Looking for a 22LR revolver

Either a used Single-Six or a used Bearcat should be available in your price range with a little bit of looking. The Single-Six is one that you can shoot everyday, then your kids can shoot it everyday, and then your grandkids... The Bearcat is a bit more fragile, but still a solid revolver, and a great kit gun.

Come to think about it, all of my .22 LR handguns are Ruger: Standard, MkIV, Single-Six, and Bearcat.

You might want to consider the Ruger LCRx

https://grabagun.com/firearms/handguns/revolvers/ruger-lcrx-black-22lr-3-8-rd.html

Charter Arms Pathfinder. They make one with a 4" barrel and adjustable sights. List is around $418. Think I might get one myself.

On the used market I would look for an Astra or an old h&r 999. The s&w you'd really want can hardly be purchased for double your budget. I had an Astra helix and it was a good shooter with a great trigger for a 22. The ruger lcrx is probably the best new affordable one out there... My 0.02

A single six ruger is king of the single actions.
A .22lr gp100 is an interesting choice, but you'll need to come up with a used one of either to stay within budget.

I have been looking at uberti's .22s too, but no experience with them. You might find a new one within budget on gunbroker. There is a cool .22 CMS short barrel s/a that I like the looks of.

Best wishes and keep us posted.

triplebike said:

Hi all, shooting more and more 22's. Love my Semiautos, but now I'm considering a revolver. Strictly for range use and I'm not a competition shooter. Lighter is better. Sights that 69 yr old eyes can deal with and being retired 3-4 hundred is the absolute most I want to spend. Not looking for one of the inexpensive cowboy six shooters. Is there anything that you would recommend OTHER THAN A TAURUS. Not in a rush , no problem with new or used. Thanks

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If you went up to ~ $450...?

RUGER LCRx .22 LR







GR

I own a Charter Arms 4" Pathfinder,,,
I found that the front sight disappeared in bright sunlight.

At least to my 67 year old eyes.

So, I painted the sights with bright orange fingernail polish,,,
Now I hit just as well with the Charter as I do with my S&W 63.

Another decent but lower cost revolver is the Rossi Plinker,,,
It has an 8-round cylinder and fiber optic front sights,,,
They came in 2, 4, or 6" barreled models.

I have the 4" version and it's a fine performing little gun.

Aarond

.

Armored farmer said:

A single six ruger is king of the single actions....

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Ain't it, though...







GR

I'd get a single six, I'd skip the double action guns unless you want to pony up for a S&W at double your budget. The rimfire DA triggers are heavy typically.

I was able to score a older S&W K22 a little over the top of your budget, but it's not as pretty as it once was and I waited a real long time for a deal like that to fall in my lap.

If iron sights are troubling you, the Rugers can mount a mini red dot sight which can help immensely. Some of the other makers might be more challenging than just ordering up a mounting plate, bolting it together and sighting in.

I love big bore single action revolvers but I find single action rimfire revolvers tedious to load and especially unload, just not for me, but if I were to buy a single action .22 revolver on a budget, I would give a hard look at the Ruger Wranglers.

From your requirements I think a used Single-Six or Single-Ten (which I prefer) is your best bet. I recently found a Single-Ten for the top of your price range but that was darn lucky.

I know you said no Taurus but I got a used Taurus Tracker 22lr a while back, 6 inch barrel, that is very accurate. It might be heavier than you like, however. Just FYI.

Jeff

gotboostvr said:

I'd get a single six, I'd skip the double action guns unless you want to pony up for a S&W at double your budget. The rimfire DA triggers are heavy typically.

I was able to score a older S&W K22 a little over the top of your budget, but it's not as pretty as it once was and I waited a real long time for a deal like that to fall in my lap.

If iron sights are troubling you, the Rugers can mount a mini red dot sight which can help immensely. Some of the other makers might be more challenging than just ordering up a mounting plate, bolting it together and sighting in.

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Or even a High Standard R-100 Sentinel.

Outstanding kit gun.

Like new from a pawn shop.

$75 bucks.

Great story.




GR

One of my most fun guns to shoot. Especially since I shoot a lot of Short barrel guns is the LCR22. It has also been a great aid for training with my LCR9mm. I would not mind having the LCRX as well.
In my lifetime, I never once considered a 22.cal for self defense. Until one day after shooting 8 very fast rounds out of this very reliable little gun. You can put a whole lot of rounds through this gun and get a whole lot of precision accuracy with some very fast shooting.

GR

Ruger LCRx or S&W 317. Both are very light.

Another vote for a Single Six.... I'm the same age as the OP, and a lightly used, nice condition, Single Six was the first gun I bought, about a month after I retired in April 2016. Love it; this one's a Single Six Convertible so I also get to play with 22 Mags when desired, although the 22lr cylinder is in it most of the time. Mine was priced at the upper end of the OP's "absolute most" price range but I couldn't talk the LGS owner down any, but I tried ! I think he knew he would get that from someone else if not me. No regrets at all on my part, as it's become my favorite rimfire handgun. Always keep a round count on it for my shooting log book. Between me, my step grand daughter, and some friends, it's now had a little over 1000 rounds through it. I'm thinning out the gun collection in my retirement but this one will probably be part of my estate sale. Here's a pic of it with the Mag. cylinder in it...

Not to sound like a broken record, but a used Single Six (or Single Ten) is probably the best bet if single action is okay. I used to dismiss the single actions, but I have since come around.


It will be kind of hard to find a high quality used double action .22 for $300 unless you get pretty lucky. I have no personal experience with the Ruger LCR rimfire offerings, but those are options to consider. You might be able to get a new Charter Pathfinder within budget.

I have owned a lot of 22lr revolvers and most of them have gone by the wayside due to stiff triggers or other problems.

I grew up with a Ruger Single Six, but gave it to a relative before he passed away. It was a 5.5". I replaced it with a 6.5" a few years ago. I got it used for a very good price. They are excellent revolvers. I have no need to ever look for another SA 22lr revolver. The adjustable sights are decently large and the trigger is excellent.

My hunt for a good DA 22lr was more prolonged, expensive, and stupid. Over the years I purchased one of almost everything that was "affordable". They all outright stank or borderline stank. Finally I did what I should have done in the first place: I haunted Gunbroker for months until I won a S&W K22 Masterpiece (I misremember what the modern equivalent model number is) for a bid of a little over $400. It has incorrect grips and the finish is not very good. I don't care. It has as good a trigger as I've ever felt on any revolver. The sights are great. It's way more accurate than I will ever dream of being. I have no need to ever look for another DA 22lr revolver. My friend at the LGS tried to buy it from me on the spot (for his personal use) as soon as he examined it.

One of the "duds" was an LCRx that I ordered NiB, something I almost never do. Its trigger was bad and I couldn't hit the side of a barn with it. Maybe I just got a bad example. I was very disappointed.

The old High Standard had a decent trigger and sights, but something was wrong with two of the cylinders and those two were always inaccurate.

The old H&R (or maybe it was the NEF "sister company") had a nice SA trigger, but small fixed sights. There is an adjustable sight version. I might have tried to do more with it, but like the High Standard, something was wrong with one of the cylinders, so that shot was always a flier. Plus its DA trigger was maybe mediocre at best.

The Taurus Model 94 had one of the worst triggers I have ever felt. You had to hitch three mules, two men, a donkey, and a boy to the trigger to make it go off in DA. SA was nothing to write home about. It was even a long-barreled "target" version. That helped me get a little (and I do mean a little) more of my money back when I traded it.

The Taurus Tracker gets honorable mention. It was a big heavy revolver for a 22, and the DA trigger wasn't good at all... not at all. But it did have a very clever and effective way of switching out 22lr and 22 magnum cylinders. And if you shot it SA it was pretty darned accurate.

My little Charter Arms snubby 22lr isn't too bad as far as the trigger goes. The fixed sights are too small for my middle-aged eyes, but I think they have longer-barreled versions with bigger sights. Unfortunately, mine proved to be unreliable and I am still waiting for it to come back to me from the factory (it's been almost a month).


The Single Six had horrible finish problems and was missing an inexpensive part. I got it for less than $200 OTD as a result. $10 for the part and $10 for a bottle of cold blue solved the problems. It isn't beautiful, but a brand-new pretty one doesn't shoot any better. My kids will probably still be shooting it after I am gone.

These are ridiculously nice revolvers. It's practically a work of art. Mine is from 1951 or so, IIRC. I got a set of "proper" grips, but the ugly rubber ones fit my hands way better, so the wooden ones are still in a drawer. I don't care about the worn spots on the finish. Shooting it has ruined me for other DA 22 revolvers.

Get a Ruger Wrangler. Cost me $200. Love mine

Garandimal said:

Or even a High Standard R-100 Sentinel.

Outstanding kit gun.

View attachment 883607
​

Like new from a pawn shop.

$75 bucks.

Great story.




GR

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Mine says Arminius HW3 on the side and has a “round butt” grip. $69 from Whitaker’s when Old man Whitaker still sat beside the front door. My wife claimed it, but not before I bobbed the hammer. It’s truthfully an incredible gun for that money.

My vote would be to round up a Stratford older model 3" Pathfinder.
Light enough to stick in a back pocket with sights that are a bit fine.
I painted my rear sight red and the front white.
I got mine for 250 a few years ago and am very pleased with the way
it points and shoots. Both Aguila HV and (most often) CCI SV for mine.

The swing out cylinder convenience of loading is a real plus when out popping shogun shells
with a brick of .22.

Since you mention limited experience with rimfire revolvers.
In the FWIW category.

In my .22 shooting small (range or field) tackle box I have a .22 rod section with a worn .223 brass brush that I keep handy for
giving the chambers a quick pass or two if lube build up starts to making fully seating the target velocity ammo tedious.

Putting a tapered bevel on both the brush and the rod shoulders helps it go in the chambers
without hitting or hanging up on the rear of the chamber.

Have fun shopping for the right one.

JT

triplebike said:

Not in a rush , no problem with new or used.

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Howdy

If you really are not in a hurry, and have no problem with something used, why not go for the best.

There are plenty of used Smith and Wesson Model 17s, as well as its predecessor the K-22 out there.

Here is my Model 17-3 that I paid $125 for back in 1975. Yes, of course it would cost a lot more today.






I only paid $500 for this K-22 a few years ago. It left the factory in 1932.





Yes, there is significant wear to the blue where somebody's trigger finger rested for 70 years or so, but it is the best shooting 22 revolver I own, and I own quite a few.

WestKentucky said:

Mine says Arminius HW3 on the side and has a “round butt” grip. $69 from Whitaker’s when Old man Whitaker still sat beside the front door. My wife claimed it, but not before I bobbed the hammer. It’s truthfully an incredible gun for that money.

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Stumbled on it at one of the big pawn shops in town during the annual city-wide "50% Off" Wknd.

Was originally $300, marked down to $150.

It was in near new shape, except that the bore looked almost rusted solid. As I was looking for an inexpensive snake gun for bank and bateau fishing, I figured it would clean up enough for that.

Pointed it out to the gunsmith in back, and he said he would work on it.

...without too much success.

He said he'd mark it down again, to $75, if I was still interested.

So I bought it.

Took it home and soaked and scrubbed the piss out of it - no luck. Bore looked like a red dirt road.

Then I saw the GI stainless-steel 5.56mm bore brush rattlin' round in my cleaning box.

So I pushed it down the muzzle... and then pulled it out, once, and followed it up with a greased patch and jag.

Pristine bore and rifling - looked back at me from the muzzle... like the start of a "James Bond" movie.

The stuff on the brush and patch looked like polymerized grease/wax/cosmoline/cardboard/drawer lint resin, like the stuff they used to make skateboard wheels out of.

It had just laughed at the brass brush.

Darn thing shoots groups that make my Ruger MkII Target blush.






GR

Garandimal said:

Stumbled on it at one of the big pawn shops in town during the annual city-wide "50% Off" Wknd.

Was originally $300, marked down to $150.

It was in near new shape, except that the bore looked almost rusted solid. As I was looking for an inexpensive snake gun for bank and bateau fishing, I figured it would clean up enough for that.

Pointed it out to the gunsmith in back, and he said he would work on it.

...without too much success.

He said he'd mark it down again, to $75, if I was still interested.

So I bought it.

Took it home and soaked and scrubbed the piss out of it - no luck. Bore looked like a red dirt road.

Then I saw the GI stainless-steel 5.56mm bore brush rattlin' round in my cleaning box.

So I pushed it down the muzzle... and then pulled it out, once, and followed it up with a greased patch and jag.

Pristine bore and rifling - looked back at me from the muzzle... like the start of a "James Bond" movie.

The stuff on the brush and patch looked like polymerized grease/wax/cosmoline/cardboard/drawer lint resin, like the stuff they used to make skateboard wheels out of.

It had just laughed at the brass brush.

Darn thing shoots groups that make my Ruger MkII Target blush.






GR

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Mine shoots all but 1 chamber accurately. It’s now marked with an automatic punch as a “do not load” mark but the others are lights out.