Heritage Rough Rider

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With all due respect, Craig, if a 54 year old guy like me with bad eyes and almost zero shooting experience can hit golf balls at 50 feet, I think that just might qualify for at least being semi-accurate.....
 
...can hit golf balls at 50 feet...
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With all due respect, this is quite typical of the accuracy reports you hear of Heritage Rough Riders. At least Gunblast did some real accuracy testing with a .32H&R version, which I recall did no better than 3". While a good Single Six will easily halve that, or better.
 
CraigC said:
It's pot metal. You can try and pretty it up as much as you want, it's pot metal.
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I get the feeling your one of the people who call glass reinforced polymers "tupperware".

Even the steel framed guns use the cheapest grade of steel alloy you will find anywhere in firearms' manufacture, 12L14.
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I guess it is just personally preference, but I don't see why they would want to use a more expensive material for a firearm that's shooting relatively low pressure cartridge. Especially since the firearm isn't meant to be a heirloom weapon, its a cheap plinker.


The barrels are "microthreaded", which means they are ribbed, press-fit into the frame and held in place with adhesive. The ejector button is plastic and prone to breakage.
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Seems to work well enough for plinking off hand shooting, which is what I gather alot of us HRR owners do with them. I personally haven't come across many stories of the ejector rod head breaking, I wonder how hard you have to slam it or abuse it to get that to happen.

You will almost never see a real accuracy test and if you do, it is typically abysmal. The finishes are sprayed on. The "cocobolo" grips are imitation.
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I personally find punching paper boring and to be honest I doubt I'll ever do a "real" accuracy test with a HRR. In regards to practical accuracy I have zero complaints. Of course the finish is sprayed on, its cheaper, fairly durable, and one of the few options available for Zamak (oops, I mean pot metal...). Now, this is the first I've heard about the cocobolo grips being imitation. I'm not an exotic woods specialist by any means, could you explain just what the indicators are that the wood used by Heritage isn't cocobolo?

You should find the post on TFL where a guy's brand new Cimarron Plinker, which is almost entirely comprised of pot metal, showed SERIOUS signs of peening and erosion after just a few hundred rounds.
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Sounds like that guy had the poor luck to get a bad casting or a lot of metal with impurities. It sucks, but as with any firearm, sometimes you get a defective gun. My Zamak guns (yeah, plural) have held up just fine for me, and I'm rather sure I've put more then a few hundred rounds through them all.

I think that you have a skewed perception as to the point of these handguns. Its an inexpensive, serviceable, fun gun. Its not a gun that's going to last forever nor is it expected to. If I could have found a used Single Six or Bearcat in my area for $250 I would have happily gotten one. That didn't happen, and probably never will in my area. For the $120 I paid for my HRR I've received alot happiness.

tl:dr : HRR=/=Bearcat or Single Six. Still makes me happy.
 
Zinc alloy guns are something I avoid, no matter how well they may initially work. I've seen too many that wore out in a hurry and way too many that got crumbly just sitting in a drawer. Zinc alloys are always chosen for being cheap and easy to cast. Never for strength, durability or longevity.
 
I feel that if you can afford a Ruger Single Six revolver, you are better off in the long run. But if I feel it is better to buy the a Rough Rider than nothing at all if you are new to the shooting sports or don't intend to shoot it much anyway. Some owners are very happy and others discover how poorly they are made after a relatively low round count.
 
My son bought one about a month ago. Shoots great and is as accurate as my Single Six.

He liked it so much he bought one for his brother as a graduation gift. Unfortunately that one shot about a foot to the left at 10 yards. I bent the front sight over to the left at about a 45 degree angle (sure looks stupid) and now it only shoots about 6 inches to the left. That one will be taking a trip to the factory shortly, we'll see how good their customer service is.
 
I've been tempted to buy a Rough Rider just to see how "bad" they really are. (I bought a Hi-Point for the same reason. It works like a champ.) The thing that's always stopped me, is around here I never see them for $150.00. More like $225-250.00. And for that kind of money, I can and have bought used Single-Sixs.
 
I stopped in Academy here in Norman today. They sell the RR. Priced at $129! I was in a Pawn shop recently. They had a used RR in ok shape. Theirs was priced at $149!! :D
 
With Heritage prices closing in on $200 I think I just spend a little more and look for a used Ruger. I have an old Heritage and it works great but just can't see paying that price for what I consider a hundred dollar truck gun.

Lately i've seen some epic fails on the newer Heritage frames.
 
What do you consider an "epic fail" on a frame? Only thing I can imagine is it split in half or cracked. Hard to imagine that at .22 power levels.

I've seen cylinders blown apart and cracked frames on big bore centerfires with hot loads, but never on a .22.

Any pictures or references?
 
It's just too easy to find used Single Sixes for under $300 to go spending $200 on a Heritage. I've got three that cost me $200, $225 and $250. The one I got for $225 was an older limited production New Model and NIB. The $250 one a fixed sight .32H&R. The Ruger is made just like the centerfires, with the same materials. The Heritage is made as cheaply as humanly possible and it still function.


I've been tempted to buy a Rough Rider just to see how "bad" they really are.
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I've thought about doing the same thing but just can't bring myself to. Hate to waste the money and hate to spend the time to shoot 10,000rds through it. I could get hit by a truck tomorrow and lose both my thumbs. Don't want my last single action shooting to be with a Rough Rider. ;)
 
I haven't owned one, but I have shot them, and they will surprise you. I really dig guns that get the job done, for less money. Watched that tow headed kid shoot a Gator with one the other night, on the Gator Shootin Show. Which I see as a perfect intended use.

Thoughts on Pot metal:I have never seen one, but I have 2 friends from high school that I am sure deserve it!
 
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I am not a metalurgist. But being a child of the 60s, I feel perfectly at home with pot metal. I embrace it as readily as wood. We would not be the superpower we are today without pot metal. And I think you boys are being a little harsh by trashing it. If you do not understand the usefulness or advantages of pot metal just say so. Those of us that appreciate it's true potential will probably continue to do so.

Which one would I rather drop over board, in the cottonmouth hell of the swamp. Now which one would be perfectly adeqate in the swamp.
Now which one wins both categories. That's what I thought.:)
 
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Golf Ball Shooting Mariachi (that tickles me.)

Well how the H does that happen.
 
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Golf Ball Shooting Mariachi (that tickles me.)

You win for the best use category. What hole were these guys on? Was it at the country club? You were shooting them at the tee box,right? Just before the swing?

I would far rather shoot golf balls, than targets. A cheap,22lr Single Action revolver is a horrible choice for a target gun.

But,for golf balls its perfect.
 
Golf Ball Shooting Mariachis

I don't hate golfers, but It would be fun to keep shooting the balls off the tee.
In an odd note of irony, I think my metal drivers are pot metal.:scrutiny:
 
I had a Heritage Rough Rider a few years ago and it was a great gun. It was accurate and reliablie with 22lr. I really cannot fault the gun for the price that I paid for it.
The only complaint that I had with it is in regards to shooting .22 Magnums. The gun came with a second cylinder for .22 Magnum and it was not at all unusual for there to be a misfire when using .22 Magnum rnds. It's kind of annoying to have the "Click" and then have to wait several seconds before trying again. I will say that on the second attempt all of the rnds went bang. I almost never shot .22 Magnum anyway but it was still a bit annoying.
As the gun only ran me about $120 at the time and I shot almost nothing but .22lr it was no biggie.
Great gun. Cheap, reliable (with .22lr) and accurate.
I'd recommend it and sooner or later I'll probably end up buying another "Just because."
 
If you do not understand the usefulness or advantages of pot metal just say so.
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There you go again, I don't know where you get the idea that I just fell off the turnip truck.


A cheap,22lr Single Action revolver is a horrible choice for a target gun.
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Yes but it typically helps to bench test any gun to find the most accurate load. Unless you're just making noise at the range. :rolleyes:
 
I've seen pics of one failure at the local range and one has been posted by a guy over at the Heritage website. Almost identical. Top strap cracked and bent the frame forward. Guy locally was using the 22 mag but not sure on the other.

Other issues have been on the increase too. Tells me quality at the factory is on the down hill and QC isn't happening (of course thats prevalent nowadays). I'm suspecting casting issues caused the above frame failures. Finish has always been absolute crap btw.

Like my old one but won't touch a new one. Sad since I think at one time they had decent product.
 
I guess I'm just getting old. I didn't know you specified poor quality pot metal.
I have 2 blenders, a cake mixer, and a clothes iron, all made in the 60s, all pot metal, all still in service. I don't know how long I can go on with this, before you start to realize I'm razzing you.
 
I'm easily cornfuzzled

Maybe if I say this real slowwww......... It's..a...cheap..revolver..if..it..breaks..you..can..use..it..as..a...doorstop :D
 
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