Ruger Bearcat?

ruger22 · Post by **ruger22** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 2:34 pm

Anyone here have / had a Ruger Bearcat? Any good or bad opinions? I'm considering putting a stainless one at the top of my "next gun" list.

The main negative I know of is that the ejector rod housing is aluminum. That makes no sense since all the other Ruger stainless SA revolvers have a stainless housing. Makes no sense to have a black anodized one on the blued SA's, either.

EWK Arms is selling a stainless one for $38, but I would rather the Bearcat came with stainless.

http://www.ewkarms.com/zencart/index.ph ... ucts_id=14

The half-cock loading notch is different than my Single-Six, but okay.

The other drawback is very few holsters and grips for it, but I like Ruger's grips and holster okay there.

With my usual spare parts, grips, and holster(s), I'd be spending around $800, so I would want to be sure. That's the last negative, a Bearcat is kinda pricey for its size.

greener · Post by **greener** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 7:45 pm

Bearcats seem to get great reports on the net. I don't believe I've seen one and know I've never fired one. I've been interested in getting one but they seemed a bit pricey. When I saw your $800, I gave a "holy smokes."

Ruger's site has the MSRP at $516 blued and $556 stainless. Bud's lists the blued for $389. My favorite place, Greentop, lists a used Bearcat for $449 and a Super Bearcat for $599. http://www.cpostores.com/greentophuntfi ... s/guns.pdf

The Super Bearcat has a steel frame and an annodized brass trigger guard. they were made between 71 and 74 and cost $54. http://www.gunblast.com/Hamm_SuperBearcat.htm

Sounds like a good revolver to have on your want list,but I'd look around.

Baldy · Post by **Baldy** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:53 pm

I would shop real good before you shell out $800. That price is out of my league for what you are getting.

Downeaster · Post by **Downeaster** » Wed Dec 15, 2010 7:45 am

Baldy wrote:I would shop real good before you shell out $800. That price is out of my league for what you are getting.

That's my thoughts. WAY too much money for too little gun IMHO. By about $300 in my estimation.

bigfatdave · Post by **bigfatdave** » Wed Dec 15, 2010 11:36 am

They're pretty, and they're interesting ... but what does it do that a convertible single-six can't?

And even factoring in some reasonable spare parts and a couple holsters, I don't know where you're getting an $800 price point.
Either buy used and get the likely parts, or buy new and count on Ruger to fix it.
Or don't worry about having parts on hand before a potential breakage ... after all it isn't a primary defensive weapon, so you don't need to be able to fix it in the field.

ruger22 · Post by **ruger22** » Wed Dec 15, 2010 7:52 pm

I figured about $500 OTD for the Bearcat, and $300 more for parts, one or two holsters, and at least one set of different grips. That's not so much (I get one of most parts, 2-3 of ones likely to ever fail),

I've done that with every gun, but always bought the gun, then gradually picked up the rest of the list. Next gun, I want to do it all in one swoop. I could go used on the Bearcat, but all I've seen is new, even at the last gun shows I went to.

It will be a while before it fits my budget, anyway. My recent focus is to finish my parts lists. Just ordered a mainspring housing assembly and a couple other pieces for the Mark III.

greener · Post by **greener** » Thu Dec 16, 2010 7:27 am

Pretty extensive shopping list. I guess I've never thought about parts that way. I haven't figured that many of the pistol parts will wear out any time soon and it seems parts are around for recognized name manufacturers long after the model stops being made. That's why I've had no qualms buying th used guns I have.

Of course, I probably have 3 that will fail on next use and no one will have the $2 part I need to make them operable again.

bigfatdave · Post by **bigfatdave** » Thu Dec 16, 2010 12:04 pm

I would only ever keep parts on hand for a primary defensive weapon or something rare.

I think you're raising the bar and adding expense you don't need to for a simple little .22 revolver. I also think that buying a pile of parts for a gun you don't know how long you'll be keeping might leave you holding a bag o parts in the end, or tossing them in with the gun for pennies compared to what you paid.

Add in Ruger's historical CS record of shipping parts for no charge and I really don't get the obsession wit having spares on hand.

ruger22 · Post by **ruger22** » Thu Dec 16, 2010 12:59 pm

I average about $130 in parts for each gun. Having three Bobcats, there's only one bag for them, with a few more parts than usual. I get every spring, any pins that are easy to lose, and a spare set of grips. Two or three firing pins and recoil springs for each. Screws that get worked a lot.

Since Rugers are the main item here, here is Ruger's page of models with a question mark for parts and service:

http://www.ruger.com/service/outOfProduction.html

More than a few people with these may wish they had stocked a few parts when they could. I have found that when most guns go out of production, the parts vanish. The parts you can then find (from the nice folks that scooped them up) are tripled in price.

Not me. I'll pick the part out of my little Zip-locks and keep on shootin'.

greener · Post by **greener** » Thu Dec 16, 2010 5:10 pm

There certainly is something to be said for better safe than "see this gun I can't shoot."

Pete D. · Post by **Pete D.** » Mon Dec 20, 2010 7:47 am

I had a Bearcat some years ago.....I surely did not pay anywhere near that amount of money. It was a cute little gun but.....it was, despite its size, too heavy for my needs. I wanted a small .22 that I could carry in my hunting vest when I was out looking for Ruffed Grouse. I ended up trading it for a S&W 317 Airlite which was about half the weight of the Ruger.
Pete

Tigerbeetle · Post by **Tigerbeetle** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:56 am

bigfatdave wrote:They're pretty, and they're interesting ... but what does it do that a convertible single-six can't?

It weighs about 1/2 what single six does for one thing. It fits on your belt out of the way, And it is just a super neat little six gun. I carried one for years when I was with the forest service. Plinked a lot of fool hens, ruffed grouse and blue grouse for camp meat over the years. And took care of a pretty fair number of porcupines while I was in Oregon.

It is a very accurate little handgun even with the rudimentary sights. But at 25 yards, I can keep 3 out of 6 founds in the bull of with a one inch circle. Sometimes better, sometimes worse. But a sitting rabbit or grouse would be dinner most of the time. I paid $42 for my first one in 1960 in Oregon. It was later stolen. I finally replaced it last year with a "looked new in box" with no cylinder ring mark for $330. It is a 2008 manufacturer's date code. I got the Bearcat holster off the Ruger sight for 30 something dollars. It is a cute little companion that goes with me more often than my single six, or any of my semiauto .22s. Love that little gun.[img][img]http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm19 ... 250224.jpg[/img]

ruger22 · Post by **ruger22** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 12:43 pm

Thank you for an upbeat review. I enjoy my Single-Six, but the Bearcat's small and precise, kind of interesting. The few I've looked at probably had the best fit and finish of any Ruger revolver I've seen.

Besides, there are no other .22 handguns in current production that I want. S&W is too high on their few non-plastic, non-aluminum .22s. Taurus is too wavy on CS and QC.

That's the main thing. With the after-market ejector housing, it is 100% stainless. I like that. If my budget can ever fit it, a Bearcat may be the last gun I'll buy until I hit the lottery...........

bigfatdave · Post by **bigfatdave** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 7:03 pm

Tigerbeetle, that's a good point about carry comfort, I was thinking range toy more than carry.

ruger22, you're wanting an all-stainless .22lr/.22mag convertible single-action wheelgun?
Are you aware of NAA? North American Arms makes nice little target models with real sights as well as their little bitty mouseguns for navel carry.
With the right grips they're fairly comfortable to shoot, even ... and they're amazingly reliable.

Tigerbeetle · Post by **Tigerbeetle** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 8:57 am

ruger22 wrote:Thank you for an upbeat review. I enjoy my Single-Six, but the Bearcat's small and precise, kind of interesting. The few I've looked at probably had the best fit and finish of any Ruger revolver I've seen.

...

Ruger22 - A big 10-4 on the Bearcat. Replacing my long lost Bearcat was like finding a long lost brother. At the time I got it, I posted in another forum that my handgun collection was complete. There is always another long gun I lust for, but I can't think of another handgun I need.

The recent review in American Rifleman lauded the fit and finish of the Bearcat. There was considerable praise for the accuracy and the excellent fit of the cylinder to the barrel - very tight tolerances. I am like a proud father, I can do nothing but smile and agree more. And what surprised me more than anything, my wife loves the little gun as well. When I brought it home she immediately picked it up and sighted down the barrel. She isn't a gun person, but really appreciates my hobby and love of firearms. She now considers the Bearcat her gun. It fits her hand very well. That is a monumental statement from her as far as I am concerned. Just makes me smile all the more. TB