Rough Rider Rancher Revolving Rifle

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In a .357 magnum loaded with hollow points it would make a good little deer gun.

But just in .22LR... I mean... yeah it’s nifty but they’re seriously missing out by not offering this as a combo in .22 WMR.
 
I've always been a fan of Old West style revolving rifle replicas, though I have never owned one.
The Old Cattleman .45 Colt carbine appealed to me the most, since it was a Colt SAA design without a spur on the trigger guard. The Remington 1858 also appeals to me. I recall reading an account of a guy killing his first whitetail from a tree stand with an 1858 carbine.

Far from being absurd, I think that this is a stroke of genius for Heritage. It should sell really well.
The price is excellent, especially with a walnut stock, and they wisely avoided the traditional but uncomfortable crescent buttplate in favor of a standard plastic shotgun buttplate. And, as a rifle, with adjustable semi-buckhorn sights and a long radius, it has the potential to be quite accurate for either plinking or small game hunting.

Because it is a cartridge firearm, you don't need to grip it at the trigger guard. A cartridge in an adjacent chamber isn't going to spontaneously fire any more than one in a 10-22 magazine is. However you will need to protect your hand and forearm with suede leather to ward of spitting lead fragments from the flash gap.

My only concerns with it is that underneath it all it's still just a Rough Rider. It might be just fine or it might have some problems with chamber alignment, spring breakage, timing, or accuracy.

I don't think it's going to happen, but a Wrangler or even a Single Six revolving carbine would be very appealing.
 
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It basically confirms that it has a steel frame and comes with a leather sling.

By a steel frame they are referring to the cylinder frame, if you look closely at the revolver picture in Post #16.
While this is a good thing, the grip frame still appears to be an alloy.
But, perhaps it is aluminum, like a Single Six.
Time will tell.

Odd how they give numerical designations for the barrel and cylinder steels, but simply describe the cylinder frame generically as "steel".
 
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By a steel frame they are referring to the cylinder frame, if you look closely at the revolver picture in Post #16.
While this is a good thing, the grip frame still appears to be an alloy.
But, perhaps it is aluminum, like a Single Six.
Time will tell.

Odd how they give numerical designations for the barrel and cylinder steels, but simply describe the cylinder frame generically as "steel".

I don't know about the grip frame material that Heritage used for their standard steel revolver in Post #16.
But up until 1985, the grip frame for the blue Ruger Old Army revolvers were made out of aluminum.
However that Rancher .22 carbine has a walnut stock attached so who knows what metal they used for all of the steel cylinder frame attachments unless someone asks Heritage.
In the past their alloy frame and parts were painted and not blued.
 
No .22 magnum option? ThIs gun would be wicked, .22 magnum screams from a 16” barrel and would make a good gun.

Just buy the magnum cylinder. What about $50.00? Unless I am missing something. Looks like a whole lot of fun. I have a cylinder with my Heritage. Not the least bit worried about the frame material, what ever they use works great.
 
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Just buy the magnum cylinder. What about $50.00? Unless I am missing something. Looks like a whole lot of fun. I have a cylinder with my Heritage. Not the least bit worried about the frame material, what ever they use works great.

Well, not so fast there.

It's one thing to hang a 7 1/2" or even a 10" barrel off an aluminum grip frame, and secure it in place with a Loc-Tite type adhesive, as they do with their regular Rough Riders. But a 16 1/8" barrel may be pushing it. Particularly when they are using the barrel as a sling mount. Some Rough Rider barrels have shot loose over the years, so I would think that a more durable set-up would make sense for the carbine version.

As for the grip frame, I would hope that whatever they are using is a high quality alloy. ZA-12 zinc/aluminum alloy like Lee Valey Tools uses would probably work fine, as would aluminum, but any cheaper zinc/aluminum alloy would be a bad idea in my opinion. There is going to be a lot more mass hanging off that grip frame with a stock, and more up, down, and side stresses applied to it as well.

As for whether the ordinary HRR .22 magnum cylinder will just drop in to replace the standard .22 LR cylinder, that remains to be seen. If Heritage uses the exact same cylinder length and dimensions, then yes it will.
But, if they choose to make the carbine cylinder a bit shorter (or longer) and simply extend or shorten the breech end of the barrel a bit more or less to compensate, then no it won't.
Right now, I don't think anybody knows for certain if regular HRR cylinders will be interchangeable with the carbine.
 
Well, not so fast there.

It's one thing to hang a 7 1/2" or even a 10" barrel off an aluminum grip frame, and secure it in place with a Loc-Tite type adhesive, as they do with their regular Rough Riders. But a 16 1/8" barrel may be pushing it. Particularly when they are using the barrel as a sling mount. Some Rough Rider barrels have shot loose over the years, so I would think that a more durable set-up would make sense for the carbine version.

They already make an alloy frame 16" buntline Rough Rider revolver that is made to accept a .22 magnum cylinder.
A factory discount coupon to buy one was found inside the box when I watched a youtube unboxing video of a new buntline.
I've heard it rumored about Heritage using epoxy on their alloy frame guns however the barrel is advertised as also being micro - threaded.

An advertisement for a 6.5" alloy version states that: "The machined barrel is micro-threaded and inserted into the frame for the optimal barrel/cylinder gap to give you maximum ammunition performance." --->>> https://palmettostatearmory.com/heritage-rough-rider-22lr-6-5-revolver-blued-rr22b6.html
 
I've heard it rumored about Heritage using epoxy on their alloy frame guns however the barrel is advertised as also being micro - threaded.

I watched the You Tube video below that was made during a tour inside the production facility of Heritage.
They show that the barrel and frame are "micro-threaded" together, but it also shows the assembler using an adhesive to cement the parts together as well. Unlike conventional revolvers, where the barrel and cylinder frame is screwed together extremely tightly, Heritage Rough Rider barrels are shown to just be lightly screwed into place, with the Loc-Tite actually locking barrel and frame tightly together.

You can see the assembler installing the barrel in this factory tour starting around 6:02 into the video.
That sure looks like a bottle of Loc-Tite that he is using, and the barrel is only screwed in lightly with a drill press, with no action vise or barrel wrench being used.

 
I watched the You Tube video below that was made during a tour inside the production facility of Heritage.
They show that the barrel and frame are "micro-threaded" together, but it also shows the assembler using an adhesive to cement the parts together as well. Unlike conventional revolvers, where the barrel and cylinder frame is screwed together extremely tightly, Heritage Rough Rider barrels are shown to just be lightly screwed into place, with the Loc-Tite actually locking barrel and frame tightly together.

You can see the assembler installing the barrel in this factory tour starting around 6:02 into the video.
That sure looks like a bottle of Loc-Tite that he is using, and the barrel is only screwed in lightly with a drill press, with no action vise or barrel wrench being used.



Lol, and the bottom line is they make a fine gun for the price point. Hopefully this does not turn into the usual bashing of Ruger vs Heritage. Frankly, we have had enough of that.Don't like Heritage, don't buy one. Same with Ruger.
And least Heritage has one, and given their track record, I am sure it has been tested well before being sent to market.
 
There must be a reason rifle-length revolvers never caught on...

I love revolvers and I love my Rough Rider Johnny Boy, but I don't want my face that close to any revolver being fired. :)
And, I know I'd eventually forget to keep my other arm/hand clear of the barrel/cylinder gap, not that it would probably be that big a deal with a .22LR or WMR.
 
There must be a reason rifle-length revolvers never caught on...

I love revolvers and I love my Rough Rider Johnny Boy, but I don't want my face that close to any revolver being fired. :)
And, I know I'd eventually forget to keep my other arm/hand clear of the barrel/cylinder gap, not that it would probably be that big a deal with a .22LR or WMR.

I think you just answered your own question.

Jim
 
There must be a reason rifle-length revolvers never caught on...

I love revolvers and I love my Rough Rider Johnny Boy, but I don't want my face that close to any revolver being fired. :)
And, I know I'd eventually forget to keep my other arm/hand clear of the barrel/cylinder gap, not that it would probably be that big a deal with a .22LR or WMR.


Being a bear of very little brain I do wonder how long it would take for me to get burned by this.
 
Lol, and the bottom line is they make a fine gun for the price point. Hopefully this does not turn into the usual bashing of Ruger vs Heritage.

1) They make an "okay" gun for the price point, if you don't have a problem with a glued-in barrel, flat springs as opposed to coil springs, and plastic parts like the loading gate, safety, and ejector rod.
Some work very well and are accurate, and some not so much, according to reports from owners.
2) In my post #28 I stated my belief that this carbine was a "stroke of genius for Heritage, should sell well, and had an excellent price". I also liked the walnut stock. This seems highly positive and complimentary, so I'm not bashing Heritage.
3) Didn't mention Ruger at all in this post that you have quoted.

I am merely stating the facts and my opinions objectively.
I have no financial interest of any kind in either company or in any business that sells them.
And, I have every right to express my thoughts and opinions, just as you do.
And, if you believe that Rough Riders are the world's finest handgun, then you have every right to say so as well.
 
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Trying to shoot a skunk at night with a Detective Special while holding a flashlight

Reminds me of a good friend, now deceased, living on an undeveloped quarter section in a tiny cabin.
Black bears sometimes dropped in unwanted.
One day he tried to shoot one close-up using one of those .45-70 double derringers, without success.
Told me that his hand was numb for an hour. :D
 
1) They make an "okay" gun for the price point, if you don't have a problem with a glued-in barrel, flat springs as opposed to coil springs, and plastic parts like the loading gate, safety, and ejector rod.
Some work very well and are accurate, and some not so much, according to reports from owners.
2) In my post #28 I stated my belief that this carbine was a "stroke of genius for Heritage, should sell well, and had an excellent price". I also liked the walnut stock. This seems highly positive and complimentary, so I'm not bashing Heritage.
3) Didn't mention Ruger at all in this post that you have quoted.

I am merely stating the facts and my opinions objectively.
I have no financial interest of any kind in either company or in any business that sells them.
And, I have every right to express my thoughts and opinions, just as you do.
And, if you believe that Rough Riders are the world's finest handgun, then you have every right to say so as well.

Lol,what ever you say, Stumpy.And if you believe that I thing the Rough Rider is the finest gun ever made, that is fine as well.
 
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Hmmm, interesting. Didnt know Heritage was owned by Taurus. Not sure if that makes me more likely to buy one or less.....:scrutiny:
They were better when they weren't owned by Taurus. By that I mean they were innovative, they offered more calibers like .32 and a nifty .45/.410 that I would have loved to buy, but those are super rare now because Taurus didn't want it competing with the Judge.

I can attest that the .32 Heritage I have is very well made, lockup is the tightest out of all the revolvers I own, with the only downside being the fixed sights are way off, like 2 inches in both elevation and wind-age at 5 yards.
 
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