I just put a deposit on my first wheel gun ( a SW686) and will have one more permit to burn after I pick it up. Was thinking about getting it a younger brother in the form of a 22LR revolver to plink with. I was looking at the heritage rough rider and wanted to ask if they are any good or if I should “buy once cry once” and go for a Ruger single six. The Ruger is 4 times the price $600 vs $150 for the heritage. I’m not expecting moa accuracy out of the heritage but I at least want to make sure it will go boom, can hit a can, and will not fall apart after 100 rounds. 

Good choice, the 686 is sweet.

I had S&W model 63 which is a steel framed 22lr revolver. It was downright boring to shoot, absolutely no recoil or feedback at all. If money isn't a issue, I would go with a S&W 317 which is an aluminum framed 22lr. It is very light, which makes 22lr a little more exciting to shoot. I have no experience with the Ruger or Heritage.

 

https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/model-317-kit-gun

I think the Rough Rider can be hit or miss.  The one I've shot was okay but not as accurate as a Ruger, S&W, or Taurus.  People seem to either swear by or swear at the Rough Rider.

Less expensive alternatives?  The Taurus 22 revolvers I've shot worked well.  The triggers were not as good as a S&W or Ruger but not something you couldn't work with.  The Charter Pathfinder is okay but I would rate it a bit lower than the Taurus.

Smith and Wesson 617 would get my vote all day.

Its a veritable twin to your 686, carries 10 rounds and is a great little shooter.  

I’m with @Bully we were trying to get @Displaced Texan to buy his wife one.

Boy, I've been out of touch about rimfires or Rugers or both. Looking on Ruger's website, $600 is almost MSRP for the Single Six Convertible ($629). Street price on that should be around $500 - $550, and that gives you dual caliber capability.

For some reason people seem to think that rimfires should be cheaper than the centerfire counterparts. Unless the manufacturer is using cheaper materials like cast zinc alloys (Rough Rider?), it is just as difficult and the materials are just as expensive as a centerfire - guess I was guilty of that in this case.

The S&W 617 would make a fine companion to your 686 (good choice - I have a few S&W's myself), but it is definitely a buy once cry once proposition. A model 63 won't save you any money, but if you have kids or a companion with small hands, the 63 is a great choice.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

Don't be afraid to look at a Taurus 22lr revolver.  Have one I picked up a while back.  Not a bad little gun.

Not sure if they're still available, but my Taurus 94 .22 revolver has been great.

 

14 hours ago, Bully said:

Smith and Wesson 617 would get my vote all day.

Its a veritable twin to your 686, carries 10 rounds and is a great little shooter.  

right here, no need to look any further

I have one, you are welcome to try it out.  Love it and it's accurate, just like the 686!

I also bought 2 22lr rough riders for $99 each so my boys could each have one when we shoot handguns.  Awesome little gun really, cheap, accurate, haven't had any issues (it's a 22 so no issues should be had).  I would recommend removing and using loc tite on the screws if you go this route

12 hours ago, Pizza Bob said:

Boy, I've been out of touch about rimfires or Rugers or both. Looking on Ruger's website, $600 is almost MSRP for the Single Six Convertible ($629). Street price on that should be around $500 - $550, and that gives you dual caliber capability.

For some reason people seem to think that rimfires should be cheaper than the centerfire counterparts. Unless the manufacturer is using cheaper materials like cast zinc alloys (Rough Rider?), it is just as difficult and the materials are just as expensive as a centerfire - guess I was guilty of that in this case.

The S&W 617 would make a fine companion to your 686 (good choice - I have a few S&W's myself), but it is definitely a buy once cry once proposition. A model 63 won't save you any money, but if you have kids or a companion with small hands, the 63 is a great choice.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

Bob is my go to source for revolvers, like, he's a walking bible on them!  lol  listen to the man

Rough Rider is a gate-loaded single action gun. The 617 is a mini-me to your 686.

If I wanted a .22 revolver, I would go on the hunt for a used Ruger Bearcat, Single Six or Single Ten.

 

 

I got a 4" 617 10 shot as a companion to my 625JM and 625PC.    its a good gun once you fix all the issues that S&W quality control missed.

If you get a new one make sure to bring a bore light with you and check it out thoroughly.   some things you will not find out untill you shoot it.  If you order a new one ask the dealer to get 5 and pick the best one.  not sure if dealers do this.

first thing to check, make sure the forcing cone is correct and that even is one,  Than check the barrel to frame alignment.  bring a steel straight edge for this.

if it passes all visual checks than check for lead spitting and empty ejecting,  The following are the tools I purchased from brownells to make mine a fun shooter.

11 degree forcing cone cutter and polishing tool.

.22 revolver SAMMI chamber reamer

power custom ball detent kit for "pumping" in double action.

spring kit of your choosing,  I opted for the Jerry M kit and use a 12lb rebound spring.

apex mass driver hammer to help ignite .22rf

power custom extra length firing pin.

S&W trigger and hammer shim kit.

power custom oversize cylinder stop (be careful fitting this) to remove the slop.

oh, and lots of internal polishing to remove the grit from everything.

Trigger pull is now a reliable 8lb and fairly smooth.

My goal was to try and make this 617 as good as my late 50's K-22,  that is what I used as a standard for comparison.

 

23 hours ago, Bully said:

Smith and Wesson 617 would get my vote all day.

Its a veritable twin to your 686, carries 10 rounds and is a great little shooter.  

I've thought that this should be the survival firearm of choice for the air force.  I especially think so upon hearing they will move to semi auto 22

Thanks to everyone who responded to me. Looks like I need to research the 617 a little bit. Think my final decision will be if I want a true mini me to the 686 or if I want to get a single action cowboy style revolver as something different to mess around with. Either way I think I’m going to go with one of the more quality brands( Ruger,SW, or Tarus). I want something that I can pass down through the family and I don’t see the cheaper alternatives lasting. 

26 minutes ago, Laker701 said:

Thanks to everyone who responded to me. Looks like I need to research the 617 a little bit. Think my final decision will be if I want a true mini me to the 686 or if I want to get a single action cowboy style revolver as something different to mess around with. Either way I think I’m going to go with one of the more quality brands( Ruger,SW, or Tarus). I want something that I can pass down through the family and I don’t see the cheaper alternatives lasting. 

I would not include Taurus in the list of 'quality' as the only revolver that gets' universal glowing reviews is their model 85 which is a different caliber.  I personally hate Rugers, hate the feel of them in my hand.

One thing to bear in mind is that it's a 22lr, you really don't need to go full monty on a cheap plinking caliber.  If you get the 617, game on and you will not be disappointed but after that it's just 22lr so get cheap and fun as there is minimal stress on the firearm and longevity isn't really a concern.  I mean, our boys are killed with guns made from coke cans in the stan so I doubt any modern 22lr will give you issues of longevity.  perspective.....

 

respectfully

One other option... see if you can find an older Colt revolver in 22lr... gets you a collectible as well.

Even though it is fun, unfortunately don't shoot them that much. 

or this...lol

 

https://taskandpurpose.com/ultimate-doomsday-rifle-shoots-21-different-calibers-ammunition/

soooooooooo?????

22 Revolvers..  They are not finicky like 22 semi-autos and can handle a variety of ammo.  Since they are rimfire, they can have a much heavier trigger pull than their larger bore cousins.  The S&W revolvers listed above are very nice and worth the money.  i like the S&W Model 63.  The triggers in the newer Ruger Single Sixes are not as nice as the older ones.  If you want a Single Action look for an older one unless you were getting it for a specific purpose.  Learn about single-action safety with old Ruger's though.  They are a pain to load and unload and don't allow you to fire in double-action.  i am not sure if older stainless Single Sixes can be, had, though, if that is an issue.  However, I wouldn't get a Single Action revolver over a double-action one for range fun.  The Ruger SP101 is also a nice rimfire, but the trigger is heavy and the stock grips might be a little on the small side.  A 617 would be a nice "twin" to the good 686 choice.   I would probably stick with either a Ruger or S&W double-action revolver in stainless.   The 22 revolver goes to the range almost every time and is not boring.

On 1/3/2019 at 9:46 PM, myhatinthering said:

soooooooooo?????

Still awaiting my permission slips so I haven’t even picked up the 686 yet. Hopefully should get those in a few weeks. I added a bunch of house renovation projects to the list so money is also a little more of a concern now. Might end up going with a rough rider to fill the niche for a few years and then add the 617 to my stable when these projects are over with. 

at $100, you will love the rough rider and it's a 4 clicker!  not a bad plan but do get the 617, it's just really fun to shoot and incredibly accurate.

On 12/16/2018 at 8:22 PM, myhatinthering said:

or this...lol

 

https://taskandpurpose.com/ultimate-doomsday-rifle-shoots-21-different-calibers-ammunition/

Just the thing to hang on our walls in their lovely display case. As soon as I have 8 grand plus to burn, I'm gonna get me one.  NOTTT!!!!

I will concede it's an interesting setup.

Obviously not New Jerksey legal,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Thanks for the link, I love seeing new stuff.

I thought I read somewhere the Air Force was moving to a 22lr pistol for their survival firearm

Since you're still waiting, I'll add my vote for the Ruger Single Six.  You can read up on what "new model" means, but mine shoots 22LR like it shoots heat seeking laser beam missiles.  I just looked and saw that I paid WAY less than the $600 MSRP, so hunt around and find a deal!

2 hours ago, weekend_junkie said:

Since you're still waiting, I'll add my vote for the Ruger Single Six.  You can read up on what "new model" means, but mine shoots 22LR like it shoots heat seeking laser beam missiles.  I just looked and saw that I paid WAY less than the $600 MSRP, so hunt around and find a deal!

I found a previously loved one for $225 so you can get a good deal on them if you're patient. A little wear on the bluing and a small chip in the grip but it has character.

57 minutes ago, brucin said:

I found a previously loved one for $225 so you can get a good deal on them if you're patient. A little wear on the bluing and a small chip in the grip but it has character.

In fact, that’s exactly what I paid. It’s a nicely kept 1975 model. The earlier “3 screw” model fetch a prettier penny, but this is something to bang onto steel plates and hope I hit something when I fan the hammer.

10 hours ago, weekend_junkie said:

In fact, that’s exactly what I paid. It’s a nicely kept 1975 model. The earlier “3 screw” model fetch a prettier penny, but this is something to bang onto steel plates and hope I hit something when I fan the hammer.

If I find a single six for $225 when my permits are in hand I’ll be all over that. Let me know if you see anything come up 

I have several 686's, only made sense for me to get a 617 to keep them company. It also happens to be my daughters favorite gun to shoot. Due to the weight, there is practically no felt recoil. Bought mine used via Gun Broker, it is post-lock, but I have never had a problem with it.

617 for the win