My impressions of the Wrangler.

Elk creek

First impressions. Good. It has too much spring! That’s easy to remedy. Another cool feature is the cylinder free spins either direction when you open the loading gate. This helps in loading and unloading. I do miss the clicks for reference though as with other single actions. The trigger is not a 3 screw, but decent for what it is. Crisp once you get through the creep. About 6#….. over all fmiles ahead of any other value priced 22 single action. Period! I have one so no need to “collect” all the colors but for 223 OTD dang it’s a value. That was my impression sitting in the parking lot of the box box sporting goods store..

Tonight I had a bit more time to dig into it. As posted here before it’s a wrangler. It’s way over sprung, so I dug around in my “bin o parts” and found left overs from other re-spring projects and found the winner. I replaced the trigger return spring while was there. The grips are an old pair of new model 3 screw I took off of a revolver years ago. They are a bit worn but look just right. The Lawrence Tom Threepersons holster I found at a local slobber shop in the “used leather” bin for 15 bones….. after re-springing and attention to a few other details it’s smooth, and has a pretty decent trigger. I like the mix of old and new… it’s going to be a perfect glove box gun! 

Zee

I’m eyeballing the birdshead model. But, I’m curious about POA/POI with fixed sights. 

Diver43

Great info, sounds like a winner for the price

Elk creek

Zee said:

I’m eyeballing the birdshead model. But, I’m curious about POA/POI with fixed sights. 

They had 2 birds heads there for 85 more than this one. The grips look like a blind 3rd grader fit them. There was no fitting to the contours of the frame just the outline of the frame… it was a hard pass for me. I’m probably the only person that isn’t that much of a fan of the birds head frame, I really like the cimarron lightning frame but can pass on a Ruger frame. Glad I bought this one. 

Zee

That solves my problem. Thanks. 

Elk creek

Diver43 said:

Great info, sounds like a winner for the price

They are by far the best value priced revolver out there! No comparison between it and a rough rider. These are much better 

Elk creek

Zee said:

That solves my problem. Thanks. 

The standard grip frame is good. Even the plastic grips that come on it are pretty decent. For your application of a farm gun/side by side rig it would be good. The grips are textured enough so that with slimy wet hands it would have a secure feel. 

zorba

Zee said:

I’m eyeballing the birdshead model. But, I’m curious about POA/POI with fixed sights. 

Goddess knows I'm not Her gift to the shooting sports - BUT - I have little problems hitting what I'm aiming at with the thing out to about 25 yards. Its pretty much a tack driver - BUT - I've had others shoot my Wrangler ("Burnt Bronze", purchased exactly 1 month after they announced it in 2019) who had real problems accuracy-wise. There are also sporadic reports of them key holing on RFC and elsewhere. So - like everything else, I guess it varies with the shooter, the particular example, and the ammo used.

I really want that birdshead model. I certainly don't need it, but I sure do want it. I'd like the ODG version as well - I could go stupid nuts and buy them in several of their colors, but perhaps not all of them. Which would be stupid.

But for me, I love mine. About the only negative is the loading gate is a bit stiff on a new one, but that smooths out after a few hundred rounds. The SA with the loading gate enforces a much slower, relaxed, "contemplative" shooting style. I almost always take it to the range and run 50 through it as a "cool down & relax" exercise after I've shot whatever else I brought. YMMV and all that - if your normal shooting range is measured in parsecs or astronomical units (AUs), it might not be the gun for you!

Zee

I don’t need a Wrangler. Just kinda liked the online looks of the Birdshead model. 

Elk creek

Zee said:

I don’t need a Wrangler. Just kinda liked the online looks of the Birdshead model. 

Take a peek for yourself, you may see it a bit different. 

Zee

Nah, I respect your opinion. You just saved me some money……….that can be used in another gun. 😁

Elk creek

Zee said:

Nah, I respect your opinion. You just saved me some money……….that can be used in another gun. 😁

Ooooo other guns!!

CHIRO1989

I am still waiting for an adjustable rear sight on one. 

Elk creek

CHIRO1989 said:

I am still waiting for an adjustable rear sight on one. 

That would be a good one. 

Elk creek

Ruger you evil geniuses! 

Ok so looking very closely at the wrangler this morning. Single six cylinders are a very close fit +/- a couple thousands, well within machining tolerance. My 1968 3 screw cylinder fits the wrangler with the base pin installed and will rotate freely. However, the ratchets on the cylinder are different designs and are not compatible! No mag cylinders from a SS in a wrangler either by accident or design. I was also concerned about flame cutting on the frame. I know it’s only a 22 but stingers, maximags ect over time will do the deed, see any weather P22…… this is where the engineers went off the reservation a bit. They counter sunk the breech end of the steel barrel. There is a 32 caliber hole at the forcing cone, that tapers smoothly to a beautifully machined forcing cone for the 22 about 3/8’s of an inch in front of the barrel stub in the frame. This gives all the expanding gas a place to fill and slow down before exiting the barrel/cylinder gap and reducing the chance of flame cutting almost completely! Same concept savage used on the semi auto 17hmr, they used a hole in the barrel perpendicular to the bore for gasses to fill and slow the bolt travel down.  This probably won’t contribute to tack driving accuracy but good enough for a plinker…… exactly what this gun is. Some thought went in to this gun!