Heritage Manufacturing is a company that makes revolvers and rifles. Specifically, they’re firearms that resemble those from the Old West. There are a couple configurations of revolvers and one basic configuration of rifles.
As this is written, their website offers two rifles, both of which use revolving cylinders. They’re like long-barreled revolvers with stocks attached and are referred to as the Rancher Carbine. Both feature 16-inch barrels and beautiful walnut wood stocks. Both models are chambered in .22 Long Rifle.
Heritage also offers two models of revolvers currently: the Barkeep and the Rough Rider. The Barkeep model features a very short barrel (one-inch, two-inch, and three-inch models) and comes in .22 Long Rifle. The Rough Rider is the subject of today’s article.
The Heritage Rough Rider
The Heritage Rough Rider comes in a variety of barrel lengths: three, four, six, nine, twelve, and sixteen inches. There’s a barrel length that will suit everyone in this lineup.
A plethora of handle materials are offered, including cocobolo, simulated pearl, American flag motifs, and a bunch of other themes. Metal finishes include black satin, blued, Cerakote burnt bronze, and simulated case hardened. All told, I counted 68 different variations.
All are available in .22 Long Rifle, and many can also be had with an optional .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire cylinder. That’s a nice option to have, in my opinion.
16-Inch Rough Rider
The Rough Rider that I reviewed belongs to a family member. He bought the revolver on a whim because it struck a nostalgic chord in him and he simply thought it was very neat. He enjoys the Old West feel that the piece has, and I have to say, I agree with him. It’s a handsome piece; the bluing on the barrel is even and looks nice. It’s well done.
One thing that I have to remark on is the grips. The cocobolo is beautifully done, and it has a pleasing, reddish hue. It’s as nice as any grip I’ve ever seen. Not to jump ahead of myself, but these are not high-dollar guns. I’ll get to the price later on (after all, I have to keep you in suspense, dear reader — and no skimming ahead to cheat!), but it’s not high.
The barrel length is 16 inches and the sights on this particular model are fixed. Weight is 45.28 ounces. The overall length is 21.37 inches. The width is 1.5 inches. It’s not a small, easily concealable revolver, obviously.
Overall, the revolver looks classic and is nicely finished. But beauty doesn’t mean much if it doesn’t function well. So, how does the Rough Rider function?
Reliability
As expected, reliability was 100% with the Rough Rider. We were using CCI 40-grain .22 Long Rifle bullets with a copper coating. These rounds have proven to be utterly reliable in all the firearms I’ve ever shot them in, and the Rough Rider was no exception.
Trigger
The trigger is really nice. And it should be, after all, because it’s single action. Although I didn’t measure it with a trigger gauge, I’ll say it was a couple of pounds. The break is nice and crisp, with no creep. This trigger definitely contributes to good accuracy.
Single Action
To load the revolver, the hammer is pulled back to the second notch, or loading notch. At that point, the cylinder will spin freely. Open the loading gate and insert each round while turning the cylinder to the next empty chamber. To unload, the process is reversed. Except that the ejector rod is used to push each spent shell casing out. The cylinder is then turned to the next chamber and the process is repeated.
Neither loading nor unloading is a speedy process.
Safety
Heritage recommends lowering the hammer on an empty chamber if you plan on carrying the revolver. There is also a hammer block safety to the left of the hammer. With the safety engaged, the revolver can be loaded and unloaded, which enhances safety and reduces the change of a discharge, especially when lowering the hammer when the piece is loaded. The trigger can be pulled with the safety on to lower the hammer, so there’s no chance of the hammer slipping from your thumb and firing the revolver.
How accurate is the Heritage Rough Rider?
All in all, quite impressive! The sights are fairly rudimentary; a notch in the receiver and a front sight post. Despite that and my aging eyes, which suck these days, I was able to shoot a group of about 2.75 inches at 50 yards, firing from a rest (my range bag). The lack of recoil and the long barrel, in addition to a great trigger, contributed to that accuracy. To be honest, I was kind of impressed with the accuracy of this revolver. Had I had more time to play around with it, I’ve no doubt that I could shrink those groups down a smidgen.
Heritage offers an interchangeable cylinder chambered for .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire for the Rough Rider. I think that’s a stellar option, given the round’s impressive performance over the .22 Long Rifle. Extended range and power are always attractive options.
What is the Heritage Rough Rider good for?
This isn’t an unreasonable question. After all, it doesn’t appear to be overly practical. Let’s take a look at a few aspects of this revolver.
The Nostalgia
As mentioned, it was initially purchased for its nostalgic appearance. No doubt about it, all the Heritage firearms have that Old Western look that many of us really love. The nice fit and finish just adds to overall effect.
The Heritage Rough Rider is a conversation piece!
Aside from shooting the Rough Rider at the range, it’s a neat conversation piece that’s fun to look at and handle. Sometimes firearms evoke our imagination, which can be a fun aspect to them. We might glean as much enjoyment from handling them as we do from shooting them.
It’s fun at the range!
I have to admit, the Rough Rider was just plain fun to shoot! The long barrel made it a realistic contender as far as accuracy was concerned. After all, it’s as long as some rifle barrels, so there’s real velocity there. For target shooting, this is a fun firearm to take to the range.
Considering that many of us got into shooting initially based on the fun aspect, it’s especially relevant. Personally, I’m usually doing some sort of shooting drills to build my skill set at the range, which isn’t always a lot of fun. At times, it can feel much like work. So kicking back every now and then and having some fun can lighten things up and remind me of why I got into shooting in the first place.
It can be used for hunting.
That long barrel with its velocity will certainly make this revolver a contender for hunting small game. Aside from that, the accuracy is also impressive enough to take game. There’s no provision for mounting a scope, so the shooter will need sharp eyes.
Defense, theoretically.
Certainly, we won’t be walking around with this revolver strapped on our hip in a holster. Talk about unwieldy, not to mention impossible to conceal! But let’s think about it for a moment. Is it completely useless for self-defense? I think not. Understand, it’s far from my first choice for gunfighting.
However, if I were in a static position or perhaps being pursued in the woods (hey, give me a little artistic license here), it might work. Taking shots at pursuers from 50 or more yards away might be an option.
And let’s face it, a .22 round in the forehead (whether Long Rifle or Magnum) will give most people pause, at the very least.
Yeah, I know I’m stretching it a little bit, but my philosophy is that any firearm can potentially be used for defensive purposes. I mean, they all fire a projectile, so they’re at least somewhat useful for the task. It’s true that loading and unloading this revolver is slow, so it’s far from optimal for the task, but we never know what circumstances we could find ourselves in.
Final Thoughts
While the Heritage Rough Rider might not be for everyone, it’s certainly an interesting revolver that reminds us of a long past period in our country’s history. It’s hard to hold it without thinking of all those Spaghetti Westerns that we watched as kids growing up.
More than that, though, it’s a quality handgun that performs well and is very accurate. It has a good finish and attractive grips. The fact that it’s chambered in .22LR (with an option for the .22 Magnum) means that it can be very economical to shoot, which equates to a lot of shooting.
Now for one of the best parts — the price. The Rough Rider retails for just $209.99 as this is written. Considering what you get for that money, it’s a steal. Check one out, I think you’ll enjoy it.
