Heritage Rough Rider 22

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HGM22

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I'd like to get a .22 pistol but don't have a lot of money and saw one of these for a low price. I've heard they are "ok" guns. But, I was wondering a few things:

1. What is the longevity like on these guns? Any ideas on round count?

2. Kind of related to #1 - what is Heritage's customer service/warranty like?

3. Can a .22Mag cylinder be bought at a later date and "drop in"? If it would have to be fitted by a gunsmith, any idea how much it would cost?

4. I believe I've heard that convertible guns are less accurate in .22LR since they are chambered for .22Mag which is slightly larger. True?
 
Very good guns for the price. Have no idea of round count/longevtiy. Most frames are an alloy rather than steel, but in .22 I can't believe that will make much diference. Don't know about mag stuff, even though mine is also a mag convertible. I haven't shot the mag cylinder, but in lr it's very accurate. I got mine new as Bud's blemish for $148 WITH the mag cylinder.

Maybe the best value of any of the guns I own.
 
You get what you pay for, they're relatively cheap guns. Frames made of pot metal, barrels held in with adhesive, plastic ejector button prone to breakage. Never been impressed with them. Their owners usually dote on them but I've never heard of one with a high round count. Usually not more than a few thousand. By contrast, my 50yr old Single Six has seen at least 25-30,000rds in just the last five years alone. My advice would be to save your money towards a used Ruger. Unlike the HRR, they're made just like their centerfire brethren.
 
My best advice is to save more money and buy a Ruger. :) I thought about bashing the Heritage Rough Rider here, but I won't. They work. They're inexpensive relative to other major manufacturer's 22 revolvers. People value things differently and have more or less financial resources. But my guess is that if you buy a Rough Rider and enjoy shooting it, you'll buy something that is considered to be of higher quality in the future. We all start somewhere in this shooting sport. Better to shoot than not be able to shoot because you are saving up for that $800 S&W DA 22.
 
They're a good value for the money and shoot very accurately out to at least 25 yards.
But mine is not without faults.
The cylinder bolt will sometimes pop up and lock the cylinder which prevents it from being cocked right after loading unless the cylinder is removed to reset the bolt. That can happen a few times during a shooting session.
The hammer screw kept loosening up and needed some thread lock, and one of the grip frame screws fell out and got lost before I realized that it was loose. It's still missing but doesn't affect its function.
Cleaning solvents can begin to dissolve the paint finish that's only on the receiver and extractor rod shroud. The barrel is blued and is not affected.
I never fired the .22 WMR cylinder but if I did I would prefer to only use Winchester Dynapoint WMR 45 grain plated ammo because they're less than full power and won't stress the cylinder pin hole in the frame as much.
The adjustable fiber optic sight set, its unique flip safety system and laminated grips are pluses in its favor.
I'm not concerned about it's longevity at all because its holding up well and seems to be plenty strong and tight for shooting .22lr's.
If I really wanted to have it fixed I could easily just send it in to the company and the parts are inexpensive.
Its original price was certainly a bargain and is a good enough reason to buy one.
Despite the minor issues with mine I would still rate it a B to a B+.
 
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Bought one recently for my little brother. Have had no problems with it so far. I have put about 500 rounds thru it already. No lock up issues. No timing problems. Also, I bought it from Budsgunshop and it came with the .22 mag cylinder. Ran about 20-30 rounds thru of .22 mags. It did nicely.

It is accurate and fun. And a decent plinker if you ask me. Altho, It is not the best of quality. I see no problems with it. But I have the 6 1/2 inch one and it is a bit nose heavy. I like it for that matter. If you like it and want something cheap to shoot, Go for it. Ruger is good brand as I'm sure you already know but I have no experience with their .22 so I cannot say much.
 
If you want the extra cylinder, get it from the get-go.

In the long run, it will be way cheaper then buying a cylinder and getting it fitted later.

rc
 
I have one with both cylinders, adjustable rear sight, and fiber optic front sight. It was $180 + tax. I have a 1967 era 3-screw Single Six, both cylinders.

The Heritage will shoot with that Single Six all day long. Yes, the Single Six is a much nicer, more refined and well finished gun (especially the Old Models, I'm not as enthused about the new models). But for a .22 pistol it's hard to beat the bang for the buck of the Rough Rider. If you want something that you can pass down to your grandchildren, I agree with others here. Save your money, and buy the Ruger.

But for a shooter, kick around type gun, it's hard for me to justify spending over $400 on a new Single Six as compared to under $200 for the Heritage.
 
Thanks for listing the website Ruger Redhawk. It provides take down instructions and I learned that I may only need to loosen the trigger spring screw a little bit to keep my cylinder bolt from locking up.
It's a very simple fix even for a layperson:

http://www.gunslingerforum.com/visual-take-down-walkthrough-for-the-heritage-rough-rider-t190.html

Since the locking up of the cylinder bolt can be fixed by simply removing 4 screws and the grip frame, then I would surely rate my Rough Rider as being a B+ to an A-.
Also, the Rough Rider's safety switch provides a hammer block safety which comes in very handy when hunting, at the range or if letting a novice use it.
And engaging the safety switch will even allow one to practice dry firing it without damaging the firing pin. :)
 
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arcticap said:
Thanks for listing the website Ruger Redhawk. It has take down instructions and I learned that I may only need to loosen the trigger spring screw a little bit to keep my cylinder bolt from locking up.
It's a very simple fix even for a layperson:

http://www.gunslingerforum.com/visual-take-down-walkthrough-for-the-heritage-rough-rider-t190.html

Since the locking up of the cylinder bolt can be fixed by simply removing 4 screws and the grip frame, then I would surely rate my Rough Rider as being a B+ to an A-. :)
Click to expand...
You're welcome, I'm glad someone was able to use that site. I have no experience what's so ever with Heritage.I just know what I have in my Ruger Single Six.
 
The guns come with a coupon for the purchase of the additional convertable cylinder for something like $30. I bought a RR, haven't had any problems with it, but I haven't shot it much.
 
I have one and am not impressed:

Longevity: I've shot a few hundred rounds of .22lr through mine and already have cylinder shake. This is because the sharp steel cylinder star is chewing up the soft alloy frame. This will probably stop once the divots are deep enough, but that doesn't mean I approve.

Warranty: I believe they offer a 1 year warranty. Check their website.

.22 Mag cylinder: Yes. Not sure how well it will drop in, but they do sell the .22 mag cylinder as an aftermarket part. I bought mine with both. I doubt you're saving yourself much money in the long run by purchasing the other cylinder later.

Accuracy: I've only shot mine with .22 lr and it isn't especially accurate. But a lot of that has to do with the fixed sights on mine which are both tiny, lopsided, and not regulated to point of aim. Get an adjustable sight gun if you buy one. I did buy some .22 mag but haven't had a chance to shoot it yet.

If I had to do it over again, I'd save up and buy something else. Especially since the gun is worth less than $100 used.
 
Having read some posts relating to the bore diameter on these revolvers, I emailed the following three questions to Heritage, and got the following answers:

1. Is the bore diameter the same on the .22 combo revolver,as it is on the .22LR-only?
we use the same barrel for a single cylinder revolver and the combo revolver

2. If so, what is that diameter?
diameter of the barrel bore is +/- 5.75mm and the diameter of the lr cyl chamber is +/- .21875

3. If not, what are the diameters of each?
(n/a)

Doing the arithmetic on the 5.75mm bore, that would make it .2264, which seems to me to be just a bit sloppy, even for the magnum round, and it would seem that the LR bullet would rattle down the bore rather randomly.
 
revolver cylinders need to be timed, get the combo from the factory...i too did the 'bud's blem special'... i did not see the blem....i haven't tried the mag yet, the long rifle is to much fun...gary
 
I bought my Heritage Rough Rider with just the Long Rifle cylinder. Later on I went to their website & found out I could order a .22 magnum cylinder for not that much more money so I ordered one. It was drop in & worked fine though I probably haven't put 100 rounds through it. The reason I haven't shot it more isn't due to any problems with the .22 magnum cylinder. I just use this revolver for plinking & the eradication of small pests. For my purposes the .22 magnum isn't really necessary & I can get 550 rounds of .22 LR for what 50 rounds of .22 mag costs.
 
Mike, what you just said is why the 22 Mag is not more popular in handguns. It is a hunter's caliber and is overkill for small "pests". My general feeling is if you want a 22 mag revolver, you should just get one in 22 mag and have another one (or three) in 22LR.
 
Mine is in my trap line, in the woods and in the truck all the time. I have 10's of thousands of rounds thought it and have dispatched many critters with it. Save your money and buy two. Great guns.
 
The Heritage will shoot with that Single Six all day long. Yes, the Single Six is a much nicer, more refined and well finished gun (especially the Old Models, I'm not as enthused about the new models). But for a .22 pistol it's hard to beat the bang for the buck of the Rough Rider. If you want something that you can pass down to your grandchildren, I agree with others here. Save your money, and buy the Ruger.

But for a shooter, kick around type gun, it's hard for me to justify spending over $400 on a new Single Six as compared to under $200 for the Heritage.
Click to expand...

That pretty much sums up my attitude towards mine. It's a fun little gun, that although I doubt it will last as long as a Single Six, currently it shoots at least as accurately as the Single Sixes I've tried or observed.

The problem with the Single Six in my area is one of opportunity cost. They are so expensive locally that for only a little more you can get a used S&W K-22. So that's why I own a Heritage and a 4-screw S&W K-22 / Model 17 no dash.

I may yet acquire a Single Six. I particularly like the Old Models with fixed sights. I'll have to go on gunbroker though, as the prices are just insane in my parts. I see nice Old Models sell on GB for high $200s to mid $300s fairly often. Used beat to crap ones are $500 and up locally.
 
I bought one of these about a month ago and Yes its not the highest quality but for the price its great. I have reached the point in my life that if I see a firearm that I really want and cost is by some way too high I can and have purchased them. Don't intend to leave any thing for kids to fight over. The Heritage I bought came with the 22mag cylinder and so far it has handled everything from 22shorts, 22shot, 22LR and the 22mags. Is it dead accurate ?? not really but after you fire enough you know where it will hit. Using Remington 22LR shells that are advertized as very low noise and Aquila 22lr with nothing but the primer I stand out side my back door and blaze away. Granted that where I live if I wanted to step out the door with a full auto AK no one would say a word, but when I do fire the big stuff I like to go way back on property, especially if I use and exploding target, did it once and wife was not happy. But I have no complaints about the Rough Rider.
 
it's not a single-six. but it's price:value ratio is comparable. i bought two, both with the mag cylinders, a 6" and 10". I've shot countless rounds through both. they're as reliable as any weapon i own (yes, I own plenty of high end revolvers). Do i expect them to get passed down to my grandkids? no, that's what my Rugers are for. But for a beater that you can wear out in the woods and not care about scratches and dings, it'll put down a squirrel, coon or copperhead every bit as good as a single-six will.
 
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