Heritage rough rider worth my $180?

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9mm

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Or save for a SAA by Ruger?
From what I see on videos and other reviews its a desent gun, though how is the lock up in the cylinder?
 
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i may be mistaken but last time i was at my lgs ruger is still not taking orders and trying to catch up with the ones that were places 6 months ago still so it may be hard to get a ruger. however i had a heritage that i wasnt at all impressed with the accuracy were ive never had a problem with any of my rugers though they are all semi autos

if you can wait or find one in stock id get the ruger, it should outlast the heritage 3-4 times long
 
Go with the Ruger. If you have any intention of ever passing it down to the next generation, go with the quality. As an example of the durability of quality, I have a Model 1873 Winchester made in 1891. It is still a good solid gun and very shootable (although I don't shoot it much). My father acquired it about 1930 so it was about 40 years old then. So it is in at least its third and probably fourth generation of ownership. This gun for almost the first hundred years of its life got no special treatment. It just stood in a corner of our farmhouse with the rest of the guns. It was a working gun. A Ruger even halfway cared for properly will last for several lifetimes.

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My rough rider has given me 20 years of faithful service...I have a Cimarron 357 that is an exact duplicate of the 1873 Colt, including the firing pin on the hammer and all flat springs. Main spring was narrowed a bit, 2lb pull.Have a NAA 22m with 1 5/8" barrel and a Earl with the 4" barrel.
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The Rugers are big, pretty and durable as all get out. The New Vaquero's are not as beefy as the "old" but mines in .357 so no worries. Ruger is having some inventory problems but I don't think you should have much trouble finding a Vaquero. There are tons of them out there as SA's are not as popular as the DA models.
 
You will get different views of the Heritage Rough Rider. They work. They shoot. They generally have a finish that is not durable and the "fit" is generally not as good as a Ruger. I personally would save a bit more money and get the Single Six or spend a bit more money and get the Single Ten if you want a good single action 22 revolver. But If the choice was to get nothing for another year or buy the Heritage, I'd buy the Heritage and start saving for it's replacement.
 
I have a Rough Rider and Vaquero, both in 357. Both shoot well and are fun guns, but there is no comparison in the fit and finish. Ruger wins hands down. But the Ruger costs nearly 3 times as much. As they say, you get what you pay for. I think you'd be happy with either.
 
For finish, the Ruger wins hands down. That said, I've had a lot of good fun with my Rough Rider and is always in my shooting bag. Mine is hitting very close to POA out of the box. Accurate little .22. Trigger pull isn't 'that' bad.... It also has the traditional three clicks to cock, and half cock to load. Downside, is the safety is an eyesore and frame appears to be painted pop metal. Worth the money? Your call, but mine is still shooting after many boxes of .22LR ammo, and the steel out at 77 yards still go 'ping'! Starting to use mine to for cheap hip shooting practice now.
 
I'm not a big fan of Ruger SA's but that godawful hammer block safety on the Heritage ruins it for me. I'd go with the Ruger.
 
Thanks guys, I did a lot of reading and I think Ill stay with the Ruger line, a single ten maybe.
 
Hey, they meet a need,,,

Granted the Heritage guns are low end,,,
But if that's all one can afford it's a good enough gun.

I have a friend whose girlfriend took to sport shooting,,,
He (they) have no money at all to speak of,,,
So they were looking at cheap semi's,,,
Phoenix and such like guns.

Then they found some Heritage revolvers for $145.00 each,,,
So now they both have handguns they can shoot with.

Again they are not Rugers, Colts, or S&W's,,,
But these two have an absolute ball with their guns.

I whomped up a couple of rough holsters for them out of scrap leather,,,
I do guarantee that no one out there with a pair of $1,000 pistols,,,
Has more fun than these two with their Heritage El-Cheapo's.

Sure they'll probably wear them out before their first kid arrives,,,
But they will have had a ton-of-fun while doing so.

They both talk about getting better guns,,,
I keep asking them why would they need to do that.

I advise maybe getting a better gun as a home/self defense weapon,,,
But for just going to their pasture and killing tin cans,,,
They have all the guns they really need.

They go through at least two 550 round bulk packs a month,,,
Their cheap six-shooters are still tight and reliable.

One doesn't need a Colt-Ruger-S&W to have fun.

Aarond

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I have a Heritage. It is not pretty, but like most .22's it shoots good enough.
Is it a S&W 41? No, but most shooter's won't appreciate the difference.
 
As far as cheap guns go I'd love to have another RG 66. I'm sure the Heritage is a decent gun it's just that dang safety I can't get around.
 
I wished I'd had the same luck with my Heritage 22 as others here. It's been a while but IIRC, mine didn't make it through the 3rd brick of 22's. Went out of time and started saving lead badly.

It's been laying somewhere in the safe for at least a couple years. Actually forgot about it till this thread. One day I'll get it out ,fiddle with and see if I can screw it up real good.:o
 
'Pends on what you want in a gun. The Ruger is a well built gun that will hold up for generations as a great shooter, and family heirloom. The Rough Rider is a usable gun, but not of the quality of the Ruger. If it is going to be just a range plinker, and you aren't worried with retained value the Rough rider can be a fun gun. I have the 6" model with the 22 LR and 22 Magnum cylinders. It took a little tweaking, but is quite accurate. Just not the nicely finished gun the ruger is, but it filled my needs.
 
For the cost of a Ruger, there is a long list of guns I'd rather have than a SA .22.

I got the Heritage because it's a cheap gun that shoots cheap ammo. I'm about halfway through my second brick, and she's still kicking. I don't expect it to be listed in my last will and testament, but I do expect to get my money's worth. If/When it wears out I can buy another one, and still have less money invested than if I had bought a new Single Six.
 
From what I see on videos and other reviews its a desent gun,
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I heard they are "Decent". As far as desent?, I don't know, but I don't want to sound sarcastic, but for $180? If you have to axed,......Don't buy the Ruger, then call Geico Mate.

9mm OP#11

Thanks guys, I did a lot of reading and I think Ill stay with the Ruger line, a single ten maybe.
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ataboy!

Now it's time to become a Ruger snob, and look down at the frugal people that bought a????? Now as you know, with out a doubt, you went the right route.

Walklightly, ask questions later.
 
My Rough Rider Has Been Good

I bought it lightly used, still with box and paperwork 1 1/2 years ago. Fixed sights and 22 mag cylinder. Both cylinders work fine, all the target and range action has been with 22lr mainly because of ammo cost. Probably shot a brick of cheap 22lr with no problems.

The safety doesn't bother me, it's design is so simple and doesn't complicate the action. I am sure the Ruger has a better trigger but the trigger on the RR I have is ok.

Any time I shoot with someone that doesn't shoot very much it gets used. Size and weight make it good for someone with smaller hands (compared to my other full sized revolvers).

I think it is a good value, don't need 2 so I won't buy another.

Have a great day!
James
 
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