On (08 Apr 98) Tony Belding wrote to Jim King...
 JK> Hi Ed,
 JK> I seem to remember that you had a nifty article on the Ruger Old Army.
 JK> Would it be convenient for you to repost it, or can you point me to
 JK> someplace I could find it?
 TB> I also would like very much to see that!
 TB> I found an article on the web by Rod Stallings talking about the new
 TB> version with fixed sights, polished stainless finish, and poly-ivory
 TB> grips.  The picture with that article looks very pretty.  I've been
 TB> thinking about getting one, but I've been cautious because I have
 TB> practically zero experience with black powder.
 TB> I would like to have some idea what I'm doing before I jump in.
 TB>  Tony Belding 
 TB>  http://hamilton.htcomp.net/tbelding/
Tony, shooting cap and ball revolvers is lots of fun, and some of them
are very accurate... even the cheaper replicas.  I had an Italian-made
Remington .44 replica that grouped in the ten ring at 25 yds (although
the fixed sights were off a little and I had to hold on the upper left
of the bull, heh!).
Shooting muzzle loaders is a leisurely process and the black powder
shooters are a sociable bunch.  The matches are a lot less formal and
although there are some fierce competitors, many are there totally for
the fun of it all.
The biggest problem is keeping the guns from corroding; this requires
immediate care after shooting.  Most shooters clean up on the range; a
lot take them home to do a better job with all the running water
that's available.
Revolvers are a lot tougher to clean up than single shot pistols and
rifles.  I always took mine completely apart and scrubbed all the
pieces with hot soapy water, then rinsed with boiling water and then
dried either with acetone or in an oven.  Alcohol can be used for
removing the water, but is not anywhere near as good as acetone.
After all this, the pieces had to be oiled well to keep them from
rusting.  I've heard of shooters putting their revolvers, sans grips,
into a dishwashing machine, or swishing them in hot soapy water to
avoid having to dissemble them, but the only up-close reports I got on
this method, from a Ruger owner, was that although the cleaning was
pretty good, the "guts" got blackened and stained.  I stuck to the
more arduous dissembly-clean-dry-oil procedure and kept my piece in
mint condition.  I wound up shooting single shot pistols a lot because
they are easier to clean.  My Thompson Center Patriot shoots like a
house afire.  It is .45 cal and has, I think I remember correctly, a
22 inch twist and is capable of keeping in the x-ring all day if I do
my part.
If you want more details about front-loader shooting, my e-mail
address is   fjones@ionet.net
Frank
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