Ruger Bearcat with 22 magnum cylinder?

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twaits

Bearcat
Joined
Mar 5, 2010
Messages
4
Hi all. New member here.
I recently saw a Gunbroker listing for a Ruger Bearcat with an extra 22 magnum cylinder. It says it's really rare and the BIN was like $1500.
My friend e-mailed customer service about whether one could be special ordered and they seem to deny they ever made these.
I don't know why they don't still offer them this way (or why they seem to deny they did). It seems like a pretty good idea to me.

Here's the e-mail and response from Ruger:

Thank you for using the Ruger On-Line Customer Support Request Form.

This e-mail is in response to your question or comment of 03/04/2010
Request No: 56333

Comment / question:

Is the current "New Bearcat" available as a convertible, with an extra .22
magnum cylinder? I seem to recall that when the Bearcat was re-introduced
back in the 1990s that it was advertised as available with a .22 magnum
cylinder. Can this be had on a special order basis? Can Ruger fit a .22
magnum cylinder to a recent production New Bearcat if a customer requested
it? Thank you.

Response:
Unfortunately, this was not offered as a convertible model and therefore is
not a service we offer.
 

G2

Hunter
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
2,491
Location
UT/AZ
Welcome, Kick your boots off a hang around for a while.

YES, Very True, and you are right they were offered and then pulled back and never offered again. Response probably should have been "is not" instead of "was not", oh well let's cut em a little slack. There will be a picture coming along showing 3 of them all sisters. $1,500 seems high, but if somebady needed one for a collection . . . well then maybe not.

Today many of the custom gunsmiths will open your cylinder up to .22 mag for ~$100. Then if you really want a convertable send your cylinderless gun back to Ruger and they will fit a new 22 lr cylinder to your gun. ~$145

Here is a .22 mag by Alan Harton. Is my picture and now is not my gun. :roll:
P1010006-5.jpg
 

twaits

Bearcat
Joined
Mar 5, 2010
Messages
4
Thanks G2. That a beautiful Bearcat.
Do you think there simply was not enough demand to offer a seperate cylinder in .22 mag anymore? It just seems like such a natural thing to offer like with the Single Six.
 
Joined
Oct 24, 2007
Messages
11,656
Location
Kentucky
It was rumored that there was trouble with "spitting" with the magnum cylinders. Some have speculated this was caused by abuse such as "fanning" the gun. At any rate, Ruger recalled them, but not all were returned, of course.

;)
 

Firsttimegrampa

Single-Sixer
Joined
Aug 22, 2004
Messages
339
Location
Havelock,NC USA
I don't see where they deny making a Convertiable Bearcat. You asked about the Current production model in which they are not making in the convertiable model.
 
A

Anonymous

Firsttimegrampa":298zk3x7 said:
I don't see where they deny making a Convertiable Bearcat. You asked about the Current production model in which they are not making in the convertiable model.

True....from the response, I would infer that they are saying that it was not offered as a combo gun....not that it was not offered as a 22 Mg.
 

twaits

Bearcat
Joined
Mar 5, 2010
Messages
4
RedHawk44":3gi00m46 said:
Firsttimegrampa":3gi00m46 said:
I don't see where they deny making a Convertiable Bearcat. You asked about the Current production model in which they are not making in the convertiable model.

True....from the response, I would infer that they are saying that it was not offered as a combo gun....not that it was not offered as a 22 Mg.

So do you think this listing was not a factory offering?:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =159968813

The box end label mentions nothing about the extra cylinder.
 

flatgate

Hawkeye
Joined
Jun 18, 2001
Messages
6,784
Location
Star Valley, WY
twaits,

pix283614015.jpg


I strongly believe the Gunbroker listing you posted, and an image shown above, is indeed a convertible New Bearcat! You are right with your observation that neither the catalog number nor the box show any indication that the guns have two cylinders. Typical with Ruger, at times... :D

Ruger made and shipped about 1,000 of them prior to issuing a "recall" of the .22 Magnum cylinders. Right at 300 of those cylinders were returned to the Factory in trade for a cheque for $40. (These figures came from a very reliable source.)

I happen to be the most fortunate collector of Bearcats since I have a "triple consecutive" set of the New Bearcat Convertibles.

128516925.jpg


The configurations of the three guns are all slightly different with the changes being in the grip medallions, the rollmarks on the cylinders and the way the cylinders are numbered.

flatgate
 

slowpoke

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 27, 2010
Messages
294
Location
Out West
flatgate says- "I happen to be the most fortunate collector of Bearcats since I have a "triple consecutive" set of the New Bearcat Convertibles."

Rub it in why don't ya! Seriously though, very nice flatgate. How about bringing your collection out to the Puyallup, Wa RCA display show in May so those of us around here can see it?
 

Firsttimegrampa

Single-Sixer
Joined
Aug 22, 2004
Messages
339
Location
Havelock,NC USA
twaits":31hhps79 said:
RedHawk44":31hhps79 said:
Firsttimegrampa":31hhps79 said:
I don't see where they deny making a Convertiable Bearcat. You asked about the Current production model in which they are not making in the convertiable model.

True....from the response, I would infer that they are saying that it was not offered as a combo gun....not that it was not offered as a 22 Mg.

So do you think this listing was not a factory offering?:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =159968813

The box end label mentions nothing about the extra cylinder.

It's a Factory offering alright. From 1993 which makes it not a "current" production model..
 

flatgate

Hawkeye
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Messages
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Location
Star Valley, WY
slowpoke":3eixarb0 said:
How about bringing your collection out to the Puyallup, Wa RCA display show in May so those of us around here can see it?

I wish I could but just can't get away from work enough days to make it happen.

Perhaps Boise show next Winter....

flatgate
 

americal

Hunter
Joined
Feb 19, 2009
Messages
2,174
Location
Alabama, Athens
Yep--- I saw one at Cave-city Ky. gun show last saturday :) It had all the extras with it 8) I'm thinking it also was at about 1,450 dollars first I'd ever seen. WOW :!: Flatgate you gotta be happy with those 8)
 

twaits

Bearcat
Joined
Mar 5, 2010
Messages
4
Nice collection Flatgate. Thanks for posting. This clears most everything up for me.
My only question is what the heck happened that made Ruger recall them?
Someone mentioned they had a "Spitting" issue. Why do you think the magnum cylinders would spit any worse than any other revolver?
Have you ever fired any of your three with the magnum cylinder?
 

flatgate

Hawkeye
Joined
Jun 18, 2001
Messages
6,784
Location
Star Valley, WY
Last question first; NO, they are "safe queens". Each is worth $1,000 and the triple consecutive s/n's certainly add a premium.

Ruger :roll: said timing issues with the mag cylinders (and NOT the .22 LR???) was the reason for the recall.

In My Not So Humble Opinion the reason was the idiot holding the gun....

The Bearcat cylinder frame features a "smooth" top strap. The New Bearcat features a downsized version of the wide spur Super Blackhawk hammer.
Can you say "fanning a Bearcat"?

Now, consider the rimfire cartridge with the jacketed bullet (.22 magnum, of course) being fired an instant before the cylinder has rotated into the battery position. The bullet strikes the end of the barrel and splatters bullet jacket material in multiple directions.

Ouch!

Ruger decided the fix was to stop production of the convertible New Bearcat and issue a "recall" on the .22 mag. cylinders already out in the field.

This is my opinion and its' value is questionable.........

flatgate

PS Many custom gunsmiths fit new cylinders or rechamber existing New Bearcat cylinders to .22 mag. (see G2's post above) and I've NEVER heard of any problems. I would attribute this situation to the knowledgeable owners' gun handling techniques.
 
A

Anonymous

twaits":235nrlnw said:
RedHawk44":235nrlnw said:
Firsttimegrampa":235nrlnw said:
I don't see where they deny making a Convertiable Bearcat. You asked about the Current production model in which they are not making in the convertiable model.

True....from the response, I would infer that they are saying that it was not offered as a combo gun....not that it was not offered as a 22 Mg.

So do you think this listing was not a factory offering?:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =159968813

The box end label mentions nothing about the extra cylinder.

I am not commenting on that at all....all I am commenting on is the wording of Ruger's response to the question posted by the originator of this thread....
 

edlmann

Blackhawk
Joined
Apr 6, 2009
Messages
790
Location
lovely downtown Central Florida
flatgate":np9g1dj8 said:
Many custom gunsmiths fit new cylinders or rechamber existing New Bearcat cylinders to .22 mag. (see G2's post above) and I've NEVER heard of any problems. I would attribute this situation to the knowledgeable owners' gun handling techniques.

I've heard conflicting stories about the bore size of the current New Bearcats - .222 or .224?
 
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