Ruger Wrangler

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I guess I'm giving this thread a "bump" (or whatever it's called) by writing about my handling a Ruger Wrangler for the first time today. It was bronze, with a bird head grip, and I thought it was okay for the price. It didn't have a hard-to-open loading gate like I've read about here on THR, but the trigger was pretty darned heavy - crisp, but heavy.
Anyway, I would have bought it if wasn't for the fact that it was in "Al's Sporting Goods" in Logan, Utah. We're Idaho residents, and my wife and I were just out for a drive this afternoon - which cost us $52.00 in gas! :fire:
Oh, well. There's an "Al's Sporting Goods" in Idaho Falls, so I'll probably be buying myself a Ruger Wrangler with a bird head grip the next time we get up that way - after checking out how hard the loading gate is to open, of course. ;)
 
.308 Norma said:
I guess I'm giving this thread a "bump" (or whatever it's called) by writing about my handling a Ruger Wrangler for the first time today. It was bronze, with a bird head grip, and I thought it was okay for the price. It didn't have a hard-to-open loading gate like I've read about here on THR, but the trigger was pretty darned heavy - crisp, but heavy.
Anyway, I would have bought it if wasn't for the fact that it was in "Al's Sporting Goods" in Logan, Utah. We're Idaho residents, and my wife and I were just out for a drive this afternoon - which cost us $52.00 in gas! :fire:
Oh, well. There's an "Al's Sporting Goods" in Idaho Falls, so I'll probably be buying myself a Ruger Wrangler with a bird head grip the next time we get up that way - after checking out how hard the loading gate is to open, of course. ;)
Click to expand...
Blackhawk spring kit and some polishing has mine breaking at 2 or 3lbs.....cant remember.
Actually just installed the other spring kit in my new to me 30carb Blackhawk and they feel almost identical.
 
.308 Norma said:
I guess I'm giving this thread a "bump" (or whatever it's called) by writing about my handling a Ruger Wrangler for the first time today. It was bronze, with a bird head grip, and I thought it was okay for the price. It didn't have a hard-to-open loading gate like I've read about here on THR, but the trigger was pretty darned heavy - crisp, but heavy.
Anyway, I would have bought it if wasn't for the fact that it was in "Al's Sporting Goods" in Logan, Utah. We're Idaho residents, and my wife and I were just out for a drive this afternoon - which cost us $52.00 in gas! :fire:
Oh, well. There's an "Al's Sporting Goods" in Idaho Falls, so I'll probably be buying myself a Ruger Wrangler with a bird head grip the next time we get up that way - after checking out how hard the loading gate is to open, of course. ;)
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Check your local Bi-Mart. I've seen tge all black bird head Wranglers there for about $210.
 
Biblethumpncop said:
Check your local Bi-Mart. I've seen tge all black bird head Wranglers there for about $210.
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Don't know that we have a "Bi-Mart" around here, and if we do, they don't sell guns. We've lived, bought, sold and traded guns in this part of Idaho for 51 years - we pretty well know where all the stores are that sell guns. Besides, "Al's Sporting Goods" (which we've never known to have the lowest prices on guns) had a price tag of $205 on that Wrangler with the bird head grip. Like I said, I would have bought it if it wasn't for the fact that that "Al's Sporting Goods" store is in Utah and I'm an Idaho resident. :uhoh:
 
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.308 Norma said:
Don't know that we have a "Bi-Mart" around here, and if we do, they don't sell guns. We've lived, bought, sold and traded guns in this part of Idaho for 51 years - we pretty well know where all the stores are that sell guns. Besides, "Al's Sporting Goods" (which we've never known to have the lowest prices on guns) had a price tag of $205 on that Wrangler with the bird head grip. Like I said, I would have bought it if it wasn't for the fact that that "Al's Sporting Goods" store is in Utah and I'm an Idaho resident. :uhoh:
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I'm in Meridian, ID and we have them in the treasure valley.
 
Biblethumpncop said:
I'm in Meridian, ID and we have them in the treasure valley.
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Yeah, after I replied I did a google search for "Bi-Marts near me" and saw the closest one is in Kuna. We're clear over on the other side (the east side) of Idaho, near McCammon.
We'll be over your way in a couple of weeks though for a HS reunion (I grew up near Homedale), so maybe I'll stop in a Bi-Mart while we're there and see what they have in the way of guns. :)
 
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Well this thread cost me 220 dollars. Went to Cabelas this weekend and checked out the Wranglers they had for 209 dollars. The loading gate was far easier to operate than the one on my old one. Plus the loading gate was less sharp at the edge which was also nice. Couldn't resist it.

52299554356_4aa3321de9_o.jpg 20220820_162730 by chase, on Flickr
 
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C-grunt said:
Well this thread cost me 220 dollars. Went to Cabelas this weekend and checked out the Wranglers they had for 209 dollars. The loading gate was far easier to operate than the one on my old one. Plus the loading gate was less sharp at the edge which was also nice. Couldn't resist it.

View attachment 109817320220820_162730 by chase, on Flickr
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I am happy to have taken part in helping you spend your money. There are cheaper places to buy handguns than where I live but they are over in Texas which does me no good. Any place in NM is far enough away that driving costs would more than equal savings by quite a bit. That is the price I have to pay for not having to deal with a dense population.

Edit to add. Also having to deal with crappy highways.
 
Grabbed an original Wrangler soon as it wuz available, and loved it; more recently, picked up the all-black birdshead version… and couldn’t shoot POA for the life of me! Even threw some white paint on the front sight to help. Thought I’d met my match, till I had others try and confirm it. Sent it back to Ruger, and within 2 wks it was back, front sight adjusted. (Even sent with the target used! Bench, and off-hand.) Now, dressed it up with wood grips (like my original Wrangler); somehow, always finds its way into the range bag, every trip. A keeper.
 
I had already owned my Rough Rider several years when the Wrangler was released, so saw no reason to add a Ruger into the same fun-plinker category in my safe. However, if I were starting from scratch for a simple, inexpensive .22 SA, the Ruger just might have edged out the Heritage.
 
My first 'conventional' Wrangler was cross-eyed on target, low & left at 20'. Sent it back, they said it was within spec.

Sold it with full disclosure.

The Lipseys special birdshead combo offering caught my eye, so I took a chance. It is a good shooter, no complaints.
 
.308 Norma said:
Is that not the same as with all New Model Blackhawks, Super Blackhawks, and New Model Single Sixes Ruger ever built? o_O
That's a question - I'm not trying to be a wise guy. It's just that between my wife and I, I'm sure we've owned at least 20 different Ruger "New Model" single action revolvers over the years (including a half-dozen Super Blackhawks), and every one of them unlocked the cylinder when we opened the loading gate. Yet I'm reading in this thread that some folks are having problems opening the loading gates on some Ruger Wrangler revolvers.
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by design of its loading gate mechanism, once open, the wrangler’s cylinder spins freely in both directions, unlike the regulated, unidirectional cylinders of ruger’s other single action revolvers.

i sanded the edge of both my rugers’ loading gates, i prefer comfort over looks. i got the regular plowhandle wrangler when it first came to market. my nongunner wife got me the shorter birdshead wrangler this past christmas. both are great fun plinkers and starter handguns, and feel much stronger than my heritage roughrider. i would love a shorter wrangler but with a plowhandle grip and any wrangler chambered in 32long or 38sp. one can wish eh…
 
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jstert said:
by design of its loading gate mechanism, once open, the wrangler’s cylinder spins freely in both directions, unlike the regulated, unidirectional cylinders of ruger’s other single action revolvers.
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Oh, okay. Thanks, jstert! I did not know that. :)
 
jstert said:
by design of its loading gate mechanism, once open, the wrangler’s cylinder spins freely in both directions, unlike the regulated, unidirectional cylinders of ruger’s other single action revolvers.

i sanded the edge of both my rugers’ loading gates, i prefer comfort over looks. i got the regular plowhandle wrangler when it first came to market. my nongunner wife got me the shorter birdshead wrangler this past christmas. both are great fun plinkers and starter handguns, and feel much stronger than my heritage roughrider. i would love a shorter wrangler but with a plowhandle grip and any wrangler chambered in 32long or 38sp. one can wish eh…
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Throw an aluminum XR-3RED grip frame on the short barrel Birdshead gun. I did and love it. It dropped the weight by 3oz too.

I also swapped in a different trigger and hammer. 48FE6E47-0A40-4400-ADEB-FE319C3CF4E2.jpeg 05D9B6E6-1C50-4612-86A9-014318596172.jpeg 123A4BD0-0716-4A93-80E8-BCBFF2D734D7.jpeg
 
Went into the LGS and saw a Talo birdshead Wrangler with the holster.

I had been sort of wanting another Wrangler, and this is just different enough. Was considering another classic Wrangler, but didn't necessarily want to buy the exact same gun in a possibly less desirable color. So this works out.

Also (kind of) scratches the Bearcat itch I always had, although the Bearcat is a much classier gun. I guess my new Wrangler is closer to a Housecat.


Not nearly as cool as Biblethumpncop's conversion, but I'm happy. The wood grips are nice. I plan to leave it as-is.
 
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