? Any difference in accuracy or performance ???

August 24, 2005, 05:44 PM	#2
drdirk Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2004 Location: houston, tx Posts: 179	Ruger Old Army I have both and love them. 5.5 blue and 7.5 stainless. Have a conversion cylinder as well. Had a Pietta before and sold it. Was ok, looked nicer but was just not as reliable as the Ruger. No downside on the Ruger that I found. Maybe now that I think of it, it MAY jam caps a little more than the Pietta Remington. That is about it. otherwise, love it. No difference in accuracy really for practical revolver shooting distances. Plan on using a scope on my 7.5 Ruger. Still looking for a good holster...

September 5, 2005, 03:18 PM	#5
torpedomanusn Member Join Date: May 21, 2004 Posts: 17	rem old army i have a stainless steel one 20-25 yrs old very accurate but high between 10 yds to 100yds once your used to it its fine. has the same problems the original had, the cylinder pin will gunk up and be a pain to get out after hard days shooting (remove grips and toss in hot soapy water) problem solved. when cocking for next round point muzzle straight up the old cap will fall out not down in the action to jam the pistol.your buds will give you a hard time when they see you do it but will soon copy it after they notice your action never jams and theirs does. enjoy a fine pistol. mine is san marco says armsports,miami on barrel.

August 24, 2005, 05:57 PM	#3
mec Junior member Join Date: December 6, 2001 Posts: 1,536	They (or some of them) tend to shoot a bit high even with the sight screwed all the way down. The nipples require a hex-headed wrench and it's easy to turn the edges of the nipples round, making it impossible to remove them. TRESO makes standard shaped nipples for the ruger to eliminate the problem. Other than that, no negatives in the design and they are usually very accurate.

August 24, 2005, 07:54 PM	#4
Tylden Member Join Date: July 25, 2005 Posts: 57	Sounds good so far. When I get one I'll look into those Treso nipples. Besides, I think it's a good idea to have some spares on hand anyway. I like the idea of the 5 1/2" barrel as far as carrying the gun, but I'd rather have the adjustable sight that appears to only be available on the 7 1/2" models. Also, although I've heard the gloss stainless steel may be a bit easier to clean, I prefer the looks of the satin stainless finish. A friend of mine at work told me today he has a Ruger Old Army, 7 1/2" barrel, and he's going to let me shoot it tomorrow He's had his for 20 years or so and is happy with it, although he doesn't use it very often. I'm anxious to see how it feels in my hand and how it's balanced with the longer barrel. As far as shooting high, if its consistent then perhaps I can deal with that and adjust my POA accordingly if I can't adjust the sights enough to zero it in. My friend at work told me today that his is very accurate....much more so than he is. I wish I could just get one of each ! But, my firearms wish list is always bigger than my bank account balance

September 6, 2005, 06:06 AM	#6
JohnSmallTX Junior Member Join Date: November 7, 2004 Posts: 14	MEC is right about some ROAs shooting high with the rear site being screwed all the way down. Mine was that way. I saw a rumor on one of the boards that Ruger had a new front site to correct the problem. Called them up and explained the situation. They sent me a new front site (part # MR03611) at no charge. The new site is considerably taller. Now, that's customer service.