Wanting .22 New Revolver

[MCgunner]

I see a 12 target revolver challenge, Miculek against Craig. Of course, he cheats, moon clips and speed loaders.

Well, I raced motorcycles, worked, shot various forms of competition, fished, but I guess I missed out on the dedication for speed loading single actions....darn. I ain't even that fast swapping cylinders on my 58 Remmy.

I'll put it this way, I and MOST folks will be able to reload a DA .22 revolver faster than an SA revolver, individual experts not-with-standing, as if it matters.

 

[Prosser]

CraigC:
What caliber is the easiest for you to drop in when loading? Mine seems to be .475L

I think Ross Seyfried might still give Craig a run for his money;-) He's settled on .45 Colt.

 

[CraigC]

Like I said, I'm no expert and would NEVER place myself on the level with someone like Seyfried, let alone a speedmaster like Miculek. There are plenty of guys in the old Sixgunner.com crowd who I would hate to have to shoot against. Jim Taylor, Terry Murbach and Mark Hargrove being notable examples.

The best I can do is to fire five shots, reload and fire five more in 18secs.

.22LR cartridges load very quickly and easily into something like a Single Six. Switch over to the USFA 12/22 and it becomes difficult because the loading port is sized for .38-40, .44-40, .44Spl and .45Colt. Those two bottlenecks slip right in when loaded with RNFP's. Loading the average .44Spl or .45Colt cartridges I use is a little more deliberate because SWC's tend to hang on the shoulder. RNFP's or LBT's glide right in. The heavier the bullet the better. Can't comment on the .475 because I don't own a single action in that chambering but when the cartridge is almost as large as the loading port, it becomes a little tricky then too.

I and MOST folks will be able to reload a DA .22 revolver faster than an SA revolver...

Not if they do it the way I do. Rather than the way you do it. Like I've said before, it's mostly about your technique and because you "take my sweet time and enjoy myself".

 

[MCgunner]

Not if they do it the way I do. Rather than the way you do it. Like I've said before, it's mostly about your technique and because you "take my sweet time and enjoy myself".

If I hit with the first shot, there's no need to reload in the first place. Why is reloading speed with a single action such a big deal? I carry a 9mm autoloader and a spare magazine. I'm much faster with that than with a revolver and speedloaders and, hell, the gun holds 11 rounds. I'm not related to Jerry Miculek. And, I ain't going to get in a gun fight with a single action, let alone a single action .22, in the first place! I love my Blackhawks for hunting, but they ain't PDWs. They're heavy, too big for a pocket, and slow. When I go to the range to plink, I ain't in no rush. I enjoy myself. I don't work on reload speed with .22s, even .22 autos, rather ACCURACY. A rabbit is a small target at 25 yards. And, a lot of the times, I'm plinking with a cap and ball revolver, Colt, Remington replicas or my ROA. Tell me how fast you can reload THOSE.

And, 18 seconds is fast for a single action, I'm probably more in the 30 seconds at best range just guessing, might be more like 45 or 60, but I'll have to time myself at the range sometime with my DA kit gun. I think I can beat even THAT, but not sure, so make no claims cause I never tried to reload the thing that fast. It's a DA gun, so I can rip the first 5 and the second 5 out faster, that's for sure.

We were shooting a pepper popper match once, a 5 county law enforcement match which I won with my .45 caliber Ruger P90 (an autoloader), and I asked to try the 4 poppers with my .45 Colt Blackhawk after the match was over. I tried shooting too fast and lacked one popper, had to reload. I remember making the comment to my buddy who was running the match that "I know how Custer felt, now." LOL

 

[CraigC]

Why is reloading speed with a single action such a big deal?

Apparently it's a big enough deal to some folks that they try a single action one time and then give up on it. Which is what I was responding to.....

I get impatient with emptying the brass with the ejector rod one at a time.

SA-only rimfires? Been there... done that... didn't want the tee-shirt.

After about 3 cylinders full of loading/unloading a SA, I am finished for the day and move on to something else...

My point is that some say that they don't like single actions because they're slow to reload. My answer is, "they don't have to be". My point is that it is the shooter and his technique that is "slow". That's not the sixgun's fault. Maybe I need to do a video and put it on YouTube because I've never seen one where the shooter did it quickly. Even "hickok45" is not too quick on his reloads.

Without the aid of speedloaders, you can't reload a d/a any faster than you can a s/a. with a little practice, you can have the sixth empty in the air, before the first and second empty has had a good bounce on the ground.

This is a true statement obviously made by someone who knows their way around a single action.

 

[MCgunner]

My point is that some say that they don't like single actions because they're slow to reload. My answer is, "they don't have to be". Maybe I need to do a video and put it on YouTube because I've never seen one where the shooter did it quickly. Even "hickok45" is not too quick on his reloads.

Okay, well, I finally get your point. But, you gotta admit it takes some dedication that most aren't going to want to put in to get that speed down.

Why should anyone care how fast they can reload, anyway, aside from self defense confrontations in which, even you have to admit, the autoloader wins? That is, of course, unless you're doing some sort of game with the SA revolver like cowboy shooting, I can understand the dedication for that. I mean, I know you're right, lots of folks whine and cry over slow reload times. I guess if they're paying by the minute for range time, that might matter to 'em. Me, my club costs me 30 bucks a year and when I go out there, I'm there to enjoy myself as much as practice. I see guys post that they have 50 magazines they load the night before just so they won't have to take the time to do it at the range. If they're doing a lot of run and gun, I can see multiple magazines, but I'm a guy that shoots black powder. I shoot 6, sit down and load all six rounds one at a time, powder first, filler next, ball next, cap, reinstall cylinder. That turns a lot of guys off of black powder, but not me. I like shooting the old smoke poles.

Anyway, I do get THAT point. But, I doubt many folks are going to be swayed to get a single action just because YOU are blazing fast at reloading it. Me, I don't own 'em for reload speed. They have other virtues. I'm primarily using them outdoors either for hunting or hiking. A .45 Colt Blackhawk is a wonderfully strong and powerful revolver without being as heavy as a carbine which a lot of powerful DAs are, like X frames and Alaskans and such.

BUT, this discussion is about .22s. I haven't owned a SA .22 since my old Hawes broke. I do have that little Rossi DA M511, no longer in production and this thread is about CURRENT new revolvers, but the rest of my .22s are autoloaders. I'm not sure why I don't have a SA because I like 'em, just there are other guns that always are higher on my wish list. I only have 26 handguns, ya know. I can't afford more'n one a year, maybe two at the moment, until I start getting my gubment checks (social security) in November. I don't know that I'll even want a SA .22 then, though. I have a lot of fun with my autos and one DA revolver and they suit all my .22 needs. In .22s, there ain't much better FOR THE MONEY than a Mk 2 or 3 (I have a Mk2) or a Buckmark. I'm thinkn' I'll get a Buckmark for a next .22. .22s are neat. You can own a lot of 'em and don't need to justify the need to one's self or one's wife. They're just for fun, perhaps small game, perhaps (if you're into it) competition. They're reasonably priced (aside from Smith and Wesson) and they're cheap to shoot. Whether it's a SA or DA or auto, they're all fun.

 

[Prosser]

I want to thank CraigC for correcting a misconception I've long had with Single Action .22lrs. I never really tried to quickly reload, something I can't say about loading a Colt Trooper I was stupid enough to trade in on a Freedom Arms.

The FA 83 was a pain since the chambers were so tight the rounds wouldn't go in or out easily.

Now I see why Ruger made the cylinder throats and chambers huge on the SSS.

I will work on my technique.

 

[BCRider]

I'd like to bring up a detail which I haven't seen discussed much in this thread. Simply the difference in the grips between the typical DA and SA styles. They are very different in the style of hold to the point where I feel you would want to try out and select the gun based more on that feature than on the style of reloading.

Another possible factor is what the gun will be used for. Around here our Speed Steel matches have a class for rimfire guns of both semi auto and revolver as separate classes. If you have something available that is similar you'll want to select a revolver with that style of timed event in mind. For the most part such an event pretty much demands a DA with swing out or top break style reloading.

 

[chicharrones]

I'd like to bring up a detail which I haven't seen discussed much in this thread. Simply the difference in the grips between the typical DA and SA styles.

Good point. For whatever reason my hand fits a SAA style grip rather poorly and it does affect my target shooting a bit. For whatever reason, I can shoot a DA revolver with its more "modern" grip a bit more accurately almost every time.

The other thing some people mention between the SA and the DA/SA revolvers is lock time. Those tall, long swinging SA hammers vs. those short, quick swinging DA/SA hammers. I'm not a good enough shooter to notice the difference, so I'd like to hear from some people that can give me their experiences with that. If y'all wouldn't mind.

 

[MCgunner]

One is supposed to rotate the gun back into firing position with the little finger (on high caliber guns) and the little finger rides under the grip on a SA. The gun rolls in the hand on firing and absorbs the recoil nicely. I like that with heavy recoil calibers and the single action. On a .22, it's not so big a deal and, yeah, if you're used to the DA style grips, you might not like SA grip frames. There are full hand grips that can be had, though, Hogue for one.

Also, the lock time is longer, i reckon, and I've heard this gripe, but it doesn't seem to mess me up any. Flintlocks are a lot worse, ya know, then there's wheel locks.

I'm not sure what these are, got 'em cheap out of a box at a gun show, but they're comfy, on my .357 Blackhawk I hunt some with.

 

[Alimony Bob]

Get an older smith k22 with 8" barrel. Excellent practice. Kids can use it. Go squirrel hunting in back yard. Lasts forever. Will hold if not increase in value.

 

[Swing]

The Ruger SP101 is a pocket anvil, but it works.

 

[Tomcat47]

I am still shopping.....They are all still in the hat as choices! I was leaning towards the Single "Ten" and still am, however in my area they are "out of control" on pricing.....

2 Local shops are over $100 higher than Gunbroker? I even told them....!

Something new I suppose...but it is not like they are hard to get.

Weight will not bother me nor speed of reloading...this will not be a CCW by no means. It will prob always be with me in truck...and be plinked with all the time!

 

[weregunner]

That's why I got the Taurus 94, a batch of H&R or NEF revolvers.
Those are good plinking guns to have. Learned my long range gunning with those.

Read a few articles on long range gunning and applied the same principles to the rimfire handguns.

The Ruger Single Six is the new plinking gun. I don't mind having to reload after 6 rounds are shot.

 

[PzGren]

I personally prefer double action revolvers and therefore would recommend an older S&W K22/M17, or a S&W 617.

Talking about conversions. Did you have something like this in mind?

 

[forestdavegump]

Single Ten!

 

[Tomcat47]

Well Snap! Grabbed One!

Hi all, Today I grabbed a .22 Single Six......

Not really what I was after, but I think I will like it for plinking and squirrel hunting???

I was not looking for a 9-1/2" Barrel.....
I was not looking for "Blue" steel.....
I had pretty much decided on the Single "Ten" (prices were too high tho)
Looking hard at SP101 as alternative (prices were also high)
Taurus not real easy to find in stainless

Went by LGS right at closing to just breeze through....and they were tagging new "used" inventory to put out tomorrow and the girl behind counter held it up to tag it..........

Is That .22 Single Six??? .... Yes its a .22!...she handed it to me.....

$319.00... maybe not best price in world, but fair....and we began paperwork as they locked doors...so it was worth it...they stayed over to process it.

Thanks for everyones input, and I am still looking for something less than 15" long ... .... so this was really an impulse buy I guess...

One question I did ask her however was...Is there a Magnum Cylinder with it?

She said she was not sure? The Guy that would know will be there tomorrow..

It is my thought that ALL New Models were convertibles, and came with both?

Am I right or wrong?

 

[BCRider]

You can look up the serial number to find out the year of manufacture and if it's a convertable or not on the Ruger website. Just do what you need to find the owner's manuals and it'll let you see the serial number blocks to years of manufacturing.

You're going to need one helluva holster to hold all that barrel...

 

[BCRider]

Just another thought... but if it were me that came across a long barrel SS such as yours I'd feel a mighty powerful urge to make up a new rear frame for a shoulder stock to replicate this beast;

To the best of my knowledge no one makes such a thing for .22LR plinking. And that's a shame to my thinking.

 

[chicharrones]

Hi all, Today I grabbed a .22 Single Six......

Not really what I was after, but I think I will like it for plinking and squirrel hunting???

I was not looking for a 9-1/2" Barrel.....
I was not looking for "Blue" steel.....

Very nice and congrats!

I got one of those myself only a few months ago. The extra barrel length should be able to get a bit more velocity out of a .22 LR or the .22 Mag if you can find that extra cylinder. I find I like shooting the Mag more than the LR out of my Single Six.

Here's a webpage with one person's experience. http://www.fiveshot.org/guests/maximag.htm

 

[45_auto]

The best I can do is to fire five shots, reload and fire five more in 18secs.

And you think that's faster than you can work a DA?

Now I'm going to have to get out one of my DA S&W 63's and see just how fast I can shoot 6, reload, then shoot 6 more without the speedloaders.

I have a hard time believing that it could take more than about 10 or 12 seconds total (2 to shoot, 6 to 8 to reload, 2 more to shoot).

 

[chicharrones]

Just another thought... but if it were me that came across a long barrel SS such as yours I'd feel a mighty powerful urge to make up a new rear frame for a shoulder stock to replicate this beast;

To the best of my knowledge no one makes such a thing for .22LR plinking. And that's a shame to my thinking.

The closest I know of is the Rossi DA revolver carbine. It's not a old style cowboy gun, that's for sure.

http://www.rossiusa.com/product-details.cfm?id=223&category=15&toggle=&breadcrumbseries=

 

[contender]

the ruger single six.............that is a lifetime revolver and least for my actual needs.

i have been thinking lately about something more trim.....the North American Arms line comes to mind either for a pocket piece or something a tad bit bigger such as the NAA Earl.

don't really need one........but since when does needs have anything to do with wants........

 

[Tomcat47]

I called the GS today and talked to the guy....It did not come in with a extra cylinder....but he knows the guy pretty well that brought it in, going to give him a call... I told him I would offer $50 for the cylinder.

After that I called Ruger....It is 1988 New Model and it did ship with both cylinders! However, I did find out something surprising! If I can not aquire the original cylinder...Ruger will fit it with a new one for only $147.00

I thought that was a nice price for the cylinder and fitting! They said, just mail it in, they would fit it and send it back!

She also confirmed it had the .224 bore, which sometimes gives lower accuracy from .22LR....but I shot Remington bulk in it today and it done good enough for me...I dialed it in and started plinking rocks off the the bank at about 30 yards....Im good...I can hit rocks the size of bottle caps consistent...no complaining here...

If I have issues I will get a Paco Kelly accurizer...but right now I do not see it necessary, and the remington bulk I shot today was measuring .224-.225 with micrometers.

 

[ThomasT]

If I have issues I will get a Paco Kelly accurizer...but right now I do not see it necessary, and the remington bulk I shot today was measuring .224-.225 with micrometers.

There you go. I did the same thing with 6 different brands of 22lr ammo and they all measured .224-.225. I never understood all the noise about the rugers having oversized bores and not shooting tha well with 22lr ammo. Every SS I have owned would shoot as good as I could hold. I was the weak link in the system.

If your SS doesn't shoot as well as you think it should then try a different ammo. I took my SS and all the 22 ammo I owned to the range one day and gave it all a try. It was a real eye openner to see the difference in POI and group spread from the same gun using different brands and types of ammo.

I voted for the Ruger single six but I also really like my S&W model 34-1 I bought in a pawn shop about 4 years ago for $250.00 OTD. I don't think they knew what they had.