Ruger Old Army - were they ever made in 44 cal? Is $375 a good deal?

[Ridge Runner]

Found one listed for $375 w/box, papers and 98% condition, blued, 7.5 inch barrel, adj. sights. It is listed as being 44 cal. Is this correct? I thought they were all 45 cal?

Could I use a 45 cal coversion cylinder in it if it is 44 cal?

[longcaribiner]

All were .45.   Good deal is relative.  Compared to new, in good shape not abused, I guess.    I bought mine at a pawn shop in 1981 for $129.00.  It was like NIB condition, but no box.    While not traditional in design, like a Remington or Colt repro, they are one really smooth shooting firearm.  You won't shoot in any Civil War Skirmish matches with it, (not allowed) If it has the adj target sights, you may not be able to compete with it in some CAS matches.    I really like mine.  I shoot ground hogs, raccoons & skunks with it. 

[Ridge Runner]

Can the adjustable sights be removed? Can a fixed sight be installed?

[yooper77]

$375.00 is a really high price for used.

I paid $259.00 for new in box Ruger Old Army blue adjustable sights three years ago.

longcaribiner is correct, they are all 45 caliber.  They use a .457 diameter round ball.

If you want a fixed sight Ruger Old Army, you need to buy it that way.

Yes you can use the conversion cylinder, no problems.

yooper77

[Sir Charles deMoutonBlack]

Even though they are called .44 caliber, the actual groove diameter of the ROA is about .457, (.454?), and takes round ball of that diameter.

Dragoon & 1860 Colt replicas are still called 44s, but use a .451 ball, as does the Rem 1858 New Model Armies.

The R&D and Kirst conversion cylinders for all of them are mostly in .45 Colt, aka .45 Long Colt.  It just so happens that the barrel diameters are perfectly compatible.

The "inflated" price may be because the Ruger management , in their infinite wisdom, have discontinued the Old Army! As the ROA does not replicate any historical firearm, the only reasons to buy them are.

1.  They are traktor tough!
2.  They are a LOT OF FUN!

Maybe, just maybe, RUGER are dreaming up something newer/older, and better?

Ridge Runner;  There WAS a round top version that CAS folks love.  In fact, I shot a pair (borrowed) in England, at a SASS match last month.  Never a glitch, and every round went exactly where it was pointed!  Wherever that was, but it is always the nut-that-holds-the-butt.

[yooper77]

Sir Charles deMoutonBlack,

You are probably correct, because its discontinued.  I am glad I picked mine up before that happened.

Conversion cylinders should only be used with cowboy action loads or standard 45 Colt loads.

The name 45 Long Colt isn't the correct name, its just 45 Colt.  The 45 Schofield was around at the same time so the 45 Colt was improperly referred to as the 45 Long Colt.

yooper77

[howdy doody]

Barrels slug .454 -.455. A .457 ball is recommended so that there will be a little lead shaved and a wider contact with the chamber made to prevent recoil creep. Hence a .45 caliber.
You can shoot a adjustable model in CAS, but not in frontiersman class. Legal however in many other classes, such as modern, senior, silver senior, classic cowboy, etc. Changing the sights to fixed would be expensive.
ROAs have deep chambers, 30gr loads are popular, but they will hold a bit more powder and still be able to add a wad.
It would be fun to hunt with them.

[jd45]

I am searching for an ROA myself, like Sir said, they're Traktor Tough! I like to describe Rugers as being "built like a bank vault!" Anyway, the conversion cylinder is strong enough to give you a little edge in strength for hunting, being capable, according to Flint, of standing up to standard .45 Colt loads. I have one I'm gonna try in my Uberti Remington 1858 w/the R&D cylinder. It's from my 3rd Edition Vihtavuori manual & lists 10.9grs of VV-N350 with a 250gr XTP for 1022fps, at 14000psi. Now I couldn't get near 1022 in my USFA SA w/7-1/2" bbl, BUT I DID get 1040's with a 250gr RNFP LEAD bullet, (a lot less friction), out of the same gun! AND 930fps out of an EMF Hartford SAA w/5-1/2" bbl. THIS, my friends, is a SERIOUS hunting load at standard pressure! jd45

[longcaribiner]

As far as hunting loads with the ROA.  The old Lyman Black powder handbook indicates that 41 grains of Curtis and Harvey ffffg and a 143 grain round ball results in velocity of 1021.  it is still only 331 ft lbs muzzle energy.  hunting for what, is the question. 

That makes it about the equivalent of the 38 Special.  And about 1/2 the energy of the 32-20 WCF.  Pretty anemic.

loading a 45 Colt bullet to the same velocity would result in about 1.7 times that muzzle energy.