An Ode to Cheap .22 Handguns

1
I've never really spent much time with .22 pistols. A couple of years ago, PSA enticed me to buy a GSG Firefly, just because it was so cheap. Reviews were mixed but for $150, plus transfer fee, I thought why not? When it arrived I promptly threw it in the safe and forgot about it. Recently, I've had plenty of opportunity finally to shoot said pistol and I have not been disappointed. So long as I use quality, hi velocity ammo (Mini Mags, Stingers) it is very reliable. It is also very loud for a .22 and I have years of stockpiled .22 ammo, not all of which is high velocity. Plus, I like wheel guns. Enter the cheapest .22 revolver money can buy, the Heritage Rough Rider. Again from PSA, $147 with transfer when all is said and done. Also impressed. I can shoot any .22 ammo I want from it, from wife pleasing subsonics to .22 mag should I want to spend $30 on another cylinder. Strangely, my wife tells me that even when shooting high velocity, the revolver is much quieter than the auto. Accuracy for both seems good but I have nothing empirical other than some beer cans with holes in them, shot at about wherever I feel like yards. The revolver does seem more accurate that the auto. Triggers on both are good given the price, the Rough Rider winning out in SA. DA on the Firefly is just so so.

Along with this cheap fun miracle, I've also had a holster miracle! A few years back, Mr. Bucolic sent me a lovely black leather S&W long barrel revolver holster that absolutely did not fit my 29-2. Bottom of the safe it went. Years before that, I purchased a beautiful black leather Czech Police holster for CZ 75 Compact. It was intended for my Tanfoglio Witness, which does indeed fit, sort of. My Witness is not compact and the end of the barrel and the slide protrude in a way I never cared for. I also never holster that gun. So the Rough Rider fits the revolver Holster and the Firefly fits the CZ 75 Holster. I do sometimes holster one or the other around the farm, lest I happen across something that looks like it might need to be shot. So all is good and right in the world and some bottom of the safe, island of misfit holsters have purpose again.

I have no issue recommending either of these guns. In fact, I'd go as far as to say if you're into shooting there is little reason NOT to own one or both of these, particularly the Rough Rider. I would certainly recommend the Rough Rider as a first handgun for someone just curious about firearms.

And of course this thread would be incomplete without pics. Some quick snaps as I unpacked last night.
'Sorry stupid people but there are some definite disadvantages to being stupid."

-John Cleese
Attachments
IMG_1497.JPG
IMG_1496.JPG
IMG_1494.JPG
IMG_1492.JPG
IMG_1490.JPG

Re: An Ode to Cheap .22 Handguns

5
Someone needs to post a Phoenix Arms in this thread.

I have a noisy Taurus PT22 that isn't super accurate when I shoot it (sights aren't great) but it works.
It is an unfortunate human failing that a full pocketbook often groans more loudly than an empty stomach.

- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Re: An Ode to Cheap .22 Handguns

6
Mason wrote:I've never really spent much time with .22 pistols. A couple of years ago, PSA enticed me to buy a GSG Firefly, just because it was so cheap. Reviews were mixed but for $150, plus transfer fee, I thought why not? When it arrived I promptly threw it in the safe and forgot about it. Recently, I've had plenty of opportunity finally to shoot said pistol and I have not been disappointed. So long as I use quality, hi velocity ammo (Mini Mags, Stingers) it is very reliable. It is also very loud for a .22 and I have years of stockpiled .22 ammo, not all of which is high velocity. Plus, I like wheel guns. Enter the cheapest .22 revolver money can buy, the Heritage Rough Rider. Again from PSA, $147 with transfer when all is said and done. Also impressed. I can shoot any .22 ammo I want from it, from wife pleasing subsonics to .22 mag should I want to spend $30 on another cylinder. Strangely, my wife tells me that even when shooting high velocity, the revolver is much quieter than the auto. Accuracy for both seems good but I have nothing empirical other than some beer cans with holes in them, shot at about wherever I feel like yards. The revolver does seem more accurate that the auto. Triggers on both are good given the price, the Rough Rider winning out in SA. DA on the Firefly is just so so.

Along with this cheap fun miracle, I've also had a holster miracle! A few years back, Mr. Bucolic sent me a lovely black leather S&W long barrel revolver holster that absolutely did not fit my 29-2. Bottom of the safe it went. Years before that, I purchased a beautiful black leather Czech Police holster for CZ 75 Compact. It was intended for my Tanfoglio Witness, which does indeed fit, sort of. My Witness is not compact and the end of the barrel and the slide protrude in a way I never cared for. I also never holster that gun. So the Rough Rider fits the revolver Holster and the Firefly fits the CZ 75 Holster. I do sometimes holster one or the other around the farm, lest I happen across something that looks like it might need to be shot. So all is good and right in the world and some bottom of the safe, island of misfit holsters have purpose again.

I have no issue recommending either of these guns. In fact, I'd go as far as to say if you're into shooting there is little reason NOT to own one or both of these, particularly the Rough Rider. I would certainly recommend the Rough Rider as a first handgun for someone just curious about firearms.

And of course this thread would be incomplete without pics. Some quick snaps as I unpacked last night.
Academy Sports occasionally runs a, "Buy a Taurus, get a Heritage Rough Rider for free."

One of these days when I'm not trying to finish out my never ending bucket list.
Last edited by atxgunguy on Tue Feb 18, 2020 2:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
LGC Texas - Vice President

Re: An Ode to Cheap .22 Handguns

8
But can you sing it's praises?

I'm sure I'll end up with a Heritage in fairly short order. Like all my purchases, it will be a case of the tail wagging the dog. I have a few boxes of 22wrf and I understand you can shoot that through 22mag cylinders. So I'll probably spend the $30 extra dollars on a 22mag cylinder to shoot up $35 in ammo.

Thank you for posting this. I'm much more of a budget kinda guy (sounds better than "cheap"), but I've been trying to fight that impulse. As a result, I almost bought a Ruger No. 3 in 45-70 rather than the Henry I'd intended.

Re: An Ode to Cheap .22 Handguns

9
bajajoaquin wrote: Tue Feb 18, 2020 4:48 pm But can you sing it's praises?
(sounds better than "cheap")
yes, i can. the word you are looking for is "frugal", which carries none of the ugly connotations of "cheap", and all of the virtues. but let's not quibble over nuances. the humble hp22 is cheap to own, cheap to operate, cheap to repair if needed, and you'll not have to worry about the zamak zinc-alloy which comprises the vast majority of it ever rusting. plus, i like the 1911-ish ergonomics, and the multitude of safeties can be easily undone if desired (magazine safety).
but if i could do it over, i'd get one in 22lr and the other in .25acp.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: An Ode to Cheap .22 Handguns

11
oh, that. it's a bauer (or frasier) baby browning clone. yes, i have 1 of each. i think that's the frasier, the only diff is the name and the grip panels. .25acp. stainless steel.
i went through a pocket pistol phase.
LUGO0781.jpg
the smaller the better..
Last edited by lurker on Tue Feb 18, 2020 6:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: An Ode to Cheap .22 Handguns

14
highdesert wrote:The Phoenix Arms is noisy too, it could be the Zinc alloy frame. Beautiful Colts Dr B !

A few 22 pistols and a box of Federal Value Pack ammo and I can have hours of fun.
Thanks! The lower one is actually a Belgian Browning Challenger c. 1969 that I picked up for a song a few years back. (Bisbee may remember that) The Woodsman is a second series that my wife’s father bought new in 1949. Both are great shooters.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Image

Re: An Ode to Cheap .22 Handguns

15
lurker wrote: Tue Feb 18, 2020 5:25 pm oh, that. it's a bauer (or frasier) baby browning clone. yes, i have 1 of each. i think that's the frasier, the only diff is the name and the grip panels. .25acp. stainless steel.
i went through a pocket pistol phase.LUGO0781.jpg
the smaller the better..
You've mentioned that before, and I started searching for them on Gunbroker. Unfortunately, with the CA Roster, I had to search for only C&R pistols, and when shipping, transfer fees, blah blah blah, they were too much to impulse purchase. I'll just have to be limited to my Beretta .25 for now.

Re: An Ode to Cheap .22 Handguns

16
bajajoaquin wrote: Tue Feb 18, 2020 6:24 pm
lurker wrote: Tue Feb 18, 2020 5:25 pm oh, that. it's a bauer (or frasier) baby browning clone. yes, i have 1 of each. i think that's the frasier, the only diff is the name and the grip panels. .25acp. stainless steel.
i went through a pocket pistol phase.LUGO0781.jpg
the smaller the better..
You've mentioned that before, and I started searching for them on Gunbroker. Unfortunately, with the CA Roster, I had to search for only C&R pistols, and when shipping, transfer fees, blah blah blah, they were too much to impulse purchase. I'll just have to be limited to my Beretta .25 for now.
this being a .22 thread i figured best to let it drop. there are lots of cute little .25s out there in pawn shops and gun shows, some of them actually good quality. california, who knows?
ok, ok, 1 more pic. upper right, a galesi-brescia(good steel from the north of italy), lower right, PIC (cheap German zamak).
pcktpstls.JPG
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: An Ode to Cheap .22 Handguns

21
I had one because I listened to people say "everyone needs one in the safe." Cheap and great for beginners.

I hate to say it, but I must have got a hold of a dud. I could not keep a 5" group at 7 yards. Granted, I only tried three or four different types of ammo. Same results with each. I couldn't put new shooters through the disappointment, so I sold it.

I am glad to hear others have had greater success.
Never confuse knowledge with intelligence.

Re: An Ode to Cheap .22 Handguns

22
Heritage definitely isn't known for their quality control. Mine's been reliable and accurate, but I've seen videos where guys got them and the barrel crown was all jacked up out of the box, the cylinder lockup was wonky, shit like that. As a guitar player a liken it to buying a Mexican made Stratocaster, everyone should have one, some are perfect off the line and some suck.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest