Roa

[AlBur]

I understand that there is a company in the UK who are modifying the ROA black powder cylinder to take shotgun primers & also having the cylinder NITRO proofed.

Anyone have any details/contact info. Would be interested to read the details.

(I anticipate a reply from Tac descibing the folly of such a conversion !!).

Al

[NigelG]

I think it might be Alan Westlake and I believe it's a new machined cylinder, not a converted one

[AlBur]

Hi
Definitely not a Westlake conversion. A. Westlake no longer does conversions on ROA.
Should have taken more notice when shown the info. The threaded nipples for BP are replaced with modified nipples which will take SG primers. The then modded BP cylinder is sent off to the proof house to be proof tested for NITRO powder.
The NITRO load will be very light ( maybe 2-3 grains of something like unique or similar).
A chap in our club is awaiting the return of his cylinder from the proof house.
I will be very interested to see the mod & see how it performs.

Al

[xx.Morph.xx]

A & A Guunsmiths in Skegness or Anvil Conversions.
I think Anvil only supply the shotgun primer nipples & newly converted (to nitro) pistols, A & A will supply a new cylinder for a ROA & shotgun primer nipples.
You should be able to find both on Google but if not I can post links.
HTH

[tacfoley]

I understand that there is a company in the UK who are modifying the ROA black powder cylinder to take shotgun primers & also having the cylinder NITRO proofed.

Anyone have any details/contact info. Would be interested to read the details.

(I anticipate a reply from Tac descibing the folly of such a conversion !!).

Al

It's your gun - why should I make any comment?

All I'd say it that you should also keep the original BP cylinder for the time when you may want to sell it.

tac

[AlBur]

Hi Tac. B assured it is not my gun. Fellow shooter in the club has bought the ROA & is having it modified as I described.
regards
Al

[tacfoley]

Hi Tac. B assured it is not my gun. Fellow shooter in the club has bought the ROA & is having it modified as I described.
regards
Al

The 'pfiff' of 3gr of Herco will never replace the wrist-jolting 'thwump' of 30gr of Go-Ex. Just sayin'.

tac

[CapnBall]

I have one set of these 209 nips for my 2 ROAs

Listed for 8.0 grains Herco (yes, 8) and a 454 Round Ball. I was warned, NOT to dare use a larger ball like 457 or the primers will start to separate.

I run the Ruger through a Magneto-scope chrono. In summary, the 8 grain Herco load with the deliberately loose-fit balls were not as consistent as I'd like. Between 750-900 fps. With tighter-fit ball or even the big heavy conicals I have it might be better, but I didn't want to risk it.

It was great to have very reliable ignition, and of course, no worries re cleaning up.

But for me, Black Powder wins for accuracy in the Old Army, by quite a margin at that. Even with the fouling, BP wins. For info, I also have a 285-grain WFN heeled-base grease-band-lubed boolit that loads just fine in the Ruger and Uberti 44 cylinders - ahead of 777 is 'entertaining'.

I like the 209 Primer nipples- but have been just using them of late with BP. They can become a bugger to extract after a few shots.

Tread with caution. The threads on the cylinder are a wearing surface, and an old cylinder with bodged threads might give-way under nitro pressure - then what?

Two eyes are good to have.

[tacfoley]

Tread with caution. The threads on the cylinder are a wearing surface, and an old cylinder with bodged threads might give-way under nitro pressure - then what?

'Old cylinder' - 'botched threads'?

Surely the 'old' cylinder is modified beyond restoration to take the new #209 primers?

I was under the impression that the conversion involved the manufacture of a new cylinder - hence the rather adventurous price here in UK.

And also my comment about keeping the original PB cylinder in post #2.

tac

[CapnBall]

Nope, just straight replacement nipples, same thread, machined-out to take the 209 primers.

If there is another way to nitro with the ROA, eg a new cylinder such as made by Westlake, I haven't used one in the Ruger.

[tacfoley]

Nope, just straight replacement nipples, same thread, machined-out to take the 209 primers.

If there is another way to nitro with the ROA, eg a new cylinder such as made by Westlake, I haven't used one in the Ruger.

I've been misinformed. I was under the impression that the cylinder was either made from new, or modified in such a way as to preclude restoration to shooting black powder. You might be interested to know that that's the way it's done over the Great Water, but then, if they want another cylinder, they just go to the store and buy one.

tac

[CapnBall]

Someone told me some 'Smiths used to make a new 'limited' cylinder for the ROA, but not now.

When you advise fellow nitro-cylinder users you are about to let go 8 full grains of Herco, they tend to vacate the firing point.