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Hey Folks.
On Saturday I picked up the new Ruger Wrangler and wanted to share with you my initial impressions and range report.
The Wrangler is the newest cowboy action pistol to come from Ruger.
Chamber: 22LR
Capacity: 6-shots
Fixed Blade 4.6" barrel
Finish: Silver Cerakote
Made in the USA
I purchased the pistol from Sportsman's Warehouse for $199 out the door.
The pistol comes in a standard cardboard box with the usual safety manual, brochures, warranty card, lock, and a plastic insert for the cylinder.
The pistol frame is Aluminium Alloy with a cold hammer forged steel barrel and weighs in at a surprisingly light 1 pound 5.6 oz
*Disassembly is a breeze. Swing the loading gate open, press the button on the left side just forward of the cylinder, pull out the cylinder rod, and the cylinder drops free to the right*
The steel cylinder feels far heavier than its actual 7.8 oz
Put together they make for a solid feeling pistol with the weight pivot point sitting a little forward of the trigger guard
The pistol is a "cowboy action" which means all rounds are loaded one at a time through a swinging gate...and then ejected using the ejector rod
The gate also acts as a kind of safety...the cylinder cannot swing when the gate is open and the gate cannot be opened when the hammer is cocked
The pistol has markings on three locations. Left side is name branding. Right side is serial number. Under the barrel is a safety warning and location of manufacturer (which is 100% made in the USA)
Like most modern pistols the Wrangler has a transfer bar...which is a welcome safety feature
The sights are fixed blade...but check out my range report below and don't worry.
While difficult to pick up on camera I had no trouble seeing the sights on the range.
The grip does have a visibly noticeable cast seam but it did not effect the function or feel when firing the pistol
After 200 rounds the trigger developed a discoloration that cannot be cleaned off. It doesn't bother me but is something curious I haven't seen before
So How Does It Shoot?
Using a weaver stance I fired about 200 rounds of 40 grain Copper Plated CCI 22LR
This was consistently my group at 10 yards
This is 10 yards "Rapid Fire" (essentially as fast as I could cycle a single action)
And this is 20 yards slow fire
Since this is a single-action revolver the hammer needs to be cocked before each shot. There are two distinct "clicks" as it draws back and locks in place.
*Note: when the loading gate is open the cylinder spins freely. Once the gate is closed the cylinder may not naturally fall back into battery. If this happens you won't be able to draw the hammer back. Once the gate is closed just wiggle the cylinder to ensure its "locked" and then cock the hammer*
There is no noticeable trigger creep and, while a little stiff, breaks crisp and feels like its a little over five pounds (based on comparisons with my other pistols)
I didn't experience any failure to fires or malfunctions of any sort.
The recoil is pleasant and has a "pop" similar to holding a Roman Candle on the 4th of July
Overall Impression:
I'm really pleased with the look, feel, price, and accuracy of the Ruger Wrangler. Time will tell how it holds up to field use.
For $199 this is fun pistol, made in the USA, and it has my recommendation.
Safe Shooting!
On Saturday I picked up the new Ruger Wrangler and wanted to share with you my initial impressions and range report.
The Wrangler is the newest cowboy action pistol to come from Ruger.
Chamber: 22LR
Capacity: 6-shots
Fixed Blade 4.6" barrel
Finish: Silver Cerakote
Made in the USA
I purchased the pistol from Sportsman's Warehouse for $199 out the door.
The pistol comes in a standard cardboard box with the usual safety manual, brochures, warranty card, lock, and a plastic insert for the cylinder.
The pistol frame is Aluminium Alloy with a cold hammer forged steel barrel and weighs in at a surprisingly light 1 pound 5.6 oz
*Disassembly is a breeze. Swing the loading gate open, press the button on the left side just forward of the cylinder, pull out the cylinder rod, and the cylinder drops free to the right*
The steel cylinder feels far heavier than its actual 7.8 oz
Put together they make for a solid feeling pistol with the weight pivot point sitting a little forward of the trigger guard
The pistol is a "cowboy action" which means all rounds are loaded one at a time through a swinging gate...and then ejected using the ejector rod
The gate also acts as a kind of safety...the cylinder cannot swing when the gate is open and the gate cannot be opened when the hammer is cocked
The pistol has markings on three locations. Left side is name branding. Right side is serial number. Under the barrel is a safety warning and location of manufacturer (which is 100% made in the USA)
Like most modern pistols the Wrangler has a transfer bar...which is a welcome safety feature
The sights are fixed blade...but check out my range report below and don't worry.
While difficult to pick up on camera I had no trouble seeing the sights on the range.
The grip does have a visibly noticeable cast seam but it did not effect the function or feel when firing the pistol
After 200 rounds the trigger developed a discoloration that cannot be cleaned off. It doesn't bother me but is something curious I haven't seen before
So How Does It Shoot?
Using a weaver stance I fired about 200 rounds of 40 grain Copper Plated CCI 22LR
This was consistently my group at 10 yards
This is 10 yards "Rapid Fire" (essentially as fast as I could cycle a single action)
And this is 20 yards slow fire
Since this is a single-action revolver the hammer needs to be cocked before each shot. There are two distinct "clicks" as it draws back and locks in place.
*Note: when the loading gate is open the cylinder spins freely. Once the gate is closed the cylinder may not naturally fall back into battery. If this happens you won't be able to draw the hammer back. Once the gate is closed just wiggle the cylinder to ensure its "locked" and then cock the hammer*
There is no noticeable trigger creep and, while a little stiff, breaks crisp and feels like its a little over five pounds (based on comparisons with my other pistols)
I didn't experience any failure to fires or malfunctions of any sort.
The recoil is pleasant and has a "pop" similar to holding a Roman Candle on the 4th of July
Overall Impression:
I'm really pleased with the look, feel, price, and accuracy of the Ruger Wrangler. Time will tell how it holds up to field use.
For $199 this is fun pistol, made in the USA, and it has my recommendation.
Safe Shooting!
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