Heritage .22lr/Mag

Status
Not open for further replies.
F

firemanstrickland

Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2011
Messages
390
Location
Central South Carolina
Hello all,
I am interested in the Heritage Rough Rider SA Revolver with .22lr and .22 Mag interchangeable cylinders. I need some reviews on them, and please guys, to all the ones that talk trash about a gun just because its not the most expensive one on the market, I dont need your opinion. I cant stand those guys that just give a gun bad reviews just because "they just dont like it" and they dont actually have any proof of it being a non-quality firearm. I mean me personally, I hate glocks "just because" now, if someone asks me, Im gonna tell them its a high quality accurate and reliable gun, because those are facts. Not just my smug opinion of them being ergonomically dreadful and just plain ugly. not to mention everyone has one.......but now that im off my soap box, someone please tell me about the heritage. Thank you.
 
What? You say tell me about the Heritage but don't tell me about the Heritage. I've never even heard of them but good luck getting any info with that attitude.
 
My dad has on. It functions well enough. No problems with it, and the only "bad" thing about it is the materials used. However, it will still last for a fair amount of rounds, . . . probably more than you'll even shoot.
 
I won't talk trash, but you should pay attention to the trash talk too. It just depends on what you want out of the revolver in the long run. My experience is that when I buy an inexpensive revolver mostly due to the price tag, I like them at first and then become dissatisfied over time and eventually buy the more expensive S&W or Ruger. So I spend the money twice and resale is certainly not great with the Heritage revolvers.

My opinion is that you will get a revolver that does not have the fit and finish of the Ruger Single Six, but at a significantly less price tag. If you are comfortable with that, then move forward and buy one. From my reading and I read a lot about them because I am still interested even though I lean toward double action 22 revolvers and tend to look mostly at S&W, Colt, and Ruger revolvers almost exclusively.

I would buy one with the steel frame. I think you will just have to shoot the one you buy and make your own mind up about the qualities that matter to you. Accuracy, fit and finish, durability, etc..... Some are very accurate and some are terrible. I think the accurate ones are far more common than the opposite. Good luck with your purchase.
 
I own a 3.5" birdshead with both cylinders and iron sights. It's not a good gun. The trigger is ok and the grip is comfy. Pretty much everything else is bad.

  1. It shoots high because the front sight is too short.
  2. It basically patterns. This might be because the barrel is sized for .22 mag instead of .22lr. Not sure. But I definitely do not get tight groups.
  3. The rear sight is cast into the Zamak frame. Zamak doesn't do tight corners like that. So the sight picture is lopsided and awful. This does not help accuracy. The adjustable sight guns don't have this problem.
  4. The cylinder star is eating the soft metal frame and creating cylinder shake. With .22lr! This is because it's a bad design. Not enough clearance for the star, too many sharp edges on it, and not enough bearing surface to spread out the recoil load onto the frame.

Honestly, if you want a decent .22lr save up for a Ruger. Those are always highly recommended. Or maybe one of the Uberti .22lr single action guns, but I've never shot or even seen them.
 
You have to shoot atleast 500 rounds out of them to break in the barrel. It is true when they are brand new, the accuracy isn't that great but it will get better. I once kept a 6 shout group under 1/2" using CCI CB's @ 10 yards with mine.
 
How much does one go for these days? According to the prices listed on a popular online gun dealer, about $200. Compare that to a finish-poor used Single Six at $250 I was looking at Saturday (with room to negotiate), and I think you may find that you'll be a Ruger owner.
 
If Heritage had a lifetime warranty I'd be all over it. Unfortunately though it looks like they only cover them for about a year.

I've met two Heritage owners in person that loved their revolvers but haven't ever owned one myself. I also have no idea how many rounds they had through theirs.
 
It's a cowboy looking plinker. It is not a quality gun and is not built to survive the rigors of the Oregon Trail or a gunfight at some decent corral. I have one. I can load it up, put it in the holster on my hip, draw it and empty the cylinder with the understanding that all rounds will fire and go in the general direction of where the barrel is pointing.

That's really all I expect out of it. Is it as nice as a Ruger? No. For my intended purpose is it worth spending $600 on a 22 revolver? No. If I get into some competitions I will just by a different gun but I can't shhot straight under any circumstances so a $12,000 .22 wouldn't be much better.
 
I have one. It is a 6.5" barrel .22LR/.22 Mag, and have eradicated opossums, rats, squirrels, snakes, and other nuisance animals using .22 shorts, .22 LR, .22 Mag, .22 LR rat shot, and Aguila .22 LR Super Colibri when the neighbors are out, or it is late at night. Everything I have pointed it at and pulled the trigger either had holes (pop cans and paper) in it or died. I have had competitions with mine shooting saplings down at 10 yards.

I taught my daughter and her friends gun safety for a revolver with it, it shoots good, I'd recommend it. It is actually one of my favorite guns I own. I have owned it for 5 years, and have shot many rounds through the revolver.

Would I buy it again? Yes, I would. I just wish it was an 8-12 rounder instead of a 6 shot. By the way, it mimics the Colt single action guns by having a 4 click hammer, and also loads like a "real cowboy gun". Not like a Ruger that doesn't need to be on half cock to load and unload. I hate that about a Ruger, even though I love my SBH .44 Magnum.
 
Last edited:
I own 2 identical ones, both birdshead models in the 3.5" variety, both work flawlessly, hits where I aim it, fixed sights and a 3.5" barrel dont make a target gun by any means but its more fun than the $300 I paid for both has a right to be and as said its not a Ruger etc, but it'll likely outlast me and my 8 year old son, whom I bought one for, the other is mine....Love the trashtalkers who've never even handled one but think it must be crap because its cheap, funny, there's two posts on here in the last few days about the supposedly indestructable Rugers having problems LOL

The red grip one is my sons (his favorite color)
RoughRiders_zps118bea30.jpg
 
Last edited:
I have one for a knock around gun on the property. I keep the .22 mag cylinder in it and have dispatched a number of feral intruders including opossums. It meets my needs for that task. I have no regrets in buying it.


Scott Campbell
Remember wheel guns are real guns too
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
I owned one for several years and it was a good gun. It was accurate and reliable with .22lr. It wasn't unusual to have a misfire with .22 magnum rounds. I'd buy one again if I wanted a decent budget single action in .22lr.
 
I bought one last November. The text below is the original "first impression" report I posted here on it.

Heritage Rough Rider Range Report:

Okay, I know it is what it is, but I had been wanting one for some reason for quite some time, then eventually forgot about it. Yesterday, I stopped by the LGS to see if a .22LR rifle I'd seen there over the weekend was still there. It was some off-name-I-can't-remember bolt-action, tube mag, with a scope on it. To my chagrin, it was gone. I look over and see this guy looking at the HRR revolver, but he didn't like the price. As the store guy is putting it away, I ask for it, surprised the store (more like a showroom, really) even had one. Turned out they had a few. This one has the four-something-inch barrel, and both cylinders. The balance felt real good, almost too natural, and the hammer-cocking action very slick. I had him write it up, and it went home with me (one from the back, which I also checked out, not the "window" sample.)

Today, I got to the range with it. Also tagging along were my two carry pieces (PF9 and P32), my dressed-up 10/22 rifle, my Taurus PT-22, and my Ruger Service Six. These were about all I could carry.

I had with me a few boxes of CCI MiniMags for the semi-autos, and an old 500-count box of Winchester Super-X stuff I've had for several years. Never worked reliably in my 22s, all but one of which are semis, and the one that wasn't is a single-shot, so these never got fired off. They did today, though. I could not stop shooting this thing! It's heavy, slow to load/unload, and limited in capacity (six rounds), but it was very hard to put down. The first several sets were fired at ten yards, and POI was about two inches below POA. This was probably at least partially due to the weight of the gun dampening any recoil I might have been used to. But, the groups were small, about 2 inches in offhand fire at that range with slow, deliberate aim. Some of that size is likely me; my eyes aren't what they once were. I have no doubt someone more skilled and experienced with this gun (or this type of gun) could have squeezed out smaller groups, and I will myself, too.

At 21 yards, I had to use the rifle scope to see the holes in the targets. I wasn't even trying at that point anymore, but I had left the target there during a string of rifle fire (I was switching firearms at times.) Every time I move the target puller, it takes the target holder several seconds to a minute to stop bouncing, so I quit moving it so much. Just kept lighting off rounds for the fun of it. Just felt good, and like it was meant for nothing more than fun. In fact, the other guns didn't get shot a total combined number or rounds equal to what the Rider got shot. I think I fired maybe 250 from it. Remember, that's from a single-action, six-shooter. The PT-22 and the P32 never even came out, and the PF9, usually shot fifty rounds in a session, saw maybe three mags full. The rifle, with its 25-round magazine, saw maybe 125 rounds, and the Service Six, maybe 30.
At one point, the two large Diet Coke fountain drinks I'd had on the way to the range started kicking in, messing with my aim, but I didn't want to pack it in yet. I only stopped when I finally had to, uh, go.

So, that's my initial impression of this entry-level cowboy-style plinker. I had not brought the WMR cylinder; never had any ammo for it, so I didn't review that.
What I liked: Balance/heft, slickness of both the hammer-cocking action, and the ejector, the trigger pull, and the better-than-fair accuracy for the price. I have no doubt this could be called on to put a bunny or squirrel in the stewpot if the need ever came up. Just easy to point and shoot, and this is my first S/A revolver (other than my two cap-n-ball guns, neither of which I've ever fired.)
What I could do without: the goofy safety thingy. Not used to them on wheelguns, but it's easy to get used to. The hammer and trigger work with it on or off but, if it's on, the hammer stops just ever-so-short of the pin. The gun is, according to Heritage, not drop-safe, so the rule of leaving the chamber under the hammer empty when the gun is carried applies, leaving you with only five rounds ready.
Also, it's very easy to accidentally snap the load gate shut while you're loading and unloading. Can't count the number of times I did that.
So, that's that. It's a sub-$200 gun, not a Single-Six or a Colt, but I think I'll be looking for excuses to have it out and about. I'm definitely pleased with it so far. Looking forward to finishing up the box, and maybe trying out the other cylinder....
__________________
Click to expand...
 
I like mine. Got the long barrel with adjustable sights, standard grip. Accuracy is not the best, and it's one of two guns I own that I can shoot better than the gun. Mine also displays a little bit of rust on it, and of course that warranty doesn't apply to the finish on the gun. Still, it does pretty much what I ask it to do, and the price was right. If I had the money at the time I'd have bought a Ruger, but I was losing my job and wanted to keep shooting. For $150 I got the pistol and another brick of ammo. Can't beat that with a stick.
 
sorry,
I have been away for a while. Thanks for all the info, minus the first reply all replies are greatly appreciated, certain deff, you say i have an attitude but the only attitude i see here is yours, Didnt your mommy tell you if you dont have something nice(aka useful) to say dont say anything at all. come on man, you know exactly what i meant. It seems to me your the exact type I was kindly asking not to reply, none the less there is always vultures.....anyways, again, thanks for all the info. I am going to proceed in buying one I will give an update soon. Thanks for everything guys!
 
Grow up. We're not here to tell you what you want to hear. If you want opinions, ask for them. Take what you can use and discard the rest. It's a waste of our time to tiptoe around your insecurity. I don't talk trash about them because of my shortcomings. I talk trash about them because of their shortcomings. Rough Riders are cheap guns, made as cheaply as possible out of the cheapest materials possible. This is quantifiable fact. You can sugarcoat it and look at them through rose colored glasses and talk yourself into buying but the facts are irrefutable. The frame and grip frame are not blued steel but spray painted ZAMAK. A fancy trade name for a zinc based alloy, lovingly referred to as "pot metal". This material is used because it is easy to manipulate and does not require an expensive foundry as it does for casting steel or aluminum. It's more like handling lead. Pot metal does not stand the test of time very well. Unlike steel, it will eventually self destruct. The steels used in the barrel and cylinder are the cheapest grade of steel you'll find anywhere in firearms manufacture. 12L14, which is never used in quality centerfire firearms. The barrels are pressed in and held in place with adhesive. The ejector is plastic and prone to breakage.

Bottom line, there are very good reasons why folks like myself discourage others from buying Heritage Rough Riders. They are cheap guns and if all you want is an inexpensive, disposable plinker, I suppose they are fine. If all you're willing to sink into a .22 revolver is $150 then I guess you'll never know the difference. However, those of us who take our shooting seriously KNOW there is a difference and we are willing to pay more for a quality firearm. A used Single Six is not a whole lot more money but it is a whole lot more gun. Just bear in mind that you are not required to do as we suggest, nor do you have to agree with our assessment but we do expect you to respect our opinion because it was gained honestly and through experience. In some cases, a hell of a lot of experience.
 
Just because I own a HRR means I don't take my shooting seriously.???
 
yes eb1, didnt you hear the man, hes got a hell of a lot of experience. and you know what, rodger that. thank you for your kind remarks they were very helpful. anything else you would like to add? wait. I have a question, if your so worried about wasting your precious time why are you on the internet talking to random people about whatever. so you got internet balls. congratulations, tellin some random guy to grow up. oh lord, that stings. I did ask for your opinion, good or bad. what i was asking was for the "haters" to not bother commenting who dont know a dang thing about a gun and just comment for the hell of it because they dont like a gun and dont know.
 
I think they are excellent guns. Is the build quality that of a Ruger...no. Are they reliable and fairly accurate...yes. Atleast that has been my experience. I have a few of them that I purchased for students to use in pistol classes I teach. Not one issue yet with thousands of rounds fired. Again, they don't appear to be built like some of the pricier manufacturer's revolvers, but mine have went bang over and over again.
 
Ruger Redhawk, thanks for the link.. didn't know there was a HRR forum..!
Click to expand...

Neither did I. Thanks RRH.

I just bought one a few days ago. I haven't had a chance to shoot it much, but I did take it out back and shot a soup can a few times with it. It worked.

No, it's not as nice as a Ruger Single-Six (I've got one of those too), or a Colt Frontier Scout or New Frontier (I've owned them in the past), but it was fun to shoot.

I freely admit that I don't take my shooting seriously. I just do it for fun.

I look at it this way. What have I got to lose? It's an inexpensive 22 revolver. It's not a life altering decision. If somewhere down the line I don't like it, I'll sell it, trade it, or just stick it in the back of the safe and forget it. Worst thing that's happened is I've lost a few bucks.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

G
  • Locked
Heritage .22lr/.22m
Replies
8
Views
543
DNS
D
H
  • Locked
Heritage Rough Riders
2
Replies
38
Views
2K
mk25roberts
mk25roberts
T
  • Locked
Heritage .45LC
Replies
8
Views
2K
tpelle
T
K
  • Locked
Heritage Mfg. 12-shot 1873 SAA in .22LR?
Replies
2
Views
725
Kynoch
K
R
  • Locked
Heritage Rough Rider in 22LR/22Mag
Replies
10
Views
1K
Redbeard55
R
Back
Top