Never Say Never Again - New to Me Heritage Rough Rider

[Tallball]

My BiL has one. I disliked the safety, (broken) plastic ejector rod tab, poor finish, etc.

I owned one because I got it for $89. After comparing it to my Single Six, I didn't even bother shooting it. I just traded it towards something else at my LGS.

In addition to my irrational dislike of Heritage Rough Riders, I have other mental health issues. I also have a weird hankering for a SA 38 special with a 3" barrel and bird's heads grips. But I've never shot a revolver with bird's head grips, or a "SAA style" three inch SA revolver of any kind, for that matter.

Then I saw this beauty/monstrosity. It was $145 and free shipping. I thought I'd read that it was inexpensive to order a plow handle grip so that you could exchange them to compare back and forth. And also, maybe my daughter would think the grips were cute and choose it as the 22 revolver she plans of relieving me of in a few years. (I told her she could have the 38 special and 22lr of her choice.)

The finish is better than it looks in the picture. The trigger and sights are acceptable. The grip feels okay. I'll probably be able to shoot it just fine. Hopefully I'll find out in the next week or so.

If you've owned a Rough Rider and could fill me in on its preferred ammo and possible other foibles, I'd be appreciative.

The idea about my daughter kind of worked. She said that the grips were super cute. Then she added, "But I still want your Mark II."

Heritage Rough Rider 22lr

• Tallball
• Jul 17, 2021

 

[ontarget]

I have that same model but with the white faux pearl grips. Mine shoots well but ejection is an issue due to the short ejector rod. The empty cases don't fall free like my big bore SAs do. Not a huge problem as a little flip from a finger nail finishes the job.
I'm sure shorts would pop right out.
Fun gun to shoot though.
My grand daughter asked me if we can shoot today so now I think I will pull out the BH, along with a pile of others.

 

[Tallball]

I already ordered the plowhandle grip frame and a set of plowhandle grips.

It was $50 total ($25 apiece).

 

[jstert]

im not a fan of birdshead grips, but i like the handy size of this shorter hrr. i have a couple of 4” 9-shot hrr that i got online new several years ago. they are perfectly ok, not heirloom pieces but not heirloom priced either. i wouldn’t trust a hrr as a one and done handgun for the bush; ruger fills this role perfectly, even with its cheaper wrangler. as a weekend piece my hrr are not objectionable at all.

i recently got online a newly made 6.5” 9-shot hrr and am quite disappointed with its feel: rough/sharp in the hand, very/very sticky safety. my older hrr are decently smooth & fun plinkers, the new hrr is decidedly unpleasant and a p.i.t.a. while i realize that quality is a relative term with hrr, i sadly conclude that my recently made hrr tends to the turdish side. if i had handled this new hrr in a gun shop i would have quickly walked away.

ruger should really offer an 8-shot wrangler in different grips & barrel lengths.

 

[Orion8472]

I personally think Ruger should take just a bit of extra time to buff down that frame seam so the Wrangler doesn't look so cheap. I'd buy one if it wasn't for that.

 

[ThomasT]

This time I'm going to say "never".

 

[MedWheeler]

I have two of them, one of which is that shorter birdshead frame (not pink.) I enjoy the 4.75" plowhandle a little more because of how it sits in hand, but they're both fun little plinkers. With the safety on, they can be dry-fired, too, should one feel so inclined.

I do also have a Ruger NMSS, so I know what they are.

 

[Coyote3855]

I haven't seen a Heritage up close. I am tempted by the Ruger Wrangler.

 

[Tallball]

I'll have a range report late this week or early the week after.

Hopefully the plowhandle frame and grips will arrive before I take it to the range the first time.

It would be interesting to switch grip frames "on the fly", so to speak.

 

[doubleh]

I have the slightly longer barreled version that will eject the shell. I did have to polish the chambers as they were very sticky. I really like the bird's head grip and mine is NOT pink. It's a fun little plinker but sorta cheesy compared to a single six. Of course what else would expect for the price difference? It's fine for killing coke cans and other dangerous little things like a spring loaded steel target if they aren't too far away.

 

[Buckeye63]

 

[shoebox1.1]

Never say never again.. great movie. Awesome soundtrack full of jazz released simultaneously against octopussy. Two bond movies with Connery on one and Moore on other. Two separate movie studios producing.

 

[Android24]

My BiL has one. I disliked the safety, (broken) plastic ejector rod tab, poor finish, etc.

Heritage Rough Rider 22lr

• Tallball
• Jul 17, 2021

I recently removed the safety from mine and replaced it with a 3D printed block I bought online. Now I have a plain old-fashioned SA revolver!

 

[Seedy Character]

Hope you and your daughter enjoy it.

The FIRST one I had was actually the FIE Lil Ranger. Bought used and got it cheap.
Couldn't hit a basketball 3 out 6 shots at 20 feet. Was a pain to eject spent cases. Wasn't a fan of bird's head.

Sold it, said never again

Grandson was going to Cowboy Action shoots. Decided I needed a pair of SA .22 for him to shoot. Found a RR 6 1/2" with both cyl, at a gun show. Bought it. 5 min later, I find a 5 1/2" RR .22LR for a few $$ less. WTH, I bought it.

Trip to range, with both guns and a variety of 6 types of .22LR and 2 WMRF.

The 6 1/2" shot 4-6" groups with every ammo.
The 5 1/2" shot 6-8" groups with the .22LR. Tried the mag cylinder. Everything locked up tight and lined up right. It shot 3" groups with both brands of WMRF.

I hate that crappy safety!

Some more .22LR shooting and broke the plastic plunger on ejector rod.
For whatever reason, every time one of us went to shoot, that */%=× safety was ON.

Ended up selling both (for more than I paid) and found 2 Ruger Single Six. I am happy now.

NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER AGAIN

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

My BiL has one. I disliked the safety, (broken) plastic ejector rod tab, poor finish, etc.

I owned one because I got it for $89. After comparing it to my Single Six, I didn't even bother shooting it. I just traded it towards something else at my LGS.

In addition to my irrational dislike of Heritage Rough Riders, I have other mental health issues. I also have a weird hankering for a SA 38 special with a 3" barrel and bird's heads grips. But I've never shot a revolver with bird's head grips, or a "SAA style" three inch SA revolver of any kind, for that matter.

Then I saw this beauty/monstrosity. It was $145 and free shipping. I thought I'd read that it was inexpensive to order a plow handle grip so that you could exchange them to compare back and forth. And also, maybe my daughter would think the grips were cute and choose it as the 22 revolver she plans of relieving me of in a few years. (I told her she could have the 38 special and 22lr of her choice.)

The finish is better than it looks in the picture. The trigger and sights are acceptable. The grip feels okay. I'll probably be able to shoot it just fine. Hopefully I'll find out in the next week or so.

If you've owned a Rough Rider and could fill me in on its preferred ammo and possible other foibles, I'd be appreciative.

The idea about my daughter kind of worked. She said that the grips were super cute. Then she added, "But I still want your Mark II."

Heritage Rough Rider 22lr

• Tallball
• Jul 17, 2021

I also have white plastic grip model with both cylinders. It was a Christmas Special for $99 out the door and came with ammo for that price.

If you can find them in these times of shortage, load the LR cylinder up with CCI Standard Velocity .22 Long, NOT Long Rifle. .22Shorts, BB's and CB's are just stupid fun. The Longs are just as fast, just as accurate, and fit the ejector rod length correctly. Shorts pop out with a shake, typically. Hopefully yours is like mine and the LR cylinder is more accurate than the magnum cylinder. I enjoy shooting the longs and shorts a LOT more than magnums.

 

[Dave T]

From the first time I heard of the RR guns I said they were not something I would ever be interested in. I find myself reading these threads about them, mostly out of curiosity about why people would waste their money on these things. This thread is no exception. Enough posts about how poorly they are executed and what cheep materials are used that I continue to wonder, why on earth waste you money when for another $100 or so you could have a real gun. Curiouser and curiouser.

Dave

 

[ontarget]

From the first time I heard of the RR guns I said they were not something I would ever be interested in. I find myself reading these threads about them, mostly out of curiosity about why people would waste their money on these things. This thread is no exception. Enough posts about how poorly they are executed and what cheep materials are used that I continue to wonder, why on earth waste you money when for another $100 or so you could have a real gun. Curiouser and curiouser.

Dave

Buy one and find out.
Hey, we all know they are in no way a direct competitor to the Single Six. I think that the people who tend to bash them the worst are the guys that expect a $600 gun for $125.
Judge the RRs for what they are and not what one wishes they were and it becomes easy to understand their popularity.
Good, cheap, fun.
I have 4 RRs, a Wrangler, and a 3 screw SS. Would I recommend a RR to someone who is going to put 10k rounds a year through it? Nope. But honestly, how many shooters REALLY run those round counts? For the vast majority of shooters, the RR will provide many years of reliable service. I have one that I bought in 1993 that is still doing great.

 

[Seedy Character]

From the first time I heard of the RR guns I said they were not something I would ever be interested in. I find myself reading these threads about them, mostly out of curiosity about why people would waste their money on these things. This thread is no exception. Enough posts about how poorly they are executed and what cheep materials are used that I continue to wonder, why on earth waste you money when for another $100 or so you could have a real gun. Curiouser and curiouser.

Dave

Dave, in support of Heritage; the 3 I owned, NEVER had a ft. They went BANG. every time. Grandkids had a ball with them, for a time, until they realized they never hit anything.

All 3 combined, cost me $315. I sold them for $375. 1 Ruger cost $375, without the Mag cylinder.

When the plastic plunger broke on the ejector, I contacted Heritage. I received 2 replacements, within 3 days, FREE.
The accuracy was disappointing, but I knew I wasn't buying an Olympic target pistol.

Is the Single Six better? Without a doubt.
The Wrangler? Probably, but I'm not a fan of those weird color combos.
For $100 or a little more, a lot of FUN can be had, train a youngster, bring out your inner cowboy and not break the bank. Heritage has a place in this world.


That ridiculous safety was my #1 complaint.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

From the first time I heard of the RR guns I said they were not something I would ever be interested in. I find myself reading these threads about them, mostly out of curiosity about why people would waste their money on these things. This thread is no exception. Enough posts about how poorly they are executed and what cheep materials are used that I continue to wonder, why on earth waste you money when for another $100 or so you could have a real gun. Curiouser and curiouser.

Dave

Not your thing. Got it.

 

[Buckeye63]

From the first time I heard of the RR guns I said they were not something I would ever be interested in. I find myself reading these threads about them, mostly out of curiosity about why people would waste their money on these things. This thread is no exception. Enough posts about how poorly they are executed and what cheep materials are used that I continue to wonder, why on earth waste you money when for another $100 or so you could have a real gun. Curiouser and curiouser.

Dave

I don’t like some handguns… but I like my RR .. actually all that I have owned .. they are what they are …and they fit a bill for me ..

 

[THEWELSHM]

I bought my FIL a RR .22 so he could shoot in the USA. He progressed to 44 Mag 29-2. We now have a gun lobbiest in the UK..lol

Thewelshm

 

[MedWheeler]

From the first time I heard of the RR guns I said they were not something I would ever be interested in. I find myself reading these threads about them, mostly out of curiosity about why people would waste their money on these things. This thread is no exception. Enough posts about how poorly they are executed and what cheep materials are used that I continue to wonder, why on earth waste you money when for another $100 or so you could have a real gun. Curiouser and curiouser.

Dave

Worse things to get worked up over are yet to come.

 

[Dave T]

Worse things to get worked up over are yet to come.

Good grief man, I said found it curious. Heck, I didn't give the RR enough thought to get worked up. You seem a lot more worked up over it than I every was.

Dave

 

[AzShooter1]

I didn't need it but liked the look and wanted something for making a holster for single action. The Heritage Rough Rider fit the bill for me.

I paid less then $100 for it including 2 boxes of CCI-Quiet ammo. I've had no problems and it shoots nice 2 inch groups at 15 yards with CCI Mini Mags. I haven't tried the Magnum cylinder yet.

The RR may not be the nicest pistol out there but I like mine. I'm a Ruger fan but in comparison to the Wrangler, for me, the better gun is the RR. I have had no problems with the safety or with poor extraction in my gun.

Good luck. Shoot well.

 

[ontarget]

View attachment 1024590 I didn't need it but liked the look and wanted something for making a holster for single action. The Heritage Rough Rider fit the bill for me.

I paid less then $100 for it including 2 boxes of CCI-Quiet ammo. I've had no problems and it shoots nice 2 inch groups at 15 yards with CCI Mini Mags. I haven't tried the Magnum cylinder yet.

The RR may not be the nicest pistol out there but I like mine. I'm a Ruger fan but in comparison to the Wrangler, for me, the better gun is the RR. I have had no problems with the safety or with poor extraction in my gun.

Good luck. Shoot well.

I'm not one to like art on my guns, but those Betsy Ross Flag grips do look nice. I think I just might see if they are available on the Heritage web site.