The author's original photo taken last Saturday while out on a target shooting trip with a friend. At top, the author's friend's six-shooter, equipped with a 22 Long Rifle cylinder. At bottom, the author's Heritage Rough Rider revolver, with a 22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire cylinder installed.
When I was a kid, we loved to play cowboys and indians! We'd pretend to shoot each other and talk like John Wayne. I know it's not really politically correct to say so nowadays, but that's the way it was. Dad would rent VHS tapes with old western movies and we'd watch them until we fell asleep on the living room floor curled up in a sleeping bag.
It was actually my dad that introduced me to the Heritage Rough Rider revolver a few years ago. We were down in Arizona for our annual family reunion. We usually like to do something outdoors and on this occasion we got together to do some target shooting.
We actually had a competition. There were several rifles and pistols in the 22 Long Rifle caliber to shoot. My dad set up targets and devised a point system, complete with cool prizes! I was pretty proud when I won first prize which was a nice Winchester branded hunting knife that I still have today.
At some point Dad broke out his revolver, made by Heritage Manufacturing Inc., very much like the ones you see in the picture above. I hadn't seen it before and I was intrigued. It's a genuine six shooter and it belongs in the hand of a cowboy, or at least someone who has a little bit of cowboy or cowgirl at heart. I actually used it to help me win first prize in the competition.
One neat feature of these revolvers is the fact that you can use two different cylinders in them - a 22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire or a 22 Long Rifle cylinder. You can purchase these revolvers with or without the extra 22 Mag cylinder. I bought mine without the extra cylinder and for the longest time I thought I had made a mistake. The truth was that I had! I had to rectify the situation. Eventually I found a brand new 22 Mag cylinder on ebay for about $39. I ordered it! I was very happy when it arrived and it fit my revolver perfectly and shoots very accurately. Now it's like I have two revolvers in one!
I went out shooting with my friend last Saturday. We drove two separate trucks up into the woods so we could keep our distance during this coronavirus pandemic. We went up to a gravel pit and set up some targets to do some shooting. He brought his revolver too and we had fun shooting our revolvers and snapping the picture above. His is about 10 years old and in great shape. Mine's about 3 years old and in similar condition.
I can't say enough good about these single-action six shooters. They are so fun to shoot and very accurate for the money. They run anywhere from $100 - $150 on the lower end with just the 22 LR cylinder and $150 - $200 for the revolver with both cylinders. It all depends on when and where you buy them. There are some models that get more expensive, but what a great deal for such a solid firearm!
We had a great time and we let out the cowboys in us a little bit shooting these and my lever action .357 magnum made by Henry Repeating Arms.
They also sell these revolvers in larger calibers. One of these days I'm going to get one in $357 Mag to accompany my rifle.
What do you say? Do you have a little cowboy or cowgirl in you?