Col Del Rio Posted January 24 Posted January 24 Anyone use Wranglers? What is loading them like? Is loading 5 easy? Quote
Captain Bill Burt Posted January 24 Posted January 24 I got a pair a few years back. They’re good little guns for the price. No problems loading them. I noticed the hammer struts were pretty rough so I smoothed them out. Other than that I left them as they were and my youngest shot them with no problems. 3 Quote
Snake-eye, SASS#45097 Posted January 24 Posted January 24 I’ve owned a pair for years with the intent of using them for practice.(right) Great little guns the exact size of my .32’s. Loading 5 is easy, rotate the cylinder back on the empty chamber. Some like to mark one cylinder with nail polish and leave that one empty and under the top strap. Very accurate .22’s, great value for the price. 5 Quote
Eyesa Horg Posted January 24 Posted January 24 I was going to use mine for practice as well. Hasn't happened!! I did put a spring kit in them and Altimont grips. Checking for the empty chamber is a bit difficult. Fun revolvers. 1 Quote
Beartrap SASS#57175 Posted January 24 Posted January 24 (edited) 47 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said: I was going to use mine for practice as well. Hasn't happened!! I did put a spring kit in them and Altimont grips. Checking for the empty chamber is a bit difficult. Fun revolvers. Take a straight piece of soft metal rod that will fit in the barrel and insert it down the barrel and through an empty chamber until it hits the back of frame. Make a 90 degree bend at muzzle to form an "L" shape. Makes an easy way to check for an empty chamber. Edited January 24 by Beartrap SASS#57175 3 Quote
Abe E.S. Corpus SASS #87667 Posted January 24 Posted January 24 I did not care for the free spin cylinder. Some people prefer it. I agree that placing marks on the cylinder “flanking” the “designated” empty chamber is a good way to verify that the revolver is loaded properly. The .22 revolvers typically have recessed chambers making it impossible to verify the absence of an empty chamber by looking into the gap between the recoil shield and the rear of the cylinder. 1 Quote
Rattlesnake Slim Posted January 24 Posted January 24 Ruger gives us a pair of Wranglers every year for demonstrators at End of Trail. Shooters, vendors, and spectators put 1,000 - 1,500 rounds through each one and we've never had a problem, just clean them daily. The free spin feature makes it easy to make sure the empty chamber is under the hammer; just view the empty hole through the loading gate and rotate it backwards until it is in position. Then just close the loading gate and move the cylinder slightly until the bolt locks. 5 2 Quote
Rooster Ron Wayne Posted January 24 Posted January 24 I own two Wrangler 22's I bought them so my Grandkids was not shooting my Old Three Screw single six revolver's . The Three Screws have climed so much in value these days it was wise to not let them put the wear and tear on them. I feel the Wrangler's are OK at best . And good enough for the Grandkids to play with . They definitely are NOT single six quality or accuracy. I have found the Heritage Rough Rider is a more accurate and better feeling gun but way uglier lol . If you don't really expect Ruger quality and just take the Wrangler as a cheep 22 pistol . It's a OK plinking gun . 2 Quote
Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L Posted January 24 Posted January 24 1 minute ago, Rooster Ron Wayne said: I have found the Heritage Rough Rider is a more accurate and better feeling gun but way uglier lol . 10-4 Good Buddy on that call 1 Quote
DeaconKC Posted January 24 Posted January 24 On the Heritage Rough Riders, now that Taurus owns them they have changed the finish. It is MUCH better looking. Now if they do something about that safety lever... 1 Quote
Rooster Ron Wayne Posted January 24 Posted January 24 32 minutes ago, DeaconKC said: On the Heritage Rough Riders, now that Taurus owns them they have changed the finish. It is MUCH better looking. Now if they do something about that safety lever... Taurus has owed Rossi for over 10 years already. They are just moving the rifle over to the Heritage brand . 1 1 Quote
Sarge Posted January 24 Posted January 24 We use them as a first step for new shooters to try the sport. We use a gray or white marker to mark both sides of the top strap on one chamber. This chamber never gets loaded. When the gun is loaded, that chamber is at top dead center. 4 Quote
Slow Mo Dern Posted January 25 Posted January 25 Howdy, CDR: I bought a Wrangler years ago. Use snap caps if you dry-fire it. The Ruger manual that comes with the gun says that you can dry-fire the gun with empty chambers, but this was not true. If you dry-fire it with no snap caps, you will ding up the chamber mouths on the cylinder. You will peen a nice little ding on the cylinder and that will make it hard to insert .22 caliber rounds. Winchester white box bulk ammo was always hard to load into the gun - the rounds were too fat to fit in the chambers. Many of these rounds would fail to fire but they would fire in my Single Sixes. I use it now to shoot carpenter bees in the spring using Federal bird shot .22s and it works well. The Federal rounds always fire. I hope this helps. All the best, Slow Mo Dern 1 Quote
Doc Moses Posted January 26 Posted January 26 20 hours ago, Slow Mo Dern said: Howdy, CDR: I bought a Wrangler years ago. Use snap caps if you dry-fire it. The Ruger manual that comes with the gun says that you can dry-fire the gun with empty chambers, but this was not true. If you dry-fire it with no snap caps, you will ding up the chamber mouths on the cylinder. You will peen a nice little ding on the cylinder and that will make it hard to insert .22 caliber rounds. Winchester white box bulk ammo was always hard to load into the gun - the rounds were too fat to fit in the chambers. Many of these rounds would fail to fire but they would fire in my Single Sixes. I use it now to shoot carpenter bees in the spring using Federal bird shot .22s and it works well. The Federal rounds always fire. I hope this helps. All the best, Slow Mo Dern Ditto on using snap caps, or take the cylinders out to practice. I get to do a class with 15 or 20 teenagers at my school each fall. We do a NRA class with range and then three days of CAS matches at local Cowboy ranges. They put a LOT of rounds thru those guns in a short period of time. We have used 8 Wranglers. 2 had a little bit of a problem out of the box that we ironed out. They functioned but need a little help. The other 6 had no issues. I don't like how the cylinder doesn't match the gun but otherwise great little shooters. Single 6 is nicer but WAY more money 2 Quote
Rye Miles #13621 Posted January 26 Posted January 26 I had a pair of Wranglers and found them very stiff and the loading gate was really hard to open. They shot okay but I wound up selling them and bought a pair a Heritage .22’s that load easier and are very accurate. Dig this the LGS had them on sale for $99.00 AND Heritage had a $30.00 rebate. I bought them for $69.00 each!!!!! I’ve been shooting them at a .22 match I go to once a month and in indoor shoot I attend in the winter. No problems with them at all, I also bought 2 extra cylinders for $29.95 a piece. 5 Quote
Eyesa Horg Posted January 26 Posted January 26 On one of mine, the heads of the cartridges rub ever so slightly on the recoil shield. Doesn't seem to be an issue and the paint or whatever it is,is slowly scraping off! Mine are bronze, I was hoping to find the Talo black ones. Couldn't get the Altamont walnut grips either after a couple months wait, I settled for the rosewood. Someday I'll spring for the Ruger wood grips I think. Quote
Palmetto Traveller Posted January 26 Posted January 26 The Wranglers are great guns for kids to start with. With a spring change and a LOT of internal polishing they can be very shootable. Quote
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted January 26 Posted January 26 Wranglers.... Didn't Tex have a low opinion of people who wore them? Or are you talking about a pistol made by Ruger? 3 Quote
Mustang Gregg Posted January 26 Posted January 26 On 1/24/2025 at 9:38 AM, Beartrap SASS#57175 said: Take a straight piece of soft metal rod that will fit in the barrel and insert it down the barrel and through an empty chamber until it hits the back of frame. Make a 90 degree bend at muzzle to form an "L" shape. Makes an easy way to check for an empty chamber. So at the LT, you put the "tool" into the barrel to check for an empty chamber? 1 Quote
Slow Mo Dern Posted January 26 Posted January 26 35 minutes ago, Mustang Gregg said: So at the LT, you put the "tool" into the barrel to check for an empty chamber? Yes. It's a brass rod that's inserted into the barrel that goes from the muzzle, through the empty chamber, and butts up against the transfer bar. This lets you know you're on an empty chamber. We use many .22 revolvers indoors during the winter and many folks can't tell when they're on an empty chamber with a .22 revolver. I mark my empty chamber on the cylinder with a magic marker or a white or silver paint marker. Many times, the shooter will start the stage at the beep and the gun will go "click" when they fire it. That means they didn't have the hammer on an empty chamber. It happens sometimes. Mo 2 1 Quote
Eyesa Horg Posted January 26 Posted January 26 Is it legal to stick something down the muzzle of a loaded gun at the LT? It is sweeping your hand at the least. 1 Quote
PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L Posted January 26 Posted January 26 53 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said: Is it legal to stick something down the muzzle of a loaded gun at the LT? It is sweeping your hand at the least. If you make one similar to Beartrap's, the 90 degree bend prevents the hand from being swept. With this one, RED means that the chamber in line with the barrel is loaded: 5 4 Quote
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted January 26 Posted January 26 Load one, skip one, load four. Cock and lower on empty chamber. What's so hard? 4 Quote
PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L Posted January 27 Posted January 27 2 hours ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said: Load one, skip one, load four. Cock and lower on empty chamber. What's so hard? If the cylinder isn't marked to indicate which chamber SHOULD be empty (or a rod is not used) how does anyone besides the shooter verify that the hammer is down on the empty per SASS rules? REF: SHB p.22 2 1 Quote
Rip Snorter Posted January 27 Posted January 27 2 minutes ago, PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L said: If the cylinder isn't marked to indicate which chamber SHOULD be empty (or a rod is not used) how does anyone besides the shooter verify that the hammer is down on the empty per SASS rules? REF: SHB p.22 How does one do it with any SAA in a safe manner. Follow Proper loading protocol observed by an RO? Quote
PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L Posted January 27 Posted January 27 2 minutes ago, Rip Snorter said: How does one do it with any SAA in a safe manner. Follow Proper loading protocol observed by an RO? I'm talking about the majority of .22 revolvers with recessed chambers that cannot be visually verified via cylinder/frame gap. Quote
Rip Snorter Posted January 27 Posted January 27 2 minutes ago, PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L said: I'm talking about the majority of .22 revolvers with recessed chambers that cannot be visually verified via cylinder/frame gap. I do understand that - observed the key phrase. 1 Quote
watab kid Posted January 27 Posted January 27 seems to me that having a device like that would be important at a sass match where you need to load 5 , but at the plinking range i load 6 , still might make one up for mine just because you never know , i think i can just make one for both sets of my revolvers as barrel length is the same , Quote
Beartrap SASS#57175 Posted January 27 Posted January 27 5 hours ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said: Load one, skip one, load four. Cock and lower on empty chamber. What's so hard? There are people that think men can get pregnant and batteries with warning labels telling you not to drink the contents. Quote
watab kid Posted January 27 Posted January 27 1 hour ago, Beartrap SASS#57175 said: There are people that think men can get pregnant and batteries with warning labels telling you not to drink the contents. thanks - the load one skip one has always been the mantras , not hard , just a habit , and it works , but in spite of common sense we as a people continue to blame others for our shortcomings , the lawyers get rich on crap like that , i use that whenever i load 5 in spite of this , im not adverse to this device with the rimfire recessed cylinders - ya just cant see them like you can our centerfires Quote
PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L Posted January 27 Posted January 27 (edited) 3 hours ago, watab kid said: ... in spite of this , im not adverse to this device with the rimfire recessed cylinders - ya just cant see them like you can our centerfires Not ALL centerfire six-shooters...e.g. this F.I.E. ARM 44 (my first CAS revolver when I got lured into this game): ...as well as Virginian Dragoon & Deputy SA revolvers (that, IIRC, have "dimples" milled into the cylinder to indicate the empty chamber). Edited January 27 by PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L add photo 1 Quote
Eyesa Horg Posted January 27 Posted January 27 15 hours ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said: Load one, skip one, load four. Cock and lower on empty chamber. What's so hard? Nothing hard for an experienced shooter. Different story for a young newbie! Quote
Eyesa Horg Posted January 27 Posted January 27 4 hours ago, PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L said: Not ALL centerfire six-shooters...e.g. this F.I.E. ARM 44 (my first CAS revolver when I got lured into this game): ...as well as Virginian Dragoon & Deputy SA revolvers (that, IIRC, have "dimples" milled into the cylinder to indicate the empty chamber). One of my Blackhawks was like that when I started. I had a smith turn it down and reblue it. 1 Quote
watab kid Posted January 28 Posted January 28 16 hours ago, PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L said: Not ALL centerfire six-shooters...e.g. this F.I.E. ARM 44 (my first CAS revolver when I got lured into this game): ...as well as Virginian Dragoon & Deputy SA revolvers (that, IIRC, have "dimples" milled into the cylinder to indicate the empty chamber). ah , didnt know about that one , i guess i should check all of mine , i might have one like that as well , i know my main match and most of the backups can be seen but ive got one or two im not certain of as ive never looked , Quote
WadeP Posted January 28 Posted January 28 On 1/26/2025 at 4:15 PM, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said: Load one, skip one, load four. Cock and lower on empty chamber. What's so hard? Harder than you think it should be with these little guns with their free spin and no half-cock. We have six in rotation at our 4H Western Heritage club. Same as grown-up CAS but all guns as staged. No drawing from the holster. We load one, skip one, load four then rotate the cylinder one click forward by hand. We found that even if you did everything right, sometimes when you cocked and decocked, it wouldn't rotate all the way and your first trigger pull would fall on the empty chamber. Each of these revolvers probably has at least 2000 rounds through them with no problems. However, we found they do NOT like certain low velocity target ammo and will keyhole badly. I sent a pair back to Ruger with test targets and detailed notes on six different kinds of ammo. Their response was, "We fired them with CCI mini-mag and demonstrated acceptable accuracy. Use CCI mini-mag." 1 2 Quote
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