cee_Kamp
Bearcat
I've had my Ruger Old Army percussion cap & ball revolver for more than twenty years.
In my personal preference, it is made from stainless steel.
I have fired it some using black powder and round balls, but cleaning it after shooting sure takes away some of the fun when using it. Likely less than 250 shots in 20+ years.
Over time, I used it infrequently and eventually it just sat in the safe occupying valuable real estate.
But even being stainless, it is a MAJOR pain in the butt to clean it after shooting black powder or BP substitute.
I have an unusual method for cleaning it that isn't common, but it sure is effective and saves quite a bit of time, but still is much greater cleaning time than a modern smokeless powder revolver.
Recently, I considered selling/trading the Ruger Old Army as I hadn't shot it in many years. But being they are out of production, I just couldn't sell/trade it.
I have known about cartridge firing conversion cylinders for Ruger Old Army revolvers for a long time, but they were available in .45 Long Colt and I just didn't want to add a new caliber for one gun.
While stocking up on some shooting supplies recently, I noticed Kirst Konverter LLC now manufactures a cartridge conversion cylinder for the Ruger Old Army in .45 ACP.
And it is rated for any non plus P .45 ACP load, including using jacketed projectiles.
The Kirst unit has a non rotating cylinder back plate and one robust firing pin.
The other conversion cylinders on the market have rotating cylinder back plates and six less than robust firing pins.
I had seen some online chatter about the firing pins on the rotating cylinder back plate style having firing pin problems. (mushrooming from hammer strikes)
All of the cartridge conversion cylinders on the market in the .45 Long Colt chambering require "cowboy action shooting" power level loads and lead projectiles.
That, along with .45 Long Colt being a cartridge I don't use or own any firearms chambered in that cartridge, convinced me that .45 ACP was the more intelligent caliber choice.
I stock plenty of .45 ACP ammo, and reload for it as well.
Belt Mountain Enterprises sells a kit for using a cartridge conversion cylinder in a Ruger Old Army revolver which simplifies removing the cylinder base pin.
Since the cartridge conversion cylinder and the back plate must be removed for reloading when using the cartridge conversion cylinder, that upgrade made sense also.
All of the Ruger factory parts for ramming round lead balls into the percussion cylinder are removed, and no permanent alterations/modifications are made to the stock percussion revolver.
For converting from cartridge firing back to percussion takes less than five minutes and requires one small allen wrench for removing the Belt Mountain base pin latch kit parts.
You use the cylinder base pin or a stick to push the fired brass out of the cartridge conversion cylinder after removing the cylinder/back plate from the revolver.
This reloading issue led to the invention of the flip down loading gate and ejector rod/housing on single action revolvers.
The new Kirst Konverter cartridge conversion cylinder dropped right into the Ruger Old Army. Timing/end shake/barrel cylinder gap are perfect. It's a beautifully machined package.
I compared the new Kirst cylinder dimensionally to the factory Ruger percussion cylinder, everything is within 0.0005" so it's about perfect. (within a half thousandth of an inch)
The Belt Mountain base pin latch kit is a spring loaded assembly and it occupies the former ball rammer tunnel location. Those parts also are machined beautifully.
The Belt Mountain latch kit for the Ruger Old Army also comes with a new Keith # 5 style cylinder base pin.
The Ruger Old Army is an old model (three screw) and is not equipped with a transfer bar safety system. If you carry it, it's hammer down on an empty chamber.
Next time I get to my local range, I will be firing the Ruger Old Army chambered in .45 ACP! Range Report soon.
When I cleaned the Old Army after shooting black powder or BP substitute, this is how I cleaned it.
1. Preheat kitchen oven to 225 F.
2. Remove the grips, cylinder, and percussion nipples from the cylinder.
3. All metal parts go in the kitchen sink filled with hot soapy water. (Dawn dish soap)
4. Scrub the bore and metal parts vigorously with a bore brush and GI gun style cleaning brushes.
5. When done scrubbing, drain the sink, rinse with hot tap water, and then pour a teakettle of boiling water over all the metal parts.
6. Then into the oven for about two hours.
7. After about two hours, turn the oven off and let it cool overnight.
8. The next day, remove from oven, lubricate and put it back into storage.
Links:
https://kirstkonverter.com/
https://beltmountain.com/
IMG_20240108_130617742_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr
IMG_20240108_130646340_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr
IMG_20240108_130756072_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr
IMG_20240108_130905473_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr
In my personal preference, it is made from stainless steel.
I have fired it some using black powder and round balls, but cleaning it after shooting sure takes away some of the fun when using it. Likely less than 250 shots in 20+ years.
Over time, I used it infrequently and eventually it just sat in the safe occupying valuable real estate.
But even being stainless, it is a MAJOR pain in the butt to clean it after shooting black powder or BP substitute.
I have an unusual method for cleaning it that isn't common, but it sure is effective and saves quite a bit of time, but still is much greater cleaning time than a modern smokeless powder revolver.
Recently, I considered selling/trading the Ruger Old Army as I hadn't shot it in many years. But being they are out of production, I just couldn't sell/trade it.
I have known about cartridge firing conversion cylinders for Ruger Old Army revolvers for a long time, but they were available in .45 Long Colt and I just didn't want to add a new caliber for one gun.
While stocking up on some shooting supplies recently, I noticed Kirst Konverter LLC now manufactures a cartridge conversion cylinder for the Ruger Old Army in .45 ACP.
And it is rated for any non plus P .45 ACP load, including using jacketed projectiles.
The Kirst unit has a non rotating cylinder back plate and one robust firing pin.
The other conversion cylinders on the market have rotating cylinder back plates and six less than robust firing pins.
I had seen some online chatter about the firing pins on the rotating cylinder back plate style having firing pin problems. (mushrooming from hammer strikes)
All of the cartridge conversion cylinders on the market in the .45 Long Colt chambering require "cowboy action shooting" power level loads and lead projectiles.
That, along with .45 Long Colt being a cartridge I don't use or own any firearms chambered in that cartridge, convinced me that .45 ACP was the more intelligent caliber choice.
I stock plenty of .45 ACP ammo, and reload for it as well.
Belt Mountain Enterprises sells a kit for using a cartridge conversion cylinder in a Ruger Old Army revolver which simplifies removing the cylinder base pin.
Since the cartridge conversion cylinder and the back plate must be removed for reloading when using the cartridge conversion cylinder, that upgrade made sense also.
All of the Ruger factory parts for ramming round lead balls into the percussion cylinder are removed, and no permanent alterations/modifications are made to the stock percussion revolver.
For converting from cartridge firing back to percussion takes less than five minutes and requires one small allen wrench for removing the Belt Mountain base pin latch kit parts.
You use the cylinder base pin or a stick to push the fired brass out of the cartridge conversion cylinder after removing the cylinder/back plate from the revolver.
This reloading issue led to the invention of the flip down loading gate and ejector rod/housing on single action revolvers.
The new Kirst Konverter cartridge conversion cylinder dropped right into the Ruger Old Army. Timing/end shake/barrel cylinder gap are perfect. It's a beautifully machined package.
I compared the new Kirst cylinder dimensionally to the factory Ruger percussion cylinder, everything is within 0.0005" so it's about perfect. (within a half thousandth of an inch)
The Belt Mountain base pin latch kit is a spring loaded assembly and it occupies the former ball rammer tunnel location. Those parts also are machined beautifully.
The Belt Mountain latch kit for the Ruger Old Army also comes with a new Keith # 5 style cylinder base pin.
The Ruger Old Army is an old model (three screw) and is not equipped with a transfer bar safety system. If you carry it, it's hammer down on an empty chamber.
Next time I get to my local range, I will be firing the Ruger Old Army chambered in .45 ACP! Range Report soon.
When I cleaned the Old Army after shooting black powder or BP substitute, this is how I cleaned it.
1. Preheat kitchen oven to 225 F.
2. Remove the grips, cylinder, and percussion nipples from the cylinder.
3. All metal parts go in the kitchen sink filled with hot soapy water. (Dawn dish soap)
4. Scrub the bore and metal parts vigorously with a bore brush and GI gun style cleaning brushes.
5. When done scrubbing, drain the sink, rinse with hot tap water, and then pour a teakettle of boiling water over all the metal parts.
6. Then into the oven for about two hours.
7. After about two hours, turn the oven off and let it cool overnight.
8. The next day, remove from oven, lubricate and put it back into storage.
Links:
https://kirstkonverter.com/
https://beltmountain.com/
IMG_20240108_130617742_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr IMG_20240108_130646340_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr IMG_20240108_130756072_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr IMG_20240108_130905473_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr
. Ha!
IMG_20240115_145721301
