RUGER OLD ARMY - Lightning Ridge Opal Fields, Australia

I met my first Ruger Old Army on a pistol range in Sydney. - the Aussie guy in the shooting bay on my right got all panicky when instructions were called to "cease fire - unload, and show clear."  - as he couldn't !!

- What he'd done was load his brand-new black powder 'cap & ball' at the bench (with a suggested load that proved to have too much powder!), and had discovered that the .457" lead balls were sitting proud of the forward cylinder face preventing it from 'revolving' and firing while fully loaded. - So he was caught rather like the guy with a piece of sensitive skin jammed in his zipper - not knowing if he should push, pull, or just scream in pain.. HELP!

He had already tried forcing his balls(lead!) to seat deeper into his new gun with no joy, and now was shifting from foot to foot with sweat breaking out under his ear muffs.

 So - as luck would have it - we ("Prickles" & I) had earlier that day ridden the bus from central Sydney out to the suburban  'Horsley Park Gunshop' on a repeat pilgrimage to that Aussie Mecca of shooting hardware - where I had bought an 'OPINEL'  French "ring lock" folder knife and had it in my hip pocket. - "Do you want me to sort it out for you?" says I before opening the wee blade and slicing the tops from the soft lead balls, freeing the cylinder to rotate - problem solved.

OPINEL Knives from my collection

- Now, as I recall it, days later on an expedition 'outback' to Lightning Ridge  where the local Pistol Club was holding its big yearly 'Opal Open' match - I got to shoot another Ruger Old Army (ROA)  on their range and loved it - the careful loading sequence details, placing the caps after slightly crimping them ,-  and that soft push recoil when discharging the clouds of black-powder smoke while 'miracle' holes pop-up on target, is all very satisfying.



A Stainless Steel 'ROA' will provide endless hours of shooting therapy and meditation, to delight and maybe annoy others with your smoky smoke-pole. The Old Army is not a copy of a true historical design, but is based on Rugers own modern 'Blackhawk' model ( which itself was based on the Colt 'Peacemaker') and has some styling features like the Remington Model 1858.  - Have fun!

                                           Opal Mine workings at Lightning Ridge

Lightning Ridge is located up near the Queensland border in North-West New South Wales and is where Black Opals are mined. It has a 'transient' population who tend to 'stake' or buy a bush claim and live in "humpies" or other rough living arrangements of sheds and caravans - but they also have the habit of living underground down mine shafts, where the temperature stays around 22C all year - to avoid the 40C plus above ground summer searing heat. This is something like the famous 'Coober Pedy' dug-outs- but not as flash! (Coober Pedy is aussie speak for the aboriginal "kupa-piti" that translates as 'white fellas hole').

 - When I was there I was warned not to ask any awkward questions like "what's your name?"  as it might be resented and cause embarrassment to any folk trying to keep a low profile. - The second 'heads-up' warning was NOT to go wandering about the mines area, particularly at night, as mine shafts tended to absorb anyone who might fall (or be pushed) in the dark.

 -  The Pistol Club put-on a massive barbecue with five pigs and a sheep rotating and basted over a long fire of 'paper-bark' gumtree wood - what a feast! - what a place! - what an eye-opener!

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OPINEL knives with a traditional beech wood handle have been made in Savoie France since 1890 - and while simple and cheap - they work. The 'twist-lock' collar (Virobloc) is a clever idea patented by Marcel Opinel in 1955. - As sold the knives need two hands to open - but if you care to push half a match-stick into the blade slot at the pommel end - the blade point will be kept slightly raised and the knife can then be opened single-handed by hooking the point into the seam of your jeans and then locked open with your thumb.

 Marty K

After researching & writing 1,036 blogs I've got something NEW to try .. I've signed-up to Patreon. - In over five years I've not made one cent from this .. NOW you can send me a wee support $ - starting from $1. to get all this stuff from New Zealand - over a year that's nearly the price of one Shooting magazine. - Am I worth it?

https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16618870