Old R&S

[Old and grumpy]

I had no idea what a Rogers&Spencer was.  The guy at my LGS knows I am into the black and pulled out this big gun he had just taken in. It looked very good felt tight came with leather and they wanted a whole  $150 for it. They keep doing this to me! It's part of the reason I don't have a 58' yet.

It's imported by Sile. Date stamp is for 1979. Armi San Paolo marks.

The info I found calls or a .454 ball. I have .451 and .457 so I used them. The ..451 are too small and even tho they seat they fly. The .457 fit well. The chambers are chamfered so the ball does not "shave". I will probably order a .457 mold.

For powder I have found everything from 15gr target loads (too light for a .44) to 30gr. What would be a max load for this? I don't shoot max but should know the limits.  The target is 24gr at 21' . Not bad for the first 6.

[Bishop Creek]

Nice buy for a R&S, $150!

The max load for it would be however much black powder you can stuff into each chamber and still seat a lead ball. You can't over load these things with black powder. However 22 to 30 grains is a good target load.

[B. P. Roscoe]

I use 32 grains of FFFg in mine with a 452 cast ball.  Mine was made by Euroarms in 1993 (AF code).

[mike116]

Great deal there O&G.  A member here sold a Euroarms R&S for $375 recently.    Looks like a good clean revolver and a decent holster too.

[Captainkirk]

ASP was purchased by Euroarms later on. The Euroarms R&S is one of the most accurate C&B revolvers out of the box there is and are heavily favored by BP match shooters. I have one of the later model Euroarms versions. .457 is the ball of choice. Great deal on that. I paid a whole lot more than that.

[Old and grumpy]

The Euroarms R&S is one of the most accurate C&B revolvers out of the box there is and are heavily favored by BP match shooters.

I always start the day with a warm up off the 50 yard berm then bring it in close. The very first shot I took before the target posted up top was a single chamber loaded with 24gr 3f Goex a lubed fiber wad I posted about down under "wads" and a .457 ball. No top lube.  One shot at 50 yards. Hit a 12" plate! I was sold.

 Forgive me. This may be a crime to post on this blog but I suspect that if the R&S had been delivered early enough to see action It would have taken a very large bite out of the post war/pre cartridge market.  Only 800 ended up in private hands. By the time the other 5000 hit the market in 1901 (at .25 cents each!) there day was past.

Now I need to find parts as back up. I have learned that when buying springs always get 2.

[G Dog]

Grumpy -  That’s the best deal I’ve heard of around here since Captain got a $12 Dragoon.  It’s beautiful.  Even our man Johnnie likes and respects an R&S (which is saying something).  Good photos; yours too Roscoe.  Thanks boys.

[Omnivore]

Nice!  What a steal.  I'll give you $160 for it-- that's ten dollars, pure profit!  OK just kidding 

That holster looks to be form fit to a Colt.

24 grains at 21 inches?  I don't see the powder burns on the target, though at that distance I'd think the muzzle blast alone would punch a big ragged hole in the paper.

[Daf57]

What an interesting revolver! I've never heard of Rogers & Spencer either.  Congrats!!

[Old and grumpy]

24 grains at 21 inches?  I don't see the powder burns on the target, though at that distance I'd think the muzzle blast alone would punch a big ragged hole in the paper.

Should have read twice typed once!!   Good catch. That's what happens when old guys type.

 

What an interesting revolver! I've never heard of Rogers & Spencer either.  Congrats!!

Some info on it.

[B. P. Roscoe]

ASP was purchased by Euroarms later on. The Euroarms R&S is one of the most accurate C&B revolvers out of the box there is and are heavily favored by BP match shooters. I have one of the later model Euroarms versions. .457 is the ball of choice. Great deal on that. I paid a whole lot more than that.

I don't think .457 balls will fit in mine, but I am going to give it a try.

[mazo kid]

A great buy indeed! I would take a pizza or a dozen donuts to the guys at the LGS.

[Captainkirk]

Yep, the old R&S has quite a cult following among match shooters.
It does have it's peculiarities, though...
The strange angle and throw of the hammer will feel very strange at first, as will the grip compared to either Colt or Remington repro. But you get past that rather quickly.
Not a huge fan of the loading lever design. it's wobbly-loose and if the screw is in the wrong position the whole shebang will fall out when trying to load on the gun. The catch release is nothing more than a round pin that will scratch leather and catch on clothing when drawing. The mainspring is a mother and the grip frame disassembles from the mainframe...feels really foreign at first. But in spite of that it's a gun that is easy to fall in love with. The nipple pockets have ample clearance for almost any brand of capper, which is a big plus. Howell makes a drop-in chambered in .45LC if you are so inclined. See:

http://www.howelloldwestconversions.com/shop/productinfo.cfm?catID=261&productid=809&cfid=12999838&cftoken=da4838076ed0daf6-058134B4-C293-A6C9-4E4397FA6A559101

Enjoy it and join the ranks of R&S fans!

[Old and grumpy]

I don't think .457 balls will fit in mine, but I am going to give it a try.

They are tight but not too. After slugging the cylinder the ball still takes a good bite on the rifling. Bigger ball and no shaving you get more bearing surface in the bore.
The chambers on mine are chamfered so the ball does not "shave". Did they come that way or was that a tune up latter?

[Old and grumpy]

A great buy indeed! I would take a pizza or a dozen donuts to the guys at the LGS.

NO! They might figure out that they under value old Cap&Ball. I don't even dicker over them.