Axman
Member
I was curious to know if anyone owns a Heritage revolver. I am contemplating purchasing a 22LR and want to know how reliable they are.
Any opinions on Heritage revolvers?
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Axman, if you do a search on this forum(Do you know how to go to the search function at the top and enter a key word or two such as "heritage rough rider") I think you will find quite a few comments about them. Coincidentally, I had been wanting a 22 revolver on which to practice cheaply as my Ruger New Vaq .45 is expensive to shoot. So, I happened to be in a local gun store 5 days ago and the dealer carries the Heritage line. He had a Rough Rider in blue finish, rosewood grips, 6 /12 inch barrel for $150 NIB. Now, I knew I was buying an inexpensive gun but decided that I would go with this because I have been spending a lot of money on guns and did not want to shell out $300 nor wait three months for better finances. Well, I took it out for the first time today to the range. I am a newbie at shooting so this is NOT an experienced shooter talking. However, I can best say it...You get what you pay for. I think it shoots straight and hits where I aim it within my talents. The gun cycles well when shooting. But, you get what you pay for. It is not silky smooth when you rotate the empty cylinder or when loading,etc. It is just not fine-tuned the way a Ruger or Colt revolver might be. But it was $150 NIB and it appears I will get loads of shooting out of it based on other reports here at THR. I think it is a handsome firearm but I noticed that the bottom of the trigger guard was finished rather roughly. The bluing covers this up well and it is not in a noticable place but....you would probably not see this on a $300 Ruger. What more can I say? One thought...right now a local sporting goods has Federal Bulk packs of copper plated, hollow-point 22 ammo for 7.99 for a box of 550 rounds. Add, 5% Iowa sales tax and that is just at $8.40. If you buy this inexpensive revolver that will leave you about enough to buy about 15 boxes or 8250 rounds of ammo. On the other hand...I like well-constructed, nicely-made, and very good products, in this case guns. So, I know that eventually when I get a little more money ahead and see the right gun at a gun show or gun shop I will replace this temporary shooter for a much nicer gun and probably spend about $300 or more doing it.
It boils down to what your priorities are and how your finances come in to play with your priorities and how much you can put up with a product (in this case a revolver) that does the job in lots of ways for not much money but it is not an heirloom gun or a Colt product or a Ruger or a Smith & Wesson.
While I am getting wordy I almost forgot to say that one Heritage Rough Rider owner reported on THR that he managed to do chronograph whatever comparing muzzle velocity of the Rough Rider with a Ruger Single-Six. The Rough Rider had quite a bit less muzzle velocity because the space between the cylinder and the barrel was quite a bit wider (not as tight a fit, worse tooling) in the Heritage than the Ruger. However, this may not matter much to many people. In my case I want something with which to punch paper and practice my shooting skills. I am not entering any competition. So, 800 fps instead of 1100 fps doesn't matter to me.
If I were to give you some advice...I would say..Do not spend $150 on a NIB Rough Rider. I would say be patient and look for a nice used Single Six that won't cost what a new one does but just a little more than that $150 spent on a cheap gun. But again...boils down to what you want. Oh, by the way, the Rough Rider does come with the magnum cylinder if you want it for about $20-25 more than just the LR cylinder. I was impressed by the fact the company does not stick you up money-wise for magnum cylinder if you do not get it originally and want it later as a separate item.
I have probably talked too long without saying much.
It boils down to what your priorities are and how your finances come in to play with your priorities and how much you can put up with a product (in this case a revolver) that does the job in lots of ways for not much money but it is not an heirloom gun or a Colt product or a Ruger or a Smith & Wesson.
While I am getting wordy I almost forgot to say that one Heritage Rough Rider owner reported on THR that he managed to do chronograph whatever comparing muzzle velocity of the Rough Rider with a Ruger Single-Six. The Rough Rider had quite a bit less muzzle velocity because the space between the cylinder and the barrel was quite a bit wider (not as tight a fit, worse tooling) in the Heritage than the Ruger. However, this may not matter much to many people. In my case I want something with which to punch paper and practice my shooting skills. I am not entering any competition. So, 800 fps instead of 1100 fps doesn't matter to me.
If I were to give you some advice...I would say..Do not spend $150 on a NIB Rough Rider. I would say be patient and look for a nice used Single Six that won't cost what a new one does but just a little more than that $150 spent on a cheap gun. But again...boils down to what you want. Oh, by the way, the Rough Rider does come with the magnum cylinder if you want it for about $20-25 more than just the LR cylinder. I was impressed by the fact the company does not stick you up money-wise for magnum cylinder if you do not get it originally and want it later as a separate item.
I have probably talked too long without saying much.
I really like my $139.00 Heritage with a birdshead grip.
You can usuallly find the Heritage on sale around here for $99.00.
It is not as slick or finely made as a Ruger but I can break clay targets all day long at 35 yards. (stationary, not flying)
Like the above poster I have purchased a few firearms lately and didn't want the added expense of something more pricy.
It fills the nich well.
You can usuallly find the Heritage on sale around here for $99.00.
It is not as slick or finely made as a Ruger but I can break clay targets all day long at 35 yards. (stationary, not flying)
Like the above poster I have purchased a few firearms lately and didn't want the added expense of something more pricy.
It fills the nich well.
dracphelan
Member
My wife (and I) love her Heritage Roughrider. I am actually considering buying one of their Big Bore 357 magnum revolvers.
TallPine
Member
I've had a Rough Rider .22 for about 6 years now and put thousands of rounds through it. I can't complain about it for the price, but .............
The screw holding the ejector assembly has been loosening up lately, and I just discovered that the barrel is loose
Basically the ejector assembly is the only thing keeping it from coming unscrewed. I'm wondering if I should take off the ejector, unscrew the barrel, and then put it back together with some lock-tite ....?
OTOH, I also have a Single Six. It is a nicely made gun that just exudes quality, but the single action trigger pull on it must be 8 or 9 pounds. It is really difficult to shoot it accurately. Is there anyway I can lighten up the trigger myself...?
The Rough Rider has a very nice trigger compared to the Ruger, even though otherwise it is junky.
The screw holding the ejector assembly has been loosening up lately, and I just discovered that the barrel is loose
Basically the ejector assembly is the only thing keeping it from coming unscrewed. I'm wondering if I should take off the ejector, unscrew the barrel, and then put it back together with some lock-tite ....?OTOH, I also have a Single Six. It is a nicely made gun that just exudes quality, but the single action trigger pull on it must be 8 or 9 pounds. It is really difficult to shoot it accurately. Is there anyway I can lighten up the trigger myself...?
The Rough Rider has a very nice trigger compared to the Ruger, even though otherwise it is junky.
sfhogman
Member
I would respectfully suggest sniffing around for a good used Single-Six. You can't wear them out, and they're good for about 5 lifetimes.
Heere's a typical review:
http://www.chuckhawks.com/ruger_single_six_syn.htm
Jeff
Heere's a typical review:
http://www.chuckhawks.com/ruger_single_six_syn.htm
Jeff
Axman
Member
I visited a local pawn shop yesterday and they had a Hertiage for $179 NIB that's why I was asking. For about $100 more theyalso had a 4" Taurus 22LR NIB. I have owned Taurus revs in the past and I liked them quite well. I'm not jumping into any purchase yet because a I have several more gun shops and pawns to look at. Mostly I'm just looking for a target shooter so super quality may not be too much of an issue. I may settle for fair-good quality rather than superb.
MatthewVanitas
Member
For what it's worth, a used Single Six will have the best resale value of anything mentioned thus far. I've seen Ruger SS around for as low as $175 or $200ish used, and you can positively sell it for at least that much any day of the week.
Even buying at online auctions, you can get a $200ish deal, plus usually $15 shipping and $15-20 FFL fee.
I've had Ruger and I've had Hawes (spiritual predecessor of Heritage), and the Ruger is three times the gun for twice the money NIB, or 1.5x the money if buying used.
-MV
Even buying at online auctions, you can get a $200ish deal, plus usually $15 shipping and $15-20 FFL fee.
I've had Ruger and I've had Hawes (spiritual predecessor of Heritage), and the Ruger is three times the gun for twice the money NIB, or 1.5x the money if buying used.
-MV
jad0110
Member
TallPine,
When I owned a Rough Rider I eventually removed the ejector rod assembly (held in with a single screw at the muzzle end). I had put close to 900 rnds through it at that point, and gawd it was filthy in there! No big deal to remove, clean, and reinstall every 300 rounds or so. My barrel never got lose though .
I recently traded it in on a Taurus 94 DA .22LR so I could practice my double action trigger control (to apply to my DOA CCW S&W 642). Unfortunately it was a lemon, so I sent it back to Taurus. The cylinder became stiffer with shooting and at round # 296, the cylinder impacted against the top strap just behind the breech completely jamming it
. Made a nice little gouge. Starting to miss my Heritage, but I think I'll really like the 94 once it is functioning properly.
When I owned a Rough Rider I eventually removed the ejector rod assembly (held in with a single screw at the muzzle end). I had put close to 900 rnds through it at that point, and gawd it was filthy in there! No big deal to remove, clean, and reinstall every 300 rounds or so. My barrel never got lose though
.I recently traded it in on a Taurus 94 DA .22LR so I could practice my double action trigger control (to apply to my DOA CCW S&W 642). Unfortunately it was a lemon, so I sent it back to Taurus. The cylinder became stiffer with shooting and at round # 296, the cylinder impacted against the top strap just behind the breech completely jamming it
. Made a nice little gouge. Starting to miss my Heritage, but I think I'll really like the 94 once it is functioning properly.TallPine
Member
jad0110:
Yeah, I took the ejector rod off of my RR yesterday, and it was all crudded up like you say especially in the counterbore where the spring fits in. I dunno how it gets in there ... it miust blow in around the push rod from the cylinder face. My RR must have 4 or 5 thousand rounds through it, though.
I tried to back out the barrel by hand and it will only turn about 1/8 turn so I just turned it back with the sight up and put it back together. There is just a slight amount of rotational wiggle with the ejector installed, such that it would probably screw up the sight alignment.
Do y'all reckon it is still safe to shoot?
I've been trying to learn point shooting anyway so the variance in the front sight would be no problem.
I got to looking at my Single Six, too ... and the cylinder gap is actually way bigger than on the RR I'm not so sure that is a bad thing though, as one of the issues with the RR is that you have to stop and clean the cylinder face pretty often while shooting or else it jams up and won't turn freely.
Yeah, I took the ejector rod off of my RR yesterday, and it was all crudded up like you say especially in the counterbore where the spring fits in. I dunno how it gets in there ... it miust blow in around the push rod from the cylinder face. My RR must have 4 or 5 thousand rounds through it, though.
I tried to back out the barrel by hand and it will only turn about 1/8 turn so I just turned it back with the sight up and put it back together. There is just a slight amount of rotational wiggle with the ejector installed, such that it would probably screw up the sight alignment.
Do y'all reckon it is still safe to shoot?
I've been trying to learn point shooting anyway so the variance in the front sight would be no problem.
I got to looking at my Single Six, too ... and the cylinder gap is actually way bigger than on the RR
I'm not so sure that is a bad thing though, as one of the issues with the RR is that you have to stop and clean the cylinder face pretty often while shooting or else it jams up and won't turn freely.jad0110
Member
TallPine,
It's not really too surprising how crudded up the ejector assembly gets considering that .22LR is a pretty dirty round, especially if you shoot the cheap Wally-World stuff like I do. The first time I disassembled that part of the gun the centerbore hole was filled with a nasty, grayish, sticky, powdery substance. Kinda like coal miner snot I suppose .
I never experienced a problem on my RR with the cylinder jamming. I just checked my log on rounds fired for it and the most I ever put through it without cleaning it was 380 rounds. The problem I ran into was the blued finishing rubbing off a little each time I cleaned it, especially on the cylinder faces and around the forcing cone. But, it was a training tool so it didn't bother me too much.
As far as the barrel wiggle, I'd have to feel it myself but I probably wouldn't be too confortable firing it until I had a gun smith check it out and make any necessary repairs or adjustments. With that many rounds through it, it may be time for some TLC anyway. Better to be safe than injured!
It's not really too surprising how crudded up the ejector assembly gets considering that .22LR is a pretty dirty round, especially if you shoot the cheap Wally-World stuff like I do. The first time I disassembled that part of the gun the centerbore hole was filled with a nasty, grayish, sticky, powdery substance. Kinda like coal miner snot I suppose
.I never experienced a problem on my RR with the cylinder jamming. I just checked my log on rounds fired for it and the most I ever put through it without cleaning it was 380 rounds. The problem I ran into was the blued finishing rubbing off a little each time I cleaned it, especially on the cylinder faces and around the forcing cone. But, it was a training tool so it didn't bother me too much.
As far as the barrel wiggle, I'd have to feel it myself but I probably wouldn't be too confortable firing it until I had a gun smith check it out and make any necessary repairs or adjustments. With that many rounds through it, it may be time for some TLC anyway. Better to be safe than injured!
TallPine
Member
Trouble is ... the dang thing is probably not even worth whatever a gunsmith might charge me.
I'm assuming the barrel is threaded into the frame. The barrel just turns back and forth maybe 10 degrees, and you can see that the forcing cone turns with it on the inside of the frame (with cylinder removed).
My thought was to back the barrel all the way out of the frame, and clean the threads and apply some lock-tite and re-install the barrel. I'm not sure how to do that since it won't turn out by hand ... use vise grips over a rag????
Where is Jim March when you need him...?
borrowedtime69
Member
loose barrel idea
Tall pine mentioned that you might try LockTight for locking the barrel in place. i had a small child single shot bolt action rifle, cant remember what brand... but the barrel was loose in the reciver. to fix i went and used JB Weld epoxy to permanently lock the barrel in. worked great, didnt move after that at all! and JB weld is tough enough to withstand the heat and the recoil. good luck! -Eric
Tall pine mentioned that you might try LockTight for locking the barrel in place. i had a small child single shot bolt action rifle, cant remember what brand... but the barrel was loose in the reciver. to fix i went and used JB Weld epoxy to permanently lock the barrel in. worked great, didnt move after that at all! and JB weld is tough enough to withstand the heat and the recoil. good luck! -Eric
Axman
Member
Was that rifle a Daisy? Reason I ask is because Daisy has made a few .22LR rifles, one of which I own. It's a Model 2202 which had a wobbly barrel. To steady the barrel I had to cut a small block of wood to fit behind the forearm where it meets the receiver. The barrel is shielded in plastic and has a small tab between the forearm and receiver which is there to prevent the barrel from twisting but does nothing for wobble. The wood block has worked perfectly for 9 years without a hitch.
BTW, Tallpine, use curved jaw VGs and not straight jawed. The curved jaws will cover more area to grip more evenly.
borrowedtime69
Member
reply
no, it wasnt a Daisy... it was more like a little chipmonk rifle. it had a hollow, black plastic stock, a multi-peice reciever, and an aluminum barrel with a steel insert. it was lighter than air and was impossible to shoot it accurately cause even my heartbeat wiggled it too much. -Eric
no, it wasnt a Daisy... it was more like a little chipmonk rifle. it had a hollow, black plastic stock, a multi-peice reciever, and an aluminum barrel with a steel insert. it was lighter than air and was impossible to shoot it accurately cause even my heartbeat wiggled it too much. -Eric
I have 2 (purchased in 6/06) and both work great. That said, I do not fire off 500 rounds in a weekend. I am an occasional shooter and these have been out 4 times with 250 rounds fired between them. I know that is not a tough test of any gun, but they work for me. I bought mine to carry with me on my 4 wheeler so they get banged around.
Mine have been reliable and fun to shoot. Plus I was able to pick up 2 which has allowed my to get my kids more involved. My daughter is a pretty good shot and likes to shoot.
The Heritage Rough Rider has fit my needs perfectly. In expensive, safe, functions well, shoots well.
Mine have been reliable and fun to shoot. Plus I was able to pick up 2 which has allowed my to get my kids more involved. My daughter is a pretty good shot and likes to shoot.
The Heritage Rough Rider has fit my needs perfectly. In expensive, safe, functions well, shoots well.
Axman
Member
rlt7272 said:
I'm an occasional shooter myself and don't feel the need to spend big bucks on something I might use once per month. I would also like to get my wife involved also. If I can start her out with a Rough Rider then later down the road she may want to try something a bit larger.
You win either way. If she likes it and wants to shoot with you that is great. If she does not, you are not out that much. In my case, and sounds like in yours also, I felt I was better off with 2 brand new guns (one even came with a holster) for the cost of a new (or used SIngle Six). I will not argue the fit and finish or quality of the Single Six. I have owned a stainless model and loved it.
However, economics rule my gun buying alot more than than it used to so I have to look at the off brand guns. The funny thing is, the off brands work just as well for me as the name brands. But do not listen to me, I also own a Rossi Single Shot .243, a Hipoint 995 carbine, and the dreaded Sigma 9ve. All os which are subject to bashing in some form or another from the all knowing gun snobs.
(By the way, the Rossi took a nice 8 point whitetail last year, I can hit bowling pins at 100 yards with the hipoint with ease, and I outshot 2 Glocks at the CCW course with my Sigma.)
Ok, sorry about that rambling. The Heritage 22's work well for me.
However, economics rule my gun buying alot more than than it used to so I have to look at the off brand guns. The funny thing is, the off brands work just as well for me as the name brands. But do not listen to me, I also own a Rossi Single Shot .243, a Hipoint 995 carbine, and the dreaded Sigma 9ve. All os which are subject to bashing in some form or another from the all knowing gun snobs.
(By the way, the Rossi took a nice 8 point whitetail last year, I can hit bowling pins at 100 yards with the hipoint with ease, and I outshot 2 Glocks at the CCW course with my Sigma.)
Ok, sorry about that rambling. The Heritage 22's work well for me.
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