Thanks Ruger

[Bottom Dealin Mike]

After 12 years of carefully safeguarding it, I managed to lose my Ruger Old Army nipple wrench. Annoying, since Ruger nipples have that hex head shape that requires a unique wrench.

I figured I'd go to Track or Dixie and pick one up. With all the ROAs sold I figured there must be plenty of after-market wrenches around...WRONG!!

Dixie does catalog one but they are out of stock.

Eventually I went to eBay and found a used one for $16...cripes!

I know Ruger was trying to make a better designed C&B, but I sure wish they'd have used standard nipples, so the same wrenches that fit the other 16 C&B pistols I own would fit the Ruger too.

[TwoWalks Baldridge]

Mike sounds like a good aftermarket product for someone to get into. 

[Pappy Myles]

Mike,
Heres what I use as a nipple wrench, is a socket screw driver out of my craftsman tool kit.  Works like a charm

[Abilene]

Hi Mike,
When I saw the title of the thread, I thought you were going to end your post by saying you contacted Ruger and they are sending you a new one... guess not    ... but often people talk about good service from Ruger so maybe you should try that?

Meanwhile, maybe you can find a socket driver or such that will work like Pappy did.

[Pettifogger]

Just go to Sears and get a quality made 3/16 nut driver.  Makes life with an ROA a lot easier.  (That's a Ruger nipple sticking out of the end.)

[Bottom Dealin Mike]

Even though I have a wrench coming from eBay, I may go get a socket driver at Sears anyway. None of my sockets fit...too thick to get into the nipple recess.

Today I just used one of my regular nipple wrenches, which works, but I worry about rounding the edges if the nipple if it slips.

[Pappy Myles]

Hay Pettifogger,
Thats exactly what I use.   Thanks for posting the picture.   I find it works a heck of a lot better than the one supplied by Ruger

[Bottom Dealin Mike]

Naturally, after the Ruger was cleaned, and after I bought a replacement ROA nipple wrench, the original wrench came out of hiding. It is now safely stowed in my nipple wrench bag with all his bretheren.

Ain't that usually the way....

[Pettifogger]

I have drawers full of stuff that I "lost" and bought replacements for.  This way I pretty much have spares of every little tool and gizmo imaginable.

[Major 2]

That's the corollary to Murphy's law

"if you have the have spares of every little tool"  ...you won't need it.....

the very moment you lose that spare..... you will need it in short order 

[Cemetery]

Naturally, after the Ruger was cleaned, and after I bought a replacement ROA nipple wrench, the original wrench came out of hiding. It is now safely stowed in my nipple wrench bag with all his bretheren.

Ain't that usually the way....

Your screwed now Mike, you'll loose that bag next...........

[fourfingersofdeath]

I have always said, if you want to find something, go buy another one first. In a similar vein, how do you find cheap gasoline (we call it petrol here)? Easy, fill up on expensive gas!

[Dick Dastardly]

When my "tools I can't do without" inventory reaches saturation point, I find still more "tools I can't do without" to add to the list.  Soon enough my bride discovers the cache and some migrate to her red toolbox in the kitchen under the sink.  Now, when I find gaps in my tool inventory, I look in that red toolbox.  You might be surprised how many of my tools mysteriously migrate to the red box.  I'm thinkn' she needs tools for Christmas this year. . . .

DD-MDA

[Drayton Calhoun]

Hey, Mike, that's how I ended up with two of just about everything!