Give us your Ruger story - win a shirt!

[Carolina Lead Foot]

OK here it is after much delay, by the way if I do get a shirt it is super huge in size  .

Back in 68 I decided to grow up (18 year old) and moved to Alaska.  Got a job working forthe Air Force and bought a 12 ga single shot to do some rabbit hunting.  Well it did not take to long before I realized I needed to get something for the bears and being 18 I decided I needed a magnum handgun to carry.  Bought a Ruger 357, western belt and holster and was ready when I went out hunting with my 12 ga.  It was not until much later that I learned how much trouble I would have been in with that 357 if I ever sis run into one.  Ended up buying 2 more Rugers in Alaska and all together in my years I must have bought close to a hundred of different calibers, rifles and revolvers.  Currently have 15 in my safe all revolvers except for a 96/44 lever.  Put a peep sight on it and it makes a good close deer rifle.  I went through 14 pairs ov different RVs until I ended up with the three pair I am keeping.  May add a set of 45 7.5s in the future.  DO I like Ruger?  Sure do, just wish I had the dollars to by one of the SxS and cut it down, but can not do that.

Lead Foot, by the way, thanks for having me look over my past ownership by asking this question

[Charlie Foxtrot]

.
Marshal'ette;

Two things:

1st Finger:  Congrats on ropin' your feller.  Your life together is just beginning.  His is finished.  ;-)'

2nd Toe:  You've got to tell Ruger to put those shirts on their website store.  I went there with a credit card all ready to be melted.  I was going to buy two: his and Her Majesty's.  But -- NOTHING.  Just some cheesy t-shirts.  Ruger is missing a HUGE bet by not allowing their faithful to show their Ruger Pride! 

[Leo Tanner]

Yer right CF.
     We were cleanin the boy's 10/22 this mornin an I started diggin thru all the paper that came with gun lookin for the manual.  I expected to see my shirt in all the catalogs that were in the box an there was nothin but a bunch of tee shirts.  I don know how M'ette swung this, but the drawing is DEFINATELY worth entering.


Leo

[Major E A Sterner]

I think I can explain, Ruger has discontinued this shirt and gave DRTV a bunch to give away. I sure do like mine

[Marshal'ette Halloway]

I'm sorry. We have been gone all weekend, and just now checking things out.
Yes, you are right.. They did discontinue that line of shirt,
so we made a deal with them and they let us have some to give away.

M'Ette

[Sidewinder Sills]

My Ruger beginnings are going to have to be neccessarily cryptic, the reasons which should be obvious. Don't need the mob or some hit man looking for me. Or whoever it was that buried that gun

It was the mid 70's and as boys are wont to do, I was playing in a dirt lot just diggin up ground to make BMX jumps. I found an old cigar box in the ground that turned out to have a Ruger Single Six .22 in it. (I have since dated it to 1958 by the serial number) One of the old black plastic grip panels had a chip in it, and at some point someone had put an XR3-Red grip frame on it (DAMN them!) and sanded it down to the aluminum. Other than that, it was pretty tight.

I had been growning up firing guns and had a .22LR bolt rifle and an old single-shot .410ga back at the house, so I kept this little beauty hidden for quite some time until my ol' grandpap caught me with it. True to his rascally self, he kept my secret but sent it off to Ruger for that dreaded conversion to the transfer bar system.

Since then I have purchased 2 more 3-screw Singel Six .22's, neither older than 1962, as well as 5 more OM Vaqueros all in .45 (2 7 1/2" stainless, 2  5 1/2" CC'd and 1  4 5/8's stainless) Also have a blued GP-100 in .357mag

For rifles I have an older 10/22 and 2 Mini-14's. One standard rifle blued with the Rosewood stock and one stainless ranch rifle, with the factory folder.

Dont have access to pic's of all of them at the time of this posting, but these I do have and have been seen on the RATS site.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/cksills/SASS023.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/cksills/SASS024.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/cksills/SASS014.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/cksills/SASS018.jpg


5 1/2" CC'd .45's, Eagle gunfighter grips, leather by M. Shelhart, knife tweaked by Longline Charlie

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/cksills/SASS026.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/cksills/SASS004.jpg

as original, prior to grip swaps:

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/cksills/SASS006.jpg

[Leo Tanner]

Beeyoutyfull!!!

     Nice collection.  Not even a trace of a drag line on any of the blued cylinders.  I bet they all shoot as good as they look.


Leo

[Deadguy]

My Ruger story goes as follows.  My first pistol was a Ruger Single Six in .22 which I bought the day I turned 21.  It was followed in turn over the years by a Blackhawk in .357 mag, a Mk III in .22, and the most recent, a Blackhawk in .45 Colt.

[fasteddie]

Back before there was a SASS I bought a Ruger.  It is the Ruger Old Army.  I've shot deer with it, rabbits, heads off partridge and uncountable former receptacles of fermented malt beverages.  I shot round balls and conicals but was never impressed with the accuracy of the second cylinder full without cleaning.  But, that's another story.  I'm getting ahead of myself here.

One sunny summer afternoon I decided that I wanted more power from the ROA.  I'd tried putting all the FFFg under a conical that would still allow the cylinder to turn.  Pretty impressive, but I  wanted more.  I had a can of pan priming powder from a pard that quit shooting his flint lock front stuffer rifle.  The can was worn, but I knew what it held.  So, I charged up the ROA with a good compressed charge of FFFFg under conical bullets.

Then, I put up some of them empty beverage cans and had at it.  First shot had impressive roar and recoil.  The can took a dead center hit.  And, the hammer was OPEN on the ROA.  The blowback had blown the cap off and the hammer open.  I  pulled the trigger again and BOOM.  Same thing.  Second can suffered a fatal wound.  Then, I noticed blood dripping off my glasses.  The caps had hit me in the forehead and blood was running.

I  didn't empty the last four chambers by shooting them.  I pulled the bullets, scooped out the powder and cleaned the gun.

That's one strong gun.  Also, one dumb but learning shooter.  I never repeated that experiment and never will.  Thanks to the glasses I didn't loose my eyes.  Things could have been worse.

So, now you know the story of the semi-auto ROA.  I wonder if I'd held the trigger back if it might not have gone full auto???

That same gun is in the photo below, along with a matching companion.  It now goes to SASS matches with either a Kirst Konverter cylinder or the original C&B cylinder, depending on my mood.  These ROAs have a balance and feel that my big hands love.  The brass backstraps and squareback trigger guards are a joy to the eye.

I have other Ruger guns, but this is my first one.  All are good, but the original ROA has a special place in my heart.

DD-DLoS

what did you have in that can ? I have shot ffffg 40 grains with both conical and round in my ROA for years with no problems just a lot of smoke and a lot of bang. you had better check your can!

fasteddie

[Lucky Irish Tom]

Around 2000 several people I knew talked me into coming out to watch a CAS match.  It seemed like fun so I decided to get involved, I hadn't really touched a firearm in 30 years, the last time was in the service.  I was introduced to a gentleman who was leaving CAS because he didn't have the time.  I purchased 2 Ruger Blackhawks from him in .357 as my first two pistols for SASS.  As people have said they were tanks shot match after match and they kept coming back for more.

Once I had been shooting for a couple of years I started doing my own reloading and switched to .45 caliber.  My first purchase for the transition was to purchase 2 Ruger Bisley Vaqueros in Stainless.  They have been my main match pistols ever since, even when I switched to shooting Black Powder those guns have never failed me.

Hopefully this Christmas I will add a pair of the New Vaqueros to my collection.  Ruger will always be a mainstay for me and the conerstone of my main match firearms.

[Marshal'ette Halloway]

I am just dropping in to let everyone know that I am out of all shirts other than a few Mediums and X Larges. I will make one more draw on these this next week and then it will be done for now. I have appreciated so much all the stories and participation. What a great group of people Cowboy Action Shooters are.  They just don't get any better than you all.   

[slick vic]

Hey if you have any med to give away why not send one to me here in Northern Ireland

[Mahpila]

well the contest is over for Me snice I am a 2X guy   but here is My Ruger storey   back in 1979 I was going to College for agri busness  and had a hog raiseing operation    I was out on a 950 acere  spread I had rented just the barns   lived out in one that had been convereted to houseing   semi wild dogs  and the nebhors dogs started comeing and Killing My babypigs the land lord loaned Me a browning Hi power in 9 mickey mouse I thought is was hot sheet snice it held 13 rounds and he gave a box of hollow points   well a couple nights later  the pigs were raiseing a ruckus   and I grabs the HP and My ruger 45  Old model  3 screw loaded with SWC 250's saw a pit bull  killing a baby pig  and shoot him with the  HP the Hollow point went in one side and out the other  the HP jammed  and the dog started avanceing on Me  I droped the Hi-power in the mud  and grabed the ruger  and shoot the dog again this time from cheast to tail  he didn't get up from that monent on I have been a true bleaver in rugers and big soild bullets
that same ruger  later on that summer proved how tough it was  when I accedently loaded a hot 44 mag in the 45 and fired it well it was loud  and part of a nice group I was shooting soon as I emptered the chambers I saw what had happened   the 44 case was spilt  from case mouth   down to just above the web and rim after I stoped shacking   I checke dthe gun  out just to make sure I took to local gun smith told Him what had happened  and he gave a quick look over and handed it back to Me say "don't worry its a Ruger  they can take it "  well from that night I have been a huge Ruger fan
I still have that old model   and have added a couple 10-22's one is fully tricked out a  Butler heavy barrel houge rubber stock  big mag release  worquaertson trigger and sear  and a simmons 4-12 X scope  and I have a Ruger #3 in 22 hornet   the local ground squierrls hate them  and a Mini 14 ranch with peep sight and on my wish list is a   45  bisely  4 5/8 stainless  in a matt finish for packing  I also have a MK II G model blued  and her name is Sara Lee  cause nobody doesn't like sara Lee   she shoots strait every time  I use that gun for training new shooter   a girl freind  who was a anti gun person   I took her out shooting   gave her sara lee set up a bulls eyes target at 15 yards   first shot she every fired she hit the X not just the X ring   the knocked the center out the  X printed on the target   she went through a brick of ammo that day it was so fun for her   by end of the day she was hitting  12 ga hulls at 25 yards about 60 % the time     she is a gun nut now

[Texas Lawdog]

I started carrying a Ruger P85 as a Law officer in 1985. I later bought a P90, a P91, a P93, aP95, and a P97. I have carried these pistols on duty at one time or another. I got interested in CAS and purchased 2 Blackhawks in 357 Mag. I later purchased 2 Blackhawks in 45 Colt.  I later purchased my first Vaquero which was blued 45 Colt.  I later purchased two SS Vaqueros in 45 Colt. I still have all of these revolvers. I also have a Ruger 10/22 rifle.

[Leo Tanner]

That 10/22 is a great rifle.  The most customizable firearm in history.  I bought one for my son and I always ask for a turn with it after I've spent all my centerfire ammo.  You can shoot one of them all day for 10 bucks and get great hits.


Leo

[Angel_Eyes]

Hi from a restricted UK shooter. Since the enlightened UK government took our cartridge pistols away from us in '97, we are left with C&B for our enjoyment. When the MuzzleLoaders of GB resurrected their version of our annual Pistol Fest I decided to enter the precision B/P revolver competition with my ROA. When I arrived at the comp. check-in I was told in no uncertain terms that as my ROA was not in the "spirit of the original" I would have to compete in the Precision Free Pistol event instead. I shot my comp. on the Friday and come Sunday afternoon I was still in 1st place. I then heard that the organizers had brought in one of their top GB shooters who then beat me by 1 point. Just goes to show how good a standard, "out of the box" ROA can be!
Keep the faith, fellow Cowboy shooters,(I now shoot British Western SS comps with a pair of ROA's)