Honest apples to apples comparison of NIB Wrangler and NIB HRR.

[TheWarhammer]

I bought my HRR few years ago when Cabela's had a crazy sale on them. I got the gun with both cylinders (.22LR and .22WMR) for $89. I had to wait in line for about 20-30 mins, but it was well worth the wait. I usually shoot it with .22WMR, as I have a 9-shot Hi-Standard Sentinel that I tend to use for .22LR, since the loading process is so much quicker. (But it doesn't have that cool cowboy feel, lol!) It's also fun to shoot some of the shorter .22 rounds, like Short, Super Colibri and CB through these little guns. Those rounds aren't much good for anything other than punching paper, but it's fun to shoot with zero recoil and almost no sound. It always gets a couple of weird looks at the range when they see holes appear in the paper with no sound out of a single action revolver.

 

[Old Stumpy]

delete

 

[danez71]

I’m teaching 2 little girls to shoot. That means the gun has to be able to easily be made safe at any time, immediately. The transfer bar is not an acceptable option because a cocked gun still goes bang if it gets plopped down on a table and the trigger wiggles. A hammer block blocks the hammer and the gun goes click. It’s just that simple, give the gun an off switch, or don’t use it as a training tool. With that in mind, my Single six doesn’t work, a Wrangler doesn’t work, and most semiautos have other issues which I find unacceptable for brand new shooters, especially those who are 8 years old and easily distracted. The HRR does fit the bill, and once the shooter is past the point of being responsible and hands are big and strong enough to safely keep a gun pointed down range and ease the hammer down then the other guns can come out of the safe. That single point is where the HRR shines in my eyes, because it has a positive safety whereas the wrangler only has a safety that is functional to prevent the gun from firing when dropped on a lowered hammer. As the dad who is training the girls I am confident in going downrange to set targets or to take a cocked gun from them if the lever is flipped. No so confident with a hammer block. The other option is to just shoot the round to lower the hammer, but that’s not always a good option either. What do you do when the dog goes to investigate the noise at the target? You flip the safety on, then lower the hammer.

Thanks for explaining that.

While it wouldn't be the deciding factor for me, that is an significant valid distinction between the 2 that could be to someone else... such as you just laid out.

Well done.

 

[Riomouse911]

I bought a black Wrangler last November, and put some Altamont grips on it (20 bucks during “Black Friday”) so it feels better in the hand and covered that annoying gap in the grip/frame area.

My SIngle Six keeps the .22 WMR cylinder on it rather than the LR, so the lack of a WMR option for the Wrangler isn’t too much to deal with for me.

So far it’s been a fun little plinker .

Stay safe.

 

[ontarget]

I need to update this thread.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

I'd sure be interested in your long term take on the two.

Todd.

 

[3Crows]

Honestly guys I am looking hard for something that sets these two budget friendly guns apart. Even though they have slightly different shooting and handling characteristics I still say it's a coin toss.
.

Thank you for the excellent reviews. But I can answer what sets them apart. The RUGER name and RUGER service. I am in the market for a Wrangler as a beat around revolver. I am not going to compare it to a Single Six because it is not, not really even close. But at the price point for a Ruger and USA made I think the Wrangler is just about right. Comparing to a Single Series or a Bearcat, the Wrangler is not in that class and was not intended to be. A Single Six can be purchased when you are a young fella and handed down to your grandchildren. The Wrangler would be great to teach those grandchildren to shoot revolvers but it is not an heirloom piece.

 

[CraigC]

I think they both represent good values. I also think the Wrangler is generally a much better quality gun but it also costs more. As much as double.

Most newer S&W's.

When did this happen??? An internal lock is not a manual safety.

 

[Speedo66]

.When did this happen??? An internal lock is not a manual safety.

I put it in the same category as the two position sliding cylinder pin on Uberti Cattleman, I believe Uberti considers it a safety.

Personally, I find them both of little value.

 

[CraigC]

The manual safety on the Heritage and the Uberti basepin/S&W internal lock are entirely different things. The Uberti two step basepin is easy to completely forget about. The S&W internal lock less so but still unobtrusive. The Heritage manual safety is just comical.

Personally, I find them both of little value.

Totally agree on that.

 

[Antihero]

I got a HRR in the civil war box for my birthday. It's a hell of a lot of fun.

The main reason I got it instead of the Ruger is because the Ruger only comes in 4.75 barrel and 22lr. I like plinkers to have a longer barrel, there's no reason to not have a longer barrel. I had an older HRR with the 4.75 and it was the main reason I got rid of it

 

[ontarget]

I can answer what sets them apart. The RUGER name and RUGER service.

I can testify to the excellence of Heritage C.S. both under their own banner and now under the Taurus banner.