Going around on Gunbroker today , I found this interesting , especially since I have 2 of them. One I purchased via mail order when I was 17.


From 1972 until 2008, Ruger produced the *Old Army* .44 caliber cap and ball pistol. Since reproduction period percussion pistols suffer the same design deficiencies as the originals, Ruger designed their pistol from scratch, rather than opting to continue on the 1800s blueprint. Using a modern platform for the action, the result was a very reliable, robust cap and ball pistol, which far outshines the originals. Since this pistol is not a copy of a legacy pistol, it is considered by the ATF as a modern gun, not an antique, as are the reproductions of Colt and Remington percussion revolvers.

We have been instructed by ATF to treat this revolver as a Modern Firearm as it is NOT a reproduction of a pre-1899 design and it IS readily converted to fire a fixed cartridge via commercially available drop-in cartridge conversion cylinders. Please do not bid on this item unless you are willing to have it transferred through a dealer FFL. We understand that there are varying opinions on this matter, we will be treating this revolver as we have been instructed by ATF.
Anyone else ever hear of these ''instructions'' from BATFE?