Ruger Wrangler 22 LR Revolvers

If you want a taste of the Old West, without actually tasting the cordite from the black powder, the Ruger Wrangler will take you down memory lane. This inexpensive, well-designed single action revolver in equally inexpensive .22 Long Rifle ammunition is a pleasure to shoot. Single action adds a level of safety that pistols and double-action revolvers don’t have. To fire the Ruger Wrangler, you have to pull the hammer back manually, and then you can pull the trigger.

This little beauty comes in silver, gold and bronze, or at least that’s what the Cerakote finish looks like and in barrel lengths of 3.75-inches to double that at 7.5-inches. This is a pleasure to shoot with a light trigger and almost no recoil.

Ruger answered the nostalgic call with this revolver. If you enjoy westerns on television or the big screen, you’ll get a kick (not from firing the gun) out of this little piece of modernized yesteryear technology.

The main feature is this revolver is single action, making it the safest handgun design on the market. Manually cock the hammer and pull the trigger which is set at a moderate 3 ¾ pounds out of the box. The six-shot cylinder is freewheeling, meaning you can spin it in either direction while loading or unloading.

There are currently four basic types of the Ruger Wrangler, each with several sub-models that tweak the features a bit further for individual taste. The grip material and the Cerakote color can be changed to fit the individual shooter as well.

The four variations are all built on the Bird’s head design on 3 ¾-inch barrel, and other longer length barrels. There are many 4 5/8-inch models, all with fixed sights. The longer, more accurate 6 ½ and 7 ½-inch models always come with fixed sights. The final version, the “Super Wrangler” is a 5 ½-inch design with adjustable sights.

Super Wrangler – This is the high-end model of the Ruger Wrangler. It arrives with two cylinders, one chambered for .22 Long Rifle and the other .22 WMR. A windage and elevation adjustable rear sight set this model apart. The cylinders are not interchangeable with other Wrangler models.

Wrangler 6 ½ and7 ½-Inch – A model worthy of the Old West, slightly heavier than other models with an overall length up to 13-inches and a weight just over two pounds. If you’re after longer range rabbits and other small game this is a great choice.

Wrangler 4 5/8-Inch – Tipping the scale at less than two pounds, and with a wide variety of color combinations in its Cerakote finish, this is a very popular size Wrangler. It has the same features as the others, and is a little longer than the shortest model, the 3.75-inch Wrangler.

Wrangler Bird’s Head - The “Bird’s Head” is the shortest Wrangler a 3.75-inches. It also carries the look of the Old West, but more of a “Pinkerton” or early 20th century image. Light at just 28 ounces, it is the shortest revolver in the line at 8.62 inches overall.