Ruger Old Army .45 Cal 5.5” Barrel Cap & Ball Percussion Revolver, MFD 2005
SOLD FOR: $2,526.00
LSB#: LSB251202DH028
Make: Sturm, Ruger & Co.
Model: Old Army
Serial Number: 148-11369
Year of Manufacture: 2005 / Modern
Caliber: .45 Cal. Black Powder Only
Action Type: Percussion Black Powder 6 Shot Revolver with Ramrod.
Markings: The right side of the frame is marked, “148-11369” The left side of the frame is marked, “RUGER OLD ARMY” The cylinder is marked, “FOR BLACK POWDER ONLY” The barrel is marked, “STURM, RUGER & CO. INC. SOUTHPORT CONN. U.S.A.”
Barrel Length: 5.5”
Sights/Optics: The front sight is a quarter moon blade fixed to the barrel. The rear sight is a square notch cut into the topstrap.
Stock Configuration and Condition: The grips are two-piece smooth white panels with silver Ruger medallions on either side. There are faint handling marks throughout. There are no chips, or cracks. Overall, the grips rate at about Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Stainless Steel
Finish Originality: Original
Cylinders: One 6rd .45 Cal. Cylinder
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore but there is some faint stubborn fouling throughout. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 9.5/10.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 99% of its metal finish. There are light handling marks throughout. The cylinder has a crisp turn-line. The action has light wear from use. The screw heads are sharp and the pins undamaged. The markings are clear. This pistol is in overall Very Good to Excellent condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards. The custom hammer has been spliced with a blackhawk Montado hammer-fan. The cylinder has been fitted with Hot Shot nipples.
Box, Paperwork, and Accessories: None.
Our Assessment: This 2005 Ruger Old Army is a late-production example of Ruger’s modern percussion revolver, a platform long regarded as one of the strongest and most precisely manufactured cap-and-ball designs ever offered. Rather than being a direct reproduction of a specific 19th century revolver, the Old Army was engineered with Ruger’s investment-cast stainless construction and tight tolerances, resulting in exceptional durability and consistent lockup. The 5.5 inch barrel provides balanced handling, while the fixed quarter-moon front sight and square-notch rear maintain a clean, traditional sight picture consistent with classic black powder revolvers. Chambered in .45 caliber and clearly marked for black powder only, this six-shot percussion revolver retains its integral loading lever and traditional cap-and-ball cylinder. This example features custom modifications including a hammer spliced with a Blackhawk Montado hammer-fan and a cylinder fitted with Hot Shot nipples, reflecting performance-oriented enhancements intended to improve ignition reliability and manipulation. These modifications set it apart from standard factory examples while preserving the mechanical integrity of the Old Army platform.
Conditionally, this revolver retains approximately 99 percent of its original stainless finish, showing only light handling marks and a crisp cylinder turn line. The bore remains bright with sharp rifling and no visible erosion, rating 9.5 out of 10 despite faint fouling. The smooth white grip panels with Ruger medallions remain intact with no chips or cracks and rate in very good condition. The action functions correctly and exhibits only light operational wear consistent with limited use. Taken together, this customized 2005 Ruger Old Army offers a well-preserved and mechanically sound example of Ruger’s modern cap-and-ball revolver enhanced with practical user modifications. -R.E.