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Recommendations for a beginner's 22LR Revolver


Mountain Man Gramps

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I'm pretty new at this so I could use some expert advice/opinion.

 

I'd like to get my wife interested in shooting and am looking for a simple, comfortable, light weight, 22LR revolver that a beginner can learn on.   There's a big emphasis on light weight.  Does anyone have a suggestion?  What about the Cimarron Plinkerton?

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I picked up a pair of chiappa .22lr for my wife. I figured I didnt want to spend a fortune if she didnt like shooting cowboy action. $130 each at rural king. I was pretty shocked with the quality for the price. 4.75" barrel, aluminum frame, plastic grips pretty lightweight and if they get shot out in 5,000 rounds no big deal for all I have in them. 

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there are a lot of options out there , colt frontier scouts leave you with a nice one in the safe if it does not work out or she progresses beyond the 22s , the heritage revolvers are cheap and can be sold if and when but handle fine ,

 

i bought a pair of frontier scouts and a pair of cimarron lightnings when my grandsons were born , now that i have them ill not let them go when those two graduate to the next level and perhaps my two grand daughters will grow into them at that point , they will not wear them out , the colts are late 60s and ill be holding them forever , the lightnings are always sellable but i like them too much , ill keep them to lend young shooters should they be needed , 

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I have a pair of Ruger Single Six convertibles that weigh in at only 33 ounces that I would recommend you at least take a look at.

 

https://ruger.com/products/newModelSingleSixConvertible/specSheets/0629.html

 

Ruger durability, retains it's value, easy to handle and fun to shoot! :)

 

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Howdy,

A while back I bought a Ruger single six.

I shot it a LOT and cleaned it and took reasonable care with it.

Today I could probably get more than I paid for it.

I find I hardly ever shoot the mag cylinder.

the mag ammo is expensive and the hole in the target is the same.

They do make or have made some variations over the years.

Or check out the Bearcat, also reliable.

Best

CR

 

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We have some the above mentioned revolvers in my family.  I have a Colt Frontier Scout.  It is smooth and lightweight but was not inexpensive.  I have a Plinkerton I won as a door prize.  It is fairly lightweight and a little clunky but would meet your needs.  My wife has a pair of Ruger Single Sixes tuned by LongHunters she uses for practice.  They are heavier than our other revolvers, but are very smooth.  They would be great for .22 side matches.

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S&W 34 or 35.  Both are J-frame (small frame) double action (can be shot single action too) 22cal revolvers.  The 34 is a steel frame, the 35 is the same gun but built on an aluminum frame making it very light.  Not SASS legal, but then again no 22 is legal for adults. 

 

The Ruger Bearcat and Single Six are both good single action 22s, but loading them is a pain compared to a good double action with a swing out cylinder.

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The Plinkerton (which Cimarron dropped several years ago but there's a lot out there) was made by Chiappa and is the same as the one with their name on it.  It is not made of Aluminum, it is Zamex (?  something like that.  It is a molded metal, which makes it illegal in a few states).  It is the same size and weight as a .45 which might be good for training but it won't be as light weight as some and they are not great guns.  I would not expect one to last 5000 rounds, but quality does vary somewhat.

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MM Gramps,

Heritage Rough Riders are worth a look.Inexpensive,serviceable and reasonably accurate they make a good beginners revolver.

Choctaw Jack

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On 3/5/2019 at 5:53 PM, Mountain Man Gramps said:

I'm pretty new at this so I could use some expert advice/opinion.

 

I'd like to get my wife interested in shooting and am looking for a simple, comfortable, light weight, 22LR revolver that a beginner can learn on.   There's a big emphasis on light weight.  Does anyone have a suggestion?  What about the Cimarron Plinkerton?

 

If you or she have any intentions of her getting into SASS, I would try to find a shooter with Single Sixes in .32 H&R Mag & find some 78 gr loads for it & try it out. They are around 34 oz.  Good to note: the lighter the gun, the more the felt recoil. The .32 Single Six is pretty popular & will always be worth as much or more than you pay for it if it doesn't work out. YMMV

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Ruger Single Sixes. Weight is your friend if you are looking for lighter recoil.

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18 hours ago, Choctaw Jack said:

MM Gramps,

Heritage Rough Riders are worth a look.Inexpensive,serviceable and reasonably accurate they make a good beginners revolver.

Choctaw Jack

I have a pair of the Heritage 22LR revolvers that I bought for $118 each new about two year ago. We have a 22 Rim Fire class at both clubs that I belong to and I have used them quite a few times. I have no complaints with them.

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Something to let her try out shooting a SA revolver when you're not sure she'll like it? Heritage Roughrider

 

Lightweight SASS-legal revolver that's small and appropriate for small hands? Cimarron Lightning.

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Don't buy anything until you handle it and preferably shoot it.  Some revolvers, regardless of caliber, are simply not comfortable in my hands, and I bet yours and her hands are the same.

 

I have a pair of Ruger Single Sixes that I practice with, probably 80% of the time,  rather than shooting  centerfire or percussion revolvers for practice.  Twenty-two ammo is still relatively inexpensive compared to center fire ammo, even if you reload, and you can get a lot of practice with a .22.  The handling skills are transferable to your match guns.

 

So if they feel good in the hand, I vote for Rugers. Never had mechanical problems with them, but Ruger customer service is comforting to have as a backup.

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ill second that , i like the ruger single six for a similar feel but the weight is a thought worth considering , not by any means pushing them but the heritage are a well balanced entry level point to start and they dont cost you an arm and a leg , a lot of my buckaroo and buckerette buddies over the years used them till ready to graduate to centerfire , 

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I would never call the quality of a Ruger poor BUT do not plan on handing a Ruger Bearcat off to a smaller child and expect them to be able to perform or even learn with one of them.  Try an out of the box version Bearcat yourself, first, to see how it compares to your .22 Single Six and I will bet you would not want to play with an action like that on match day!  Went to the local toy store and plunked down the cash for a pair of BCs right after the birth of my first grandchild and they were never used at all by any of my grandchildren.  Seems I was told that not much could be done for them by a gunsmith and lots of cash either????

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I would go with either the Ruger Bearcat or the Ruger Single Six.  The Bearcat is a lighter gun, but harder to smooth out.  The Single Six is heavier, but IMHO is easier to make run smoothly.  They're both quality guns that will last a long time if cared for properly.

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    Since you didn't specify single action, a Ruger, 8 shot, L.C.R , 22 long rifle is small, lite weight and simple to use . No safety's to fool with . no exposed hammer to cock, just squeeze the trigger 8 times ,  reload and do it again. Easy to use, easy to carry if you have a permit. Best part is, it's a Ruger.

   Worst part is, not a legal SASS firearm but a great starter.

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