Ruger Bearcat is a cute gun

I had a couple of the original ones over the years and a few years ago bought a new one with adjustable sights. They're great little revolvers but after the novelty wore off I didn't shoot them much. I'm probably going to sell the one I have now before long and get a new toy.

If I shoot 22 SA I gravitate to my convertible stainless Single Six that I've had for thirty years. Fine gun!
 
I've owned a couple myself including the adjustable sight model, but find them a little too small for accurate shooting even with my thin fingers. The Single Six is the perfect size for me.
 
The little Bearcat in 22 & Mag, was my first revolver, when I was in high school.

It almost fit my big hand, since I was tall & large for my age.
Shot a lot of long rifle through it and only a few Magnums, since they were
very high in price for this youngster, that tossed newspapers, for money.

I was a lot better with a rifle and it took a long time for me to get "Fair"
with the 6" barrel and cowboy sights.

It was a fun weapon to shot, though.
 
I took my three grandsons to the range along with four .22 pistols/revolvers.

A Ruger Standard Model
A Ruger Mk IV 22/45
A Ruger Single-Six convertible (see a pattern here?), and
A Ruger Bearcat.

They shot all of them, but the one that they wanted to shoot, over, and over, and over again was the Bearcat. The worst sights of the four, the shortest barrel, the least accurate, but I guess that the "cute" factor won out.
 
They are cute

Yessir, the term does come up!


3 Ruger .22s Single Six .22 Magnum Old style Bearcat not modified Single Six .22 not modified


iscs-yoda-albums-other-brands-revolvers-picture15837-3-ruger-22s-single-six-22-magnum-old-style-bearcat-not-modified-single-six-22-not-modified.jpg


I have the original grips for that Bearcat, too.
 
The little Bearcat in 22 & Mag, was my first revolver, when I was in high school.

It almost fit my big hand, since I was tall & large for my age.
Shot a lot of long rifle through it and only a few Magnums, since they were
very high in price for this youngster, that tossed newspapers, for money.

I was a lot better with a rifle and it took a long time for me to get "Fair"
with the 6" barrel and cowboy sights.

It was a fun weapon to shot, though.

Are you sure you had a Bearcat and not a Single Six? The New Model Bearcat was the only one that had a .22 magnum cylinder and until recently, the only barrel length available was 4".
 
You're right not the 1st time a Bearcats been called cute. 25 years ago I bought 1. My wife said oh that's cute it's mine.

Them there womens that like guns are tricky.

Right after we got married, a long long time ago, she who had never hunted nor owned a gun asked me to teach her hunter safety, how to shoot and how to hunt. Then she picked my custom Pre 64 M70 and said my this is cute I'll take it. I had a custom 98 Mauser in 6.5-55 I was going to give but no. All of that worked she can hunt, track if needed and bag wall hangers. To keep her thieving fingers off my cute guns I bought her a Browning gold 20 and some years later she said my custom Mosel 70 was a little too heavy I told her heavy was the price you pay for grabbing cute. I bought her a Kimber classic 7mm 08 which she loves killed 2 more big bucks that hang on the wall.

Cute is a 2 edged sword. Years ago my wife grabbed me cause she thought I was cute. Today I'd have to hide her glasses and turndown the lights and pretend the cuteness factor.
 
;) I suspect you two have been married long enough to know that translates to "It's mine now."

Since this thread is rather dated, did you ever see it again Faulkner?

I did get the Bearcat back. :) She has a Walther P22 that she's pretty fond of and keeps handy for varmints and such when I'm not around.

I've been carrying the little Bearcat around the homestead a good bit in my Nixon Leather cross draw rig.

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Guys, If you have a "convertible" bearcat DO NOT SHOOT THE MAGNUM CYLINDER!!!

The cylinders were recalled by Ruger and no replacements were issued. The cylinders were out of time and risked a serious over pressure incident. If you have one you have a very rare beast as there were only about a thousand shipped and most of them no longer have their magnum cylinders.
 
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Well, it's been about 12 hours, and no one else has asked, so I guess it's up to me.


Remchester, what is a "TOTE GOAT"?
 
Well, it's been about 12 hours, and no one else has asked, so I guess it's up to me.


Remchester, what is a "TOTE GOAT"?

ALPO, a tote goat was a brand of motor scooter built for the outdoors. It usually had a 3 t0 7 horsepower Briggs and Stratton engine and made of heavy tubbing for framework. No lights, horn, mirrors or any luxury item. Just one seat, one brake handle and a kick stand. I wore out 3 of them in my youth. We lived in the countryside 6 miles from a small town. It was my only transportation. and lead me on many a grand adventure.
 
This is a Tote Gote:

Tote-Gote-Side-1600x900.jpg

Aw the elusive luxury model with 2 seats. Me and my friends wanted an extra seat but were too uninspired to build one ourselves. We had as many as 4 people at a time on my tote goat. Always two. I shot my first coyote while riding on the back and my friend driving. Had been out hunting who knows what when a coyote jumped into the road ahead of use. I had a Browning 22 automatic and as my friend chased it down the road, I shot it as we went past it at the blistering speed of @15 MPH. I was about 12 at the time and the first of us to get a coyote. I brought it home thrown over the seat between us. I was beyond proud. My mother not so proud.
 
Guys, If you have a "convertible" bearcat DO NOT SHOOT THE MAGNUM CYLINDER!!!

The cylinders were recalled by Ruger and no replacements were issued. The cylinders were out of time and risked a serious over pressure incident. If you have one you have a very rare beast as there were only about a thousand shipped and most of them no longer have their magnum cylinders.


IIRC, one or two of the New Model Bearcats had timing issues so Ruger recalled all of them. I bought an extra .22 LR cylinder for my Bearcat and re-chambered it myself. I have had no timing issues with it.

I bought the .22 LR cylinder from a Ruger Forum member and it was a drop-in fit.
 
Bearcat's are very nice little Single Actions. I have a friend that has his Grandfathers early Bearcat, Ser B00x. An alphabet gut; They started with 1 - 999, then A001-999, then B001-999 so his is just after the 2000th one.
 
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