Opinions,Heritage arms 3" Birdshead grip model?

Z

ZVP

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Been seriously looking at one as a back up for self protection, trail companion and a fun shooter.
I'd only consider the Magnum cylinder and ammo for serious stuff but the L/R cylinder should provide as much economical plinking and fun shooting as I get from my trusty decades old Single Six Convertable!
The Ss is a6 5/8" model and though not readily concealable, I've NEVER felt under gunned with it.
Te powerful .22 WMR is a proven deep penatrator when needed for erious work. It equals my Chief .38 Special in that department
Besides, I find the "New York Reload" to be the fastest!
 
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I certainly like mine ... Mostly keep the magnum cly in it .. Killed a ground hog with it a week or so go ..handy little SA
 
I've owned a couple of Rough Riders, with the longer barrels though. They're decent guns for the money IMHO. Sure they're not a Single-Six, but then they cost about a 1/3 or less what a Single-Six does.

I've never cared much for birds head grips, but if you like them, there's no reason I can think of not to have one.
 
likewise im not a fan of the birdshead grip but i do like the heritage roughrider. see if you can find a 9-shot version, runs just over $200 online.


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I have a 6.5" 22lr only model and I like it alot. If you get one, watch the screws for loosening and be prepared to loctite them. I've had several different screws on the frame work loose. Today the ejector rod and shroud fell off after that screw worked it's way out. Fortunately I didn't loose the screw or parts. The screws working loose have been my only real complaint with the revolver.
 
I have a .32 Heritage w/ the bird's head grip. It's not heavy, it's as small as you can get for a SAA, feels good in the hand, but the sights are not good and the grip doesn't aid in precise shooting.

It's a point and shoot gun. Maybe a DA snub would be better, but from across the room distances I feel like I can cock the hammer and empty 6 shots faster than I can shoot 5 with a DA snub and do it more accurately.

It is fun to shoot, very fun.

In .22 Magnum, pick up some Speer Gold Dot short barrel JHP ammo. It's the best .22 mag you can get for self defense.
 
I picked the birdshead grip .. Because I carry the little SA while mowing ... and doing chores.. to me the birdshead grip doesn't dig in my side..
 
The couple of RR guns I have picked up and looked at didn't impress me as being very good guns. If I wanted a shorter barrel I would go on the hunt for a beater single six with both cylinders and just cut down the barrel and round the butt as much as I could get away with. Or maybe see if you could buy a birdshead grip from one of the 32 mags when those were being made and have it fitted.

There was a poster on the S&W forum that had pics of the older SS guns with the drift adjustable rear sight that he had done this very thing to and they looked good. Plus he had a quality gun in his hands.

The Rough Rider guns look like they are right up there quality wise with the first six shooter I owned. An RG that was a total piece of junk.
 
ratshooter, for the price they sell for, why don't you pick one up for $100 bucks on Black Friday and try shooting them and then come to a conclusion on what you think. The Heritage revolvers are far better than Rohm.
 
For a hundred bucks I would rather roll the dice on something quality made. I have 2 SS 22s and two 32 mags on the single six frame and really don't need another single action 22. But if I did it would not be a RR with the zinc frame and glued in barrel. I have read all I need to know about those guns. If I am going to buy a gun I am going to buy something quality made.

Actually I thought the RG was a better gun than the Rough Rider. The OP asked for opinions and that's mine.:)
 
What are you going to find that's $100 and "quality made?" In fact, what is "quality made" in your opinion? Is any gun with any part made from Zinc instantly put it into the Rohm category of guns for you? You do know that guns with Zinc in them do work, yes?

You basically said the Heritage is junk and there are thousands upon thousands of people who use them for self protection every day and have no issues with them.

The OP wants this as a backup gun, trail gun, and plinker. You don't need a $700 Colt or a $500 Smith to fill those roles. If he really wants a .22 Magnum revolver for this role, the RR is about the most inexpensive, yet reliable revolver he's going to find.

Unless he's willing to look at North American Arms revolvers, specifically the Sheriff, Earl, and Mini Master models, which as they don't contain any Zinc must be quality made and thus a better choice to spend more of his money on, even though the OP will find them much more difficult to shoot accurately than the Heritage.

And furthermore, let's say the OP does have an issue with this Heritage he intends to buy. Heritage is a US company and they have pretty decent customer service as I've called them in the past to ask if they'll service used guns. The response is they have a lifetime warranty.
 
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You basically said the Heritage is junk and there are thousands upon thousands of people who use them for self protection every day and have no issues with them.
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Really? And you have the hard numbers to prove that claim? There may be thousands and thousands but I bet the biggest part of those are just used for plinking. Just like what the OP wanted one for and maybe SD if needed. And there are a lot of people who bought Hi-Point pistols for SD because that was all they could afford. I don't want one of those either. And have shot my buds, No thanks.

And I have an old Iver Johnnson TP-22. A zinc framed gun that has never given me any problems so I am not opposed to zinc.

And when I said I would rather spend a $100 on something of quality it doesn't have to be yet another 22 pistol. And the only RR I have ever seen sell for that price were the 6.5" models with one cylinder. In case you forgot the OP asked about the birdshead with TWO cylinders. And he also asked for opinions and I gave mine. So what the hell is it to you?

And in case you didn't know Heritage is owned by Taurus. A company with a sterling reputation for quality guns. Here are some replies from happy customers who own RR guns.

https://www.ar15.com/forums/handguns/Heritage_Rough_Rider_problems/50-155512/

https://www.gunandgame.com/threads/problem-with-the-heritage-roughrider-22.132722/

http://forum.pafoa.org/showthread.php?t=250498

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...rider-light-strikes-are-getting-worse.807629/

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/heritage-rough-rider-poj-dont-buy.78376/

Sounds like the kind of gun I want to spend my money on.:rolleyes:
 
Yes, I know the birds head RR with 2 cylinders costs a lot more than $100, I was asking you what you can get that is a better quality gun than what the 6.5" RR with one cylinder is. So far you haven't give me an answer on that because there's no such gun that exist because, believe me, if I could get a better gun for the same amount of money as that .22 Rough Rider, I would already own it.

I read through those threads and what I came away with was there were many more people in them that posted replies that said they've never had a problem with their Heritage revolvers, so right there is dozens of people with no issues compared to a handful who are having issues, issues that can and will be fixed if they send them in for repair. I think we can do the math on this and see that many, many more people have no issues with these guns than those that do.

As to why this matters to me is that I own a Heritage revolver and have no mechanical issues with it, have friends that own them and haven't had issues with them, yet you've never owned one, but can say with certainty that it's such terribad junk not even worth using ones neurons to look at or think about in any way, let alone spend money on.

Not saying that you're not entitled to that opinion, just saying I think it's inappropriate to label a gun as worse than a Rohm without having owned it.

And that's all I have to say. I'm done with this topic.
 
TT I am sure for most that the guns work just fine. I am a little more particular on what I spend my money on. And in the OP the poster referred to his "trusty decades old single six convertible". When I see people referring to their trusty decades old RR maybe I will consider one. And I can't name a gun you can get for a hundred bucks other than the RR. You are correct there. Thats as cheap a gun as you can get. And its worth just what you paid for it.

If the OP wants one of these then the best thing he can do is buy one. So now he has just what he asked for. Opinions on these guns. Both for and against. And I have picked up several and looked them over. And no I would not buy one for myself. No where is it more true than in the firearms world that the old saying "you get what you pay for" more appropriate. There is also another saying. "Buy cheap, buy twice".

just saying I think it's inappropriate to label a gun as worse than a Rohm without having owned it.
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Maybe you are right. I will now raise its status to just as good as a Rohm. Happy?:D
 
Ratshooter gave his opinion... And I respect it ... His opinion is how he feels and what he believes..
The Hertiage 22/22mag I own hasn't failed me ..and the half a dozen before had never failed me ...
But thats what I know .. Thats not my opinion and thats not what I believe..Its simply fact .. But not what I've read or heard ,, its a fact ..

But I respect his opinion...he can post his opinion.. Tap.. Tap... Tap...

Failure occurs and can occur on any handgun ...
 
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