Ruger Bearcat reviews?

Hey, Gents and Ladies,

I have some birthday coin jingling in my jeans, and have been thinking about buying a Ruger Bearcat .22 revolver. I'd be pleased to hear from those of you who already have one of these little guys, and what you think of it. How do they shoot, accuracy-wise? Ammo sensitive? How's the weight for a second woods gun, the first being something a bit more powerful. We have mountain lions, bobcats, and bear, up where we live, and just a .22 for a woods gun is not very smart, me thinks! I'd love to hear about your thoughts on this little Bearcat, and what you think is a fair price for one. I've been leaning towards the stainless version, over the blued, just for it's ability to shrug off the elements a bit better. Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

For what you pay for a Bearcat you can buy a single six. They make a blue model with fixed sights if you don't like target. I like the Bearcat but to me it's kind of a "Ruger guy's collector type gun." The Single Six is available in a blue 4.6" or SS 5.5" and I think you'd be better served by one of those if you prefer a short barrel. I don't know if it's kosher to add a link to a sight with more Ruger info but we will find out.

I have spoken to people who own the new Bearcat's and get sorta mixed feelings.All of them liked the revolver and said they were accurate .One fellow in particular said he thought his had "a built in laser" because it was SO accurate!!.They are great little guns but like most Rugers need a little work on the trigger.The new guns have the transfer bar safety so differ from the Old Models.You may find the little thing somewhat hard to shoot if you have big hands but they are fun,easy to carry and kids love 'em!

Nothing wrong with them at all and they shoot great, except the price increase since introduction had exceeded inflation. It's just too expensive- a good used one is the most affordable way to get into one, but even these are usually priced far above what they should go far used.

Morning, Guys,

Thanks for the feedback on this little revolver. I have several .22's, including an Old Model 9 1/2" barreled Ruger Single Six Convertible, which is a very nice gun, indeed. I did find, however, that my SS Convertible is VERY ammo sensitive, and shoots great with only Federal .22 ammunition. Other brands just don't group well in that gun. .22 Mag stuff does a bit better, as might be assumed, with the slightly larger bore of Convertible pistols.

In any case, I was thinking about the Bearcat, mainly because of it's small size, and lighter weight. But, the comment on price is dead on. It's an expensive little bugger, for what it is!! I once saw very nice J-frame .22 snubby, which I shoulg have bought, but didn't. It had adjustable sights, too, which would have made it a very nice little kit gun. Oh, well.... too soon old, too late smart, eh?!!

I'll check around for a used Bearcat, and see what turns up. I have smaller hands, and so it should work very well for me. In truth, though, I think it would be great to have one of the older ones, with a brass grip frame. They are lighter in weight, but from what I've read, MUCH "heavier" in cost!! Thanks for your thoughts on the Bearcat, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

Go to the Ruger Forum and ask about an old model shooter,you would probably be surprised about the prices!I have an old model that has an aluminum frame and trigger guard and it is" a very light stick in the pocket revolver"
Hope you can find one!

I bought one for my wife for Valentine's Day back when they first came out. They are sweet little revolvers; I wish my wife would let me play with it once in a while!

My wife likes hers (one of the new models). In times past the old ones always seemed to shoot high, but this one is right on and a good shooter. It has always seemed like a bit of a toy to me but maybe that is part of the appeal of the thing. The trigger could use some work but I 'm not anxious to work on something that small. Reassembling the NM Blackhawks is a 3 hand job, and I'm afraid the Bearcat would really be a challenge.

But the new ones shoot to the sights, at least for us.

I've been shooting, buying and selling Rugers longer than SW's and all I can offer is that I think that the new ones are junk. For less money, I would buy a nice older one.

I only ever had one, an old model,for a short time that I bought to simply resell. I took it out to shoot it a bit and found that for me at least the gun was a bit small to handle and I don't have large hands by any measure.

Loading & unloading quickly became tedious with the little thing. That can get to me w/any SA I guess, but the Bearcat seemed especially so. But it was accurate for the session of plinking I did with it. It shot to point of aim with the mixed ammo I had w/me.

Sure was a cute thing though, but if I was wanting something small like that and had a mind that I was going to be shooting it more than just a few rounds every once in a while,, I'd buy a decent Mod34 22cal and be done with it.

Even the 4" version can't be much bigger than the Bearcat if at all.
Seems like an awful lot more gun for the money and much easier to use,,especially in cold and/or wet weather. Or when a cat is staring at you..

Don't know anything about or have any experience w/the New Model Rugers,
Just my .02
Good Luck in your search!

2152hq said:

Seems like an awful lot more gun for the money and much easier to use,,especially in cold and/or wet weather. Or when a cat is staring at you..

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I've killed many field rats and snakes with mine- quite handy.

Are you talking about bobcats, mountain lions or the most ferocious- the feral cat?

The OP says he ventures into areas that are shared by mountain lions, bobcats, and bear.

If all I had was a .22,,I'd be glad I had a 34 over the Bearcat. But that's just me and knowing how each feels in my hand(s).

I did shoot a feral kat in my garage many years ago with a S&W,,but it was a Third Model Single Shot,,Olympic chamber and all!
In the dark w/flashlight in hand. Heard some strange noises out there. Turned the light off and waited, sitting on the top of the steps. Out he came. I thought I was going to see a racoon.

Greetings, Guys,

Thanks, again, for all the comments! Much appreciated.

Yes, we live in a mountainous area, which we share with mountain lions, bobcats, and bears. We've even had the lions and bears up on our roof, a couple of times! That gets your attention in a very short time!! I always take a big bore pistol when out in the woods, and even taking out the trash to the curb, as we've had plenty of bears go through our trash, one of which I met on about O-dark-thirty one morning!! Talk about waking you up, and FAST, that will do it!

But, I'd also like to have a very small, lightweight revolver in .22 caliber, like the Bearcat, in addition to my big bore pistol, to take along when I go hiking or backpacking in our local mountains, down to the deserts, and many other places. I have a little Iver Johnson TP22, which has proved to be a very reliable, and fairly accurate little pistol, and that gun used to go with me in the role of plinker, snake medicine (rarely do we shoot snakes around here, if it can be avoided), and small game gatherer. It's worked very well in that regard. But, the BC just has a look that appeals to me, and so I decided to check them out, and see what might happen.

I did sign onto the Ruger forum, and asked for their comments. As it is here, I'm getting plenty of information over there, which is good! I appreciate any and all help, and would rather trust gun owners users, than just reading about a gun and trying to decipher the truth about it.

So, thanks, again, and I'll keep checking back, to see if others sign onto this thread with good info and helpful opinions. Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

Hi:
I have owed several "Old Models" in years past. Great for teaching youngsters handgun shooting. A Bearcat and a Charter Arms Pathfinder (DA) was what my six learned with. Accuratey varies from Bearcat to Bearcat. The prices of the Old Models is somewhat higher than the oringinal price of $39.50.
If I resided where you do (bears and lions) I would do my woods wandering in a Military Tank.

Evening, JimmyJ,

You made me laugh with your response, Sir!! Funny! In truth, we've had both bears and mountain lions up on the roof of our house, in the past! So, it's not just wandering the woods when you need to be prepared.

Once, we had gotten to bed very late, after getting my wife ready to leave very early in the morning for a work gig. We had to get up at the very crack of dawn to get her down to the airport. But, just as soon as we hit the sack, we could hear VERY LOUD purring coming from the roof just outside our bedroom window!! I whispered to my wife that I thought it was a mountain lion. She asked, "Are you going to get your flashlight and look"? To which I replied, "Hon, we've got to get up in just a few hours, so I'm just going to go to sleep. It's purring, and so not angry about anything". But, I did reach out and pull my Lightweight Colt Officer's ACP just a little closer to me on the nightstand! In a few hours, the alarm clanged us awake, and we headed down the mountain to the airport. When I got back home, after several hours, I hit the sack again, for some much-needed catch-up sleep. In a few more hours, I arose, dressed, and went out to the forest behind our home, to see if I could find any tracks. Sure enough, there they were. Some deep push-off tracks where the cat had jumped up onto our roof! The forest comes right up to our house at that certain place, and it's only a short jump to the roof, especially for a mountain lion! I climbed up there, to see if anything was out of place, and found a large bone that had been gnawed down to far less than what it had originally been!! So, I figure the cat was outside, on the roof, gnawing on that bone, and purring it's contentment, whilst we were trying to get to sleep the night before! Interesting thing: when that cat showed up, and for as long as it was in our area, all our local raccoons were suddenly no where to be seen!!

In any case, I am always armed appropriately when outside doing chores, as I was today, or just walking in the woods. It definitely pays to be aware of your surroundings and prepared to defend yourself, and others, should the need arise. Thanks for the nice laugh, JimmyJ! Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

I've had several of the older ones and still have 2 new models, 1 stainless & 1 blued. The stainless one I picked up new because the grips, fit, finish & timing was better than any of the old ones & I wanted a good kit gun. I intended to round off the grip frame a little to accomadate a permanently injured hand but it shoots so nice I never had the heart. Then I picked up a used blued one in trade w/ the same plan, the grips aren't as nice and discovered it locks up as tight & shoots as well as the stainless one! I rounded the grip frame anyway & it makes an excellant snake, rabbit, squirrel, etc. gun. I carry a hot-loaded .357 M60 for the lions, pigs, varmints, etc. that roam around but the Bearcat feeds me regularly.

Evening, Injunbro,

Thanks, very much, for your comments on the blued and stainless BC! Your use of said pistols is about the same as what I plan to do with the one I get, should I choose to do so, and IF I can find a good one for a decent price! So reading your experience with this little pistol is very helpful and much appreciated. Thanks, again, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

I've owned one OM Bearcat and two NM Bearcats, one blue and one stainless. Just have the stainless one now and it's on the short list of guns that will never be sold. It's very accurate and though I prefer adjustable sights, I hit very well with this BC.

mod34 said:

I've been shooting, buying and selling Rugers longer than SW's and all I can offer is that I think that the new ones are junk. For less money, I would buy a nice older one.

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Evening, Mod34,

I was wondering why you consider the new Bearcats to be junk, if I may ask? I have quite a few NM Blackhawks, and all of them are very accurate, good shooters, and as tight as the day I bought them. Is there something, in particular, that makes you feel that they NM's are junk? I'd really appreciate hearing your thoughts on that, please. Thanks, very much, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

Hey, Mulie Gil,

Thanks, very much, for the info! I'm leaning towards the stainless BC, myself. I'm definitely going to check around for prices, and then see how all this turns out. But, it's outstanding to get so many great comments about these little revolvers, and that has helped me gain even more interest in getting one. I note one negative about the NM Bearcats, but as you can see from my recent reply, I've asked for specifics as to why this Gentleman doesn't like them. May just be a preference for the OM pistols. I do hope he replies, so I can find out. Thanks, again, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc