Do you know what my favorite 9mm? It’s the HiPower. But I carry a Glock, and stockpile Glock handguns. Is the Glock my favorite? Nope, not even close. So, you might ask, why would I commit to the Glock platform when my favorite is the HiPower? Well, because what gun is my favorite has absolutely nothing to with what I think is the best gun for the ugly future.
I have a nice 6″ K-22 Smith and Wesson that is a lovely handgun. It is well made, accurate, and pleasant to shoot. It’s a classic in every sense of the word. BUT…in Mad Max world its got some drawbacks…it’s blued finish will wear and the exposed metal will suffer, some parts are a bit delicate for the apocalyptic lifestyle, the capacity of six rounds is a bit limiting, and the sights don’t give you many options. But, merciful Crom, it’s a fine, fine handgun.
So when it’s time to stow a .22 pistol in the backpack for that frantic evacuation to the beta site will the K-22 make the cut. Not if I’ve only got room for one. I’ll probably go with todays acquisition:
Stainless, replaceable front sight, built like a tank, and holds ten rounds….a 66% increase over the K-22. Is it as pretty? Does it handle as nicely in the hand? Nope. But I can drop it in the snow and mud, rinse it off in a creek, and be good to go. Technically, I could do that with the K22 but I’d fell pretty bad about it…its a nice pistol.
I’d been wanting a durable .22 revolver for field use for a while. Although I have a couple .22 Ruger autos, I still like the revolver for its utility…CB’s, shorts, longs, shot, etc….the revolver will shoot it all. Ten rounds puts it on the same level as the Mk IV in terms of capacity, and I don’t have to worry about magazines. On the other hand, when something goes wrong on a revolver youre pretty much stuck going to a gunsmith, whereas when something goes wrong on an auto its usually just a matter of swapping parts.
I’ll take this thing out this weekend and play with it. I rather enjoy shooting .22’s because I can actually shoot off a couple hundred rounds and not break the bank like I would with .223 or 9mm.
As for the utility of this thing….I doubt anyone could really swing a convincing argument that it’s not got a place in a survivalists armory. Plinking, pest control, small game hunting, sentry removal, etc….kind of a multitakser.
Have you seen the 75 anniversary edition of the Ruger 22 auto. Has a 6 inch barrel. They all have a R75- prefix on the serial numbers. They have several models available. From the 10-22 to others in the standard line up.
I have one of the first 200 Ruger Bearcats. It was made in the first week of production. According to the letter I got from Ruger.
I always liked the Iver-Johnson .22cal top-break revolvers myself. Every one I ever had was ridiculously accurate. OTOH SS is a better choice for a knock around pistol.
Commander:
Under what circumstances would a .22 wheel-gun – even a ten shot – be top of the list during a SHTF situation?
Other than a close-range assassination or firing at rats trapped in a cellar with you, I can’t think of such a need.
Ceejay
Youre reading too much into what I said. I didnt say it was top of the list in a SHTF situation….read it again. I said that between the K22 and the Ruger, I’d take the Ruger. I also said that “I doubt anyone could really swing a convincing argument that it’s not got a place in a survivalists armory.” I didnt say it was the ‘top’ of anything.
Nice revolver that I was unaware of its existence. High capacity negates the autoloaders magazine count. Very nice ! And the ability to mix and match your loads without causing firearm issues is a major advantage.
I have an old Charter Arms 6″ Gen I Pathfinder that is an outstanding hunting gun. Lightweight and won’t weigh a pack down if you choose to keep it stored. A Hunter strong side holster is my choice. A CCI 100 round box can store a variety of loads (even shot loads if you need to rid yourself of close range vermin in sensitive areas)
Same here, I only thought they had single actions in 22. Not a double action. Color me surprised when I saw today’s post.
They also, last I checked, make a .22 snubby in their LCR.
I love my .22 handguns, I have them in Glock, Beretta, Ruger and Sig(Mosquito). The only .22 revolver I have is a blued Alpha in .22 mag and .22lr interchangeable cylinders of course. It shoots both very well but is limited to 6rds. I also agree with you about having a .22 revolver and the advantages of reliability. I love your Ruger, I have a soft spot for Rugers. They are bloody well bullet proof(excuse the pun) tough, reliable and durable. I have a .45 acp/colt Redhawk and 10mm GP100 with a lot of rounds through them. Excellent guns. Good choice! TTFN
Never knew they had a DA 22. WOW. I bought a used Ruger Single action who’s timing was so far off it fired only half of it’s cylinder any given day. You’re right about when revolvers fail, they fail hard. During a shoot I made the mistake of running steel cased Tula 38 in a 686 and it jammed it up so bad we had to use a brass hammer to get the cases out.
Only downside of a 22 revolver, is it really isn’t suppressor friendly. Sure you can put one on to reduce sound some, sure you can use CB cartridges to make it quiet but a suppressed autoloader is hard to beat for sound reduction.
What kind of holster are you going to use with that? Some kind of flap, thumb break leather/nylon/kydex?
I expect this gun will be a hunting/hiking/fishing thing, so probably a leather flap from El Paso Saddlery. But its the same frame as my GP100 so any of my .357 holsters for the Ruger should work.
What SKU or model.is this ? It’s not a 1757. It looks nicer and I don’t see it in Ruger’s catalog. Please enlighten…..🙏
1757
👍, those grips are what distracted me. Thanks
I completely agree regarding the utility of a .22: I have a Browning Buckmark with the plain top rail replaced with a piccatinney rail with an inexpensive red dot (TRS-25) mounted. My aging eyes much prefer an optic to iron sights. If I had to get out of town with what I could carry on my back it would be an AR, a highly concealable 9 mm, and the .22: it would be my small game getter.
I would prefer to upgrade to a SS revolver: does the Ruger have any way to mount a rail/optic (tapped holes, etc.)?
Commander Zero from the missions you described
” Plinking, pest control, small game hunting, sentry removal, etc….kind of a multitakser.”
A cricket 22 single shot rifle would do and I saw a fellow do a nice PVC pipe “stock” that packaged up nicely over the barrel and action for the backpack.
Almost as light as your revolver. And from my experiences with a Heritage Arms Rough Rider 6 revolver FAR quieter with 22 shorts (quieter than my air rifle) and CCI Quiet 22 LR than the revolver with same ammo.
If I was trying to quietly down a sentry a 22 quiet behind under the helmet would do the job.
Not like any small game ever gave me a second shot at it even with a Ruger 10-22. Also, as you know 22 LR 40 grain solids are popular with deer poachers.
Hard to ruin a 22 single shot and at the price why not have several and ammo set aside.
That hollow stock the Crickett and similar has can be filled with a small amount of critical items a person on the run could use. Your imagination and your locale’s climate are your only limits.
I have the original Rogue River Chipmunk .22lr single shot. No plastic stock but I find its very small sights difficult to line up with my adult frame. It is light as hell. CCI Quiets are very quiet indeed.
I hope your gp 100 has a better trigger than my Ruger sp101. Its an 8 shot .22 cal. My trigger is very hard and a bit rough. I cant hit anything double action its ok single action. I wish I had gotten the gp100 instead. my gp100 .357 is a smooth gun.
I wonder if the California Competition Works speed loader made for the S&W 617 would work with the Ruger, Both are 10 round ,22 LR revolvers. With the speed loader and the their cartridge box, it makes loading the S&W a breeze, No fiddling with one or two cartridges at a time, If not, maybe they, or someone else will make one for the Ruger.