Shots Fired! Ruger takes on Heritage... discuss!

[Blue1]

"When Phoenix Arms, Hi Point and Taurus can make money on sub two hundred dollar hand guns, you have to wonder how much profit these larger companies with highly efficient manufacturing make on each sale. I am glad they are successful and profitable but I would bet Ruger could blister pack their LCP, sell it for less than 100 dollars and still make a sizable profit."

I don't know who Phoenix Arms are, not sure about Hi Points reliability, but Taurus is iffy.

You can make a handguns for the price that Taurus and others do, but you can't expect the quality or the customer service to equal Ruger or S&W.

Blue1

[DashingDan]

These are made by Ruger in New Hampshire. Made to their quality means exactly that

[TruthTellers]

Figured I'd post a picture of the group I got Friday with my Heritage at 15y. Was with some bulk Federal ammo, so with some better quality CCI stuff, I can see the group shrinking to the same size as a quarter.



From videos I've seen on the Wrangler, I don't think the accuracy is going to be excellent, just good enough to be a plinker.

I did notice .22 Magnum shot better than .22 LR in the Heritage.

[denster]

Just picked mine up Saturday from my son's gun shop. $179 plus tax. Visually superior to the RR to my eyes. The ceracoat finish is very well done and smooth and ceracoat is a tough finish and should wear well. Trigger pull started out at 4.5 lbs and short with minimum travel. A little time with hammer boosting got that under 4lbs and crisp. Free spin pawl is a really nice feature and really makes loading and unloading easy. It feels really good in the hand and I am a fan of the 4&3/4 barrel length particularly for a trail gun. Grip panels are OK and useable but I suspect I will change them for something more eye pleasing. Action is smooth, lock up is tight and B/C gap is close looks to be under .005.
I did some shooting in my basement range with Aguila Super Collibri. At 45' I got consistent groups under 1&1/2 in off hand right on for windage and about 1" low which I find to be exceptional for this ammo. I can't wait for some good weather and free time to coincide.
Overall I think Ruger has a winner with this one and I expect we will see additional barrel lengths and colors in the future .

[afcolt]

Sounds like a good price. Sub-$200, I’d be pretty doggone tempted.


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[Aguila Blanca]

Sub-$200 is an excellent price for a Ruger.

Back in the 1960s (pre Gun Control Act of 1968) I paid $25 for a German-made, .22 LR clone of a SAA revolver. I don't know for certain, but I'm fairly sure the frame was Zamak (or maybe even just "pot metal"). Awhile ago, out of curiosity, I crunched some inflation numbers and found that $25 back then equates to about $225 today. So this means we can now buy a Ruger revolver, made in the U.S., for "less" than what it cost to be a no-name imported gun of similar design back then.

Just to put it in perspective.

[T. O'Heir]

TM means trade mark not copy righted. Ain't the same thing.
Nobody is ever going to mistake a Jeep or pair of jeans for a revolver.
In the case of the pants, Wrangler is the name of the company. They're supposedly getting out of jeans anyway. Going to something called "Active wear".

[ThomasT]

From videos I've seen on the Wrangler, I don't think the accuracy is going to be excellent, just good enough to be a plinker.

Best and worst groups at 25 yards from a Ransom rest. I would say these are just about good enough for a plinker.

[Lohman446]

So how long until the 22 Magnum convertible edition is available?

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by Lohman446

So how long until the 22 Magnum convertible edition is available?

My guess is that there won't be one. The Wrangler is an entry-level offering. Ruger may want to use that to move people up to the Single Six if they want a convertible.

Of course, I was wrong once before ...

[rclark]

ratshooter, it does look like good 'enough' accuracy there ... for plinking that is... hah! .

As for a convertible, I personally see no need. My magnum cylinders sit in the box and never used (except for the one time to make sure they function in the revolver) .

[stinkeypete]

I hope Ruger’s Wrangler sells like hot cakes and boosts the sales of Heritages, too.

These nifty little single action .22s can get people out to the range or out in the woods and introduce people to the fun of shooting slow. Not all that slow, mind you... but with more accuracy than a mag dump.

I have had some ideas in mind for target games we might invent with single action .22s in mind, and have been thinking about adding a .22 Single Shot category to next winter’s target league.

Make it fun. One idea I had was “bring your worst box of ammo to the staging area. We draw numbers. You get the ammo you get and heaven help the accuracy, because there is your built in excuse for shootin’ poor tonight!”

Dang it... ruger is gonna cost me money. I want one.

[Cheapshooter]

So how long until the 22 Magnum convertible edition is available?

My guess is that there won't be one.

So your guess is they will leave that segment of the low price market to Heritage Arms.
Be interesting to see how many non brand sensitive new buyers will choose the convertible option over a single cylinder package.

[osbornk]

Originally Posted by Lohman446

So how long until the 22 Magnum convertible edition is available?

I doubt that they will do it and I don't think they need to do it. Like other people, I thought I needed the mag cylinder for my Heritage Rough Rider and I bought one. I shot one cylinder of mag before I took it out and put it away. The sound is painfully loud and 22 magnum ammo is expensive. I feel like I wasted the $30 I spent. If I want to shoot something more powerful than 22LR, I shoot 9mm in a semi-auto which is much cheaper and more readily available or 38 Special in a revolver which is around the same price.

[ThomasT]

ratshooter, it does look like good 'enough' accuracy there ... for plinking that is... hah! .

As for a convertible, I personally see no need. My magnum cylinders sit in the box and never used (except for the one time to make sure they function in the revolver) .

rcclark I think I can get by with that kind of accuracy. As for the 22 mag cylinder if it was offered that would be the version I would buy. But its not offered. Besides I have a new model super single six and another old model made in 1961 and both have mag cylinders if I want to shoot 22 mag rounds. And I have a bunch of 22 mag on hand and do like shooting it in the 22 revolver. Its definitely a step up in power. And if I get one of these i will try my 22 mag cylinders just to see if they fit but I bet they don't.

If I really want to shoot a magnum powered round from one of these guns I have two Single Sixes in 32 mag with 5.5" barrels and adjustable sights.

I did just go to a local shooting range and they had one of the new Wranglers in the solid black color. I looked at it. And held it. I want it. They had it priced at $199 +tax. That makes it around $215 OTD. I am thinking. I need to stop. I am about to spend money I don't need to spend. Y'all stop me.

[ThomasT]

So your guess is they will leave that segment of the low price market to Heritage Arms.
Be interesting to see how many non brand sensitive new buyers will choose the convertible option over a single cylinder package.

My guess is that if Ruger sees they are losing sales to heritage they will offer the 22 mag option. But I have read so many threads where owners of the 22/22 mag SS have stated they never used the 22 mag option or shot it a couple of times and never shot it again that most would rather have the lower price of the 22 only version.

But you never know about the fickle shooting public. I would hate to be a market annalist for a gun company trying to figure out whats hot this month and passe' next month.

[Aguila Blanca]

I've owned a Super Single Six convertible since around 2000 or 2001. So in 18 or 19 years, I've shot it with the magnum cylinder exactly once. I think any prospective buyer who talks to people who already own a .22 "cowboy" revolver will look at the magnum option, look at the price of .22 Magnum ammunition compared to the price of .22 LR, and decide they don't really need the magnum cylinder after all.

[dgludwig]

I guess I'm in the minority. Most of my .22rf shooting is with semi-auto pistols when aiming at paper and tin can targets. When I holster the Super Single Six, it's almost always with the Magnum chambering because I carry it on canoe floats and camping/hiking trips when small game and impromptu camp security is the biggest reason for having a firearm along with the cost of ammunition being of little or no concern.

[Lohman446]

My preference to 22 magnum is for use in dispatching critters at night that do not respect the yard. 22 Magnum gives me a bit of leeway if that raccoon turns out to be a coyote or two

[GarandTd]

Blued steel, real wood grips, shoots to POA, all for $129.99(even less if you catch a sale). What is the Ruger Wrangler bringing to the table again? The Ruger might dip into Heritage sales a little bit, but the Heritage is still a fair amount of gun for considerably less money.

[ThomasT]

I have killed a couple of Armadillos with the Ruger using 22 mag and it does work better than the 22LR. I like the 22 mag. I like the extra power.

My bud got a new burn barrel and wanted some vent holes shot in it. So I used the 22 mag cylinder and every round went through both sides of the steel barrel. Then just for fun I shot the 22LR from the 22 cylinder and the 22lr would go through one side but not one single bullet made it through the other side. A dent yes but no hole.

I can't prove it but I bet that 22 mag round would have went through two barrels. I was using the Winchester FMJ 40gr rounds in the mag load.

[Cheapshooter]

Deleted - duplicate post

[Cheapshooter]

I think any prospective buyer who talks to people who already own a .22 "cowboy" revolver will look at the magnum option, look at the price of .22 Magnum ammunition compared to the price of .22 LR, and decide they don't really need the magnum cylinder after all.

On the other hand. In a world of bigger is better including a bigger boom from a handgun, and the target market being new shooters, the magnum option might influence their purchase before they realize they don't need it.
After all not all, or probably most new shooters don't read a lot of opinions on gun forums. Then when the big outdoors stores start selling them you need to take into account the "experts" behind the counter. You know, the guy that tells prospective customers they need a 45 because "It will knock a man down even if you only hit him in the finger". Yes, I actually heard that one! You don't think those guys won't be pushing the gun with a magnum cylinder. Probably like their 45 expertise, because the Rough Rider has to be stronger because it comes with a magnum cylinder.

[TruthTellers]

Originally Posted by Cheapshooter

So your guess is they will leave that segment of the low price market to Heritage Arms.
Be interesting to see how many non brand sensitive new buyers will choose the convertible option over a single cylinder package.

I don't think the combo cylinder is what's going to sell a Heritage to someone who's not brand sensitive, it's going to be a variety of factors. Could be barrel lengths, adj. sights, 9 round models, bird's head grips, steel frames (Heritage makes steel frame .22's), etc.

Personally, I bought my Heritage for the sights, 6 inch barrel, and 9 rd cylinder. The fact it came with a .22 Mag cylinder wasn't something I cared much, but I do like the idea of .22 Mag in a 6 inch barrel. Should have plenty of power.

[silvermane_1]

Well the main reason for having a 22 mag cylinder is to have the option of having a "bigger/harder/heavier wrench in the toolbox" at your disposal, remember ballistic wise a 22 mag out of hang gun equals a 22lr out of a rifle/carbine.