Playing cowboy, watching western movies and TV shows, and collecting Old West guns has long been a joy in my life. Even though today’s television and movies don’t focus on Westerns as much as they did when I was growing up, there is still enough there for the fascination with the guns to continue. And there’s no shortage of current and past production guns to fill the need. I really enjoy sharing my cowboy guns with members of my own family and with friends who enjoy shooting. If you’re looking for something that’s a lot of fun and relatively inexpensive, you can find it in this category of handguns.
Ruger Single-Six
Ruger’s line of single-action revolvers is pretty extensive. It started with the Single-Six in 1953. That first model had an alloy frame with a steel barrel and cylinder. The New Model Single-Six came about in 1973. Prior to 1973, the Single-Six was produced without the transfer bar mechanism making it less safe to carry with all six chambers loaded and the hammer resting on a loaded chamber.
The transfer bar safety allows the revolver to fire only when the trigger has been pulled. If you have one of the older ones, Ruger will upgrade it to use the transfer bar safety — for free. The Single-Six is a delightful gun to fill the “I wish I was a cowboy” role, as are so many of the others to follow.
Ruger Single-Nine
While we’re on the subject of Rugers, let’s look at three more rimfires in Ruger’s catalog that are of the Single-Action Army type. The first one is the Single-Nine that is chambered for the .22 WMR cartridge. The Single-Nine, as the name implies, has a capacity of nine WMR cartridges. It is 12 inches long with a 6.5-inch barrel which has a 1:14 inch righthand twist. The finish is satin stainless, and the grips are Hardwood Gunfighter.
The rear sight is a Williams sight that is adjustable for windage and elevation. The front sight is an adjustable fiber-optic. The Single-Nine weighs 39 ounces. Ruger lists MSRP for the Single-Nine Model Number 8150 as $889. Although it is currently in the Ruger catalog, availability is listed as limited. I see them for sale in the high $700 to low $800 range with used ones listed in the $600–$700 range. I’ve had mine since late 2012 when this model was first released.
Ruger Single-Ten
Ruger’s Single-Ten Model 8100 is a 10-round .22 LR version of the same gun as the Single-Nine, with one exception. The barrel is 5.5 inches rather than the 6.5 inches for the .22 WMR model. Otherwise, it’s the same grips, same sights, same satin stainless finish.
There are lots of grip options available to dress up your Ruger revolvers. I have a set of fake staghorn grips on my Single-Ten. According to the Ruger catalog, these guns, the Nine and Ten, are members of the New Model Single-Six family. Ruger touts them as being strong, durable, dependable, and versatile. My experience with them supports that mantra. Plus, they are accurate.
With the adjustable sights and the well-made barrels, I’ve always found them to be spot on whether plinking, shooting paper targets, or hunting. For small game, such as squirrels or rabbits up close, I can do almost as well with these revolvers as I can with a rifle.
Ruger Wrangler
In 2019, Ruger returned to the ranks of affordable single-action revolvers with its new line of Wranglers. The original product was in three colors, and later models have offered different grip types, barrel lengths, and finishes. These guns are made of an aluminum alloy with a Cerakote finish, which allows Ruger to offer them with many different finishes.
I started out with the three initial finishes: black, bronze, and silver. These all had 4.62-inch barrels. Now the color schemes are the same, but the barrel lengths range from 3.75 to 7.5 inches. In addition to the standard grip, there’s a bird’s head grip. These delightful little guns sell for around $200, making them available to a much larger number of shooters than the Single-Nines and Single-Tens.
Hi Standard Double Nine
Unfortunately, the Hi Standard Double Nine is no longer available as a new gun, but the gun I’m bringing up next is a worthy replacement. I bought my Double Nine at a Western Auto store when I was 15 years old. It was my very first handgun. The tag on the box says it cost $54.95. In 1963, that worked out to about three weeks’ pay at my part time (afternoon and weekends) job, which just happened to be at that same Western Auto store.
The High Standard Manufacturing Company made these aluminum frame DA/SA revolvers from 1958 to 1970. Notice the difference in spelling. The company name was High Standard, but its products were branded Hi Standard. If you can get your hands on a Double Nine, it’s a fun shooter, but it has also become somewhat of a collector’s item.
Diamondback Sidekick
This is the .22/.22WMR revolver which I said would be a worthy replacement for the Hi Standard Double Nine. By Diamondback’s own admission the Double Nine was an influence on the design of this sporting revolver. Naturally, Diamondback made some improvements over the original Hi Standard design.
Adding the .22 WMR cylinder is one of those. Modern manufacturing techniques have brought us a fine revolver costing around $300. The frame is made of a zinc alloy and finished with Cerakote. Recent additions to the line include color schemes other than black and an optional bird’s head grip handle.
Heritage Rough Rider
Heritage makes both six- and nine-shot revolvers. You can get these as .22 LR or .22 LR/.22 Mag. with 4.75-, 6.5-, or 9-inch steel barrel, alloy frame, steel cylinder, fixed or adjustable sights, cocobolo grips, thumb safety, and blued finish. The Heritage revolvers are unique in that they have a safety on a single-action revolver. They are very economical to buy, with the average price running around $150. Yet, quality is there. Sometimes, Heritage offers a Rough Rider with custom grips, commemorating one thing or another.
Heritage Barkeep
The Heritage Barkeep is a testimony to the fact that concealed carry is not a modern day phenomenon. It shows that it existed in the Old West, in more ways than just derringers. Essentially, it is a cut-down version of the Rough Rider. The Barkeep is available with both .22 LR and .22 WMR cylinders.
The Barkeep was originally issued with a 2-inch barrel. Now there are versions available with a 1-inch barrel and 3-inch barrel. Multiple grip and finish options are also available. It makes a handy stuff-in-your-pocket, boot, or tackle box option to keep a firearm handy.
Chiappa SAA 1873 17 Revolver
I got this SAA-style revolver in .17 HMR to explore the caliber, and to have a handgun to go with my Savage .17 HMR rifle. This Chiappa is a 10-round, single-action handgun that is attractive, accurate, and dependable. Shooting a .17 HMR is loud and practically recoil-free.
Apart from the fact the ammunition is more expensive than .22 ammo, it has all the advantages of owning a rimfire plinker. The color scheme on it is black grips with a black finish. So, it matches my Double Nine and Sidekick quite well.
Are you a fan or ‘Cowboy’ rimfire revolvers? Which models are your favorite? Share your favorite rimfire revolver experiences in the Comment section.