.22 Revolver Recommendations

[gwpercle]

Last September , local Cabela's , Ruger Wrangler $199 ... Ruger Single Six $599 .
I bought the Wrangler . It will fire : 22 Short , Long , Long Rifle , CB cap and Shot cartridges ... every time the hammer falls ... it goes bang , never a miss fire and I love the firm hammer blow ...NO light strikes with the Wrangler... I love it !

I also have a S&W AirLite 22 dbl action w/ adjustible sights ... but the SA Ruger is just wild west cool ... shooting it just so much FUN ... sorry S&W .
Gary

[TruthTellers]

Originally Posted by Aguila Blanca

I sit corrected. I thought the rimfires were imported.

To me, that makes the safety even more intolerable and inexcusable.

It's a way that allows for someone to carry the cylinder fully loaded without having to use a transfer bar. I mean, if you care so much about how a single action looks, then you must be driven mad every time you cock the hammer back and see there's no firing pin on it. After all, it's not traditional.

[Hawg]

Originally Posted by TruthTellers

It's a way that allows for someone to carry the cylinder fully loaded without having to use a transfer bar. I mean, if you care so much about how a single action looks, then you must be driven mad every time you cock the hammer back and see there's no firing pin on it. After all, it's not traditional.

It actually does bug me a little but not as much as how the action works in a Ruger. I can tolerate it in a .22 but I will not tolerate it in a centerfire.

[44 AMP]

It actually does bug me a little but not as much as how the action works in a Ruger. I can tolerate it in a .22 but I will not tolerate it in a centerfire.

I'm at exactly the opposite end. All my SA's are Rugers and all use the New Model lockwork. I've found it rugged, reliable, simple to use and allows for safe carry with a live round under the hammer. I've had old Rugers and used Colt's with the original Colt SAA system, and I much prefer the new model Rugers.

But I'm not much of a "traditionalist" about some things. About other things, I am. I put Pachmayr grips on single actions, and sometimes even the heresy of using a scope on a lever action rifle...

Its all about what you want, personally, and there's no "wrong" answer.

As to the Heritage, I have no personal experience with them, but a friend who has handled many a couple years ago working at a gunshop describes them as "rough". If the price and the quality works for you, buy one.

Myself, were I in the market, I'd go looking for a used Ruger Single Six, and the Super Single Six preferred. But, that's just me. I'm not in the market, I've been quite happy with my Super Single Six since 1983...

[Ricklin]

In keeping with the Op's request of double action.
Do be aware of the frame size with rimfire double action revolvers. The small frame rimfire revolvers can have 13 + lb. trigger pull in double action.

My Taurus 94 is such a revolver. Esp. watch out for used small frame revolvers in .22 that have had alleged trigger work.

Small frame .22's have heavy DA triggers. Making them lighter leads to ignition issues.
I did everything I could short of changing springs, I lightened it a touch and still reliable, it's still 10+ Lbs. at least.

Better, but there really is no true fix.

[Obambulate]

A S&W Model 17-3 ended my search for a great .22 revolver.

[BigBill]

I think the two top DA 22 lr revolvers are the colt Officers target revolver built on the 41 frame and the s&w k22. Of course these aren’t cheap. I collected a few h&r 22 revolvers for there history. I think the heritage and ruger Wrangler are the Best Buy’s right now. I have a ruger single six but I’ll checkout the Wrangler. I did buy a Taurus m94/4” barrel for the misses, not a bad price for a da revolver.

[Aguila Blanca]

I'm going to deal a wild card. Armscor/Rock Island Armory (best known for their affordable 1911s) recently began marketing a new line of affordable revolvers produced in the Czech Republic. The line includes a .22 revolver in either blued or stainless. I don't own one but I have seen the .22 Magnum version at the range store where I shoot, and I was impressed.

https://www.armscor.com/firearms/ria...revolver-blued

https://www.armscor.com/firearms/ria...lver-stainless

[chris downs]

Originally Posted by Ricklin

My Taurus 94 is such a revolver.

That what I have and I am not happy with it.

[Ricklin]

If double action, and especially rapid fire double action is your issue, I understand.
There is truly no fix for that. It's a flaw that all older small frame double action rimfire revolvers share. Ruger may have resolved the heavy double action trigger issue with their LCR, I have not shot one.
The small frame size and the healthy whack required for consistent rimfire ignition conspire to create a heavy double action trigger. Do not try to replace or reduce springs, inconsistent ignition WILL result.

I slicked mine up a bit using valve grinding compound. Liberally applied to the sliding parts in the trigger group. I also polished a few parts, polished not cut or change any angles or engagement surfaces. That fluff and buff did improve it, I dry fired a couple hundred times using plastic wall anchors as snap caps, just because.
I then flushed out the gun really well with brake cleaner and lubed with CLP. Get every speck of that valve grinding compound out of the gun!

I'd say that improved the double action about 20%. I shoot it often, it's an accurate revolver. I'll eventually put larger more hand filling wood grips on it. I mostly shoot single action. I think the bigger grips will help too.

[44caliberkid]

A Ruger Single 9 or Single 10.

[chris downs]

What's a good barrel length for a .22 revolver? I want it to be a suitable length for a kid's 1st pistol shooting experiences. Thanks.

[chris downs]

First off, I am convinced I need two additional SA .22 revolvers, one inexpensive and one nicer. So I am searching GunBroker for Ruger .22s. (I like Rugers) The Wrangler is my only choice for inexpensive. In the nicer category is the recommended (in this thread) Single Six as well as the Bearcat.

Anybody have anything nice or unkind to say about the Bearcat (especially vis-a-vis the Single Six.)

[Hawg]

Originally Posted by chris downs

First off, I am convinced I need two additional SA .22 revolvers, one inexpensive and one nicer. So I am searching GunBroker for Ruger .22s. (I like Rugers) The Wrangler is my only choice for inexpensive. In the nicer category is the recommended (in this thread) Single Six as well as the Bearcat.

Anybody have anything nice or unkind to say about the Bearcat (especially vis-a-vis the Single Six.)

The Bearcat is too small for my liking but if kids are going to be shooting it its a good choice.

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by chris downs

Anybody have anything nice or unkind to say about the Bearcat (especially vis-a-vis the Single Six.)

Originally Posted by Hawg

The Bearcat is too small for my liking but if kids are going to be shooting it its a good choice.

I agree. My hands are not especially large for male paws, and I can't [properly] hold a Bearcat, because the grip is too small. Not just "a little" too small -- it's way too small. As Hawg said, it's great for younger children but, IMHO, it's simply not made for adult hands. At least not adult male hands.

On the other hand (no pun intended), I have owned a Super Single Six convertible for more than twenty years. (The "Super" was the name Ruger used at the time for the model with adjustable target sights.) It's great. I rarely use the magnum cylinder, but I'm glad I have it.

[44 AMP]

Anybody have anything nice or unkind to say about the Bearcat (especially vis-a-vis the Single Six.)

Dad got Mom a Super Bearcat (steel frame) in the early 70s. Paid $57 and got them to throw in a left hand holster (Mom was left handed).

I got to shoot it a bit when I was younger, but by the time I was 15 it was just too small in the grips. Mom was 4'10" (and a half! Damnit!) wore a size 3.5 ring and it was perfect for her. My class ring was size 8.5 (mom's ring would pass through mine) and the "Cat" was just too small for my comfort.

Other than that, the fixed sights and the old style (Colt pattern) lockwork it was a great gun.

Don't know bout the new ones, sorry.

I've had a Super Single Six since about 83 or so, its my go to .22LR revolver and I'm fond of it. New Model lockwork, shoots well and the magnum cylinder has lived in a box for about the last 30 years or so...

[Driftwood Johnson]

A used and scratched Smith at a marked down price is sounding interesting to me.

Howdy

This S&W K-22 Outdoorsman left the factory in 1932. It was shipped to the Providence Rhode Island Board of Safety, probably shot by the police pistol team. This is the worst side, the other side looks much better. The bare spot in the blue above the trigger is probably from shooters resting their finger there at bullseye matches. This is the most accurate 22 revolver I own (I have lots of them). It cost me $600 a few years ago. Well worth it.






I really do not understand the guy who thinks S&W 22 Rimfire revolvers are inaccurate. I love them. Left to right, Model 17-3 that I bought brand-spanky new in 1975, K-22 Masterpiece that shipped in 1950, the K-22 Outdoorsman mentioned above, another K-22 Outdoorsman that shipped in 1935, a K-22 Combat Masterpiece that shipped around 1953 or so.






A word about S&W 22 rimfire revolvers. All of the above revolvers are built on the S&W K frame. This is the frame size S&W originally developed in 1899 for 38 Special revolvers. The K in the K-22 series denotes this. Personally, I think this is the ideal size for a 22 Rimfire revolver. Here is a photo that compares various double action revolvers made by S&W over the years. The two on the left are no longer made. The tiny revolver at bottom left is a 22 Rimfire Ladysmith. Too small to be any practical use. Just above that is an I frame revolver, this one happens to be a 38 Regulation Police. Also not made any more. The giant at top right is a N frame 44 Special Triple Lock. S&W still makes N frame revolvers, they do not make the Triple Lock any more. I'm pretty sure they never chambered the N frame for 22 Rimfire, just too big. Directly below that is a K frame 38 Military and Police. This is the same size as the K-22s and the Model 17. As I said, this is my favorite size for a 22 Rimfire revolver. Below that is a J frame 38 Special Chiefs Special. Lots of 22s made on this frame, particularly the 22/32 Kit guns.






This is a S&W stainless Model 63. An example of a 22/32 Kit gun. These were built on the J frame, so they are smaller than a K frame revolver. They were called the 22/32 Kit Guns because they were originally made on the I frame, which was designed as a 32 caliber revolver. Kit guns because they were the perfect size for a fisherman to put in his tackle box, sometimes called his kit. This one is stainless, they came blued too, as the Model 34. Really nice, compact 22s. This one has a 4" barrel.






A word about rear sights on S&W revolvers. Look at the photo of the K-22 Outdoorsman at the top of this post. Notice the tiny screw in the rear sight. A shooter needed a tiny screwdriver to adjust that sight. There were two screws, one on each side. First you backed the screw out on one side, then pushed the sight with the screw on the other side, then snugged up the first screw against the sight in its new position. In the late 1940s S&W went to their current Micrometer Click rear sight. Just one big screw on the right side. No more need for a tiny screw driver, and the one screw could push or pull the sight wherever you wanted it. The K-22 Masterpiece and K-22 Combat Masterpiece in this photo both have the modern style rear sight, that is still being used by S&W today.






Barrel lengths? I like 6" on my K frames, but 4" are good too. Neither is more accurate than the other, but the longer sight radius of a longer barrel makes it seem more accurate.




I like Ruger Single Sixes too. These are the old Three Screw models that are not made anymore. They do not have a transfer bar inside as all modern Ruger revolvers do. The rear sights on two of these are only adjustable for windage by driving them to one side with a punch. The one on the right has a modern adjustable rear sight.

[chris downs]

ty for pics!

[lee n. field]

Originally Posted by Aguila Blanca

I'm going to deal a wild card. Armscor/Rock Island Armory (best known for their affordable 1911s) recently began marketing a new line of affordable revolvers produced in the Czech Republic. The line includes a .22 revolver in either blued or stainless. I don't own one but I have seen the .22 Magnum version at the range store where I shoot, and I was impressed.

https://www.armscor.com/firearms/ria...revolver-blued

https://www.armscor.com/firearms/ria...lver-stainless

Any idea what MSRP is on that? (Not that we're going to find any available out in the world right now.)

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by lee n. field

Any idea what MSRP is on that? (Not that we're going to find any available out in the world right now.)

I don't know. I'm trying to find out.

[hammie]

@lee n. field: According to a distributor, Davidsons, the RIA, .22 LR blued revolver is 549 $, and the stainless version is 749 $.

I wasn't aware of that RIA model, but as aguila blanca says, they look impressive.

In the past, I've dismissed the Philippines firearms, but after examining and shooting a friend's RIA 1911, I'm starting to change my mind. His .45 ACP wasn't a Kimber or Colt Gold Cup, but it seemed a good value for its price point.

To stay on point, I've always like the ruger sp101. It's sort of a goldilocks size - not too big and not too small. The trigger can be heavy, but a replacement 14 pound hammer spring, and a replacement 8 pound trigger return spring will improve it a lot, without misfires. If the weight of the sp101 is too heavy, then a charter arms pathfinder with panel grips, or a 3 inch ruger LCRx would be light and compact.

[lee n. field]

Originally Posted by hammie

@lee n. field: According to a distributor, Davidsons, the RIA, .22 LR blued revolver is 549 $, and the stainless version is 749 $.

I wasn't aware of that RIA model, but as aguila blanca says, they look impressive.

In the past, I've dismissed the Philippines firearms, but after examining and shooting a friend's RIA 1911, I'm starting to change my mind.

FWIW, the revolver in question was made in the Czech Republic, not the Philippines. Alfa-Proj, used to be imported into the US by a different company. Not at all like RIA's .38 sort-a Colt clones.

(And yes, my Phillippine Rock Island .45 is a super great value.)

[artoo]

www.czechpoint-usa.com This is the old site for the revolvers.

[gwpercle]

You pays your money and takes your choice .
$199 Ruger Wrangler - No Regrets
Gary

[rodfac]

Anybody have anything nice or unkind to say about the Bearcat (especially vis-a-vis the Single Six.)

Nice gun and it's a Ruger, but .... small. I'd try one in your hand to see if it suits you.

I have size "L" hands, buy XL neoprene gloves from Harbor Freight so I'm not 'pinched', and do shoot most single actions with the pinkie under grip. An old friend, read: over 50 yrs we've been friends, has no trouble shooting his wife's Bearcat. It, like any Ruger Single Six, will be a lifetime gun for you...they're that good. Rod