Ruger Old Army.Missfire problems.

Teasel · May 18, 2012

Hi Guys, I bought a Ruger cap and ball revolver some time a go and don't use it much because it has an irritating habit of misfiring and sometimes whenit does fire , fragments of cap drop down into the mechanism and cause it to jam. Various theories have been put forward by other owners of the the same model but we hav'nt solved the problem. Its an accurate gun , when it works, so I have decided to try and get to te bottem of the problem.Now I know you guys are metalic cartidge reloaders, like myself, but I just wondered if there is anyone out there that may know of a solution. Maybe a modified hammer.Different nipples. Different caps, maybe...
Ian (Teasel)

GIrine45 · May 18, 2012

Old Army

Hey Teasel,

I have owned a couple Ruger Old Armies and never had that problem, nor with any other BP gun unless the cap was the wrong size.

First is the gun original? Are the nipples standard for Ruger?

What size caps are you using and are they the ones recommended by Ruger?

Also, I would make sure they are new vintage and have not become contaminated which could lead to misfires.

Also, check the distance between the nipple and the hammer. Is there a gap or near or actual contact.

Ideally, the caps should have to be forced onto the nipple for a snug fit and feel like they bottom out. If sloppy or too big you can squeeze them a bit to make them tight then push them on. Those however will like to split upon firing and fall into the action sometimes.

Another possibility for misfires is the flash hole could be blocked or too small if not standard. This can be opened up a bit to let more fire through.

Pictures of your Old Army might help too.

Hope this helps, keep us posted.

Vulcan Bob · May 18, 2012

Hi there, GIrine45 has some good info there. Make sure before fireing your chambers are clean and free of oil. Use a nipple pick or small piece of copper wire to clean your nipples to be sure they are clear. Before loading fire off six caps, this will blow out any oil or debris, this is done with EMPTY chambers. You only need to do this once per session. There is the old trick of after fireing a shot to elevate the revolver to near straight up before cocking the hammer again, this allows a split nipple to fall free of the gun, then lower it to your target again. Hope this helps.

walnutred · May 18, 2012

What kind of missfire are you having? Do the caps fire but not igniting the charge or are the caps not firing at all?

Sal1950 · May 18, 2012

Don't know why your having the light strike problems but it has to be either the mainspring tension or the fit of the cap on the nipple. What brand and size of caps are you using, try some other stuff. Go to a blackpowder cowboy comp and talk to some of the guys there.
As to the nipples fragmenting and jamming the gun, my Pietta 1858 Remington has done this for the last 30 years, I thought it was normal but never hung out with any black powder guys either.
Sal

VAdoublegunner · May 18, 2012

Some good advice above. I have a pair of them and they are a blast!! Especially when you fire one in each hand sequentially, Cowboy Action gunfighter style (or Josey Wales)!!

When you say misfire, do the caps fire and the main charge fails to ignite, or do the caps fail to fire, especially on the first hit? The latter is likely incorrect cap sizes or the caps are not being seated firmly enough. The hammer strike acts to "seat" the caps and they usually fire on the next strike. Or the third. Try Remington #10 caps if you have standard Ruger nipples on the revolver. They are generally regarded as the most fool proof out there. If they are aftermarket ones, then something else may be better.

A lot of shooters will use a wooden dowel to give the caps a gentle push to make sure the caps are seated.

>>>> WOODEN! This is important! Gently but firm! This is important! Safe direction when seating! Monumentally important!!!!!!! <<<<

If the caps fire but the main charge fails, there are a number of possibilities the above posters mentioned, but a likely cause is a blocked nipple hole (use a small diameter wire to clean), or oil in the charge holes before the first charge is loaded. I tend to clean the nipples with a pick after about 5 cylinders, keeps them running smoothly.

Cap debris can tie up the cylinder. A lot of shooters will tilt the muzzle upward when cocking to help the spent caps fall free. Properly fitting caps go a long way to avoiding the problem, but it is a hit or miss thing sometimes.

Good luck! They are a lot of fun!

Teasel · May 19, 2012

.Hi Guys thanks for the advice, I have not fired the gun for years so I am a bit hazy about the details but having said that....the gun is entirely original with the original nipples but because I remember finding it hard to put caps on I did put the nipples in my lathe and slimmed them down a bit.So now they are undersized but take CCI NO. 11 caps. Just a bit slack.But taking your advice, I think Ishould be extra carefull about cleaning and making sure no oil or grease is present etc. Also it may be a good idea to get a new set of nippes and start again. Also I have just remembered that before slimmed the nipples down caps just failed to fire. After I altered them they always fire but sometimes fail to ignight the powder

Teasel · May 19, 2012

Pics of Old Army

Pics of the gun

Andy Griffith · May 19, 2012

Ill fitting percussion caps are dangerous. If the cap is oversized, they can either fall off allowing burning powder from an adjacent chamber being fired to get down and set off the chamber with no cap covering it resulting in a chain fire.

The best advice that I can give, is get some Treso nipples to fit it- they are made of bronze and are designed to be used with Remington #10 percussion caps which fit them perfectly. The Treso nipples also have some very, very small flash holes which 99% of the time keep the caps from splitting and coming off when they are fired. The disadvantage is you will have to gently use your fingernail to pull them off the nipple after they are fired- but this keeps them from falling into the action and makes it much, much more reliable.

I've had no misfires or cap jams at all since switching to Treso nipples. They can be bought at Track of the Wolf, the Possibles Shop or other various retailers. They run about five dollars each, but a small price to pay for reliable shooting.

The one other item I will suggest, it use real black powder- it doesn't matter the brand (Goex, Swiss, KIK, Diamondback, or some old Elephant), but it will ignite much easier and shoot more consistently that most any substitute. A good place to start for a decent load is half the caliber- .44 caliber, so 20 to 25 grains- which makes a great plinking load which doesn't use too much powder.

I can understand why having so many problems may have turned you off from shooting such a nice revolver so much- I used to struggle a bit when shooting percussion, but it's very enjoyable once you have reliable shooting pieces.

The blackpowder bug has bitten me and I'm infected.

grover99 · May 19, 2012

I bought one of these Rugers new some years ago. Had the same problem with the new gun. The caps would fire but not the main charge. Never the same ones each time. I bought a set of new nipples but didn't help. Gave up and sold the thing. Maybe I should have sent it back to Ruger

mkk41 · May 19, 2012

Cap bits are just part of shooting percussion revolvers , like smoke and the smell of rotten eggs.

The best caps I've ever used in 35yrs of shooting BP revolvers are RWS-Dynamit-Nobel caps. They're copper , not brass and don't seem to go to pieces like domestic CCI or Remington caps. In fact , ya often have to pull the popped cap off the nipple.

Teasel · May 20, 2012

Interesting collection

Hi Andy, thats an interesting collection of B P pistols you have there. I was wondering about getting a replica myself.Are they accurate?

Ian (teasel)
PS Getting some more nipples for the Old Army next week.

canoeguy · May 20, 2012

Could be a cap problem...

I have a Ruger Old Army and it won't fire CCI caps reliably. Works great with Remington...

Try a tin of Remington caps.

Hammerdown77 · May 21, 2012

Also, hold the back of the cylinder up to some light and look through the chamber mouths. Do you see light coming through the holes in the nipples in each chamber? Are the holes the same size, or close?

A friend has a ROA with a couple of nipples that have virtually no opening at all for the fire to get through. Like pin prick size. And it isn't blockage from fouling, it's just the hole wasn't drilled properly.

Something to check.

scattershot · May 21, 2012

Since you have turned the nipples, maybe you should try #10 caps, or go to all new nipples. I agree that you should dry fire (cap only) each nipple to clear the flashhole before shooting, they are probably just clogged.

Properly loaded, your pistol should be just as reliable as a modern Blackhawk.

Another thought, you didn't say, but are you using black powder or Pyrodex? Sometimes the substitute powders are difficult to light.

growr · May 21, 2012

Andy Griffiths advice is spot on....I shoot cap and ball in SASS (1860 Army's) Treso nipples and Remington #10 caps solved this once and forever.

Randy

Teasel · May 21, 2012

Maybe I should get some Treso nipples. Wonder if I can get them over here? (UK)
Actually I have looked through the chambers and existing nipples and they look OK. But.. anyway I have in the mean time, ordered some new Ruger nipples. So I,ll see how they perform with Remington caps. If the problem is still there, I will try and aquire Those Treso nipples.
Ian

m1gunner · May 21, 2012

Great advice above. Degrease the cylinder assembly, new nipples, NO CCI caps and real Black Powder usually fixes misfires on BP guns.

One thing to check is if the hammer is striking the nipple squarely. A dab of clay on the nipple (no powder or cap) and lower the hammer. See that there is a nice even impression left by the hammer. Check all 6 chambers.

Andy Griffith · May 22, 2012

Here is the website for the House of Muskets, who makes the Treso line of products. You can download their whole catalog if you want, or just drop them an email and they should be able to tell you of dealers or distributors in England that have nipples. Their nipples are some of the best investments you can make- I've got them in all the guns I regularly use.

My most accurate out of the box gun is a Pietta .36 steel frame "Josey Wales" model- which looks great and is all steel with the "antique" finish- it shoot to point of aim and is not finicky about loads- it shoots round ball or conicals from the Lee blackpowder revolver moulds well. The only thing is- it isn't a historically perfect recreation as Colt never made the configuration- but it looks wonderful to me.

Next favorite is my Rogers and Spencer by Euroarms and then a pair of 1860 Piettas and an original Starr double action .44. I've parted with most of my Remingtons, as they just don't seem to fit me- but they shot well.

wiley · May 22, 2012

2 more things:
Check for cylinder end play and verify that the nipples contact the face of the hammer, Some times shimming the nipple can close the gap.
Track of The Wolf does have the unique nipple wrench available for the OA.

Ruger Old Army.Missfire problems.

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