INSTRUCTION MANUAL FOR BLUED & STAINLESS STEEL CALIBER .457 Round Ball Black Powder Only RUGER® OLD ARMY® “CAP & BALL” BLACK POWDER PERCUSSION REVOLVER FIXED AND ADJUSTABLE SIGHT MODELS ! READ THE INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS IN THIS MANUAL CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS FIREARM For Product Service on this Model Please Call: (603) 865-2442 (See p. 28) STURM, RUGER & Company, Inc. Southport, Connecticut 06890 U.S.A.
State-By-State Warnings Certain states require by law that their own specified warning notices in larger-than-normal type be conspicuously included by the manufacturer, distributor, or retail dealer with firearms sold in that state. Sturm, Ruger sells its products in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Because our products may be sold in these states, we include the following: California: ! WARNING ! ADVERTENCIA “A los niños los atraen las armas de fuego y las pueden hacer funcionar.
Maine: “ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A CHILD IS A CRIME. IF YOU LEAVE A FIREARM AND AMMUNITION WITHIN EASY ACCESS OF A CHILD, YOU MAY BE SUBJECT TO FINE, IMPRISONMENT OR BOTH. KEEP FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION SEPARATE. KEEP FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION LOCKED UP. USE TRIGGER LOCKS.” Maryland: “WARNING: Children can operate firearms which may cause death or serious injury.
New Jersey: “IT IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE TO LEAVE A LOADED FIREARM WITHIN EASY ACCESS OF A MINOR.” New York City: “THE USE OF A LOCKING DEVICE OR SAFETY LOCK IS ONLY ONE ASPECT OF RESPONSIBLE WEAPONS STORAGE. ALL WEAPONS SHOULD BE STORED UNLOADED AND LOCKED IN A LOCATION THAT IS BOTH SEPARATE FROM THEIR AMMUNITION AND INACCESSIBLE TO CHILDREN AND ANY OTHER UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS.
WARNING – LOCKING DEVICES This firearm was originally sold with a key-operated locking device. While it can help provide secure storage for your unloaded firearm, any locking device can fail. All guns are designed to fire if they are loaded and the trigger is pulled. Therefore, never install the locking device inside the trigger guard or in any way that it can possibly pull the trigger! Do not leave the keys in the lock.
FIREARMS SAFETY-YOUR RESPONSIBILITY SAFETY MUST BE THE FIRST AND CONSTANT CONSIDERATION OF EVERY PERSON WHO HANDLES FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION. This Instruction Manual is designed to assist you in learning how to use and care for your RUGER® OLD ARMY® percussion revolver properly. Please contact us if you have any questions about it. Only when you are certain you fully understand the Manual and can properly carry out its instructions should you practice loading, unloading, etc. with live powder, ball and caps.
! WARNINGS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE ARE FOUND ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES: Locking Device Alterations Lead Exposure Black Powder Ammunition Capped Cylinders Muzzle Direction Handling 5 7 9 10 10 11 13 15 Cocked Gun Indexing Firing Disassembly Lubrication Storage Parts Purchasers 15 16 17 22 25 26 29 OTHER CAUTIONS AND WARNINGS APPEAR THROUGHOUT THE MANUAL. FIREARMS ARE DANGEROUS WEAPONS– READ THE INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS IN THIS MANUAL THOROUGHLY AND CAREFULLY BEFORE USING.
The RUGER® OLD ARMY® is a muzzle loading, percussion revolver intended for use with black powder, percussion caps, and soft lead projectiles. It does not fire conventional cartridges, but is instead loaded from the front of the cylinder. It is of single-action operation, and the hammer must manually be cocked before normally firing the revolver. Like any such revolver, it is to be used with Black Powder only, and its safe use requires that the shooter be thoroughly familiar with its characteristics.
AMMUNITION The “Old Army” is a muzzle loading, percussion revolver intended solely for use with Black Powder. It should never, under any circumstances, be loaded with any type of smokeless powder as the result could be damage to the revolver and injury to the shooter or bystanders. Black Powder is usually classified by powder grain size, with “Fg” being the largest granulation and “FFFFg” being the smallest granulation normally available.
POWDER CHARGE It is safe to use as much Black Powder as the chamber will hold, leaving room for the bullet. This maximum loading is not usually the most accurate loading, however. A good starting accuracy load, using a pure lead .457” diameter ball, is 20 grains of FFFg and sufficient filler (corn meal is frequently used as a filler material) to seat the ball approximately 1/16” below the chamber mouth.
PERCUSSION CAPS A percussion cap is a small metal cup, the interior top of which is coated with a priming mixture. This priming mixture is usually covered with a foil or paper liner. It fires when struck a blow. The cap is placed on a cylinder nipple and when struck by the hammer, the priming compound explodes, igniting the powder charge. The cap should fit the nipple only tightly enough so that it does not fall off when the barrel is elevated.
TO LOAD AND FIRE ! WARNING: Please re-read carefully the paragraph entitled “Warning - Black Powder”, p. 10. In the interests of both performance and safety, it is important that steps which follow be performed in sequence and with attention to detail: 1. BEFORE LOADING: Check revolver to ensure that: A. Nipples are uncapped. B. Cylinder chambers are empty. C. Chambers, bore and nipples are free of grease, oil or other obstruction. 2.
! WARNING – MUZZLE DIRECTION Always hold the gun well away from yourself when loading or firing. Never permit the barrel to point in an unsafe direction. Even though the revolver is sometimes called a “muzzleloader”, it is never loaded through the muzzle. Only load through the front of the cylinder. KEEP AWAY FROM MUZZLE .B. With one hand, hold the revolver by the grip with the barrel pointing upwards. C.
E. Grasp the rammer lever and, with a firm even stroke, seat the bullet firmly on the powder charge. (See Fig. 4) For maximum accuracy, the powder charge should be very lightly compressed by the bullet. Be sure that the bullet is seated deeply enough so that it does not interfere with the barrel and the cylinder can rotate freely. Do not leave an airspace between the powder and the bullet. B. Swing Loading Lever Downward C. Firmly Compress Ball onto Powder A.
! Hammer on Cap! WARNING – HANDLING If these revolvers are to be carried loaded, certain precautions must be observed in the interest of safety. (These precautions apply to all the older types of revolvers.) Load only five chambers, placing the hammer down on the empty and uncapped chamber, or with the hammer resting in a safety recess between chambers. The gun should never be carried with the hammer resting on a percussion cap.
6. FIRING: The “Old Army” is now ready to fire. Once the hammer is cocked, a light pressure on the trigger will cause the hammer to fall forward, striking a percussion cap, and the revolver will fire. 7. After firing, the hammer will remain down. To fire subsequent shots, fully release the trigger and repeat steps 5 and 6 above for each shot.
! WARNING – FIRING When firing any revolver, be sure all persons are a safe distance to the rear of the shooter. When fired, all revolvers discharge gas and particles through the clearance gap between the cylinder and the rear of the barrel. These particles of lead, powder grains or lubricant are projected broadly sideways at high speed and thus can injure a person who is standing too close to the revolver.
4. Place your right thumb firmly on the hammer spur and, with your thumb securely in control of the hammer, squeeze the trigger only enough to permit the hammer to ‘break free’ of the trigger. Keep the trigger pulled only until the hammer clears the loading notch (“half cock”) position. At that instant, IMMEDIATELY RELEASE THE TRIGGER and then slowly permit the hammer, STILL SECURE UNDER YOUR THUMB, to move forward into one of the notches in the cylinder between the nipples.
TO UNLOAD (Keep revolver pointed in a safe direction) It is much easier and safer to fire all chambers in any muzzle loading firearm rather than attempt to unload it. However, if this is impossible, the revolver may be unloaded in accordance with the following steps. 1. Be sure the revolver is pointing in a safe direction. 2. Carefully lower hammer into a notch in the cylinder and then pull the hammer back one “click” to place hammer in half-cock loading notch. (See Fig.
7. When all chambers are empty of powder, remove cylinder (See Fig. 10 & “To Remove Cylinder”, below). Remove Cylinder 10 8. Place some lubricating oil into each chamber. Now place a rod into the rear of a chamber, taking care not to damage the nipple threads. Gently tap the rear of the rod until the ball comes out the front of the cylinder. (See Fig. 11) Repeat for each chamber. Drive Ball Out of Front of Cylinder 11 9.
2. On the right side of the frame, forward of the cylinder, you will see a large slotted pin that resembles a screw head (Part #CB02800). With a suitable tool turn this pin counterclockwise until it stops (about 160o). (See Fig. 13) Turn Screw Counter-Clockwise 13 3. Unlatch the rammer lever and swing downward 90o. (See Fig. 14) Unlatch and Swing Loading Lever Downward 14 4. Pull rammer/base pin assembly forward, towards the muzzle, until it comes free of the revolver. (See Fig.
! WARNING – DISASSEMBLY LOADED Never clean, lubricate, disassemble or work on a revolver while it is loaded. Never install or remove a loaded cylinder. A loaded cylinder can discharge if dropped or struck. Read instructions before disassembling gun. UNLOAD BEFORE CLEANING OR DISASSEMBLING The user of a RUGER® OLD ARMY® cap and ball revolver should carefully read all disassembly directions and study all the illustrations and the Parts List in this manual before attempting to take the gun apart.
the pawl spring and plunger. These parts are located in a hole drilled from the rear face of the cylinder frame, adjacent to the upper left screw hole. 6. Remove hammer pivot screw and hammer by unscrewing counter-clockwise. 7. Remove trigger pivot screw and trigger by unscrewing counter-clockwise. 8. With a small screwdriver free the fixed leg of the cylinder latch spring from its anchoring hole on the left side wall of the cylinder frame. 9. Remove cylinder latch pivot, cylinder latch and spring. 10.
CARE AND CLEANING Always be certain the revolver is completely unloaded before cleaning. The chemical compounds formed by Black Powder residue are extremely corrosive; under some conditions of humidity rusting will begin within a very few hours after firing, if the revolver is left uncleaned. It is, therefore, important that your “Old Army” be cleaned thoroughly and without delay after each use.
! WARNING – LUBRICATION Firing a revolver with oil, grease, or any other material even partially obstructing the bore may result in damage to the revolver and injury to the shooter and those nearby. Do not spray or apply lubricants directly on ammunition. If the powder charge of a cartridge is affected by the lubricant, it may not be ignited, but the energy from the primer may be sufficient to push the bullet into the bore where it may become lodged.
The revolver is now reassembled and can be loaded and fired normally. While the revolver is less likely to be used by unauthorized persons when disassembled in the above manner, it is always safest to store any firearm with the supplied locking device correctly installed, or to store the firearm in a gun safe or other secure location away from children and unauthorized adults. Guns should always be stored securely, unloaded and separate from their ammunition.
Where the firearm is in continuing use, and the presence of oil or grease would be objectionable, then the external surfaces can be coated (after cleaning and drying) with a paste wax formulated for use on metals. Apply the wax sparingly, allow time for it to dry hard, then buff lightly with a soft cloth. When applying the wax take care that it does not get into the mechanism or on the functioning parts such as the bolt, trigger, magazine, etc.
SERVICE AND PARTS POLICY If you have any questions with regard to the performance of your revolver, please write or call (603-865-2442) our Newport, New Hampshire Product Service Department, fully describing all circumstances. If you should return your revolver to the factory for repair, or order parts for it, please comply with the following suggestions for prompt service: SHIPPING FIREARMS FOR REPAIR ! WARNING: BEFORE SHIPPING ANY FIREARM, BE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT IT AND ITS CYLINDER ARE UNLOADED.
WARNING –PARTS PURCHASERS It is the purchaser’s responsibility to be absolutely certain that any parts ordered from the factory are correctly fitted and installed. Firearms are complicated mechanisms and IMPROPER FITTING OF PARTS MAY RESULT IN A DANGEROUS MALFUNCTION, DAMAGE TO THE FIREARM, AND SERIOUS INJURY TO THE SHOOTER AND OTHER PERSONS. The purchaser and installer of parts must accept full responsibility for the correct adjustment and functioning of the revolver after such installation.
IMPORTANT – REGARDING PARTS ORDERING. Ruger Old Army Percussion revolvers are manufactured in Blued steel and Stainless steel versions. WHEN ORDERING PARTS BE SURE TO STATE WHETHER YOUR REVOLVER IS BLUED OR STAINLESS. ALSO, INCLUDE THE COMPLETE SERIAL NUMBER. NOTE: A few components, as example sight blades and grip panels, are the same for blued and stainless models.
RUGER® OLD ARMY® PARTS LIST Design, prices and specifications subject to change without notice. SPECIFY MODEL WHEN ORDERING (See Exploded View on Page 34.
Part Name Front Sight Base, Adjustable Front Sight Blade, Adjustable Front Sight Cross Pin, Adjustable Grip Frame — Standard Grip Frame — Standard Grip Frame Screw-A-Front Grip Frame Screw-A-Front Grip Frame Screw-B-Back (2 Req’d.) Grip Frame Screw-B-Back (2 Req’d.
Part Name Loading Lever Latch Screw Loading Lever Latch Screw Loading Lever Latch Spring Mainspring Mainspring Mainspring Seat Mainspring Seat Medallion, 2 Req’d., Not Illustrated Nipple Nipple Wrench, Not Illustrated Pawl Pawl Plunger Pawl Plunger Pawl Plunger Spring Pawl Plunger Spring Rear Sight Assembly, Complete, Adjustable Specify whether sight has bump on underside. Rear Sight Elevation Screw, Adjustable Rear Sight Blade, Adjustable Rear Sight Elevation Spring, Adjustable (2 Req’d.
EXPLODED VIEW RUGER® OLD ARMY®
THE BASIC RULES OF SAFE FIREARMS HANDLING We believe that Americans have a right to purchase and use firearms for lawful purposes. The private ownership of firearms in America is traditional, but that ownership imposes the responsibility on the gun owner to use his firearms in a way which will ensure his own safety and that of others. When firearms are used in a safe and responsible manner, they are a great source of pleasure and satisfaction, and represent a fundamental part of our personal liberty.
A safe direction must take into account the fact that a bullet may penetrate a wall, ceiling, floor, window, etc., and strike a person or damage property. Make it a habit to know exactly where the muzzle of your gun is pointing whenever you handle it, and be sure that you are always in control of the direction in which the muzzle is pointing, even if you fall or stumble. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot. 3. FIREARMS SHOULD BE UNLOADED WHEN NOT IN USE.
5. BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET BEFORE YOU SHOOT. Don’t shoot unless you know exactly where your bullet is going to strike. Be sure of the bullet stop behind your target, even when dry-firing with an unloaded gun. If you are in the field hunting, do not fire at a movement or noise. Take the time to be absolutely certain of your target before you pull the trigger. 6. WEAR SHOOTING GLASSES AND HEARING PROTECTORS WHEN YOU SHOOT.
8. DON’T SHOOT AT A HARD SURFACE, OR AT WATER. Bullets can glance off many surfaces like rocks or the surface of water and travel in unpredictable directions with considerable velocity. 9. NEVER TRANSPORT A LOADED FIREARM. Firearms should always be unloaded before being placed in a vehicle. A suitable carrying case or scabbard should by used to carry an unloaded firearm to and from the shooting area. 10. AVOID ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES WHEN SHOOTING. Don’t drink until the day’s shooting is over.
A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF AN EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT: RUGER FIREARMS One of the few American firearms manufacturers whose management has remained in the same family since starting in business, Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc., had its beginning in a small machine shop occupying a rented frame building in Southport, Connecticut. In January, 1949, with an initial investment of only $50,000 and an idea, William B. Ruger and Alexander M. Sturm started production of a .
WHY NO WARRANTY CARD HAS BEEN PACKED WITH THIS NEW RUGER FIREARM The Magnuson-Moss Act (Public Law 93-637) does not require any seller or manufacturer of a consumer product to give a written warranty. It does provide that if a written warranty is given, it must be designated as “limited” or as “full” and sets minimum standards for a “full” warranty. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.
