Ruger Bearcat; Which Variant for a Young Shooter?

Wheel-Gunner · June 8, 2017, 06:57 PM

Hey guys,

My oldest boy turns 12 this summer and I am going to get him his first pistol. I am strongly considering the timeless Bearcat. Ultimately I want to get him a single action 22 revolver.

I was out looking at Bearcats today and there are a lot of them sitting on the shelves, both used and new. So if you guys could provide some insight and/or factors I should consider, that would be greatly appreciated.

Blued or stainless. Although I prefer a blued revolver, I am thinking that the lower maintenance of a stainless finish might be better for a 12 year old. Mind you I will be instructing and monitoring him on how to care and clean. I came across some older blued Bearcats with the brass trigger guard and I really liked it. I looked at 6 between two different shops and none had the transfer bar upgrade. To me this is a bit of a concern. Should it be? Easy to send in to Ruger? Cost and turnaround time? Overall thoughts on finish?

Adjustable sights or fixed. All of the used models I looked at were 4" with fixed sights. I started thinking that with a 4" barrel it might be better to have adjustable sights. My experience with the sight accuracy of a fixed Ruger have been mixed. I feel like fixed sights might be better on the 3" "shopkeeper" instead of the 4". Thoughts? Shopkeeper a better option than the regular for a 12 year old?

Is there another make/model I should consider? As always, I appreciate everyone's thoughts and insight.

DPris · June 8, 2017, 07:04 PM

Adjustable sights will make it much easier for him to learn the gun.
Fixed sights will probably not shoot to point of aim & lead to frustration.
Denis

Siggy-06 · June 8, 2017, 09:31 PM

I also agree to go with the adjustable sights, as well as teaching him how to adjust them. I'd say as a forst gun go with a blued one. Watch the bluing age as your young ones age. Part of owning a gun is learning to maintain them properly, finish and all.

Ruger customer service is top notch and the turn around time shouldnt be an issue. You can always purchase a new model online and save yourself the trouble of having to send it in(if you really want the transfer bar added).

briandg · June 8, 2017, 11:29 PM

off hand, I think that the bear cat is about the only sa revolver you should buy for a kid. The cheaper ones are trash, the expensive ones are expensive. The Sa pistol is a fine way to start, slow, steady, timed, accurate. A six or four inch should be best, with adjustibel sights. Transfer bar will not be a problem to fix, they are still, iirc, doing the work for free for anyone who owns one.

This is what I would do, but I might consider upgrading a few hundred dollars and getting a DA revolver so he can learn both styles.

**44 AMP** · June 9, 2017, 12:29 AM

My Dad got my Mom a Super Bearcat (steel grip frame) back in 1971 or so. Back then they were all "old models) with the same manual of arms as a Colt SA. (only carry with 5 in the cylinder, hammer down on the empty chamber.

And they only came with fixed sights back then.

And, yes, a child can learn it, quite well. HOWEVER, if you have new model Rugers, you MUST make sure they know the difference.

Mom was a small woman, 4'10 1/2" and wore a size 3 ring. Only broke 100lbs once in her life. She loved the gun. I got to shoot it quite a bit when I was 14, and it was on the edge of too small for me then, and a couple years later, it was too small to be comfortable. (the grip)

I just looked on Ruger's website, and they do show a Lipsey special with adjustable sights, but don't list the price, like they do for the standard Bearcat.

New Bearcats have the transfer bar system, and if you go for the one with adjustable sights you are essentially getting a slightly scaled down Single Six.

Which brings up the question, is it better to get him a gun that fits him well now (the Bearcat) and that he will outgrow in a few years, or get a slightly bigger gun (Single Six) that might be a bit of a challenge right now, but he will grow into, and will be comfortable using the rest of his life???

I've got a Super Single Six convertible, that I've had for around 30 years. 6", adjustable sights (Super) and with the .22WMR cylinder. The magnum cylinder has seen maybe two boxes of shells, I don't shoot .22mag much. Thousands of rounds of .22LR, I really like the gun.

I originally bought my Single Six to teach my kids to shoot a pistol. A semi lets them blaze away until the mag runs dry. A SA revolver makes them work more for each shot, and encourages deliberate aiming.

I would get the lad a Single Six and let him grow into it. The Bearcat is a sweet little gun, but its a little gun. Sometimes, that's just the thing. Sometimes, something bigger is a better idea in the long run.

b.thomas · June 9, 2017, 01:30 AM

After bring up two sons (now in their forty's) and gone through the same as you............I'd go with a Single six rather then the Bearcat!
Both my boys were over five feet tall at 12 and just four years later, hit six foot tall. At that age kids grow like weeds and out grow darn near everything!

bamaranger · June 9, 2017, 03:23 AM

44AMP has nailed this one. The very thing that is appealing about the Bearcat, also works against them.

At 12, I'm guessing that the added heft on a Single 6 will not be a problem, and the standard adjustable sights easier to see and use. The Single 6 is far more useful for youngsters or adults.

Mr. Hill · June 9, 2017, 09:57 AM

I wouldn't worry about a blued gun, your boys have a good dad who will teach them how quickly and easily clean that revolver, so if you can get a good deal on a blued gun, go ahead!

jackmoser65 · June 9, 2017, 10:12 AM

Quote:

I also agree to go with the adjustable sights, as well as teaching him how to adjust them. I'd say as a forst gun go with a blued one. Watch the bluing age as your young ones age. Part of owning a gun is learning to maintain them properly, finish and all.

I agree with this and being a grown man with large hands that's still in love with the Bearcat, I disagree with the notion that he will outgrow it.

tallball · June 9, 2017, 10:50 AM

My daughter is 12. She started shooting with me when she was 8 or 9. Adjustable sights are definitely the way to go. They are bigger and easier to see. She has never liked the "fixed" notch sights.

My first firearm was a Single Six. I bought another one a couple of years back and it is one of her favorite handguns. I think the only one she likes better is my Buck Mark.

Lohman446 · June 9, 2017, 01:13 PM

I disagree with adjustable sights. Think of cars. In the old classics I have driven with one or two points of adjustment you get in and the seat is "right" In the new seats with near infinite adjustments in any direction you want they are never quite right.

At least in my experience children always want to adjust something rather than admit a lack of experience and skill. Better those adjustments not be there

**Aguila Blanca** · June 9, 2017, 04:01 PM

To follow up on 44 AMP's post: How big is your son now, and (based on family geneology) how big is he likely to grow? I was 6 feet tall when I was 12 years old. I hit 6'-2" before I started to shrink as my age increased. My hands are not especially large for a male of my height, and I find a Bearcat to be MUCH too small to shoot well or enjoyably. I would suggest that you consider a Single Six, which is a gun he can probably shoot well today but isn't as likely to outgrow.

Plus - with a Single Six, in addition to target sights (if desired), you can also get a convertible that will also handle .22 Magnum.

**44 AMP** · June 9, 2017, 05:58 PM

Quote:

In the old classics I have driven with one or two points of adjustment you get in and the seat is "right" In the new seats with near infinite adjustments in any direction you want they are never quite right.

No idea which cars you have driven, but I've had a number of American cars from the 50s on up, and every one of them has had about a half dozen or so adjustment points possible. Plus the big bench seats, and no seatbelts means you can pretty much sit any way you want, so there's a comfortable spot for about everyone.

Belted into a small bucket, I know we're safer, but it does mean fewer options.

Sorry you can't seem to find one that's just right for you.

I advise adjustable sights for any and every .22 you can get them on. I do see your point about kids will "adjust" anything they get their hands on, if they can, but I think its a problem easily avoided.

A drop of paint or nail polish, or something similar (TorqueSeal if you have it) once the sights are adjusted, will serve both to keep the sights in adjustment,
and it also serves as a witness mark to show if the kids mess with the setting.

And educating the new shooters about how a gun that's on target will miss when the sights are adjusted carelessly will also go a long way.

Adjustable sights on a .22LR are, in my opinion, more important than they are on some centerfire pistols. .22s need to be accurate their targets are smaller than a defensive pistol's Center of Mass minimum standard.

Unlike centerfires, where a fixed sight gun can be either physically modified to shoot to the chosen load, or the load can be adjusted to match the sights, with .22s there's only trying a different brand or load hoping to find one that hits where the sights aim. You can work on fixed sights to be "ON" for a given .22LR load, but, as recent years have shown, its all too common to not be able to regularly get a given load.

Adjustable sights avoid the problem. If you can't get your preferred ammo, and can get something else, that shoots to a slightly different point of impact, a few clicks adjustment, and the sights are on, again.

Snyper · June 10, 2017, 05:18 AM

Quote:

I disagree with adjustable sights. Think of cars. In the old classics I have driven with one or two points of adjustment you get in and the seat is "right" In the new seats with near infinite adjustments in any direction you want they are never quite right.

At least in my experience children always want to adjust something rather than admit a lack of experience and skill. Better those adjustments not be there

Sight adjustment has nothing to do with skill nor experience.
It's about the ability to align the sights to match the point of impact of different loads.
If there's no way to make it hit where you aim, they will quickly lose interest.

jackmoser65 · June 10, 2017, 11:27 AM

Quote:

I would suggest that you consider a Single Six, which is a gun he can probably shoot well today but isn't as likely to outgrow.

How much time have you actually spent with a Bearcat? Big difference between handling one in the gun shop and actually growing up with it. It's not at all unmanageable for grown adults.

T. O'Heir · June 10, 2017, 11:45 AM

Lipsey's shows 'em at the Ruger MSRP. $639 blued without sights. $710 blued with adjustables. $689 and $729 respectively in SS.
"...I prefer..." What you like is irrelevant. The thing is not for you. Whole thing depends on if the Bearcat fits a 12 year old's hand. You need to take the kid shopping just like you would a wife or girlfriend(don't take 'em both at the same time. snicker.).
No 3" anything for a 12 year old.

deserted · June 12, 2017, 11:01 AM

I started my sons with Bearcats in 1969. All three of them learned on them, and now use Single Sixes and Colts, BHs, SBHs, BHPs, 1911s, and K-, L- and N-frames.
I still have the Bearcats and especially like the adjustable sighted one for just poop-buttin' around out in the yard.

Jim Watson · June 12, 2017, 11:14 AM

Too bad Ruger does not still make the Single Six Lightweight.
I think the Bearcat is too dinky for a 12 year old.
But my only exposure to Kids With Guns is on the range with enthusiastic and instructed sub-juniors shooting full size pistols alongside us alleged adults.

June 8, 2017, 06:57 PM	#1
Wheel-Gunner Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2006 Posts: 277	Ruger Bearcat; Which Variant for a Young Shooter? Hey guys, My oldest boy turns 12 this summer and I am going to get him his first pistol. I am strongly considering the timeless Bearcat. Ultimately I want to get him a single action 22 revolver. I was out looking at Bearcats today and there are a lot of them sitting on the shelves, both used and new. So if you guys could provide some insight and/or factors I should consider, that would be greatly appreciated. Blued or stainless. Although I prefer a blued revolver, I am thinking that the lower maintenance of a stainless finish might be better for a 12 year old. Mind you I will be instructing and monitoring him on how to care and clean. I came across some older blued Bearcats with the brass trigger guard and I really liked it. I looked at 6 between two different shops and none had the transfer bar upgrade. To me this is a bit of a concern. Should it be? Easy to send in to Ruger? Cost and turnaround time? Overall thoughts on finish? Adjustable sights or fixed. All of the used models I looked at were 4" with fixed sights. I started thinking that with a 4" barrel it might be better to have adjustable sights. My experience with the sight accuracy of a fixed Ruger have been mixed. I feel like fixed sights might be better on the 3" "shopkeeper" instead of the 4". Thoughts? Shopkeeper a better option than the regular for a 12 year old? Is there another make/model I should consider? As always, I appreciate everyone's thoughts and insight. __________________ "History does not entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid. We must acquire proficiency in defense and display stamina in purpose." Dwight Eisenhower Last edited by Wheel-Gunner; June 8, 2017 at 07:04 PM.

June 8, 2017, 09:31 PM	#3
Siggy-06 Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 1,148	I also agree to go with the adjustable sights, as well as teaching him how to adjust them. I'd say as a forst gun go with a blued one. Watch the bluing age as your young ones age. Part of owning a gun is learning to maintain them properly, finish and all. Ruger customer service is top notch and the turn around time shouldnt be an issue. You can always purchase a new model online and save yourself the trouble of having to send it in(if you really want the transfer bar added). __________________ Flicks just like a lighter, just a different kind of fire.

June 8, 2017, 11:29 PM	#4
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	off hand, I think that the bear cat is about the only sa revolver you should buy for a kid. The cheaper ones are trash, the expensive ones are expensive. The Sa pistol is a fine way to start, slow, steady, timed, accurate. A six or four inch should be best, with adjustibel sights. Transfer bar will not be a problem to fix, they are still, iirc, doing the work for free for anyone who owns one. This is what I would do, but I might consider upgrading a few hundred dollars and getting a DA revolver so he can learn both styles. __________________ None.

June 9, 2017, 12:29 AM	#5
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,833	My Dad got my Mom a Super Bearcat (steel grip frame) back in 1971 or so. Back then they were all "old models) with the same manual of arms as a Colt SA. (only carry with 5 in the cylinder, hammer down on the empty chamber. And they only came with fixed sights back then. And, yes, a child can learn it, quite well. HOWEVER, if you have new model Rugers, you MUST make sure they know the difference. Mom was a small woman, 4'10 1/2" and wore a size 3 ring. Only broke 100lbs once in her life. She loved the gun. I got to shoot it quite a bit when I was 14, and it was on the edge of too small for me then, and a couple years later, it was too small to be comfortable. (the grip) I just looked on Ruger's website, and they do show a Lipsey special with adjustable sights, but don't list the price, like they do for the standard Bearcat. New Bearcats have the transfer bar system, and if you go for the one with adjustable sights you are essentially getting a slightly scaled down Single Six. Which brings up the question, is it better to get him a gun that fits him well now (the Bearcat) and that he will outgrow in a few years, or get a slightly bigger gun (Single Six) that might be a bit of a challenge right now, but he will grow into, and will be comfortable using the rest of his life??? I've got a Super Single Six convertible, that I've had for around 30 years. 6", adjustable sights (Super) and with the .22WMR cylinder. The magnum cylinder has seen maybe two boxes of shells, I don't shoot .22mag much. Thousands of rounds of .22LR, I really like the gun. I originally bought my Single Six to teach my kids to shoot a pistol. A semi lets them blaze away until the mag runs dry. A SA revolver makes them work more for each shot, and encourages deliberate aiming. I would get the lad a Single Six and let him grow into it. The Bearcat is a sweet little gun, but its a little gun. Sometimes, that's just the thing. Sometimes, something bigger is a better idea in the long run. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

June 9, 2017, 03:23 AM	#7
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,308	another vote for the Single 6 44AMP has nailed this one. The very thing that is appealing about the Bearcat, also works against them. At 12, I'm guessing that the added heft on a Single 6 will not be a problem, and the standard adjustable sights easier to see and use. The Single 6 is far more useful for youngsters or adults.

June 8, 2017, 07:04 PM	#2
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	Adjustable sights will make it much easier for him to learn the gun. Fixed sights will probably not shoot to point of aim & lead to frustration. Denis

June 9, 2017, 01:30 AM	#6
b.thomas Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2006 Posts: 461	After bring up two sons (now in their forty's) and gone through the same as you............I'd go with a Single six rather then the Bearcat! Both my boys were over five feet tall at 12 and just four years later, hit six foot tall. At that age kids grow like weeds and out grow darn near everything!

June 9, 2017, 09:57 AM	#8
Mr. Hill Senior Member Join Date: November 21, 2015 Posts: 384	I wouldn't worry about a blued gun, your boys have a good dad who will teach them how quickly and easily clean that revolver, so if you can get a good deal on a blued gun, go ahead!

June 9, 2017, 10:50 AM	#10
tallball Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2014 Posts: 2,444	My daughter is 12. She started shooting with me when she was 8 or 9. Adjustable sights are definitely the way to go. They are bigger and easier to see. She has never liked the "fixed" notch sights. My first firearm was a Single Six. I bought another one a couple of years back and it is one of her favorite handguns. I think the only one she likes better is my Buck Mark.

June 9, 2017, 01:13 PM	#11
Lohman446 Senior Member Join Date: April 22, 2016 Posts: 2,192	I disagree with adjustable sights. Think of cars. In the old classics I have driven with one or two points of adjustment you get in and the seat is "right" In the new seats with near infinite adjustments in any direction you want they are never quite right. At least in my experience children always want to adjust something rather than admit a lack of experience and skill. Better those adjustments not be there

June 9, 2017, 04:01 PM	#12
Aguila Blanca Staff Join Date: September 25, 2008 Location: CONUS Posts: 18,468	To follow up on 44 AMP's post: How big is your son now, and (based on family geneology) how big is he likely to grow? I was 6 feet tall when I was 12 years old. I hit 6'-2" before I started to shrink as my age increased. My hands are not especially large for a male of my height, and I find a Bearcat to be MUCH too small to shoot well or enjoyably. I would suggest that you consider a Single Six, which is a gun he can probably shoot well today but isn't as likely to outgrow. Plus - with a Single Six, in addition to target sights (if desired), you can also get a convertible that will also handle .22 Magnum.

June 10, 2017, 11:45 AM	#16
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Lipsey's shows 'em at the Ruger MSRP. $639 blued without sights. $710 blued with adjustables. $689 and $729 respectively in SS. "...I prefer..." What you like is irrelevant. The thing is not for you. Whole thing depends on if the Bearcat fits a 12 year old's hand. You need to take the kid shopping just like you would a wife or girlfriend(don't take 'em both at the same time. snicker.). No 3" anything for a 12 year old. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

June 12, 2017, 11:01 AM	#17
deserted Senior Member Join Date: October 18, 2015 Posts: 103	I started my sons with Bearcats in 1969. All three of them learned on them, and now use Single Sixes and Colts, BHs, SBHs, BHPs, 1911s, and K-, L- and N-frames. I still have the Bearcats and especially like the adjustable sighted one for just poop-buttin' around out in the yard.

June 12, 2017, 11:14 AM	#18
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,541	Too bad Ruger does not still make the Single Six Lightweight. I think the Bearcat is too dinky for a 12 year old. But my only exposure to Kids With Guns is on the range with enthusiastic and instructed sub-juniors shooting full size pistols alongside us alleged adults.