ontarget
Member
So yesterday I went to a LGS and they had a black Wrangler. I looked it over and decided to take it home and see if it was worth all the hype it's getting.
I also had in my safe 2 4.5 inch bbl HRRs still new in box and unfired. I thought it was a perfect opportunity for a real comparison rather than just the usual "it's gotta be better cause it's a Ruger" crap.
For full disclosure I have owned a HRR since 1993 and love it. I have never owned or even fired a Ruger single action so I'm not looking at these guns through the prism of a Single Six. I do own several other Rugers though.
So here is an unbiased comparison of 2 SA .22 revolvers.
FIT AND FINISH-
Wrangler: The Ceracoat finish is very even and well done. (I'm not a fan of Ceracoat on a single action)
Everything seems well machined and fit except the grips which I can actually see light through a gap at the front of the grips and the grips feel a bit skinny.
HRR: Bluing on the barrel is even and well done. Paint on the frame is evenly applied but seems maybe a little thick. Machining is a bit more crude in noncritical areas. Grips are a bit proud around the grip frame but are thicker than the Ruger.
ACTION-
Wrangler: The action is very crisp, almost stiff, but smooth. Lock up is good but I did notice that the Arbor pin felt maybe a bit small as I could feel a little sideways slop at the back of the cylinder. Very slight but noticeable. Chambers felt a little tighter on the Ruger.
Trigger was heavy and a bit creepy but not bad at all. ( I don't have a scale). Ejection was normal except that the Ruger action doesn't have the click to stop the cylinder in line with the ejector rod. Not a problem just took a minute to get used to it.
HRR: The action was smooth and noticeably lighter than the Ruger. That could be due to the fact that the Ruger uses the transfer bar and the HRR uses the manual safety so fewer moving parts. Lock up was good with very little slop in any direction. Trigger is crisp and light with no creep. Ejection was normal.
SIGHTS-
Both revolvers use the classic fixed sights of the single action. Blade front with the trough rear.
I have to give the edge to Ruger on the sights. They are more crisp and easy to pick up the front sight. The HRR suffered here I believe because of the painted finish on the frame.
ACCURACY-
I used a 100 rd box of CCI mini mags firing 50 through each revolver at 10 yards. Hands rested on deck rail. I did shoot all 50 into one group for each because I feel that is a better indicator of consistency than a bunch of individual groups.
What I found actually surprised me.
Wrangler: Group was about 2 inches tall and 3 inches wide located about 1 inch below POA but centered.
HRR: Group was about 2 inches wide and 3 inches tall located about 1 inch left of POA but centered.
Both guns showed very good consistency with grouping very close to POA.
The stringing of the groups can be blamed on the shooter as the eyes aren't what they used to be and the light was less than favorable. Very overcast with some light drizzling rain.
My take away from this comparison-
Ruger Wrangler is a solid well built revolver that is enjoyable to shoot.
I paid $189.00 OTD. It was worth every penny. I see myself shooting it a lot.
The Heritage Rough Rider is also well built but definite corner cutting on the machining of noncritical areas. Also enjoyable to shoot. I paid $118.72 for this one. It was also well worth the price of admission. I will shoot the crap out of this one too.
All in all there isn't much difference between the two. The Edge goes to Ruger for precision of manufacturing but the HRR had a better trigger with a smoother action too. Accuracy/consistency was about equal.
Neither is an heirloom quality gun. The Ruger hasn't been around long enough to know about long term durability. Time will tell.
I don't think either is a bad choice. If you want a convertible to 22 mag you have to go with the Heritage for now. Mag cylinders are available from the manufacturer for $29.00. That's a plus!
Honestly folks, I could recommend either gun with a clear conscience. For their given price points they are both impressive values.
I hope this helps any of you that are trying to decide. After a couple hundred more rounds through each and then a thorough cleaning I will post another after break in review.
HAPPY SHOOTING!
I also had in my safe 2 4.5 inch bbl HRRs still new in box and unfired. I thought it was a perfect opportunity for a real comparison rather than just the usual "it's gotta be better cause it's a Ruger" crap.
For full disclosure I have owned a HRR since 1993 and love it. I have never owned or even fired a Ruger single action so I'm not looking at these guns through the prism of a Single Six. I do own several other Rugers though.
So here is an unbiased comparison of 2 SA .22 revolvers.
FIT AND FINISH-
Wrangler: The Ceracoat finish is very even and well done. (I'm not a fan of Ceracoat on a single action)
Everything seems well machined and fit except the grips which I can actually see light through a gap at the front of the grips and the grips feel a bit skinny.
HRR: Bluing on the barrel is even and well done. Paint on the frame is evenly applied but seems maybe a little thick. Machining is a bit more crude in noncritical areas. Grips are a bit proud around the grip frame but are thicker than the Ruger.
ACTION-
Wrangler: The action is very crisp, almost stiff, but smooth. Lock up is good but I did notice that the Arbor pin felt maybe a bit small as I could feel a little sideways slop at the back of the cylinder. Very slight but noticeable. Chambers felt a little tighter on the Ruger.
Trigger was heavy and a bit creepy but not bad at all. ( I don't have a scale). Ejection was normal except that the Ruger action doesn't have the click to stop the cylinder in line with the ejector rod. Not a problem just took a minute to get used to it.
HRR: The action was smooth and noticeably lighter than the Ruger. That could be due to the fact that the Ruger uses the transfer bar and the HRR uses the manual safety so fewer moving parts. Lock up was good with very little slop in any direction. Trigger is crisp and light with no creep. Ejection was normal.
SIGHTS-
Both revolvers use the classic fixed sights of the single action. Blade front with the trough rear.
I have to give the edge to Ruger on the sights. They are more crisp and easy to pick up the front sight. The HRR suffered here I believe because of the painted finish on the frame.
ACCURACY-
I used a 100 rd box of CCI mini mags firing 50 through each revolver at 10 yards. Hands rested on deck rail. I did shoot all 50 into one group for each because I feel that is a better indicator of consistency than a bunch of individual groups.
What I found actually surprised me.
Wrangler: Group was about 2 inches tall and 3 inches wide located about 1 inch below POA but centered.
HRR: Group was about 2 inches wide and 3 inches tall located about 1 inch left of POA but centered.
Both guns showed very good consistency with grouping very close to POA.
The stringing of the groups can be blamed on the shooter as the eyes aren't what they used to be and the light was less than favorable. Very overcast with some light drizzling rain.
My take away from this comparison-
Ruger Wrangler is a solid well built revolver that is enjoyable to shoot.
I paid $189.00 OTD. It was worth every penny. I see myself shooting it a lot.
The Heritage Rough Rider is also well built but definite corner cutting on the machining of noncritical areas. Also enjoyable to shoot. I paid $118.72 for this one. It was also well worth the price of admission. I will shoot the crap out of this one too.
All in all there isn't much difference between the two. The Edge goes to Ruger for precision of manufacturing but the HRR had a better trigger with a smoother action too. Accuracy/consistency was about equal.
Neither is an heirloom quality gun. The Ruger hasn't been around long enough to know about long term durability. Time will tell.
I don't think either is a bad choice. If you want a convertible to 22 mag you have to go with the Heritage for now. Mag cylinders are available from the manufacturer for $29.00. That's a plus!
Honestly folks, I could recommend either gun with a clear conscience. For their given price points they are both impressive values.
I hope this helps any of you that are trying to decide. After a couple hundred more rounds through each and then a thorough cleaning I will post another after break in review.
HAPPY SHOOTING!
