Ruger Old Army Revolver Instructions Manual

							Percussion caps are designed to fire as
the result of a blow “percussion”.
A capped cylinder loaded with powder
and ball is, in effect, a small firearm.
Never clean, lubricate, disassemble, or
work on a revolver while it is loaded.
Never install, remove, or carry a loaded
and capped cylinder.
A loaded and capped cylinder can
discharge if dropped or struck. Read
instructions before disassembling gun.
NEVER CARRY A
CAPPED CYLINDER
11
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. Do not attempt to use caps which ar
e too tight or try to
force or pound caps onto the nipples, as a premature discharge could result.The
suggested cap size for the Old Army revolver is No. 10 or No. 11 (U.S.) or
equivalent.
Since percussion caps have an open end (which is placed on the cylinder nipple
when you are ready to fire), they are susceptible to contamination. Be careful
when handling percussion caps, especially with oily fingers, and try to keep water,
grease, dirt and other contaminants out of the open end of the caps. Failure to do
so is the main cause of misfires in cap and ball muzzleloading firearms.
!WARNING–CAPPED CYLINDERS
EYE AND EAR PROTECTION
Safety glasses must be used when loading and firing the “Old Army”, or any
percussion firearm. Small pieces of the percussion cap are frequently blown away
when a percussion arm fires. Always wear hearing protection when firing any
firearm, in order to avoid permanent hearing damage. 
						

							12
TO LOAD AND FIRE
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. CLEARING THE NIPPLES:
Without loading the chambers, place a percussion cap on each nipple. Point
the gun in a safe direction and fire all six caps. This is done to ensure that the
nipple passage is clear and dry.
Remove all percussion caps and cap fragments.
3. CHARGING THE CHAMBERS:
A. Starting with the hammer in its full forward position, place hammer in
half-cock (loading) position by drawing it to the rear until a “click” is
heard. (See Fig. 1) The cylinder is now free to rotate in a clockwise
direction. (If the hammer is brought back too far, or if the hammer is put
into the loading position by easing it forward from full cock, the cylinder
will not be free to rotate.) Do not touch the trigger while placing the
hammer in the half cock notch
WARNING:Please re-read carefully the paragraph entitled
“Warning - Black Powder”, p. 10.!
Hammer to Load Notch
( 1 Click Back)
1 
						

							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 “muzzle-
loader”, it is never loaded
through the muzzle. Only load
through the front of the cylinder.
KEEP AWAY FROM MUZZLE
13
!WARNING–MUZZLE DIRECTION
.B. With one hand, hold the revolver by the grip with the barrel pointing
upwards.
C. Using a dipper or other single-charge measure, pour the desired amount
of powder into the front opening of one chamber of the cylinder.  (See
Fig. 2) Then, if desired, fill balance of chamber with filler, leaving room
for the bullet to be seated.
D.   Place the bullet in the mouth of the charged chamber and rotate the
cylinder until that chamber is aligned with the rammer. (See Figs. 3 & 4)
Black
Powder
Only!Use Pure Lead 
Projectile Only!
23 
						

							14
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.
Repeat this procedure until all chambers you wish to load are loaded with
powder and ball. Remember that the safest way to carry any old style
revolver is with the hammer down on an empty chamber. See “Handling
Warning”, p. 15.
F. Using one of the commercially available bullet greases or other stiff
grease (some automotive water pump greases have proven satisfactory),
apply a liberal coating of grease to each chamber mouth so as to cover
the bullet and seal the chamber. The purpose of this is twofold:
1. To decrease leading and barrel fouling, and:
2. To reduce the possibility of multi-chamber discharge (“flash over”)
when firing.
4. CAPPING THE NIPPLES:
Be sure you use
only pistol caps of
good quality and
correct size. The
caps should be
completely, but
without undue
pressure, seated on
the nipples. Caps
should only be tight enough so that they do not fall off the nipple when the
barrel is elevated. (See Fig. 5)
Rotate Cylinder
So Ball is 
Under Hammer A.B.
Swing Loading
Lever Downward
C.Firmly Compress
Ball onto Powder
WARNING:It is dangerous to attempt to use caps which are
too small. Never force a cap on to the nipple. Since caps fire by
percussion, excess force or a blow in seating them can cause the caps to
discharge, firing the gun, and forcing hot gas out of the nipple, which can
cause injury.!
Use #10 Caps Ð Seat Securly on Nipple
ONLY WHEN READY TO FIRE!
4
5 
						

							15
5. COCKING:
To fire the revolver, the hammer must first be manually cocked. When
cocking the hammer, have a firm hold on the grip with the shooting hand,
and DO NOT TOUCH THE TRIGGER WHILE COCKING THE HAMMER.
TOUCH THE TRIGGER ONLY WHEN YOU ARE READY TO FIRE.With the
fore portion of your thumb firmly on the hammer spur, draw the hammer
fully to the rear until it stops. Then permit the hammer to move forward (it
will only move slightly) until the trigger engages in the hammer at full cock.
!WARNING–COCKED GUN
!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. 
Under such
circumstances, a light accidental blow on the
hammer can readily cause the gun to discharge.
The half-cock loading notch provides only partial
security from accidental discharge. If damaged, as
it may be by “fanning”, it offers no security. Never
depend upon this or any other mechanical device
to justify careless handling of any firearm.
“Fanning” is unsafe for you and abusive to your
revolver.
NEVER PUT THE HAMMER
DOWN ON A CAPPED OR
LOADED CHAMBER.Hammer
in NotchHammer
on Cap!
Any time the revolver is loaded, the
hammer is cocked and the trigger is
pulled and held to the rear, it will fire.
Cocking the gun or pulling the trigger
should only be done when you are ready
to fire immediately.
NEVER DROP OR STRIKE ANY
REVOLVER – COCKED OR UNCOCKED.
CARRY AND HANDLE THE REVOLVER
IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THE
HAMMER WILL NOT BE STRUCK.
NEVER CARRY ANY
REVOLVER WITH THE
HAMMER COCKED. 
						

							16
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–INDEXING
Hammer
in Notch or
on Empty
ChamberNever
Rest
Hammer
on Cap!
If the gun is to be fired immediately after loading,
ease the hammer forward into one of the safety
recesses in the cylinder befor
ethe hammer is drawn
back to the full cock position for the first shot. The
hammer should be drawn with a firm, positive
motion to the full cock position for each shot; thus
actuating the working parts for complete indexing.
Unless this procedure is followed in any single action
revolver, the cylinder is apt to be out of index when
fired.
If you do not desire to fire immediately, the hammer
nose should be lowered onto an empty
chamber or
eased into one of the safety recesses which is provided
on the rear of the cylinder between the nipples.This
operation should be performed very cautiously, as,
should the hammer fall onto a capped nipple, the
revolver will fire. Be sure that the hammer is fully
down in the safety recess and not just resting on the
edge. The half-cock notch is provided for ease of
loading only and should never be used as a safety
notch.
BE SURE HAMMER IS
IN CORRECT POSITION 
						

							17
DRY-FIRING: Going through the actions of cocking, aiming, and pulling the
trigger of an unloaded
gun is known as “Dry Firing.” It can be useful to learn the
“feel” of your revolver. Be certain the revolver is unloaded and that the gun is
pointing in a safe direction even when practicing by dry-firing.The Ruger Old
Army can be dry-fired without damage to the firing components.
“FANNING”:NEVERfan the Ruger Old Army revolver. Fanning is an unsafe way
to fire a gun and it is abusive to the revolver mechanism.
TO ‘UNCOCK’(DECOCK) THE REVOLVER
If your revolver is cocked, and you wish to let the hammer down to a notch in
the cylinder between nipples, proceed as follows: USE EXTREME CARE WHEN
ATTEMPTING TO DECOCK THE REVOLVER, AS THE THUMB SLIPPING
DURING THIS PROCESS CAN RESULT IN AN ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE IF
THE TRIGGER IS HELD TO THE REAR.
1.Make cer
tain that the revolver is pointing in a safe direction (See Rule 2, Page
35).
2. Make certain both hands are dry and not impeded in any way – gloves,
bandages, cold, etc.
3. Grasp the revolver (if right handed) so that the thumb and forefinger of your
left hand are firmly holding the frame, forward of the trigger guard. Thus,
your left hand is in full control of the revolver (See Figure a, p. 18).
!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. When firing any revolver,
always be certain that nothing – including either of
your hands – is in the path of the hot gas and
particles which are discharged from the front and
sides of the cylinder. Safety glasses 
mustbe used by
shooters and bystanders when loading and firing the
“Old Army”, or any percussion firearm. Small pieces
of the percussion cap are frequently blown away
when a percussion arm fires. Always wear hearing
protection when firing any firearm, in order to avoid
permanent hearing damage.
HOT GASES EXIT
BARREL/CYLINDER GAP
AND NIPPLES  
						

							18
a. With the thumb controlling the hammer as shown above (1), squeeze trigger
to permit hammer to ‘break free’ (2).
b. When hammer is free, IMMEDIATELY release trigger (3). Then lower hammer
slowly to its resting position completely into a notch betweeneach nipple (4).
Never
lower the hammer so that it rests on a percussion cap!
1
23
4
a. b.
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. NOTE: It is imperative that finger
pressure be removed from the trigger just as soon as it is free of the loading
notch in the hammer. Then, properly, the trigger and hammer will move
towards their forward positions together (See Figure b, below).
Practice this important gun handling skill with an unloaded revolver until you
have developed the proper control and ‘touch’ to decock your revolver safely. The
key to safe decocking is having the weight of the revolver controlled with one
hand, while the thumb and forefinger of the ‘shooting hand’ control the hammer
and trigger.
Remember - N
everlower the hammer fully down onto a percussion cap or loaded
chamber! See “Handling Warning”, p 15. 
DECOCKING (UNCOCKING) THE REVOLVER 
						

							19
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. 6) Keep fingers away from trigger!
3. Carefully remove percussion caps
from all nipples. (See Fig. 7)
4. Using the nipple wrench supplied,
carefully unscrew the nipple from
the chamber aligned with the cut-
out on the right side of the frame.
(See Fig. 8)
5.
Carefullyelevate the muzzle and dump the
powder out of the rear of the cylinder into a
container. (See Fig. 9)
6. Repeat for each chamber.
Unscrew Nipple
Using Wrench Supplied
(Counter Clockwise)
Remove All Nipples
And Powder
Hammer to Load Notch
( 1 Click Back)
Carefully Remove All 
Caps From Nipples
6
7
8
9 
						

							20
7. When all chambers
are empty of powder,
remove cylinder (See
Fig. 10 & “To Remove
Cylinder”, below).
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.
9. An alternative unloading method is to remove the percussion capsand
remove the cylinder as described below. Then, use the nipple wrench to
remove the nipples, dump the powder out of the cylinder, and follow step #8
above.
TO REMOVE CYLINDER
WARNING:Never attempt to remove a capped and loaded cylinder. If the cap is
struck, the cylinder will fire even if it is not in the gun. See “Capped Cylinder
Warning”, p 11.
1. Starting with the hammer fully forward, pull it back one “click” to the half-
cock loading notch. (See Fig. 12) Keep fingers away from trigger!Be sure
that the cylinder rotates freely.
Drive Ball Out of Front of Cylinder
Hammer to Load Notch
( 1 Click Back)
Remove
Cylinder
10
11
12