Heritage Rough Rider: One of 2019's Top-Selling Revolvers

by
posted on May 9, 2020
** 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. **
rough-rider.jpg

Rough Rider revolvers, from Heritage Manufacturing, were the second-most-popular wheelguns in sales through the services of Gunbroker.com in 2019. The names of other handgun makers may be more familiar, but this company’s reputation for producing quality, U.S.-made single-action-only handguns continues to grow. The diversity of choices in the line is almost staggering, although an “old west” style guaranteed to appeal to any enthusiast remains constant throughout.

Chamberings available include .45 Colt, .357 Mag. (which allows it to handle .38 Spl. +P), a .22 WMR/.22 LR combo and .22 LR, with capacities of six to nine rounds, depending on cartridge and model. Barrel lengths also vary, depending on choice, from 3 inches to more than a foot in the attention-grabbing 16-inch Rough Rider model.

Grips are made of either cocobolo, wood laminate, a striking pearl in a variety of colors and even wearing thematic fun in the 6-Shot Rough Rider special editions. Those models are available in in .22 WMR/.22 LR combos or the latter, but there’s no shortage of grip options and metal finish choices.

The 4 3/4- or 6 1/2-inch barrels and frame can sport a black or black-satin finish, but there’s also a color-case hardened look. In the grips you can select from standard fare or choose an American flag motif, “Ace in the Hole,” Miss B Havin,” “My Belle,” and more. The 4 3/4-inch .22LR Black Standard USA Flag model has an MSRP of $147. That’s no typo, either.

All the 16-inch Rough Rider versions are chambered for .22 LR, although with two models you can opt to add a .22 WMR cylinder. Doing so moves those prices up to $218 to $233.k The latter comes with adjustable sights. Most of the company’s models have a fixed blade up front and notch at the rear.

The company also offers a Bird Head line of Rough Riders if you’re looking for something a little more “civilized.” The compilation of 2019’s top finishers on Gunbroker.com lists the Big Bore line (specifically in .45 Colt) as the year’s second-best-selling revolver. MSRP’s there are $515, regardless of chambering or barrel length (5 1/2-or 4 3/4).

Perhaps sales were predominated by that chambering, but it would be a shame to overlook the rest of this handgun family from Heritage Manufacturing. After all, one of them caught our attention and was named NRA Gun of the Week in June 2018—the first year the company’s Rough Riders earned second place in revolver rankings.

Latest

Star Model B Ihtog 1
Star Model B Ihtog 1

I Have This Old Gun: Star Model B

Of the many Spanish-made firearms to emerge throughout the 19th and 20th century, one of the most recognizable is the Star Model B, largely due to its similarity to the Colt Model 1911.

New For 2025: Kimber Next Generation 1911

For its latest M1911 offering, Kimber Mfg. borrowed design elements from its double-stack 2K11 pistol to create what it calls the Next Generation 1911.

Review: Charter Arms Double Dog

Charter Arms is an American gunmaker that has offered its own versions of compact, double-action revolvers at fair prices for more than 60 years.

Rifleman Q&A: Mysterious “Broomhandle” Bring-Back

"My favorite gun is inoperable, so I have not shot it. It is one of two weapons that my dad brought back from the Philippines after World War II, the other being a sword."

New Jersey Town Supports CCW With Fee Refund

The city of Englishtown, N.J., recently made a move to reduce that financial barrier, sparking widespread optimism that a statewide, even nationwide, trend may be on the horizon.

Review: Savage Arms Revel

Lever-action rifles have experienced a revival in recent years, and Savage Arms is getting in on the act with its Revel series rimfires. To understand it, you may have to read (backward) between the lines.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.