Help me understand the Bearcat

[Hertervillian]

Okay, I can see they are cute as a beagle pup. Probably worth having one for no better reason than that. I’ve got the cat head biscuit of hands, it looks like a toy.

But, for those of you using one, What purpose is it serving?

 

[JAYDAWG]

My grandson loves it

 

[Hertervillian]

Jaydog, that’s occurred to me.

 

[TDF]

Fits in the chest pocket on my overalls, when I'm deer hunting. I have dispatched more than one wounded deer with it. A 22 to the back of the skull does the trick toot sweet, and beats wasting a high power shell.

TDF

 

[rawly1]

Great packing pistol on hikes. Pretty darn accurate too.

 

[needsmostuff]

They fill that niche between North American Arms and Single Six.

 

[eveled]

In my family it is the least loved .22 even the kids think it’s too small.

I appreciate what it is, but it rarely leaves the safe.

 

[WAYNO]

A kit-gun...
A very handy and convenient size for opportunity-carry, with a reasonable-length barrel where the shots might have more of a reason to count. A snake or invasive varmint makes often an important target of opportunity. And if there's nothing needing shooting, it's not a cumbersome carry.
Compare that with a pocket pistol that accuracy is not likely or expected, or a full size rimfire handgun that can be both heavy and cumbersome to carry.

Everybody has their own ideas of what they need. I particularly value kit guns.

 

[GRAMPS 51]

I have big hands have had lots of broken fingers and bones in my hands i own a number of handguns and like to shoot the bearcats as much as any of them and they are cute

Gramps

 

[contender]

Back when Bill was designing & building new guns,, (1958 was it's first year,) many people wanted a small pocket gun or as some call them "Kit guns!" It filled that niche quite nicely.

Yes,, many people find them too small for their hands,, etc. But others love how they fit them. Lots of good info above,,, but know they have done well enough to where they are still offered after 66 years of production.

 

[RugerForMe]

I have the Shopkeeper just a fun little gun to shoot

 

[thinckley]

Fits in the chest pocket on my overalls, when I'm deer hunting. I have dispatched more than one wounded deer with it. A 22 to the back of the skull does the trick toot sweet, and beats wasting a high power shell.

TDF

I don't know about where you are, but in Utah that will get you a ticket for hunting with an underpowered weapon. You can carry it, you can use it for anything else, but as soon as you shoot the deer, it's illegal. My dad got a ticket for dispatching a cow elk with his .357. Short barrel did not have the velocity and power required. Cost him $400.

 

[rammerjammer]

I don't hunt, ranch farm or anything else where the Bearcat has a practical use.
I just think Bearcat models are neat little revolvers.

 

[Randyzzz]

I have large hands and never even considered a Bearcat. Then a neighbor brought his over to me for a repair. I put 50 rounds through it after I was done, and fell in love. I can barely get 2 fingers on the grip, but that's still enough to be accurate. So I bought one. A 1966- OM of course! It goes with me when walking the dog and similar short treks.

I'm actually thinking of having some stag grips made for it.

 

[sharpblade7777]

 

[Hertervillian]

A kit-gun...
A very handy and convenient size for opportunity-carry, with a reasonable-length barrel where the shots might have more of a reason to count. A snake or invasive varmint makes often an important target of opportunity. And if there's nothing needing shooting, it's not a cumbersome carry.
Compare that with a pocket pistol that accuracy is not likely or expected, or a full size rimfire handgun that can be both heavy and cumbersome to carry.

Everybody has their own ideas of what they need. I particularly value kit guns.

You touch on about the only thing I can think of. A gun for when I don’t need one. If I were trapping still for instance.

 

[el caminero]

Big hands, here; cannot get "comfortable" (confident of grip) with naa/freedom minis without a larger grip, and thats a tie between a hockeypuck like a blackwidow grip, or the longer "boot" grip, but the bearcat is as small as i can get with a confident grip, plus 6 vs 4 or 5 rounds, miles easier to unload and reload. The last one i had, had been tolerably refinished (a "2-foot'er") from a pitted mess, but it was smooth and clean where it counted, and with its collector value shot, i roundbutted it (birdshead not bagbutt) and it was a perfect smallgun. So, its bigger than the minis, everything is a compromise. It, too, went during a stretch of unemployitude.

 

[needsmostuff]

If you can find one with adj. sights, they can get pretty darn shootable.

 

[Armybrat]

My grandson loves it

So does mine. That's why I gifted it to him for his 13th birthday last year.
……..

 

[KIR]

While I love the designs on the cylinder and wish other revolvers had this feature, the overall size of the gun was too small for my hand. However, my G'daughter loved it, so I gave it to my son for safekeeping until she was of age. My Bearcat was a B-Day present from an old GF, may she now RIP.

 

[Hankus]

I still have the one my father bought for me. The year before last I picked up two in a package deal for my two eldest grandsons (8 & 6) to learn with. They will eventually become theirs. Or they might go to the youngest two, a boy, 2, and a girl, 4. There’s another girl in the oven, so I might have to pick up more, or pick up Single Sixes for the oldest ones as they grow.

 

[Randyzzz]

If you can find one with adj. sights, they can get pretty darn shootable.View attachment 69532

Yep, I need some stag grips for mine. And for a knife project- I picked up a vintage Puma Jagdnicker that has jigged bone handles that are chipped. I might need matching scales for it.

Or maybe this NOS Puma Rambler is more proportional…

 

[eveled]

I'm actually thinking of having some stag grips made for it.

View attachment 69526

Saks Peterson makes very nice stag grips for Bearcats.

 

[Watertender]

Perfect little revolver for a walk. Bill Ruger's answer to the Kit Gun. A friend of my grandpa's used to use a Bearcat for butchering hogs. He had a holster sewn into the lining of his denim frock coat and it went with him everywhere.

 

[Randyzzz]

Saks Peterson makes very nice stag grips for Bearcats.View attachment 69571

That’s who I was thinking of-

 

[pawncop]

This was the first handgun I purchased back in 1971. My reason was to carry it while fishing to deal with snakes. Worked well.

 

[Iroc]

I bought one for my grandkids to learn how to safely handle a pistol, it’s hard to beat a single action for that and it slowed them way down on reloading and burning up the ammo compared to a semiautomatic 10/22. I replaced the small grip scales with ones I made from a piece of Sambar stag antler I’d bought. I left the scales much thicker than the originals so now it’s actually very comfortable to shoot. I’m not the one who came up with the idea and I don’t remember where I got it from but for anyone that finds the small grip not working for them you can also add a Tyler T- grip for a Smith and Wesson J frame that fits and works pretty well too. I used one of these before I made the stag grip. Here’s a link below for the T-grip and a couple photos of my Bearcat I think I posted on this forum before, one with the T-grip and one with the stag..

https://robertsontradingpost.com/?s=grip+adapter

 

[Watertender]

^^^^ I have a BK Grip adapter that I will try on my stainless Bearcat. Thanks for the idea!!!

 

[Iroc]

^^^^ I have a BK Grip adapter that I will try on my stainless Bearcat. Thanks for the idea!!!

The BK is the same idea as the T-grip so as long as it’s for a J frame I’d think it should work too.

 

[bergmen]

I seem to remember years ago that they also had a 22LR/22WMR convertible. There was a technical problem with these (timing or something) and they discontinued them.

Dan