[MikeJackmin]

My old Ruger Bearcat is adorable, but I could never shoot it very well. Although everything seems to be pretty well lined up, I was convinced the fixed sights were misadjusted because it would shoot about a foot to the left at 50 feet.

Just today it occurred to me what the problem was. This gun is very small and very light; when that hammer comes crashing into the frame, it delivers more than enough force to move the whole gun around. It's hard to tell what's happening because the back of the hammer spur blocks your sight picture when it comes down, so you don't see the front sight twist away.

I finally caught on when I was plinking at long range, holding the front sight high enough to see over the spur of the hammer. Even with zero-recoil Colabri ammo, that front sight looked like a kite in a windstorm. Hmm...

So I tried shooting it again, this time holding it just as tight as I could, like the world's smallest .45. It took a lot of force, just short of the white-knuckle level, but suddenly the sights are dead-on and the groups are as small as any that I can manage.

It only took me what, two years to figure this out?

Obviously, this same effect occurs with any gun, but bigger guns are just deflected less. The little Bearcat is a perfect training tool, almost purpose-built for magnifying this particular shooting mistake. When you can shoot that Bearcat well, you've got the basics down solid.

[Jim K]

I have to try that. My Bearcat has been in the safe for a long time simply because I could never hit the side of a barn with it.

Jim

[461]

Never really noticed, I'll have to check it out. That Bearcat is one of my favorite guns, it'll be a sad day when my daughter moves out and takes it with her. If my kids take all the guns I bought for them I'll have hardly anything when they go.

[MatthewVanitas]

Huh, I've never had trouble with my BC. I've found it eerily accurate for a tiny gun with fixed sights.

I really wish I could take it down to the UT range for the college-kids to shoot, but when I tried that once I about had a heart-attack trying to teach them "half-cock, load, skip, load, etc."

That's why we have a Single-Six at that range instead.


Very glad to hear that you worked yours out; these are very under-rated little guns. I talk them up whenever I get the chance to, as most folks don't bother to mention them in "Which .22?" threads.

Yes, 461, you are a definite exception (grin). (Oh, 461, I'm sending that gripmaker both the mis-fitting and the factory BC grips, and he'll make an Elk Antler set to mirror my factory grips. He believes it's an issue with the stainless models having different parameters.)

-MV

[461]

Let me know how they turn out, the Bearcat screams for nice stag grips.

I'm on "The List" with Cylinder and Slide to have the little Bearcat worked over a bit. :D

I'll post pictures in about four more months. :(

[Tom C.]

I have large hands. The BC has a very small grip and even smaller sights. I have opened the rear sight slightly. It makes it much easier for me to see now. It is still very sensitive to consistent grip, but I can shoot it half decently.

[MatthewVanitas]

I'm on "The List" with Cylinder and Slide to have the little Bearcat worked over a bit.

My gut reaction was to say "what could you possibly change on a Bearcat?", but then I remembered who I was talking to.


I will admit, one night while laying in bed, after a full meal composed entirely of adult beverages, I suddenly realized that a Ruger .32 H&R Single Six could be rechambered for 5 rounds of 9mm. Stainless, synthetic grips, and you'd have the most durable repeating packing gun possible, in the world's most common cartridge.

Of course, the next morning I realized that this would probably cost almost as much as converting a Blackhawk to .475 Linebaugh, which isn't exactly cheap either.

That's the problem with being single: so long as you're not starving, all your income is disposable.

-MV

[MutinousDoug]

I found that replacing the mainspring with a lower powered (Wolf, I think) one reduced my groups to something useful. I also modified an old plastic "T-Grip" that looks like hell but fills the grip nicely. Helped to make my grip more consistant which is critical with this little gun. The Bearcat is a nice little rabbit/grouse camp gun.

[461]

Well after losing sleep over this idea I decided to front the cash and make it a reality. The Bearcat will end up as a .22Magnum and have J-frame adjustable sights installed and a full action tune.

Yeah I know the .22mag won't see it's full potential in a 4 inch barrel and the sights will only clutter up an already clean package but it's just something I wanted.

If it sucks and I hate it then I'll go down and buy another Bearcat and be right back to where I started and I'll have an interesting one of a kind gun as a conversation piece. Win, win!

[GrandmasterB]

You gotta post pics when you get the work done. I often wonder what it would be like to convert a Bearcat to .22mag.

[apachejack]

I picked up an older bearcat at a pawn shop and it needed a blue job real bad. After I cleaned all the blue off the barrel, cylinder, trigger and hammer I talked to a guy who does gold plating. He plated for les than a blue job would have cost and now I call it my pimp gun. It looks really good for a shooter and I don't have to worry about rust anymore.

[MatthewVanitas]

After I cleaned all the blue off the barrel, cylinder, trigger and hammer I talked to a guy who does gold plating. He plated for les than a blue job would have cost and now I call it my pimp gun.

Always good to see a man who doesn't take himself too seriously.

That is pretty awesome, actually. Get good reactions to it at the range?

-MV

[apachejack]

Yes I do really, several have wanted to buy it but then I couldn't protect my grill and girls (just kidding). I can't really part with it after having this done. It's a unique little gun that is fun for me and the grandkids.