Rifleman Review: Heritage Mfg. Roscoe

For years, Heritage Mfg. was known for its affordable line of single-action rimfire revolvers called "Rough Riders," but recently, the company has branched out into the centerfire side of the firearm market, and one of its latest offerings is the Roscoe, a double-action revolver that harkens back to the classic Smith & Wesson carry revolvers of the mid-20th century. Watch our "American Rifleman Television" Rifleman Review segment above to see the details of this retro-style revolver.

 "This is the Heritage Arms Roscoe. Of course, Heritage is part of Taurus, and this gun actually is made Brazil by Forjas Taurus," NRA Media Editorial Director Mark Keefe said. "But it's really retro, thus the name Roscoe. There are a lot of great names for guns, biscuits, heaters, all kinds of things that come from film noir. But what we have is really a Brazilian-made version of the Chief's Special."

Chambered in .38 Special, the Heritage Roscoe is a five-shot, double-action revolver available in two models, one with a 3" barrel and another with a 2" barrel. Both are outfitted with a serrated ramped front sight and a notch rear sight viewed through a trough on the revolver's topstrap. An unshrouded ejector rod is protected by a slight protrusion jutting out just below the barrel forward of the knurled rod end. A textured cylinder release latch is located on the left side of the frame and must be pushed forward to release the swing-out cylinder.

"This is a very well-rendered version of the five-shot revolver based upon the Chief's Special," Keefe said. "And one of the things I love about this gun is they went with classic wooden stocks. And the thing about these stocks is they don't add a lot of bulk, so you can really get your hand into the gun. When it comes to weight, you know, you're looking at about 22 ounces. Again, this gun is all steel."

Taurus went with what it calls a "polished black" finish for the carbon-steel frame, cylinder and barrel, but this black finish is a glossy treatment that is reminiscent of the deep bluing commonly found on classic carry revolvers from the early-to-mid 20th century. The five-shot cylinder is fluted, and the gun is rated for +P ammunition. A transfer-bar safety allows all five chambers to be safely loaded and the gun carried in a ready-to-fire configuration.

"So when it comes to a revolver for defensive work, this thing has everything you need, nothing you don't," Keefe said. "There's no gadgets. There's nothing going on here beyond a traditional double-action revolver. And I think they had a lot of fun with the name, but this is a revolver meant for serious business."

Heritage Mfg. Roscoe Specifications
Manufacturer: Taurus Armas (Brazil)
Importer: Heritage Mfg.
Action Type: double-action, centerfire revolver
Chambering: .38 Special
Barrel: 2" carbon steel
Frame: carbon steel
Finish: polished blue
Sights: fixed rear, ramped front
Stocks: walnut
Trigger: double-action, 11-lb., 14-oz. pull; single-action, 5-lb., 8-oz. pull
Overall Length: 6.5"
Height: 4.8"
Width: 1.41"
Weight: 22 ozs.
MSRP: $390

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