The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Handguns: The Revolver Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old July 5, 2011, 05:05 PM   #1
tpelle
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 18, 2009
Posts: 120
My New .22LR/.22WMR Plinker

I've been thinking about a .22 revolver for some time now. I have a couple of .22LR semi-auto pistols, and over the years have accumulated a bunch of .22LR ammo that, for one reason or the other, won't cycle reliably through them. Can't let ammo go to waste - and what better reason to buy a new gun!

I have a copy of John Taffin's "Single Action Sixguns", and browsing through it a week or so ago I ran across a brief mention of the EAA Bounty Hunter. This revolver is made in Germany by Weirauch (HWM), and Mr. Taffin seemed to be pretty complimentary as to its quality. It is available in a .22LR/.22WRM combo, and is a full size revolver - possibly even slightly larger that a Colt SAA or Ruger Vaquero. It has a more or less traditional Colt-style action, but they install a transfer bar and captive firing pin a la Ruger. I looked at pictures on-line, and saw that the frame style and other features are very reminiscent of a Colt Single Action Army.

I found that Bud's Gun Shop in Lexington, KY (about 60 miles away for me) had a six-shot version in stock in their warehouse (they also offer the same gun in an 8-shot version). So I dug out my credit card and did the deal.

The revolver seems to be of very high quality construction. Without actually disassembling it, there are no visible machining marks in places such as the frame window or hammer slot that have not been polished out.

Finish is uniform, with a nice polished blue on the barrel and on both cylinders. The frame, grip strap and trigger guard, and ejector housing are finished in a sort of glossy black that very closely match the barrel and cylinder. The frame does not have a case-colored finish. The sides of the hammer are finished bright, and the hammer spur bears a nicely-done diagonal checkering pattern.

Particularly appreciated is the absence of garish roll-markings on the sides of the barrel or elsewhere on the pistol. The serial number is in the usual place on the bottom of the frame ahead of the trigger guard, and all other markings such as importer, manufacturer, caliber, and the inevitable warning to read the manual appear on the bottom of the barrel adjacent to the ejector rod housing. The rest of the pistol is refreshingly bare, except for an unobtrusive caliber marking on each cylinder.

The wooden one-piece grips are of some sort of European mystery-wood that is a kind of medium brown in color and does not show any figure in the grain. The wood is not covered with any sort of glossy varnish or polyurethane coating, but has a kind of dry feeling to it, and I expect that a few coats of BLO well rubbed in will improve its appearance greatly.

The gun was delivered from Bud's warehouse to the retail store to fulfill my order so there were no handling marks or dings, nor was there any evidence of the pistol having been dry-fired as happens sometimes with rimfire guns that have been sitting in dealer cases for a while.

There are two very minor cosmetic issues that I consider to be really insignificant:
1. The right side of the wooden grip has a small almost rectangular black mark that almost looks like someone touched the wood with the tip of a magic marker. This possibly may be just a mark in the grain - I don't know.
2. The trigger guard is provided with a small hole in it just slightly behind the tip of the trigger which is intended for a tiny padlock that is shipped with the gun. Also where this hole is punched there is a very slight distortion in the otherwise smooth trigger guard contour. I expect that this may be a feature only done to U.S.-destined revolvers.

I gave it the "magnet test" to see which parts are steel and which are of some sort of other "non-ferrous" metal. The barrel and the cylinders are both of steel. The frame, grip strap, trigger guard, and ejector housing will not attract a magnet, and I suspect that they are of aluminum.

The barrel appears to be pinned through the frame by one horizontal pin at the front of the top strap. I am unable to determine if the barrel is otherwise screwed in to the frame or if it is pressed in. The exploded-view in the manual does not show this to that level of detail.

There is a second pin that appears to run at a diagonal through the frame that secures the ejector housing in the frame. The front of the ejector housing is held to the barrel with a screw, as is common practice.

The action is what I will describe as a three-click action - there being no safety notch before the half-cock notch when cocking the hammer. There is a click at half-cock, a click when the bolt drops off of the hammer cam, and a final click (really two clicks that occur almost simultaneously) as the bolt then drops into the locking notch and the hammer reaches full-cock. The timing of the bolt is good, as the bolt first drops into the lead and is thereafter allowed to drop into the locking notch just under spring pressure. According to the exploded-view drawing in the included manual, both the hand spring and trigger/bolt spring are of original Colt style, as is the hammer spring.

The revolver is equipped with a frame-mounted rebounding firing pin, as well as a transfer bar that I understand from Mr. Taffin's writings is licensed from Ruger. Cocking effort and trigger pull seem to be a little heavy, which I attribute to the transfer bar.

When taken out of the box, I was surprised to see no evidence of any sort of grease or other preservative to protect the revolver during shipping. But there was no visible corrosion anywhere, so whatever Weirauch does seems to work. As a matter of fact, the action seemed to be bone-dry and gritty. I dripped a little CLP into the areas that are accessible without dis-assembly, especially in the area of the transfer bar where it slides in the hammer slot, and in the ejector rod slot. I also pulled the base pin and removed the cylinder and lubed the base pin and cylinder bushing with CLP. Things then seemed to free up nicely.

Here are a few pics that I took on Saturday:





The one oddity of this revolver is that, even though it's a three-screw action like the original Colt 1873 Peacemaker as well as the Old Model Ruger Blackhawks, the trigger screw on the EAA Bounty Hunter goes in from the right side of the frame. I suppose this must have something to do with the transfer bar mechanism.

For a size comparison, here is a photo with the EAA .22 on top, and my old (currently broken) Uberti Cattleman .45 LC on the bottom. One of the things that I like about the Bounty Hunter is that it is a full-sized revolver, not reduced in size like the Ruger Bearcat.



By the way, the holster for the Uberti Cattleman fits the Bounty Hunter perfectly, except that the barrel protrudes out of the bottom, of course. So anyone buying one of these should expect to use a "large caliber" holster, not one sized for .22 revolvers.

I got it out for it's first run Saturday afternoon, shooting 15-rounds (three cylinder fulls, leaving one empty chamber each) of CCI CB Longs at about 7 yards, offhand. The forward-balance of the steel 6-3/4" barrel and the steel cylinder seem to cause the pistol to "hang" on target when pointed one-handed. Even considering my 58 year-old eyes, I'm pleased enough with the results:



Without even touching the sights, they look to be regulated perfectly for windage (which is the real bugaboo with these fixed-sight revolvers). I will shoot it more with heavier bullets - these CB Longs were only 29 grains - and I bet the elevation will shift upwards a little. I expect that the sights are right on!

So far I have to say that I'm happy with this revolver. The only thing that is even a little difficult is getting the cylinder to line up properly when trying to insert the base pin.

The instructions say that, due to the transfer bar, it's safe to carry it with all six chambers loaded. But I still practice the old fashioned "load one, skip one, load four", then cock and lower the hammer on the empty chamber. I honestly have to say that I am glad I purchased this revolver over the Ruger. The combination of the "modern" transfer bar in concert with the traditional "half-cock to load" mechanism is a perfect blending of the old and the new.

This revolver is also available in an eight-shot version, but to my eyes the cylinder, with the extra locking notches and flutes, kind of strikes a sour note with me. I like it as a six-shooter, and I think I got the only one that Bud's had - the only ones they show in stock now are 8-shooters.

Last edited by tpelle; July 5, 2011 at 05:15 PM.
tpelle is offline  
Old July 5, 2011, 05:39 PM   #2
2damnold4this
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 12, 2009
Location: Athens, Georgia
Posts: 2,525
Looks like fun!
2damnold4this is offline  
Old July 5, 2011, 06:29 PM   #3
Aguila Blanca
Staff
 
Join Date: September 25, 2008
Location: CONUS
Posts: 18,437
Looks very nice.

Price?

You compare the size to a full-size SAA and to a Ruger Bearcat, but how does it compare (with regard to size) with a Ruger Single Six?
Aguila Blanca is offline  
Old July 5, 2011, 07:39 PM   #4
tpelle
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 18, 2009
Posts: 120
Bud's list price was $258.00, and with KY 6% sales tax added it came to $273.48.

I am not sufficiently familiar with the Ruger Single Six, so I can't really say. But I have noticed that Ruger revolvers always seem to me to be a little bulkier overall than other revolvers.

I complained a little in my original post about the trigger pull, but after proper lube and a little shooting the trigger pull is now much improved. It does have a pretty stout hammer spring, which may be a necessary evil of needing to work through the transfer bar. Rugers that I have handled, which also have a transfer bar of course, seem to share this characteristic.

I forgot to mention in my original post that the grip frame is the same as or very close to the 1860 Army size. You can easily see this in the picture where I show the Bounty Hunter along with my Uberti Cattleman. For some reason, when Colt's designed the 1873 Peacemaker revolver, they selected the smaller 1851 Navy size grip frame. Personally I find the larger 1860 Army grips as being more comfortable, so I am also pleased with this feature as well. Note that when EMF Great Western II designed the Alchimista revolver that everyone thinks so highly of, they incorporated the 1860 Army grip frame as well. http://www.emf-company.com/store/pc/Alchimista-c67.htm

I have now applied three or four treatments of boiled linseed oil, and the stocks are not looking or feeling so dry, and their appearance is becoming darker and better looking. When I applied that first coat you could almost HEAR the wood sucking it in. That is some industrial-strength dessicant that Weirauch packs in the box with the gun!

Last edited by tpelle; July 5, 2011 at 07:51 PM.
tpelle is offline  
Old July 6, 2011, 01:26 PM   #5
Dave R
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 7, 2000
Location: Idaho
Posts: 6,073
Sounds like a fine revolver. I'd be curious for a report after you shoot some .22mag through it.
__________________
I am Pro-Rights (on gun issues).
Dave R is offline  
Old July 6, 2011, 02:22 PM   #6
Aguila Blanca
Staff
 
Join Date: September 25, 2008
Location: CONUS
Posts: 18,437
Quote:
Originally Posted by tpelle
I am not sufficiently familiar with the Ruger Single Six, so I can't really say. But I have noticed that Ruger revolvers always seem to me to be a little bulkier overall than other revolvers.
With this thread in mind, I created an opportunity to compare my Ruger Single Six against a Uberti 1873 SAA clone. The grip frame and trigger portion of the Single Six is dimensionally the same, with only very (VERY) slight differences in profile.

Beyond that, the Single Six is (as I have always believed) smaller than the SAA. The frame itself is both shorter in height and shorter in length. The cylinder and the cylinder window are smaller. The Single Six is very definitely NOT built on a full-size SAA platform. I believe Colt's old Frontier Scout .22 pistols were likewise scaled down from the SAA.
Aguila Blanca is offline  
Old July 6, 2011, 02:53 PM   #7
aarondhgraham
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 1, 2009
Location: Stillwater, OKlahoma
Posts: 8,638
Hello Aquila,,,

Quote:
I believe Colt's old Frontier Scout .22 pistols were likewise scaled down from the SAA.
Yeppers,,,
My 1960's Frontier Scout is significantly smaller,,,
Than a standard SAA or SAA clone.

IIRC, the only SA .22 revolver that Colt made on the SAA frame,,,
Was the New Frontier model with target sights.

Quote:
The frame, grip strap, trigger guard, and ejector housing will not attract a magnet, and I suspect that they are of aluminum.
The EAA website says it has an "alloy" frame.

I'm going to keep an eye out for one of these models,,,
I need an understudy for my J. P. Sauer and Sons SAA clone in .357 Magnum.

Thanks for the report tpelle,,,

Aarond
__________________
Never ever give an enemy the advantage of a verbal threat.
Caje: The coward dies a thousand times, the brave only once.
Kirby: That's about all it takes, ain't it?
Aarond is good,,, Aarond is wise,,, Always trust Aarond! (most of the time)
aarondhgraham is offline  
Old July 6, 2011, 02:54 PM   #8
tpelle
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 18, 2009
Posts: 120
Well, I think (without actually getting out a caliper and taking measurements) that the EAA pistol is just about exactly the same size as my Uberti .45. At least for all practical purposes. As I said, it will fit in the Uberti's holster just fine except for barrel length.

The grip frame on the EAA is bigger, more like the 1860 Army, but that's good in my opinion.

One place that it IS smaller is the hole it made in my wallet, to the tune of about $150.00.
tpelle is offline  
Old July 6, 2011, 04:02 PM   #9
hornetguy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 14, 2011
Location: on the north side of DFW
Posts: 970
Great write-up... it's appreciated.

I like the looks of the "plain" finish.
hornetguy is offline  
Old July 7, 2011, 09:29 PM   #10
bglenn
Junior Member
 
Join Date: June 4, 2011
Posts: 3
tpelle - I looked for one of these earlier this year for the same reasons you listed. I wanted a full-size .22 and had owned one of these in .357 magnum about 15 years ago, and it was a great revolver. I ran up on the same gun as yours but in the 8 shot version in early April at a local gun show. So far, I've put about 1300 rounds of cheap Federal bulk ammo through it with only one minor problem. The screw which holds the elector housing to the barrel apparently got stripped when the gun was assembled. I ordered a replacement screw from Numrich (their shipping is a little less). The new screw is exactly the same length as the one which came on the gun and only protrudes through the hole in the ejector housing enough for about 1.5 t0 2 threads, which isn't enough threads to keep it attached to the barrel. Anyway, being a packrat, I managed to find a small black screw, the same size, which fit the hole much better than the stock screw. So pay attention to that screw - it is at the muzzell end. Otherwise, it shoots great and I have enjoyed it as much as any other gun I've owned. Keep shooting and have fun!!
bglenn is offline  
Old July 8, 2011, 07:54 AM   #11
Dapperdan
Member
 
Join Date: June 17, 2011
Posts: 47
That's a neat-looking gun. I've been considering the new Ruger Single-ten, but list retail is $619, 'net prices are about $530, so it looks like a bargain to me. I think you're gonna be happy with it. Thanks for the write-up. Have a good day!
Dapperdan is offline  
Old July 9, 2011, 09:48 PM   #12
Chesster
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 6, 2007
Location: Dixie
Posts: 2,538
Nice.
__________________
Chesster
Proud NDN
"The American Idle"
Vote 'Pro-Choice' on 2nd Amendment issues!!!
Chesster is offline  
Old July 9, 2011, 10:17 PM   #13
abelacres
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 5, 2010
Location: Jackson County Florida
Posts: 207
Here's my Bounty Hunter beside my Tarus 608
Lots of fun to shoot and way more accurate than I am. (I have a tendecy to shoot high with this pistol) Mine seems to do better with LR than WMR, but that may just be me.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 005.jpg (255.6 KB, 84 views)
__________________
If something seems too good to be true it's best to shoot at it just to be sure
abelacres is offline  
Old July 9, 2011, 10:33 PM   #14
Scorpion8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 3, 2011
Location: SouthEast AK
Posts: 117
Nice gun, and love to see another guy who just loves 22's!
__________________
Retired USN
Pain heals..... chicks dig scars......Glory, lasts forever!
Scorpion8 is offline  
Old July 9, 2011, 10:55 PM   #15
HighValleyRanch
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 15, 2005
Posts: 4,063
Very complete write up!
Thanks

I
Quote:
IIRC, the only SA .22 revolver that Colt made on the SAA frame,,,
Was the New Frontier model with target sights.
No, my new frontier .22 with target sights (1980's?) is 7/8 full size.
It is noticeably smaller than my hawes Western Marshall which is reportedly an exact copy of the Colt SAA.
__________________
From the sweet grass to the slaughter house; From birth until death; We travel between these two eternities........from 'Broken Trail"
HighValleyRanch is offline  
Old July 10, 2011, 07:24 PM   #16
tpelle
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 18, 2009
Posts: 120
According to the "lore" on the internet, the Hawes Western Marshall was made originally by J. P. Sauer. J. P. Sauer eventually went into business with Swissarms to form SIG. (As I understand it, strict Swiss neutrality laws prevent Switzerland from exporting firearms, so if Swissarms was going to expand their business into "foreign" markets they had to find a manufacturer outside of Switzerland to make heir guns.) J. P. Sauer then sold their revolver tooling, designs, and manufacturing rights to Hermann Weirauch GMBH, who continued manufacturing them. J. P. Sauer concentrates on manufacturing SIG auto pistols for the world market.

When I was a teenager I had what I recall was a Hawes Western Marshall, but I recall (admittedly a LONG time ago, so I may be mistaken) that revolver to be smaller. I remember that they also made a SA revolver called the Deputy Marshal, so maybe that's what I had. Like I said - a LONG time ago.
tpelle is offline  
Old July 11, 2011, 01:47 AM   #17
HighValleyRanch
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 15, 2005
Posts: 4,063
Yes, it is a JP Sauer and sons imported by Hawes Firearms L.A. Western Marshall made in the 1970's.

No, it is not small! The cylinder is the same diameter as my Smith N frame .44 mag 629!
It weighs in around three pounds loaded. The walls on the cylinder are thick and there was an article in Gun Blast (I think) where they tested the hottest Buffalo Bore .357 out of it.
It will handle hot loads!
But only load with five.

Weirauch used to make some good air guns.
__________________
From the sweet grass to the slaughter house; From birth until death; We travel between these two eternities........from 'Broken Trail"
HighValleyRanch is offline  
Old July 11, 2011, 09:31 AM   #18
tpelle
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 18, 2009
Posts: 120
Mine's not a J. P. Sauer Hawes Western Marshall, mine is an EAA Bounty Hunter. Brand new, just purchased a couple of weeks ago from Bud's in Lexington, KY.

The point I was making is that I believe it's essentially the same as the old J. P. Sauer revolver - except maybe for the licensed-from-Ruger transfer bar.
tpelle is offline  
Old July 11, 2011, 09:40 AM   #19
Smaug
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 4, 2004
Location: SE Wisconsin
Posts: 3,210
Nice-looking gun. Certainly cleaner than Rugers as far as roll-markings everywhere.

Out of curiousity, did you cross-shop it against the Ruger Single Six? I wonder how they would compare.
__________________
-Jeremy

"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength."
- Eric Hoffer
Smaug is offline  
Old March 29, 2012, 01:36 PM   #20
Bluezephyr
Junior Member
 
Join Date: March 29, 2012
Posts: 1
Tpelle

Nice write up.

I just bought mine last week. I have been wanting a single action revolver for about 15 years now. I went to my local gun shop and told him what I was looking for and he showed my this EAA bounty hunter just like yours except 8 shot then I saw the Nickel plated one behind it. He said in his opinion that this would be a great mid priced revolver. He said "I can sell you a Heritage for 200 bucks or sell you a 700 dollar gun but this I would think is the gun for you." I appreciated his honesty especially because he knew this was my first hand gun purchase and I wanted the affordability of a 22 caliber handgun.

I have shot 3 rounds through it and I really like how it feels and shoots. The only problem I have encountered is after loading it the first time I cock it sometimes it wont cock in the 3rd position. I plan on taking it to the gun shop tomorrow for some help. Maybe it just needs oiled.

Anyway thank for the write up.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg IMG00182.jpg (149.2 KB, 48 views)
Bluezephyr is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:44 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.06687 seconds with 11 queries