Who makes 'em?

A

Aguila Blanca

Staff
I'm looking for a low priced, traditional-looking, cowboy-style six-gun in .22LR. Having a .22 WMR cylinder would be a plus, but not necessary. I want this mostly for use in doing the live fire portion of NRA Basic Pistol classes, which now require students to demonstrate that they can safely load and fire a single action revolver.

I don't want a Heritage, because of that stupid safety. And I don't want a Ruger Wrangler because of those two lines they scribe around the cylinder. I would love to get a Colt New Frontier or a Ruger Single Six, but those are out of my price range.

Who else makes or has made authentic looking .22LR six-guns? I'm open to either full-size SAA clones in .22LR or to scaled-down models like the Colt New Frontier and Ruger Single Six. I'm not finding much of anything on Gunbroker, other than Ruger Wranglers and Heritage Rough Riders. Used is fine, as long as it's mechanically sound, fully functional, and accurate enough for new shooters to be ably to put rounds on paper at fairly close range.
 
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Hal

New member
Does it have to be a "Peacemaker" style or - is something that uses an ejector rod & loading gate sufficient?

H&R has a few "convertible" models that come like that & have the .22lr/.22 mag cylinders.
 
A

Aguila Blanca

Staff
Hal said:
Does it have to be a "Peacemaker" style or - is something that uses an ejector rod & loading gate sufficient?
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Has to be "Peacemaker" style. For two reasons (not necessarily in this order):

1. I grew up watching The Lone Ranger, Gene, Roy, and Hopalong. They didn't carry H&Rs.

2. In the classroom portion of the class, I use all dummy guns and blank-firing replicas as class props. The demo single action revolver is a blank-firing clone of a SAA. For simplicity, I want the gun students see at the range to look as well as operate the same as the one they saw and handled in the classroom.
 
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hammie

New member
@Aguilla B.: Ah...I, also fondly remember those saturday mornings watching William Boyd on our 15 inch black and white TV. I can't remember hoppy's side kick. Was it gabby hayes? Things have certainly changed (and not always for the better).

I think everyone has this covered. A good bet would be a uberti or one of the re-badged ubertis (Taylors, e.g.). I'm just curious though. The manual of arms for a single action is not necessarily simple. Your students are most likely to encounter a ruger single six or blackhawk. For a hammer block or transfer bar type guns, you open the side gate, and load six. For a colt clone, it is pull the hammer back to half cock, load one, skip one, load 4, and the pull the hammer back and drop. I was wondering how you handle that important difference in class?

And by the way, we should acknowledge the staff and moderators here. You all work hard with little thanks. Your contributions make this site great. So...thank you Mr. "Blanca".
 
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A

aarondhgraham

New member
Perhaps a Colt Frontier Scout.

You could always look for a Colt Frontier Scout.

I think you may be confusing the Colt New Frontier with the Frontier Scout.

The Frontier Scout is a 7/8 scale revolver,,,
I believe the New Frontier is a full scale revolver.

Here's my Frontier Scout,,,
They came in blue steel and this alloy version.

lucille-lr.jpg


The Frontier Scout is truly a fine shooter.

Aarond

BTW,,, I believe that Ruger put those lines on the cylinder in an effort to alleviate the inevitable turn line that happens to most revolvers.

.

.
 
F

FrankenMauser

New member
I wouldn't touch the Ubertis. I'd buy a Heritage if I was that desperate.
The Heritage revolvers may be rough, but they at least work, out of the box.
Since 2012, every new Uberti that I have handled was either broken or locked up when it was handed to me, or broken or locked up when I handed it back. Quality and quality control are terrible.


The Wrangler is your best buy right now.
And those two lines should not be an issue. That's actually a play taken from Colt.
They used those two lines in a few engraving patterns, including the infamous "Sears & Roebuck" SAA.
Morphy's reproduction
Turnbull replica

Ruger Bearcat?
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Bearcats may have similar MSRP to the Single-Six, but often retail for more. Lower production numbers and seasonal runs being an influencing factor.
Probably a little small for a demonstration piece, as well.
 
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Driftwood Johnson

New member
The manual of arms for a single action is not necessarily simple. Your students are most likely to encounter a ruger single six or blackhawk. For a hammer block or transfer bar type guns, you open the side gate, and load six. For a colt clone, it is pull the hammer back to half cock, load one, skip one, load 4, and the pull the hammer back and drop. I was wondering how you handle that important difference in class?
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I agree 100%.

Operating a modern Single Action revolver such as any made by Ruger is completely different than operating a more traditional design such as one made by Colt or Uberti.

I will never forget the first time I handled an Uberti after having owned a Ruger for many years. The first thing I did was open the loading gate to try to rotate the cylinder. The dealer was not very kind when he told me it was not a Ruger, the hammer had to be put at half cock in order to rotate the cylinder.

If you want to be safe, and not get sued you will have to be able to demonstrate each.

I too suggest you get over the grooves on the cylinder of the Ruger Wrangler and buy one. Considerably cheaper than buying a Single Six, they are 'aimed' at the same market as the Heritage guns, but significantly better quality.

For a more traditional design, I would go with the Heritage and be sure to explain that other designs, such as Colt or Uberti do not have the manual safety. The Uberti full sized 22 single actions are quite a bit more expensive.

To further complicate the situation, the new Ubertis have the retractable firing pin that makes them safe to carry fully loaded. Traditional single action revolvers ARE NOT safe to carry fully loaded.

You will have to be prepared to demonstrate all these different features to properly instruct beginners in how to operate a single action revolver.
 
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HighValleyRanch

New member
To further complicate the situation, the new Ubertis have the retractable firing pin that makes them safe to carry fully loaded.
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Driftwood, as I trust your knowledge on single actions, can you elaborate on this please. I never heard this before. I had a nice Cattleman, and everyone told me to load only 5. Any other of the Italian companies have the same?
 
A

Aguila Blanca

Staff
Aarondhgraham said:
You could always look for a Colt Frontier Scout.

I think you may be confusing the Colt New Frontier with the Frontier Scout.
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You are correct, I did have them confused.

Doesn't matter, I can't afford either one.
 
A

Aguila Blanca

Staff
hammie said:
For a hammer block or transfer bar type guns, you open the side gate, and load six. For a colt clone, it is pull the hammer back to half cock, load one, skip one, load 4, and the pull the hammer back and drop. I was wondering how you handle that important difference in class?
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The NRA appears to have that covered, although they don't say so. The course of fire is 5 shots, not six. And the real objective of Basic Pistol is to see if the student can shove five rounds into the gun and send them downrange without sweeping anyone or shooting out the lights. During the class I stress that when the NRA says handguns are single action or double action -- that still leaves a lot of wiggle room, and that if/when they buy a gun they need to be certain they know how THAT gun works.

I show them load one, skip one, load four -- and explain why, even if the gun at hand doesn't have a hammer-mounted firing pin.
 
A

aarondhgraham

New member
"Doesn't matter, I can't afford either one."

I was gonna say, pshaw,,,
Then I surfed over to Gunbroker.

Dang? They have gone way up since the last time I looked.

Aarond

.
 
G

gwpercle

New member
For $200.00 I can learn to love the two scribed lines Ruger puts on the Wrangler .

What two lines you talking about ?

You are aware all single action revolvers will develop a turn line around the cylinder even the Colt SAA .
Gary
 
A

Aguila Blanca

Staff
What two lines you talking about ?
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For some reason, the Wrangler cylinder has two circumferential grooves milled around it, toward the aft end of the cylinder. I may end up accepting that and buying a Wrangler, but there's no functional reason for those grooves, so they bother me.

But they don't bother me nearly as much as the safety on the Heritage Rough Rider.
 
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