Ruger Old Army Serial Number

  1. Ruger Old Army Serial Number 145-08903
  2. RugerForum.com • View Topic - Old Army / History?
  3. Ruger Old Army Serial Numbers
  4. Ruger Old Army Serial Number

This Ruger Model Old Army was manufactured by Sturm, Ruger in 1995 according to the company records. It is a 6 shot, single-action percussion revolver that is chambered in .45 caliber. It has a bore diameter of .443' as measured between the lands, and a diameter of .451' as measured between the grooves, with a suggested bullet diameter of .457'. This revolver which is made from chrome-molybdenum steel and has a 7 1/2 inch barrel with 6 grooves with a right hand twist making one turn in 16 inches. The Patridge type sights include a front sight that is mounted on a ramp and a rear sight that is adjustable for both windage and elevation. This revolver with its deep blue finish is 13 1/2 inches long and weighs in at a hefty 2 7/8 pounds. The grip panels are a smooth American walnut and include the Sturm, Ruger company logo. The nipples are made from stainless steel and use the standard #10 percussion caps. The design of this revolver is based on the older three screw Blackhawk lockwork and actually uses the same grip frame. Production began in 1972 and continues to this day.

  • Up for sale is this Ruger Old Army SS Black Powder Revolver in.44 Cal (.457 Ball Dia.). The Serial Number is 809.
  • Ruger discontinued the Old Army Model some years ago, and this 5.5' barrel Gloss Stainless finish variation with white grips was a very limited run towards the end of production. The white plastic grips with silver and black Ruger medallions are the factory original grips for this revolver and in excellent like-new condition.
  • Early Serial Number Ruger Old Army Stainless Steel Black Powder Revolver in.44 Cal (.457 Ball Dia.). You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
  • An early stainless Old Army would be a 7.5' adjustable sighted revolver. Before Old Armys were discontinued fixed sighted ones were only made in small numbers. Due to their scarcity they became much more valuable than regular adjustable sighted 7.5' Old Armys. New production are fixed sighted to capitalize on the value of older fixed sighed ROAs.
Serial

The revolver is intended to be used with traditional blackpowders such as FFFG, Pyrodex P, or Triple seven FFFG powders, and should never under any circumstances be loaded and used with smokeless powder. The Ruger Old Army revolver has become the cap and ball sixgun to beat at cowboy action shooting events and could possibly be the finest percussion handgun ever produced.

A brief history of the Sturm, Ruger company.

Post subject: Ruger Old Army, serial# 123 stainless for sale. Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 4:03 am. So up for sale is an ROA, stainless, serial number 123.

After WWII in 1946, Ruger rented space in a barn in Southport, CT where he formed the Ruger Corporation. He started the company with the goal of producing sporting firearms. Shortly thereafter he perfected the design of the Ruger .22 caliber target pistol and obtained $50,000 in financing from the Sturm family. In October of 1949, Sturm, Ruger officially opened for business. Alexander Sturm who was a graduate of Yale Art School is responsible for designing the company's trademark. Later, an article about the new company in the American Rifleman brought in the first orders. Soon thereafter, the Southport post office was forced to expand just to handle the mail that the Ruger company was receiving. Within a year, Sturm, Ruger had repaid the Sturm family's $50,000 investment; this was also the last money that the company ever borrowed. Sturm died in November of 1951 at the young age of 29 from viral hepatitis. Ruger took over control of the company's management, while Sturm's estate retained its interest in the company. William B. Ruger continued to direct the company until his death in 2002.

William B. Ruger's credo was 'Arms Makers for Responsible Sportsmen.' He created firearms not only for hunters and target shooters, but for folks who purchased guns for their esthetics and their precision. The company stock has been publicly traded since 1969, then starting in 1990, Sturm, Ruger began trading on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol of 'RGR'. So far, the Company has made a profit every year of its existence. Ruger has manufactured well over 20 million firearms for both sporting and law enforcement use. Today they have branched out into other endeavors such as the automotive parts market and manufacturing the cast titanium golf club heads for the BIG BERTHA drivers. The Company's corporate headquarters are still located in Southport, CT and that barn where it all started, well it is still standing today.

It would not be fair if I did not as well mention the controversy that Mr. Ruger created with his letter to members of the House and Senate on March 30th, 1989. In short, it is thought that his letter was the genesis for some parts of the legislation that was drafted 5 years later in the Assault Weapons Ban. Not only that, but in an interview with Tom Brokaw, Mr. Ruger went on to say that 'no honest man needs more than 10 rounds in any gun' and 'I never meant for simple civilians to have my 20 and 30 round magazines'. These comments brought down the wrath from angry gun owners even though Mr. Ruger had actually advocated for a 15 round magazine limit. Still, it shocked the firearms community to hear such comments coming from an important firearms manufacturer. Today, the Ruger company no longer stands by this line of thinking and is actively selling high capacity magazines to the general public.

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Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 1:36 pm
Newly Registered

Joined: Fri May 15, 2015 12:47 pm
Posts: 2
Hi all,
I just joined this forum because I recently bought an 'Old Army'.
I live in Germany and own several handguns for sport-shooting.
Now I wanted to go back to the roots and bought a black-powder revolver.
Of course a Ruger.
I needed to have it from the firtst time I saw it.
Imported to Germany by the company 'Hege', using the brand 'Orion' because
it was resold by a German company 'Frankonia'. They did not want to sell guns from their competitor 'Hege'.
It was imported 1975 and sold to a collector because it was not shot all the
time.
To get to know more about the history I had contact to Ruger and to the german
importer 'Hege'.
The only facts I found out are that this is a quite early stainless model.
Serial-numbers without prefix started for the stainless with 3000.
This is number 3203, one of the first which came to Germany.
But no one could tell me where the engravings were made.
Maybe you can tell me more about this beauty?
Here some pics:
Best regards,
Peter


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Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 7:08 pm
Buckeye

Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2002 1:01 am
Posts: 1460
Location: Augusta, Georgia
Peter,
Welcome to the Ruger Forum.
The Ruger Old Army, stainless steel, 7 1/2' barrel, adjustable sights, KBP-7 and with a non prefixed serial number. Engraved!
I'm not sure what information I may add to your knowledge of this gun. I can tell you that non-prefixed serial numbers for these guns started at 1. Do you have the original paperwork confirming imported in 1975? Is there anything stamped on the top of the barrel like 'Made in the 200th year of liberty' hid by engraving? I ask because your #3203 seems more like a 76 gun rather than 1975. Of course a request for letter from Ruger will be best.
There are many official engraved Old Armies but kept at factory, known whereabouts, or prefixed serial number. There are also many beautiful non factory engraved guns. Engravers sometime hide their mark, place it in known area, or do not sign there work.
I have a stainless Old Army with a German connection. It is #23XX and has several German stamps/proof marks. I got it from another soldier while I was stationed there my second time.
Others will come along and assist you in knowing more about your gun. Where in Germany do you live? (wowoen sie?)
SATCOM


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Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 5:07 am
Newly Registered

Joined: Fri May 15, 2015 12:47 pm
Posts: 2
Hi Satcom,
thank you for your Information.
I got an E-Mail from Ruger that the gun was produced 1975.
Also the stamp from the german department for testing arms is from 1975.
But I only found information on the internet that the serial-number around 3.000 was
the borderline between production-year 1975 and 1976.
Unfortunately no one can tell me where the engraving was made, 'Hege' as the
importer has no more documents from this time...
So the ROA will keep this secret....
Best regards from Ruhrgebiet!
Peter


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Ruger Old Army Serial Number 145-08903

Ruger Old Army Serial Number

RugerForum.com • View Topic - Old Army / History?

Ruger Old Army Serial Number

Ruger Old Army Serial Numbers

Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 7:32 am
Buckeye

Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2002 1:01 am
Posts: 1460
Location: Augusta, Georgia
Peter,
I had to look up your location. Never made it that far north as both tours were Rhineland Phalz. Once near K-town and the other near Koblenz. I joined a shooting club in Queidersback where Ruger Old Armies were popular. Big bore handguns were not allowed by law but black power was OK. Enjoyed my years in Germany.
Tschüss,
Dane


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Ruger Old Army Serial Number

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