.22 Single-Action Plinker?

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tpelle

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For a while now I've been hankerin' after a .22 Single Action revolver. I know that everybody will try to steer me to Ruger Bearcat or some such, but I don't want to spend much money (sub $200 budget), and honestly I just don't like Rugers - they just don't look or feel right, and I prefer something that operates like the traditional colt single action.

Anyway, as I see it, there seems to be two options: the Heritage line of revolvers and the Cimarron Plinkster. The Heritage revolvers have the advantage of being available in a longer barrel version, but I believe that their quality may be a little dodgy. I think the Cimarron is only available in an ejector-length barrel. Both are made of a non-steel material, though.

Which do you all think is the nicer revolver? If you were going to buy one of the two, which would it be?
 
As far as I'm concerned you can not buy a decent revolver less than the price of a Bearcat. Anything less expensive usually would be a POS or so beat up, it's junk. I suggest you watch the handgun ads here on THR or on Gunbroker to see what's available and the asking prices.
 
H&r or maybe an iver johnson, some models are double action. both can be had for less than 200. Way better then a rough rider.
 
I've been doing some further browsing, and I guess the EAA Bounty Hunter is a candidate as well. Made by Weirauch in Germany. They have an aluminum frame, but the cylinder and barrel is steel, not some "mystery metal" with a liner in the barrel and cylinder as in the other two.

I'm sorry, but being a dyed in the wool traditionalist (maybe I prefer Luddite) , I just can't warm up to the two-screw action of the Rugers, and a three-screw Ruger demands a premium price way out of proportion to its worth.
 
Options;

First there's the option of an older 3 screw Ruger Single Six. Delightful guns that have the old style regular 4 click action. Got one recently and love it. Less nicely kept versions can be had for around $200 and still shoot nice even if they have some external scars.

Find a used Hi Standard Double 9. 9 shots in a tip out ejector style cylinder but with SA grip ergonomics. And the hellishly heavy double action trigger means that for all intents it's best off treated as a single action gun anyway. Basic guns but still shoot well.

Harrington and Richardson Sportman model 922. Another 9 shot but this time a break top. Again the hellishly heavy DA pull effectively turns these guns into SA guns. The break top is nice. I've also seem some other H&R guns that use easily removable cylinders to load. That would be an option as well. The break top I've owned. The removable cylinder models I haven't.

The Heritage is an option if you must have new. But the level of design and work on this makes them seem very toy like with their poorly finished removable panel and huge screw heads. I'd rather have any of the above options over a Heritage.
 
I have a 60's Herbert Schmidt Cowboy type single action. Prior to the Gun Control Act of 68, these were imported by the thousands and marketed under a number of names. A lot were called Frontier Model or Texas Scout Mine has a 5" barrel, is blued and has plastic grips. Not to hard to find and < $100. Mine isn't special and single actions are a pain to clean but it shoots straight and because it is 22LR, I can shoot 550 of that compared to 50 of my 38.. Hours of plinking pleasure. :)
 
NAA mini master, maybe? :D But, hell, you can get a Ruger for about the price. The mini masters are a little over 300 bucks.

The Heritage is cheap, but I just don't need a single action .22 that bad. If I did, I think I'd pony for a Ruger 'cause I'm a bit of a Ruger fanboy.
 
Oh, and I have a few black powder revolvers that I plink with for cheap as any .22. :D Of course, I handload for my Blackhawks for almost as cheap as .22 since I cast, also. But, that's another subject. It is why, though, that I really don't need a single action .22.

Anyway, I never had a Heritage, can't vouch for 'em. I don't know that I'd get one when I can just save a bit more for a Single Six, but hey, I already said I'm a Ruger fanboy.
 
I have a Heritage .22 LR\Mag and I like it. I have had Rugers in the past and although not equal to a Ruger for less than half the cost of a new Ruger the Heritage is a good gun. It hits what I point at, it works well and costs at a point where most people can afford it. I have had mine for 5 years and have had no problems with it. They also make a .32 sw s\l\mag gun on the same frame that I am thinking will be my next gun. Been looking at used guns in this caliber but they are asking more for the used ones than I can buy a Heritage for new.
 
Heritage is a decent gun, especially for the price.

The one model my friend has is just like an old style revolver, with the only exception being the safety. Fires nicely and came with another cylinder for .22 Mag. Round count on it is rather low as of yet, sub 1000 rounds, mostly because it takes a while to load up.

The safety does irk me a bit, because it seems completely out of place on a firearm that is otherwise extremely traditional.
 
I can vouche for the H&R sportsman, shot my great-grandpa's so much I went out a few yrs back and bought an identical one for $125. Its a straight shooting SAA 6" that holds 9.
 
Heritage is good value for money spent. The guns are in some ways very original, the .22's have an aluminum frame, strong enough to handle .22 loads. They have an effective hammer block/safety that allows the gun to be dry fired loaded, or dry fired unloaded without screwing up the firing pin. Barrel and cylinder are steel, trigger is SA nice - maybe 3lbs. Gun feels light and balanced in your hand and points naturally, I don't think that was an accident on Heritage's part. I paid $170 for mine with both cylinders. I have noticed that most of the people who own and shoot them seem to like them quite a bit, and the company seems to have a lot of customer good will. There's exceptions, and some people are never happy, thinking that for $140 they should have gotten a Single Six.

Go find one, pick it up and handle it a little, that will tell you a lot you aren't going to get on a forum.
 
Colt Frontier Scout

Hi, Love shooting the old Colt Frontier Scout I picked up a few years back for $350 . Slow plinking weapon thats a nice change at the range over the high capacity firearms I'm usally practicing with. What other weapon can You shoot all day for less than $15. SA Revolver and a bolt action .22lr are the grandkids first experience with a firearm that I am hoping turns into a lifelong respect and love for firearms........WVleo
 
First there's the option of an older 3 screw Ruger Single Six. Delightful guns that have the old style regular 4 click action. Got one recently and love it. Less nicely kept versions can be had for around $200 and still shoot nice even if they have some external scars.
Click to expand...

+1. Bonus points if you can scrounge a bit more and find one of the early flatgate versions (no reason beyond collecting, I just really like them, and that's my own SA plinker solution... but I digress into going above your budget. Listen to BCRider.)
 
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