The Ruger Bearcat is a kind of little revolvers that appears nearly too fairly to be helpful till it begins punching tidy clusters within the goal and using unnoticed on a belt all afternoon. Small, gentle, and chic, it has been a favourite path gun and plinker for generations. To grasp why such a tiny single motion .22 has such a faithful following, it helps to have a look at the corporate that constructed it, the historical past behind it, and the place it holds amongst rimfire revolvers previous and new.
Sturm, Ruger & Co. and the rimfire custom
Sturm, Ruger & Co. was based in 1949 by William B. Ruger and Alexander McCormick Sturm in Southport, Connecticut, beginning with a single product: the .22 Lengthy Rifle Ruger Commonplace semi automated pistol. That pistol, launched in 1949, shortly turned a runaway success and established Ruger as a severe firearms producer.
From the start, Ruger constructed its title on inexpensive, dependable rimfire weapons. The Commonplace pistol and its Mark collection descendants, adopted by the ten/22 rifle and later rimfire fashions, turned the model into one of many dominant names in .22 firearms.
By the early Fifties, Ruger had realized that followers of Western films and basic sixguns needed a .22 caliber single motion that regarded and dealt with like a scaled down Colt Single Motion Military. In 1953 the corporate launched the Ruger Single Six, a .22 revolver that mimicked the massive Colt in profile however used trendy manufacturing methods to maintain prices down.
The Single Six was successful and successfully rescued the standard single motion idea for the postwar market. That success gave Ruger the arrogance to go even smaller and construct a really compact .22 path gun. The end result was the Bearcat.
Beginning of the Bearcat
The Ruger Bearcat was launched in 1958 as a miniature, single motion .22 revolver supposed as a light-weight companion for hikers, campers, and outdoorsmen.
Designed by William B. Ruger, the Bearcat drew aesthetic inspiration from nineteenth century Remington pocket single motion revolvers, reasonably than the Colt sample that knowledgeable the Single Six. The concept was to construct a rimfire equipment gun that was smaller and lighter than the Single Six whereas nonetheless feeling like an actual sixgun, not a toy.
Ruger introduced the brand new revolver in 1958 with a recommended retail value of $49.50, proper in the identical normal value neighborhood as Colt’s then new Frontier Scout .22 single motion. The title “Bearcat” referenced a nimble, fast little animal, and the revolver lived as much as that picture. It had a brief 4 inch barrel, a scaled down grip body, and a six shot cylinder in .22 Lengthy Rifle that might additionally settle for .22 Lengthy and .22 Brief.
From the beginning the Bearcat was marketed as a path gun or equipment gun, one thing that might dwell in a sort out field, on a belt, or in a backpack with out including a lot weight. Ruger’s promoting highlighted its worth as a plinker and small recreation gun for outdoorsmen who needed a top quality revolver in a compact bundle.
Generations of Bearcat: from alloy body to New Bearcat
Over its lengthy life the Bearcat has appeared in a number of distinct variations, every constructing on the identical core idea.
First concern Bearcat, 1958 to 1970
The unique Bearcat, typically known as the primary concern, used an aluminum alloy body to maintain weight all the way down to about 17 ounces, with a 4 inch barrel and compact, one piece grip body. Early weapons wore black plastic grips, later changed by walnut.
The cylinder was fluted, with roll engraved scenes that gave the little gun a lot of its visible allure. Sights consisted of a hard and fast entrance blade and a easy rear notch, regulated for typical .22 Lengthy Rifle a great deal of the interval. Like different Ruger single actions of the period, the early Bearcat didn’t embrace a switch bar security, so protected follow was to hold it with an empty chamber beneath the hammer.
Tremendous Bearcat, 1971 to 1974
In 1971 Ruger upgraded the design with the Tremendous Bearcat, the second concern. The principle change was a swap from an aluminum body to all metal, boosting weight to about 22.5 ounces and growing sturdiness. The Tremendous Bearcat additionally used an unfluted, engraved cylinder and coil springs.
The Tremendous Bearcat remained a compact, mounted sight sixgun with the identical primary traces and objective. Manufacturing of the Bearcat and Tremendous Bearcat collectively totaled properly over 140,000 revolvers earlier than Ruger discontinued the road within the mid Nineteen Seventies.
Hiatus and reintroduction: the New Bearcat
After 1974 the Bearcat disappeared from Ruger’s catalog for almost 20 years. Curiosity in rimfire single actions by no means actually went away, nevertheless, and in 1993 Ruger reintroduced the mannequin because the New Bearcat, typically thought-about the third concern.
The New Bearcat stored the metal body and 4.2 inch barrel, with weight round 24 ounces. It wore easy hardwood (typically rosewood) grips with Ruger medallions and retained the engraved, unfluted cylinder that made the little sixgun so visually distinctive.
The largest mechanical change was the addition of Ruger’s switch bar security system, which permits the revolver to be safely carried with all six chambers loaded.
For a time Ruger supplied an additional .22 Magnum cylinder, however these cylinders had been recalled in 1994 as a result of timing considerations and the Bearcat has successfully remained a .22 Lengthy Rifle solely revolver since then.
In 2002 Ruger added a chrome steel model of the New Bearcat, which shortly turned widespread with outdoorsmen who preferred a climate resistant end. A fiftieth Anniversary Bearcat, introduced in late 2007 and produced in 2008, featured particular markings, gold accents, cocobolo grips, and a novel serial quantity prefix, with a restricted run of two,539 weapons.
In 2015 Ruger answered lengthy standing buyer requests with an adjustable sight Bearcat, giving shooters the power to dial in elevation and windage for particular hundreds with out altering the revolver.
Technical particulars and dealing with
The Bearcat is a small body, single motion rimfire revolver with a six shot cylinder. Present New Bearcat manufacturing is chambered for .22 Lengthy Rifle, though the unique design accepted .22 Brief and .22 Lengthy as properly.
Typical specs for a New Bearcat:
Motion: Single motion
Caliber: .22 Lengthy Rifle
Capability: 6 rounds in a hard and fast cylinder
Barrel size: Roughly 4.2 inches in trendy manufacturing
General size: About 9 inches
Weight: Round 24 ounces in normal blued or stainless-steel variations
The grip body is integral to the principle body, which retains the revolver compact. The grip itself is small and rounded, but reviewers constantly notice that the gun stays snug and controllable even for shooters with bigger fingers, due to the form of the grip and the hammer spur placement.
Sights on the basic Bearcat are mounted: a small blade entrance sight and a sq. notch rear minimize into the highest strap. The later adjustable sight mannequin substitutes a totally adjustable rear unit and the next entrance blade, which makes it simpler to zero with trendy excessive velocity .22 ammunition.
The Bearcat hundreds by way of a proper aspect loading gate. Cartridges are inserted separately with the hammer at half cock on older weapons, or following the loading directions particular to the switch bar system on newer weapons. Extraction is by the standard ejector rod on the appropriate aspect of the barrel.
The Bearcat amongst Ruger rimfire revolvers
Inside Ruger’s personal catalog, the Bearcat has all the time occupied a novel area of interest.
Single Six and New Mannequin Single Six
The Single Six, launched in 1953, predates the Bearcat and stays considered one of Ruger’s signature rimfire revolvers. It’s primarily a full dimension .22 single motion patterned on the Colt Single Motion Military. Over time the Single Six line developed into the New Mannequin Single Six and numerous spin offs such because the Single Ten and Single 9, typically with convertible cylinders and adjustable sights.
In contrast with the Single Six household, the Bearcat is noticeably smaller and lighter, with a scaled down body and shorter barrel. The Single Six is extra of a normal objective .22 single motion, whereas the Bearcat is concentrated on being a compact path companion.
Wrangler and Tremendous Wrangler
In 2019 Ruger launched the Wrangler, a price range priced .22 Lengthy Rifle single motion constructed on an aluminum alloy body with an unfluted cylinder. It was designed to supply a decrease price different to the Single Six whereas preserving the basic single motion structure.
The Wrangler line was expanded in 2023 with the Tremendous Wrangler, which makes use of a metal body and ships with two cylinders, one for .22 Lengthy Rifle and one for .22 Magnum. It has adjustable sights and a 5.5 inch barrel.
Each Wrangler variants are glorious plinking and coaching revolvers, however they’re bigger and heavier than the Bearcat. The Bearcat stays Ruger’s smallest single motion .22, geared toward shooters who prioritize compactness and conventional aesthetics over most worth pricing or multi caliber flexibility.
Double motion .22 Rugers
Ruger additionally affords a number of double motion .22 revolvers, such because the SP101 in .22 Lengthy Rifle, the LCR .22, and the GP100 .22.
The SP101 .22 is an 8 shot, stainless-steel, 4.2 inch barreled revolver that weighs about 30 ounces and makes use of adjustable sights.
The LCR .22 is a light-weight double motion revolver with a polymer and aluminum body, 8 spherical capability, and a weight beneath 15 ounces.
The GP100 .22 is a big body, 10 shot stainless revolver with a 5.5 inch barrel and about 42 ounce weight, arrange as a full dimension coaching or discipline revolver.
These double motion weapons supply larger capability, totally different triggers, and in some instances adjustable sights and heavier frames suited to prolonged follow. None of them duplicate the Bearcat’s mixture of tiny dimension, single motion mechanism, and ornate styling.
Predecessors and rivals from different makers
The Bearcat didn’t seem in a vacuum. Different corporations had been constructing small rimfire revolvers for comparable roles.
Ruger predecessors
Ruger’s personal Commonplace .22 pistol, launched in 1949, created the corporate’s foothold within the rimfire market and taught it how one can construct cheap, correct .22 firearms in quantity.
The Single Six of 1953 will be seen because the Bearcat’s older brother. That full dimension .22 single motion established the sample of inexpensive, rugged sixguns that the Bearcat would later miniaturize for the path gun position.
Colt Frontier Scout
Colt’s Frontier Scout, launched in 1957, was a scaled down Single Motion Military in .22 Lengthy Rifle and .22 Magnum, with an aluminum alloy body and a value round $50 at launch. It remained in manufacturing into the Nineteen Seventies with a number of variations.
The Frontier Scout and Bearcat appealed to a lot the identical viewers, however the Colt was primarily a miniature Peacemaker whereas the Bearcat had its personal Remington impressed traces and a extra compact body. The Ruger was even smaller and lighter, higher suited to trip unnoticed in a equipment bag or on a slender belt.
Smith & Wesson Package Weapons
Smith & Wesson’s Package Gun household, which finally included the Mannequin 34 and later Mannequin 63 and 317, represented the double motion aspect of the identical idea. These had been small framed, six or eight shot .22 revolvers with 2 or 4 inch barrels and adjustable sights, meant to dwell in a fishing or searching equipment.
In contrast with the Bearcat, the S&W Package Weapons supplied double motion functionality and usually extra refined adjustable sights, however at the price of a distinct set off really feel and, in lots of instances, a barely bulkier profile.
Trendy price range and pocket rivals
In at the moment’s market, the Heritage Tough Rider .22 single motion, launched within the Nineties, fills a lot of the entry stage Outdated West type area of interest at very low costs. North American Arms builds tiny .22 rimfire mini revolvers which can be far smaller than the Bearcat however occupy extra of a deep concealment or novelty position.
The Bearcat sits between these extremes. It’s smaller and extra elegant than full dimension single actions, extra substantial and simpler to shoot than mini revolvers, and constructed to larger match and end requirements than the least costly imports. That stability is without doubt one of the keys to its enduring attraction.
Taking pictures the Ruger Bearcat
On the vary, the Bearcat has a definite persona that matches its seems.
The only motion set off is usually gentle and crisp, with a brief, clear break that rewards good fundamentals. Cocking the huge spur hammer produces the acquainted collection of clicks frequent to conventional single actions, and the quick cylinder rotation mixed with the compact body makes the gun really feel fast and vigorous within the hand. Reviewers constantly report that the Bearcat is surprisingly straightforward to deal with regardless of its dimension, even for shooters with bigger fingers.
Recoil with .22 Lengthy Rifle is sort of nonexistent in a 24 ounce metal revolver, which makes the Bearcat an inviting gun for brand spanking new shooters and a calming plinker for knowledgeable fingers. The sunshine weight and quick barrel additionally imply that the muzzle strikes simply, so easy set off management and observe by way of matter if correct teams are the aim. As soon as a shooter settles right into a rhythm, the little revolver can ship spectacular precision, particularly with hundreds that match the sight regulation.
The mounted sight Bearcat fashions are often regulated at typical small recreation ranges with excessive velocity .22 ammunition. Shooters preferring heavy subsonic or hyper velocity hundreds typically see elevation adjustments relative to level of goal, which is without doubt one of the causes Ruger finally supplied an adjustable sight model.
Loading and unloading observe the standard single motion sample. The shooter opens the loading gate, indexes the cylinder to every chamber, inserts or extracts rounds, after which returns the hammer to the down place. It’s a slower course of than utilizing a swing out double motion revolver, however a part of the allure of the Bearcat is that deliberate tempo. It encourages cautious capturing reasonably than speedy hearth spray.
As a discipline revolver, the Bearcat excels as a equipment gun. Its compact dimension and modest weight imply it disappears in a hip holster or small belt rig. The engraved cylinder and basic traces don’t damage its attraction when it comes out for an impromptu plinking session on a fallen log or a fast examine of zero throughout a hike.
The Bearcat’s distinctive place within the rimfire world
Throughout a long time of manufacturing, discontinuation, and revival, the Ruger Bearcat has held on to a really particular position that no different revolver fairly duplicates.
Inside Ruger’s lineup it’s the smallest and most historically styled .22 single motion, extra compact than the Single Six or Wrangler and extra refined in line and detailing than most price range rivals. It inherits Ruger’s lengthy expertise with rimfire firearms and funding casting, whereas utilizing trendy supplies and the switch bar security on present fashions.
Amongst all .22 revolvers, it stands at an intersection of traits:
Actually compact, but nonetheless a full dimension sixgun in really feel and operation
Robust metal development on trendy variations, with an extended monitor document of sturdiness
Basic pocket Remington styling that units it other than Colt patterned clones
A protracted steady manufacturing historical past throughout three primary generations, punctuated by widespread particular editions
For hikers, campers, trappers, and anybody who likes a small revolver that appears at house on a leather-based belt and feels alive within the hand, the Bearcat stays one of the vital distinctive decisions obtainable. It isn’t the most affordable rimfire revolver, nor the best capability, nor essentially the most closely accessorized. As an alternative it affords one thing easier and extra enduring: a compact, fantastically made six shot .22 that invitations common use and, fairly often, finally ends up being handed all the way down to the subsequent era with the blue worn a little bit skinny and the recollections connected to it worn in very deep.
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