Opinion on Heritage .22 Revolvers?

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3KillerBs

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Anyone have any input on Heritage .22 revolvers?

We're still looking for DD's plinking gun and we saw one of those in a pawn shop today. It seems to have a nice balance too it and their website says that it is possible to get a version that has adjustable sights.

The owner of the gun store where we prefer to do business will order one but said that he doesn't think highly of their reliability. We trust him, BUT, he probably stands to make more money selling us a Ruger Single Six than a Heritage Rough Rider that's half the price. So I wanted some additional input from others to balance out his entirely legitimate self-interest.

We have had NO luck whatsoever finding a used .22 revolver.
 
The Heritage Rough Rider is a solid sixgun. I've owned one for about a year, and have put at least 4-5 bulk packs through it, and haven't had a single problem. When I first got the thing, the firing pin was prematurely wore down, so I just sent it back to the factory, they replaced it with a brand new one, and I haven't had a problem since. They are really good plinkers, and are quite accurate, and mine is a 6.5" barrel with fixed sights. The gun is very versatile also, with the .22 Mag cylinder. IMO the Rough Riders are a really good value.
 
I am familiar with the Heritage.
I have a Bison single action western style 22 I bought in a Western Auto in Blacksburg, VA in 1966 for $27. The finish is all gone off the zinc whatever frame. There are rust pits on the cylinder from when my 1969 Chrysler leaked and I forgot it was under the seat. The trigger broke and shot a hole in the dash of our 68 Mustang. The replacement the gunsmith I took it to made is a dangerous less than hair trigger. It is still as accurate as my Ruger Mark II.
I would never let my kids shoot it when they were growing up - I won't let anyone else shoot it now.
I also have a Ruger Single Six. I trust the Ruger - I would trust it with my life, or my kids lives, or anybody else's. It is a hair less accurate than that Bison. It cost over 10 times as much. Some things you can't put a price on, or maybe if you do you need to be real careful.
 
I bought one once for 70 dollars from a guy who needed the cash at the time.

Good, solid, fairly accurate little gun. The .22 mag cylinder was a nice touch as well.

Sold it to my sister for 80 dollars. I already had a .22 pistol, so I didn't really need it. Her and her husband love it.
 
Heritage makes good six shooters. They are accurate and affordable. I've had mine for at least a year and it shoots great. I feel more accurate with the longer barrel. As far as not being the same quality as the Ruger...it isn't. The Ruger is made to last a lifetime. Its internal and external parts are higher quality. You get what you pay for here. I would go with the Ruger if money isn't an issue. Will my heritage last a lifetime? Maybe, but the warranty only covers it for a year. If my heritage breaks down, I know Ruger will be the next brand I purchase. They are great guns and are still in the affordable price range. Check out the Heritage picture I attached on this thread below at the (bottom of page 24). Good luck!
http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=338194

Ruger
Smith-Wesson
Heritage
Glock
 
i have one that i just got about a month ago. it has the fake pearl handles (id prefer wood) and was a decent trade for a pool cue i wasnt using anymore.
ive put a little under 200 rounds through it and found it to shoot consistantly. im not shooting bullseyes with it rather down and to the lft but nice groups at 15yrds. i believe this to be the ammo since half the reason i got it is to use up a couple bricks of the worst 22 ammo ever to come off a production line (rem thunderbolts).
since i got it from my girlfriends dad and she remembers him using it for squirrel hunting when she was a kid id say its reliable since its bever had a problem.
 
the heritage i have had the luck to use is a great shooter. it has the 6.5 inch tube with fixed sights. If i do my part every time i can get excellent groups. Ive even managed to get several shots form the same cylinder to actually touch on paper.

Just wonder how the full size SAAs are from heritage.
 
I've got a really great Heritage 4.5" .22 with nice red birdsheads grips. Mine has a SHOCKINGLY SWEET trigger (maybe I'm lucky on this point). I really love it. It's not had a single failure of any kind, not even a hickup. It's as accurate as I can shoot. If I'd known it was gonna be such a champ, I would've gotten the adjustable hi viz sights. It's not as nicely finished as a ruger single six (which I covet), but on the other hand, there is serious value in the fact that if I lose it or damage it, I won't lose much sleep.

I've got a nice stainless Ruger Redhawk and a nice Stainless Springfield 1911, and I'm just as proud of my H&R .22.

Also, the warranty may only be a year, but I've heard Heritage has a good support reputation. When I ordered a part from them, it came quickly.

I've also heard a few horror stories, but I'm pretty sure the H&Rs are less chancy than a Taurus (I also have a flawlessly functioning PT111 Pro).

If I was looking for something a little more high end, I'd get a Browing Buckmark with Rails, a Ruger Single Six, or a Ruger MK I-III.
 
Mine works fine (Rough Rider). It shoots left however. I have yet to shoot it from a rest, so I have no idea how accurate it is.
 
If you buy a Heritage Rough Rider at a pawn shop, check it out carefully. It may well be one of the junkers that someone just got rid of after having problems.

I know how everyone wants to buy a nice accurate well made 22 revolver for $150 as I would too. I started out that way and shot my H&R a lot. It always worked and I would suggest you consider not buying the Rough Rider and looking for an H&R used.

You read about both happy owners and dissatisfied Rough Rider owners. When I was younger, I'd probably have been in the happy camp for a while until I started shooting a Model 17 Smith, a Colt Diamondback, or even a Ruger Single Six and really start comparing the quality of the gun with another. At that point, I, knowing me, would have wiped it down, maybe cleaned it, and tossed it in a closet for the next 10 years of its life never to be shot again.

My advice is to buy the best quality that you can afford. The Rugers have a good reputation overall and I would look for one of them or find a used H&R. Even the H&R and Ruger will probably get replaced by a higher quality handgun eventually, but at least you can be fairly certain that they are safe to shoot, and will fill the void until the future upgrade.
 
Thanks to everyone for the input.

As a note, anyone who thinks that its easy to find used .22 revolvers at low prices hasn't been looking for them lately.

We've been actively looking for 6 weeks. 2 pawnshops, 2 gunshops (that is, everything available without long-distance travel), and want ads posted at the shooting club have not produced even one. :(
 
I know 22 revolvers are high priced. They always have been as most people believe a 22 revolvers should cost less than a similar model in 357 or something. It always seems like you can't find what you want when you are looking for it as well. Been there.

Gunshops around my area almost always have a new Rough Rider or two in stock. I would lean towards a new one versus the used one myself if you get the Rough Rider at about $200-$225. You at least have warranty options if you have problems. Since I don't own one, I didn't know that they are only warranted for one-year unlike Smith & Wesson and Ruger handguns. The warranty should tell you something about what the manufacturer thinks of the quality. Good luck.
 
Mine makes coke cans dance at 20 yds, considering I bought it in 92 with both cylinders for $99, even at today's prices it is a great little plinker.BTW 16 years without a hiccup, I don't much worry about the warranty....
 
It's true they don't have a life time warranty, but I've heard that they still have relatively inexpensive and timely gunsmith support after the warranty has expired. That's just from what I've read on the forums, though, no personal experience.

You can get one from Buds Gun Shop for $168 with shipping included... all you need is a cheap FFL. It's true it's nice to be able to examine it in a shop, but they allow returns as long as you don't complete with the FFL transfer (and don't shoot the gun). And they have a good reputation on THR.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/577

87903.jpg


"Returns are accepted for defective merchandise only. DO NOT TAKE POSSESSION OF YOUR GUN IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH YOUR ORDER. Please inspect your gun thoroughly before proceeding with the transfer. Once a gun is transfered to you it is considered USED, even if you have not fired it. Consequently, we cannot take to gun back and provide a full refund."
 
Yup, and most Single Six owners you come across online are going to tell you that RR's are junk or call it a paperweight and laugh about your purchase to themselves. In answer to this, I say don't believe the hype, Practice Practice Practice and they usually stop laughing when you outshoot them with your cheaper firearm.

Now granted, they are likely not to be a priceless heirloom anytime soon, and aren't to be bought for investment purposes. They might not last as long as the Rugers and may not be as heavily built, but for what you pay for them, you will usually find that most, if not all of the real Heritage owners out there, are happy overall and that is all that matters.

Noidster
 
for what it is I like mine. Inexpensive to own and shoot and reasonably accurate, the 22 mag is an added feature I use a lot
 
They're good guns, the ones I've shot anyway, but let's not go overboard with the praise and comparisons to the Single-Six.

"and laugh about your purchase to themselves"

Heck, we might just laugh out loud. But then again, maybe not. It all depends on what you're saying and how.

;)

"don't believe the hype"

What hype? Have you actually looked at the two guns side by side? Shot them? Look at the resale values, a used S-Six goes for almost as much as a new one.

Ever wonder why there are so very few used Single-Sixes for sale compared to the others? People keep them for decades and shoot them.

John
 
I praise Ruger Single Six's only because they are fairly well built and I know they last. They have a good reputation.

All that said, I'd take a single action Colt Peacemaker or New Frontier in 22LR/22WMR anytime over the Ruger. Unfortunately, my Colts are collector grade and I'm not shooting them. Just find one in about 95% condition so you won't feel bad shooting it or carrying it in a holster.

The single action 22's were built to be inexpensive 22 revolvers for hunting and plinking. I much prefer shoot double action 22 revolvers, especially Colts and Smiths, over the single action as they are just so much easier to load and unload. But they cost more too.

If I were buying my first 22 and didn't really know much about firearms, I'd probably be pretty satisfied with the Rough Riders for a few years. I really can't put them down too much as I know that folks value guns differently and what I think is a good value is not what someone else believes. You just have to learn for yourself. Then there is always time for an upgrade.
 
Single Six owners never stop laughing. They are not laughing at you; they do not care what you have. They are just tickled pink to own the finest single action small caliber revolver made.
I have been pining over a Peacemaker 22 I sold many moons hence until this Spring, when I bought a fixed sighted Single Six. I have absolutely nothing bad to say about that great little case hardened gorgeous Colt, but after putting a set of Ruger's Rosewood grips on it, that Single Six feels better and points better than any other handgun I own, or may have ever owned.
If you outshoot me, don't get too cocky these days. My shooting sucks, but I enjoy myself just being alive.
 
I'm satisfied with my alloy Rough Rider (boughten in 2005 and used regularly). If I had it to do over again I might buy a steel frame Rough Rider, but I'm happy enough with mine.
 
I have two, each with a magnum cylinder: one 5 1/2" barrel, fixed sights, blued w/cocobolo grips, one 6 1/2" barrel, adjustable sights, satin w/camo grips. (Don't care much for the camo grips - thinking about swapping them for coco or pearl.) They are what they are, low-cost fun shooters. The fixed sight gun shoots a bit high and to the right, the adjustable sight gun is dead-on, and more accurate than I am. I have not had a bit of trouble with either, nor would I have a problem with buying another Heritage. Did I mention they're low-cost fun? :D
 
I bought one used in the box, .22mag/.22lr cylinders, cocobolo grips, 5 1/2" barrel, fixed sights. It's accurate, and for $100, what more do you want out of a cheap dependable revolver?

What I've noted is that the firing pin hits hard enough that it has never failed to fire in over 3k rounds now. I only feed it the cheapest of the cheap in terms of cartridges.
 
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