Ruger Wrangler

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Saw and for the latest SA Ruger .22.

Aluminum frame, three cerakote colors, $250? Pretty neat.

I regret trading my Single Six (though I did trade it for an 03 - win!).

Thoughts?


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Crickets!

This could be seen as a push at the low end single action market, where the Heritage Rough Rider does well. Surprisingly nice little gun for the money.

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[simon1]

It does look nice, but all I've seen are ads in magazines for them. Never saw one so can't comment. It is made by Ruger, so the basic quality should be good. Haven't seen any reviews on them.

I have my old Colt New Frontier, and Granddad's old High Standard Double Nine so I'm not looking for a little .22 right now. I'd really like to see the Ruger in person though. If it shoots good and holds up well it should make for a dandy tackle box/backpack/ trail gun. Don't know how well the fixed sights would do as a small game getter...just have to find a load it likes.

 

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It does look nice, but all I've seen are ads in magazines for them. Never saw one so can't comment. It is made by Ruger, so the basic quality should be good. Haven't seen any reviews on them.

I have my old Colt New Frontier, and Granddad's old High Standard Double Nine so I'm not looking for a little .22 right now. I'd really like to see the Ruger in person though. If it shoots good and holds up well it should make for a dandy tackle box/backpack/ trail gun. Don't know how well the fixed sights would do as a small game getter...just have to find a load it likes.

Yeah, Mike - I'd rather have that Colt too!

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[nortac]

The Wrangler doesn't really appeal to me, but I get it. Might be a nice kid's first pistol? I'd rather have the much more expensive New Bearcat. I have a Single Six convertible .22LR/.22Mag with a 6.5 in. barrel, I want something smaller.

 

[simon1]

With its aluminum frame I'm surprised the Wrangler weighs as much as it does. Specs. say 30 oz. The Bearcat shows to be 24 oz., but it's over twice the price.

My digital scales say my Colt weighs 29.4 oz. and the High Standard 26.2 oz. I figured the Wrangler would fall in the mid 20 something ounce range.

 

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With its aluminum frame I'm surprised the Wrangler weighs as much as it does. Specs. say 30 oz. The Bearcat shows to be 24 oz., but it's over twice the price.

My digital scales say my Colt weighs 29.4 oz. and the High Standard 26.2 oz. I figured the Wrangler would fall in the mid 20 something ounce range.

Wondering if it has a solid steel barrel, or a steel "sleeve" inside aluminum - an automatic "no, thanks."


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[Bhugo]

It’s a Ruger, but it’s a cheap pistol for sure. For a first pistol it would probably be perfect in my opinion. I would have been proud of it if it were my first as a young man.

I have a Rough Rider. I love it. The versatility of it with 22 WMR is awesome. It’s my trap line gun and general drag around the woods pistol. It excels at that. If I fall in the water setting traps, a can of wd40 is all that it requires to get it back in action. I cleaned the barrel once a few years back properly, but not since. A cheapie for sure, but perfect for abuse. I would not want a nice pistol for that type of use.

The Ruger doesn’t shoot 22 WMR which is a bummer. It looks a bit nicer than the rough rider. The Cerakote looks a lot nicer than the cheapo finish on the RR. I’m sure it is a great gun, but I have no more need for another cheapie. I’m purposely avoiding picking one up at the shop to avoid buying one!

I’m not sure which I would buy if I needed a new trap line gun. Probably whichever was the smallest/cheapest to make carrying it more convenient and abusing it more palatable.

 

[simon1]

Wondering if it has a solid steel barrel, or a steel "sleeve" inside aluminum - an automatic "no, thanks."


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From what I've read looking in to it, the Wrangler has an all steel cylinder and barrel. A Single Six or Bearcat it ain't, but what do you expect...$600 to $800 quality at about $200?

This looks like a pretty unbiased review:

The High Standard Double Nine I have I think Granddad picked it up in the early or mid '60s. From what I've seen it is a very good budget .22. I've seen used ones in the $200-$300 range. I think it cost about $50 or less new back then.

If I want to use a high quality .22 I have the little Colt...made in 1976. @Bhugo I've used the little Colt on trap lines. Dispatched many a 'coon, 'possum, and other things with it. It doesn't look that much worse for wear, but it was in a good holster.

I haven't shot the High Standard in years, but from what I remember it shot very well. This guy seems to do well with it.

 

[Bhugo]

From what I've read looking in to it, the Wrangler has an all steel cylinder and barrel. A Single Six or Bearcat it ain't, but what do you expect...$600 to $800 quality at about $200?

This looks like a pretty unbiased review:

The High Standard Double Nine I have I think Granddad picked it up in the early or mid '60s. From what I've seen it is a very good budget .22. I've seen used ones in the $200-$300 range. I think it cost about $50 or less new back then.

If I want to use a high quality .22 I have the little Colt...made in 1976. @Bhugo I've used the little Colt on trap lines. Dispatched many a 'coon, 'possum, and other things with it. It doesn't look that much worse for wear, but it was in a good holster.

I haven't shot the High Standard in years, but from what I remember it shot very well. This guy seems to do well with it.

That Colt is a beautiful little pistol! Love the patina on it.

 

[simon1]

That Colt is a beautiful little pistol! Love the patina on it.

Thanks. It's never been a safe queen...it's seen quite a bit of field use. I think I paid about $200 for it NIB in the late '70s. Last time I used it was spring a year ago taking out a skunk in the front yard at about 20 yards. I usually leave skunks alone, but a few years ago I caught some skunks decimating a litter of kittens. Caught one with a kitten in its mouth and beat it on the head until it dropped it. Didn't have time to go back in the house and get a gun.

That was not pretty what they did...guts and bones and body parts of the kittens all around. They even dropped some body parts at the back of the house that the turkey buzzards tried to feast on. There must have been six or seven buzzards out there. We had a new litter of kittens at the time I took out the skunk.

That Cerakote finish on the Wrangler looks like it would be pretty rugged. If the fixed sights on the Wrangler are shooting a bit low you can always file the front sight down a bit to match the load it shoots best with. Companies are known to do that with fixed sight single actions so you can tune it the way you want.

 

[FarmerTan]

I was REALLY tempted by his one. But the War Department vetoed the expenditure, rightly so, as I have a really nice old stainless steel S&W model 63 double action .22

But dang, that's a nice looking gun.

 

[nortac]

I would like an old H&R break top .22LR, don't recall the model number. I have shot a few of the solid frame H&Rs that my uncle and cousin owned back in my youth. Not bad little guns for the money.

 

[nortac]

I would like an old H&R break top .22LR, don't recall the model number. I have shot a few of the solid frame H&Rs that my uncle and cousin owned back in my youth. Not bad little guns for the money.

That would be the H&R 999 Sportsman.

 

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That would be the H&R 999 Sportsman.

Funny you mentioned! After posting this, I realized I had an H&R safe queen - I even have the box! - that needs some love.

H&Rs, though a tad funky, were excellent and inexpensive .22 pistols.


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[nortac]

Funny you mentioned! After posting this, I realized I had an H&R safe queen - I even have the box! - that needs some love. H&Rs, though a tad funky, were excellent and inexpensive .22 pistols. AA

Which one?

 

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Which one?

922. The pin-pull cylinder model.

No swing out crane, even cheaper to make. Empties all pop out at once. DA, though the pull is a little tough.

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[jar_]

922. The pin-pull cylinder model.

No swing out crane, even cheaper to make. Empties all pop out at once. DA, though the pull is a little tough.

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I shoot my 923 (the chromed version of the 922) quite often. It shows a 1955 born on date. Sucker still simply works.

 

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I shoot my 923 (the chromed version of the 922) quite often. It shows a 1955 born on date. Sucker still simply works.

Aren't they great? Very smooth SA... Sights are kinda challenging these days.

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[jar_]

Aren't they great? Very smooth SA... Sights are kinda challenging these days.

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Current Mark1 Eyes failed the challenge anyway.