Do you dry fire your ROA?

[TFoley]

This is a not very good view of my ROA, bought on my birthday in 1986, and used about once a month since.

The last time it was out, this time last month, I had it firing 120 shots - about average on a guest day. Minimum bolt drag sign there, I'd say.

 

[Bunk]

ROA's are beautiful guns ready to go out of the box. I had one for a while but that odd ball size that did not match any of my 1860 Army revolvers caused me to sell it for a profit for a change.
never looked back.
Bunk

 

[Dave Markowitz]

My father shot his ROA competitively in the 1970s. He brought home quite a few prizes from the shoots held by the Marriotsville Muzzeloaders at the Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore range.

He dry fired it with the factory nipples every night for several years. The nipples and the rest of the gun are just fine and due to the amount of dry and live firing, the action is extremely slick. Dad's still around but he gave me the gun many years ago.

 

[M. De Land]

I realize that the firearm is a well designed and manufactured piece. What concerns me is that the tolerance of hammer to nipple must be pretty tight be able to strike hard enough to ignite the cap but to not contact the nipple.

As TreeMan said, parts are scarce. I searched the web before I bought mine just to see what is available...the answer, not much.

They may end up being like older cars and motorcycles...worth more to part out than to sell one that might not be in the greatest shape. Not there yet I suppose but ya never know.

They were made in so many configurations over the many years of manufacture, I would love to have an example of each...but I haven't won the lottery...yet. Though today I will be picking up my second one from my dealer. The first is a 7.5" stainless with the warning on the barrel. The one I pick up tonight is a blued 7.5" no warning. I would love a 5" fixed sight version and an original with the brass grip frame would be very sweet. I read that many were fitted with the brass grip frame at a later date. Don't know how one would determine if a brasser was original..??

I can't think of a part from one that cannot be machined or borrowed from standard Black hawk parts. The only thing that ever breaks on them is the base pin when the shooter forgets to turn the lock screw, it works out from recoil and then bends or breaks when they ram a ball at loading.

 

[FishDFly]

Take the cylinder out and dry fire.

 

[45D]

I don't ever remember seeing a single action that gets used a lot without a rub line to some extent. Long as they don't gall and the line is only a rub line they will work well with the added benefit of slowing cylinder inertia into lock up.
Rugers virtually all start life with an early bolt drop knowing full well they will eventially be that way any way.
Some common reasons are bolt finger/leg and cam wear over time and use . The only out of time that hurts is if the hand is to long and pushes the cylinder before the bolt is clear of the notch. This peens out the top back side of the cylinder notch. This is why the rub line often starts/ appears just out of lock up.

All of your "common reasons" bolt arm wear, hammer cam wear, ( I'll throw in one for ya) and hand wear/ spring weakening . . . all come under the heading of "ill timing'. If one knows and understands "correct" timing, any "new" mark on the cylinder is a sign of a problem.
Likewise, if a new revolver is treated to a really good tuning and cared for, there is no reason for a turn line barring part failure.
All this "wear" wouldn't be going on if proper spring pressures were used. For example:

Colt calls for 3-4 lbs max for the bolt and I'm not aware of Ruger's but it's rather light. I checked my Rugers and they were all less than 2lbs. (factory)
My Pietta Mod. P copy has just under 3 lbs ( my spring)
My Remington '58 is just over 1 lb.

I checked some seven 2nd Gen Colt's I have on hand ( customer) 3 -60's, 2 - 51's and 2 Dragoons. They range from 8 1/2 lbs to 10 lbs. This is typical '70's reproduction type numbers . . . wonder why there are "gall" lines ( more like trenches) in some of the 70's /80's/ 90's revolvers? Needless to say these 2nd Gens are pristine ( never shot yet) and all will have bolt tensions in the 2 lb range!
So, if you are relying on bolt spring tension to be the "brakes" for cyl lockup, why would you call for 3 lbs and less ( depending on maker) instead of the 8lb Italian?
Any of the revolvers mentioned above or any other factory SA without a hand spring will display throw-by.
The common denominator - hand spring.

Mike