Bearcat, a little information please

[montanaboy]

Hi everybody,

I am new to this forum and very pleased to see a forum dedicated to Ruger stuff.

Q: I know the Bear Cat is a great little revolver and I am thinking of buying one but before would like some feed-back from Bearcat owners.

Is there a down side (anything at all) that I should know before aquiring one?

And... can a guy get a .22 mag cylinder to go along with the standared LR caliber?

Thanks

 

[JWhitmore44]

The good - they are small, have fixed sights, shoot great, are handy, will last for ever if taken care of.

The bad - they are small and have fixed sights.

At least handle one if you can to see if the size will be an issue. They did make a few 22/22mag but if I understand correctly they recalled all the 22 mag cylinders. If you could find a 2nd cylinder you could probably have a gunsmith re-bore it for 22 mag. If you really want a convertible you may want to consider the Single Six instead. Or use it for an excuse to get 2 Bearcats and have one set up to shoot 22 mag and one to shoot non-mag

 

[montanaboy]

The good - they are small, have fixed sights, shoot great, are handy, will last for ever if taken care of.

.Or use it for an excuse to get 2 Bearcats and have one set up to shoot 22 mag and one to shoot non-mag

Thanks for the info buddy... and I like your idea in getting two, heh, heh.
Very clever now I just have to sell it to my wife... bless her soul.

 

[Calthrop]

First welcome to the forum. These are subjects deeply covered in the Rim Fire Section. The BearCat is a popular revolver yet not for everyone.
Experience proves the cardinal rule of gun purchase: if you can shoot an example first you are better off.
I suggest you find someone who has one and has found the ammo the gun shoots best. Ask to shoot their gun.

I have been shooting them for a long time and they are my most shot guns. I do not shoot them the best than other handguns despite rounds fired. It is the manner that I shoot the BC. Now that I have a load that it shoots consistently well. I shoot at moving targets and unknown distances. Mostly clays rolled like rabbits or just walked out on the range.

Guns with factory spare .22Mag cylinders are topic best left for others as are the older models. Some prefer blue chromemoly steel some stainless. Both will rust. I understand the correct steel ejector housing is now available from a very fine aftermarket vendor.

The man I would talk to for custom work is Alan Harton of Huston of the Great State of Texas.

If the search thing dose not work you can look up my posts on the BearCat using my profile. That will lead you the writings of the truly illuminated.

By the way. A friendly suggestion: I would not be in a great rush to touch off a .22 WMR out of a Bear Cat. Best Calthrop

 

[Ladobe]

Welcome abaord. I'm new here also, but already see there are many very knowledgeable folks here.

Mark me as another fan of the original Bearcats. I prefer them over the Single-Six. Started with two in the 60's that were used often, then added a Super Bearcat in 1971 that has been my go to ever since. I have put far more rounds through it since then than all of the other rimfire handguns I've ever owned combined. Never had a problem with the size of the Bearcats, and I'm a big fellow. Maybe because I have had and shot them for so long? The try before you buy is an excellent suggestion, especially if you have larger than average hands. Try both the Bearcat and Single-Six to see which feels right to you. I prefer the old model Rugers, so can't speak for the new model Bearcats as I've never owned one and never wanted one. Lots of folks love the stainless models, but a stainless SA just doesn't catch my eye, nor does the transfer bar safety.

L.

 

[contender]

Welcome to the Forum.
A convertable Bearcat was offered for a while. Ruger "recalled" them, and some folks sent in their 22 mag cylinders as requested. Others were smart enough to keep them and had instant collectables. They are pricy now.
Some folks find a spare 22 LR cylinder and have it bored to accept the 22 mags. Custom is the only route to have a convertable now. (Or pay for a collectable one.)
Great guns, and do the job which they were designed for.

 

[flatgate]

Is there a down side (anything at all) that I should know before aquiring one?

Perhaps. Not all "fixed sight" revolvers shoot "to point of aim". Some do, some need some "gunsmithing".

I prefer the adjustable sight designed revolvers for shooting.

JMHO,

flatgate

 

[bennettfam]

BC is a great little kit gun. Bought mine for the kids, it fit their little hands nicely and they all learned handgun basics with it. I take mine on most of my backpacking trips. Super Colibri ammo makes for quiet plinking on the trail. Just don't expect it to be the best hunting or target revolver out there, it is small.

 

[bigjake]

If I remember correctly, Ruger came out with a New Model Bearcat as a .22 and .22mag in the early '90's. It had a frame that was a little longer than the standard Bearcat to accommodate the longer cylinder needed for the .22 mag. I don't know if a standard cylinder can be made into a .22 mag.
A Single Six would be better for a dual cyl gun.