Single Action .22LR/.22M Combo

[PJSprog]

I've been wanting a .22 revolver for many, many years. I initially set my sights on a S&W M617 10-shot, as it seemed quite similar to my M686. I love that look. Price, however, has kept me away from one. I also recently started to consider a Taurus Tracker 992. A little more reasonable in price, but reviews and comments here have pretty much brushed that aside.

Last night, I was perusing the offerings on Davidson's Gun Genie, and came to the realization that looking only for a DA revolver was severely limiting my options. Since it's going to be strictly a range and plinking gun, there's no reason it needs to be DA. So, I started looking at the SA options. Here's what I found that interested me:

Heritage Rough Rider Combo, 6.5" bbl, 6-shot
Heritage Rough Rider Combo, 6.5" bbl, 9-shot
EAA Bounty Hunter (combo), 6.75" bbl, 8-shot

The HRRs list at $219 and $281, respectively, and the EAA lists for $343.

I admit, I'm leaning cheapskate here. But really, how much abuse would it take in its intended use? I've always taken very good care of my firearms. While it might see a considerable amount of shooting, it's only going to be subjected to the "pounding" of .22s. I've seen a couple of older threads here in which a couple of people seemed less than excited about the 9-shot version of the HRR, mostly from a timing/lock-up wear point of view. I saw no evidence, though, that anyone had ever encountered such a problem.

As much as I like the idea of 8- or 9-shot revolvers, I'm honestly leaning towards the 6-shot HRR. It can be had for under $200, which likely requires zero pre-approval from the house accountant (we've bought three guns in the last month, so that part's kind of important).

Your thoughts on these (or other) options are appreciated.

 

[DPris]

It's not abuse you need to worry about, it's regular & sustained NORMAL use.

Spend the money it takes to get something that'll hold up.
I'm not necessarily pushing the Ruger, but my first Single-Six bought in 1976 is still going strong.
As another example, a buddy who went cheap a couple years later on an inexpensive .22 SA wore it out in less than five years.

I only mention those as illustrations of the point.
I am NOT saying your choices will wear out in five years.

The one caliber that anybody, kids or adults, can shoot, and the one caliber that's the most affordable to shoot, means it may be the one that gets shot a bunch.

Why risk a lesser product & possible service issues when a better one doesn't cost all that much more?
Denis

 

[Old Fuff]

I agree. And besides the obvious if you look at the difference between Ruger internals vs. the others you'll see a big difference in quality construction.

Also Ruger's retain their resale value where the others don't. If money is critical in making a choice consider a used Ruger, that in very good condition should be priced about the same as the cheaper (and I do mean cheaper) alternatives.

All of the revolvers you are considering are made to a lower or higher price point that reflects they're overall quality level. The least expensive in the long run is obviously not a good bargain.

 

[bannockburn]

PJSprog

Don't mean to jump on the Ruger bandwagon but a nice used Single Six convertible will be a much more reliable and durable gun over the long haul. Yes it's going to cost more than the others you listed but you'll certainly get your money's worth out of it for many years to come.

 

[PJSprog]

I did give consideration to the Ruger Single Six and Single Nine. Even those, though, are more than I really want to spend right now. Maybe I just need to hit some local gun stores and pawn shops to see what's around.

That is a nice-looking gun, bannockburn.

 

[weblance]

Im going to +3 the Ruger. Trust what people are telling you about the Ruger. MAYBE you will be pleased with the HRR, but there is no doubt you will be pleased with the Ruger. They are truly a beautiful, smooth, accurate, well made revolver, that will become a family heirloom.

I have a pair of Single Six convertibles, and a Single Ten. For all out fun, the Single Ten is perfect. When plinking, the Single Six simply runs out of ammo too quickly. BUT the Single Six convertible does offer 22 WMR capability. That might be a deciding factor, since you mention that in the thread title. Keep in mind, the Single Nine is 22WMR ONLY. Its not designed to shoot 22 Long Rifle. DONT shoot Long Rifle in the Single Nine.

Save up a few dollars extra and buy the Ruger. Give up haircuts for a couple months, buy cheaper dog food, and single ply TP. You will soon have the $250 extra that the Ruger costs over the HRR.

 

[bannockburn]

PJSprog

Thanks! It was a gift from a friend of mine who used it for when he was running his trap lines. Cleaned up nicely and I finally found some factory grips to replace the Plain Jane replacement grips that were on it.

 

[PJSprog]

Give up haircuts for a couple months...

Hahahahaha ... what in the heck is a hair cut?

This is from 1997, playing at Kennedy's In St. Louis, MO.
Had long hair my whole life, so I'll have to find other ways to save.

 

[DPris]

Would you buy the cheapest guitar you could find & expect to be happy with it over the long run?
Denis

 

[dakota1911]

I have a Ruger Single Six convertible I bought back in 77 and it is still going strong. It does get fed a LOT more .22 than 22 Mag. It seems like if you shop around you could find a used one in good condition you could afford.

 

[PJSprog]

Would you buy the cheapest guitar you could find & expect to be happy with it over the long run?
Denis

As it happens, I have, over the last couple of years, been playing a Squier Jazz bass I bought off Craigslist for $150 because it played and sounded better than my much more expensive Fender Jazz. In fact, I ended up selling the Fender. I do have much more expensive instruments (like the Rickenbacker in the picture), but that one was the right tool for the job, regardless of price.
Not a good example here.

 

[SlayerOfBunnies]

Go to a gun show and see if you can find yourself a used single six. Last one I saw change hands around here was a nice stainless piece with both cylinders - $350 (about 4 months ago).

They are out there.

 

[DPris]

OK, disregard.
Your money, your gun.
Denis

 

[PJSprog]

I get your point, Denis. I'm not arguing in favor of a HHR over a Ruger. I just basically want to know if anyone has had any bad experiences with them. I would definitely prefer a better firearm (80% of my handguns are S&W), and I probably will look in that direction. But, not simply because one is inexpensive and another is not. That's a pretty good general rule, but not always true.

 

[DPris]

The Heritage guns are priced low for a reason.
The EAA guns are not made domestically & while a higher level of overall quality than the Heritages, parts & service can be problematical on occasion.

I have not used a Heritage extensively myself, do have some experience with EAA products.
Have heard of Heritage failures with extensive use.
Denis

 

[Ed Ames]

You start saying you want a double action, then you accept single action because it is a range and plinking gun, but...somewhere in there you added WMR. To me, WMR is expensive (I remember it overlapping with remanufactured 9mm even 10 years ago), and noisy, but doesn't really add anything for paper or tin cans.

If you look at non-convertibles, you have even more sub-$200 choices:

* Cimmeron
* Chiappa
* Puma
* Heritage

Honestly, for what you have described I would save up for the 4" SP-101 8-shot .22LR. If I was a wise person I would save up for a used K22. Way out of budget, but unlike the heritage etc. you'll be able to sell it for about what you paid. In any case I'd drop the WMR compatibility requirement based on what you've said. Then again, I have a convertible single six I got used.

 

[PJSprog]

Slayer- ... not sure about your area, but around here, gun shows have not been a good place to find good deals for quite some time now. Seems like most vendors price their guns either near or sometimes even over list prices for new. Admittedly, I don't usually look at used very much. There is one coming up in a few weeks in Belleville, IL. Definitely can't hurt to look. I'll probably go anyway.

Stainless would definitely be my preference.

Appreciate the banter, guys. As usual, you've likely talked me into spending more money. The accountant will not be pleased.

 

[PJSprog]

The WMR option isn't necessary. I just thought it would be nice to have since many come as a combo or convertible. Should I find one with only the LR cylinder, it wouldn't be a deal breaker if the price is right.

 

[Ed Ames]

I've seen the Heritage .22lr-only rough rider for $110 on sale.

 

[Esoteria]

Okay I'm gonna break from the pack here and support the Heritage 6-shot.

I have a Heritage in 22LR only. Cost me $130 out the door on a sale.
When I initially got it out to the range I was frustrated because it shot low and to the side by several inches at 15 yards. I also noticed that as I "fiddled" with the action it would hang/catch sometimes and require extra force to cock.

Needless to say, these couple of things started adding up and I felt like I had got exactly what I paid for. However...

I bent the front sight into place to correct the windage. I quickly got used to putting the front sight a little bit above the rear sight groove (which helps keep track of the sight while moving anyway). And the hammer snag wore in after about 200 rounds. It still catches a little bit when I fiddle with it at home, but out on the range it's never a problem. Honestly, as far as fun-for-dollar ratio, it's absolutely the best of my 15 or so guns.

Now, I have handled and shot a Ruger Single Six a fair bit. It is clearly "better made" and has tighter tolerances. But it just feels more "stiff". The Heritage feels a little like a cowboy action SAA right out of the box.

On the Ruger I don't like the hammer position relative to the grips. I feel like the hammer's harder to cock, but that might just be me. Also, the Ruger frees up the cylinder when you open up the loading gate, which is maybe more convenient but I feel like if you're going single action, convenience isn't your main concern. It's all about "feel", and I like taking the hammer to half cock to load and unload. Perhaps more important: because the Ruger's loading gate actually unlocks the cylinder it's pretty stiff to open and close. I'm guessing this wears in over time (the one I used had only maybe 100 rounds through it), but I like being able to just tap the gate closed with my index finger after I finish loading.

Now, besides the overall "quality feel," the Ruger does have two other pretty big advantages over the Heritage:
(1) it can be safely dry fired, while the Heritage can't. This is kind of noticeable if you're used to a centerfire SAA. Suddenly you can't just pull the trigger on your empty chamber when leaving one empty for holstering. If you're like me, you'll quickly get used to easing the hammer down instead, but it'd be better if I didn't have to.
(2) The Heritage has an ugly manual safety next to the hammer. I don't need to go into more detail on this. It's either a stupid liability decision that you can live with, or it's a total atrocity and an affront to all that is classical gun design, and you can't buy it.

The wood grips on the Heritage are actually pretty nice. They're very comfortable and have held up well. The box it comes in is a nice touch.

I personally don't see much point in getting the 22 mag cylinder, as the expense of 22 mag never seemed worth it for a plinker. But it's not very expensive, so go for it if you like them.

I have no experience with the EAA.

 

[Old Fuff]

It isn't so much that the Heritage isn't worth the money, particularly if it's on sale, but rather that over the long run the more expensive Ruger will prove to be worth the extra cost long after what you paid is forgotten. You can reasonably consider it to be a lifetime investment, but if you chose to trade or sell it later you can expect to get most (if not all) of your money back.

Either way you'll get what you pay for, and this observation can be taken several ways.

 

[gazpacho]

I've spent WAY too much money on 22lr Semis, DAs and SAs. The only Semi that ever made me happy was a heavily modified Ruger 22/45 ($1000+). I haven't found a DA that I like yet. I bought a Ruger Bearcat a long time ago, and liked it a lot. That led to a SS conv 6.5", which lead to a sort of matching Talo Birdshead, which led to a Single Nine. I absolutely love my 22 Ruger SAs.

If you are going to spend a lot of time shooting a gun, why not buy the gun that will make you happiest for the lot of time? If the HRR will make you happy, fine. If the Ruger will make you happier, then it would behoove you to buy the Ruger.

 

[MedWheeler]

Old Fuff writes:

..consider a used Ruger, that in very good condition should be priced about the same as the cheaper (and I do mean cheaper) alternatives.

Not unless the seller is clueless. Well, maybe about the same as the EAA, but nowhere around here will one find a Single-Six "in very good condition" for the two bills for which the HRR goes.

I'm not gonna recommend one over the other because I don't have the Ruger, and I don't know the OP's situation.

But, I have been nothing but pleased so far with my HRR six-shooter. However, it has seen only a few hundred rounds through it, and only 50 of them have been WMR, so take that with the proverbial grain..

 

[fireman 9731]

I have a Heritage Rough Rider. 22lr and 22mag. Paid $179 a few years ago. They are noting fancy, but mine has been 100% reliable.

Its been a boat load of fun shooting carpenter bees with shot shells.

I have dispatched beavers on my trap line with it. I have no worries about sticking it in the chest pocket of my waders, or tossing it in the truck.

Its usually loaded with subsonic ammo, and its really fun with CB shorts. I rarely use the magnum cylinder, but its a neat addition.

If you like it then great, and if you want more, you can always upgrade later on.

 

[swopjan]

Perhaps more important: because the Ruger's loading gate actually unlocks the cylinder it's pretty stiff to open and close. I'm guessing this wears in over time (the one I used had only maybe 100 rounds through it), but I like being able to just tap the gate closed with my index finger after I finish loading.

Has anybody else observed this? I haven't handled a single six but I do have four Blackhawk's, only one that requires more than a light tap is my nearly 30 year old .32 H&R/.32-20 convertible. Two are <100 round count, the convertible is unknown.

A single-six can be had for $250-300 but it probably won't be convertible or pretty.