Working the Ruger Old Army Percussion Revolver

The Ruger Old Army revolver isn’t really a true replica of any original blackpowder-era revolver. Nevertheless, today’s shooters have found it a very practical alternative to original percussion revolvers and it has become popular with blackpowder shooters. Ruger manufactures this modern percussion revolver using the "Old Model" Blackhawk action as its base, and it’s available both with or without Ruger’s excellent adjustable target sights. Blued-steel and stainless-steel versions are both produced.

A ruggedly built pistol, the Old Army has proven to be suitable in every way for percussion shooting events. The Old Army comes with the standard Ruger Blackhawk grip shape, so it has the feel of a Colt grip, only just a little wider. The Old Army has a robust, solid top-strap over the cylinder frame, much like the 1858 Remington percussion revolvers.

Ruger also uses a removable base pin that is similar to the Remington, only in this case the head of the base pin also serves as a pivot for the loading lever’a little like the Civil War-era Rogers & Spencer revolver. Mechanically, as hinted above, the Old Army shares an action with the reliable Ruger Old Model Blackhawk first introduced in the 1950s, so it does not have the ultra-safe transferbar ignition used by the entire line of New Model Ruger Single Actions.

The Old Army’s cylinder does sport a set of machined notches at its rear end in between the nipples. These are there so the hammer can be safely rested in one of the notches when the revolver is loaded and capped. Sturm-Ruger has obviously devoted lots of thoughtful attention to making this a practical, user-friendly blackpowder revolver. For instance, to keep the hot and dirty blackpowder gases from fouling the cylinder-base pin, they’ve added a gas ring to the front of cylinder.

They’ve also located the rear of the barrel well back into the cylinder opening in the frame. In this way, the barrel-to-cylinder gap is positioned well behind and away from the front of the gas ring. This is atrick Smith & Wesson learned early in the days of blackpowder cartridge revolvers, and it really helps to keep powder fouling out of the cylinder-base-pin area so the cylinder won’t seize up after firing a few shots. Takedown Instructions 1.

As always, we begin by making absolutely certain the revolver is not loaded. Begin by holding it firmly by its grip, as you do this, be careful to keep your fingers away from the trigger (#CB03900). All the while, point and hold the barrel’s muzzle in a safe direction. Place the hammer (#CB04000) in the loading position by pulling it to the rear until you hear one audible click.

At this point, you can check to be sure the cylinder (#CB10101) is unloaded before attempting any disassembly or before Although the rugged blackpowder revolver is built using modern steel and technology, it offers the look and feel of a Civil War-era revolver. Author photos.

In the photo, the base pin is partly withdrawn. The loading-lever and base-pin design is similar to that of the Civil War-era Rogers & Spencer .44 percussion revolver, only much stronger. handling the revolver. Carefully examine the rear of the cylinder at each chamber to be certain that there are no percussion caps on any of the nipples (#KCB07200). If percussion caps are present, you should immediately consider this a loaded firearm: Do not attempt any further disassembly.

Also look at the front of the cylinder to be sure that there are no charges in the cylinder chambers. (An indication that a chamber is loaded would be if bullets or balls or bullet lubricant is showing at the front end of the chamber.) Of course you should never look directly into the barrel or chambers; instead, view the chambers by looking down into them from the side.

A loaded cylinder can be emptied by taking the gun to the bullet trap or Then the hammer is dropped and the pin will hold the mainspring assembly captive, allowing it to be removed. This is the hand spring. This spring and its plunger can now be removed. a range, and firing it until it is empty. Alternately, the loaded cylinder can be carefully removed in order to render the weapon safe without firing, by carefully following the instructions to remove the cylinder given below in Step 2.

Note: Once the loaded cylinder has been removed from the revolver, set it aside, away from the remainder of the firearm. To transport the loaded gun safely to the range, position the cylinder so

the hammer is in between two nipples. Pull the hammer slightly to the rear and control it with your thumb while you hold the trigger back. Slowly and carefully lower the hammer so that its nose rests in one of the machined notches on the back of the cylinder, in between the nipples. 2. Removing the cylinder begins with the hammer still in the loading position.

Use the screwdriver portion of the combination tool supplied with the revolver to turn the base-pin retaining pin (#CB2800) a quarter of a turn counter-clockwise. Unlatch the loading lever (#CB00800) by pulling now free and can be rolled out through the right side of the cylinder frame (#CB00200). 3. To remove the grips and grip frame, unscrew and remove the grip screw (#KXRO1300) from the center of the grip and then remove the two grips (#XR01000).

Bring the hammer to the fully cocked position and insert a small steel pin or brad through the exposed hole at the bottom of the hammer strut (#XR01500). This will confine the mainspring when the hammer is released from full cock. Next, pull the trigger to release the hammer and gently ease it forward. Unscrew and remove the five screws They are simply pulled forward for removal. the loading-lever latch (#CB06- 700) to the rear.

The loading lever is then pulled down to assume an angle about 90 degrees to the barrel. Then pull it forward to withdraw the base pin (#CB02- 900) and the bullet rammer (#CB- 00900) from the frame. The cylinder assembly (#CB10101) is that hold the grip frame (#CB00300) to the cylinder frame. The grip frame is now removed by pulling it slightly to the rear and then down, using care to hold the pawl spring (#XR05000) and plunger (#XR05100) captive until the frame is clear.

As the grip frame separates from the frame, make a note of the position of the pawl spring and its plunger. (They’re sandwiched between the rear of the frame and the top of the grip frame.) These parts can now be pulled out to the rear. The mainspring and strut assembly can now be removed out through the opening in the side of the grip frame, and the trigger spring (#KCB03700) with its plunger (#CB03800) can be withdrawn out of their hole, located at the inside-rear of the trigger guard. 4.

To disassemble the action, unscrew and remove the hammer screw (#CB01600). This is the rear-most screw in the right side of the frame. The hammer assembly can now be rotated slightly to the rear and pulled down and out of the frame. The pawl (#KCB00700) is connected to the hammer and will come out of the frame with it. Once you have the hammer assembly out, the pawl can be removed by simply lifting it up out of its socket hole on the left side of the hammer. ¨

CB-6 Barrel Assembly Complete CB02900 Base Pin CB02800 Base Pin Retaining Pin Assembly CB00900 Bullet Rammer CB10101 Cylinder* CB00200 Cylinder Frame (not offered for sale) CB04500 Cylinder Latch CB03400 Cylinder Latch Pivot KCB04600 Cylinder Latch Spring CB-36 Front Sight, Adjustable CB03610 Front Sight, Fixed (not illustrated) KMR13601 Front Sight Base, Adjustable KE-26 Front Sight Cross Pin, Adjustable CB00300 Grip Frame, Standard XR01700 Grip Frame Screw A, Front XR01800 Grip Frame Screw B, Back (2 req’d) XR01900 Grip Frame Screw C, Bottom XR01000 Grip Panels KXR01400 Grip Panel Dowel XR01200 Grip Panel Ferrule, Left XR01100 Grip Panel Ferrule, Right KXR01300 Grip Panel Screw CB04000 Hammer CB01600 Hammer Pivot KCB04100 Hammer Plunger KE-22 Hammer Plunger Pin KXR04300 Hammer Plunger Spring XR01500 Hammer Strut CB00800 Loading Lever CB06700 Loading Lever Latch Next, unscrew and remove the trigger screw (#CB03400).

This is the center screw in the right side of the frame. The trigger (#CB03900) will fall out the bottom of the frame.

Use a small pick or screwdriver blade and CB06800 Loading Lever Latch Screw KCB06900 Loading Lever Latch Spring CB00400 Mainspring XR00500 Mainspring Seat XR05200 Medallion (2 req’d., not illustrated) KCB07200 Nipple CB07300 Nipple Wrench (not illustrated) KCB00700 Pawl XR05100 Pawl Plunger XR05000 Pawl Plunger Spring MR15900 Rear Sight Assembly, Complete, Adjustable carefully lift the fixed arm of the cylinder-latch spring (#KCB04600) to free it. This removes its tension from the cylinder latch.

Unscrew and remove the cylinder-latch screw (#CB03400).

This is Ruger Old Army Blackpowder Percussion Revolver (Specifications subject to change without notice) MR05902 Rear Sight Elevation Screw, Adjustable MR05901 Rear Sight Blade, Adjustable MR05906 Rear Sight Elevation Spring, Adjustable (2 req’d.) MR05600 Rear Sight Pivot Pin, Adjustable E05903 Rear Sight Windage Adjustment Screw, Adjustable MR05907 Rear Sight Windage Spring, Adjustable Old Army CB03900 Trigger Old Army CB03400 Trigger Pivot Screw Old Army CB03800 Trigger Plunger Old Army KCB03700 Trigger Spring Old Army *Must be factory fitted. the forward-most screw in the right side of the frame.

The cylinder latch (#CB04500) with its spring (#CB- 04600) can be taken out from the bottom of the frame. For ease of reassembly later, be sure you make note of

the position of this spring and the cylinder latch before you remove them. If it’s necessary to disassemble the hammer, the hammer plunger (#KCB04100) and plunger spring (#KXR04300) can be removed from the hammer by drifting out the hammer-plunger retaining pin (#KE-22). 5. All that’s left now to disassemble are the "peripherals." Once the loading lever is off the revolver, you can simply lift it out of its seat with the base pin.

The bullet rammer (#CB00900) is removed from its seat with the loading lever by sliding it off. In order to remove the loading-lever latch (#CB06700) from the loading lever, unscrew and remove the loading-lever latch screw (#CB06800) from the front-center of the loading lever (#CB00800) and slide off the loadinglever latch and its spring (#KCB06900). Assuming the cylinder is unloaded, the nipples can be unscrewed by using the combination wrench supplied by Ruger with the gun.

It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway): Don’t attempt to disassemble a loaded cylinder. If the gun is so equipped, the adjustable rear sight is removed by first unscrewing the rear-sight elevation screw (#MR-05902) and then drifting out the rear-sight pivot pin (#MR- 05600). Once the sight is free, use caution: two tiny, compressed coils" the rear-sight elevation springs (#MR- 05906)"are located directly under the rear sight.

The rear sight blade (#MR-05901) can be removed by unscrewing the rear-sight-leaf windage screw (#EO5903). Then push the sight leaf to one side and tilt it up so it can be pulled out the top. The rear-sight windage spring (#MR-05907) is now removed by pulling it out of the screw hole in the side of the sight. Conclusion Reassembly of the Ruger Old Army revolver is straightforward and can be accomplished by simply reversing the order of the steps above. I