ARTV: The Making of Heritage Revolvers

by
posted on March 17, 2021
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Heritage Manufacturing Inc. is one of three brands under the Taurus Holdings name and known for its single-action .22-cal. rimfire revolvers. Heritage makes these revolvers in a number of different themes around the same single-action receiver design. The revolvers are manufactured at the Taurus plant located in Miami, Fla., and made mostly in-house.      

Firing a Heritage single-action rimfire revolver.
Firing a Heritage single-action rimfire revolver.

Heritage Manufacturing was acquired by Taurus in 2012, and very little has changed with the design of the Heritage rimfire revolvers made at the Taurus plant since then. Because of the plant's massive production capacity, the revolvers are made in a large number of different finishes, colors and grip styles that continue to grow and change with different lines. Despite the variety, the revolvers all start from the same basic components. 

A worker assembling a Heritage revolver at the factory.
A worker assembling a Heritage revolver at the factory.

Heritage uses a number of different manufacturing processes in the construction of the revolver parts, with some components being made of simple stampings while others are precision cut by CNC machines. The barrel, cylinder and frame are the three major metal components of the revolvers that are made from start to finish at the Taurus factory and involve in-depth machining. Barrels start off as blanks that are drilled, cut and rifled before being finished and paired with a receiver. 

Cylinders after being cut by CNC.
Cylinders after being cut by CNC.

The process in which the cylinders are made is very similar, starting as a featureless steel blank. Several different cuts are made on the cylinder blanks by CNC lathes and mills to cut the chambers and interface surfaces with several quality checks along the way. The cylinders are then finished once the final machining checks are complete. The frames of the revolvers start out as raw castings in the basic shape of a finished frame. 

A lineup of three receivers representing the work done during the machining and polishing process.
A lineup of three receivers representing the work done during the machining and polishing process.

The frames also go through a number of different machining processes involving CNC mills and laths in which the frames are cut and threaded for the smaller components. After the machining process, the frames are then tumble polished before being finished and used in assembly. The Heritage revolvers are unique partly due to the addition of a safety tab located on the left side of the hammer on the frame. When the safety is in the up position, a hammer block prevents the hammer from making contact with the firing pin.

The majority of all the Heritage single-action revolvers are chambered for .22 LR, with a few that are chambered for multiple .22-cal. rimfire cartridges. Heritage offers these revolvers in several different lines with various grip themes and color options available. For more information on the various Heritage Manufacturing Inc. revolvers available visit heritagemfg.com.

To watch complete segments of past episodes of American Rifleman TV, go to americanrifleman.org/artv. For all-new episodes of ARTV, tune in Wednesday nights to Outdoor Channel 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. EST.

Latest

Hillsdale College Shotgun Nsca Championship 1
Hillsdale College Shotgun Nsca Championship 1

Youth Firearm Education, Shooting Leagues On The Rise

Several states have instituted firearm education courses for students in public schools, and several scholastic shooting leagues have posted record attendance numbers in recent years.

Preview: Fix-It Sticks Rifle And Optics Toolkit With All-In-One Torque Driver

An optic coming loose can ruin a hunt or a range session, so having a pocket-size remedy such as the Fix-It Sticks Rifle and Optics Toolkit is a prudent hedge.

Glock Unveils Its GEN6, V-Series Pistols

"Perfection" is now in its sixth generation, as Glock introduces its new GEN6 line of handguns, which incorporates substantial mechanical and ergonomic changes compared to previous factory offerings.

Tisas Introduces PX-9 2.0 Duty Comp, Carry Comp & Tactical Comp Pistols

Many handgunners are seeing the value of muzzle compensators on their handguns, and Turkish gunmaker Tisas is answering the call with three new models: the PX-9 2.0 Duty Comp, Carry Comp and Tactical Comp.

Preview: Federal BYOB .22LR Ammo Bucket

With 1,375 rounds of .22 Long Rifle ammunition, the stackable, reusable Federal BYOB .22 LR Ammo Bucket is sure to keep even the most ardent shooter of rimfire handguns or rifles busy for a while—even if there’s more than one new gun under the tree.

Gun Of The Week: CZ 600+ American

CZ expanded its 600 series of rifles with a particular version tailored to the American market, and this CZ 600+ American model has a few unique features incorporated into the design.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.