By Jim Dickson | Contributing Writer
Upon picking up the Ruger Bearcat at Reeves Ace Hardware in Clayton, Georgia my first impression was that this was the steadiest in the hand small revolver that I had seen in a long time.
Normally the smaller the pistol the harder it is to accurately shoot it, but this pistol is one of the rare exceptions to that rule. A modern cartridge rendition of the Colt Model 1849 cap-and-ball .31 caliber pocket revolver it fits the hand like the Colt. The grip comfortably locks into the hand in a position that encourages steadiness. The result is a pocket size revolver that can be shot as well as a larger revolver, a rare feat in handguns. This configuration was previously copied in the Remington percussion pocket pistol, also a .31-caliber.
It’s small size and good accuracy makes it the best compact kit revolver that I have seen since the 1849 Colt. As someone who hates the slow loading and long cleanup time of black powder cap-and-ball, I was glad to see a modern version come out. This gun fits in the pocket as neatly as the 4-inch barrel Colt revolver and is a whole lot less trouble to use. It also works perfectly in a holster, where it is so light and easy to carry that you will hardly know it is there.
For trappers, .22LR is ideal. You have enough to carry on a long trapline without a big heavy handgun. Weighing just 23 ounces with and overall length of 8 7/8 inches, this is a handgun that you can forget you are carrying. Despite its small size it sports a 4-inch barrel with 6 grooves on a 1:14-inch right hand twist. While we might wish for a .32 Long or a .32 ACP version, even though it means going from 6 shots to 5 shots in this size cylinder, they at least offer a .22 Magnum cylinder so you can up the power a bit.
As an aside, there is no reason not to use the semi-rimmed .32 ACP in a revolver with a push rod ejection system and because of its popularity in semi-autos, there are more loads for it than any other .32-caliber cartridge. However, for trappers the .32 FMJ load is perfect. After all, why should S&W be the only ones to offer a kit gun in both .22LR and .32 caliber? Back in the days when .32-caliber ammunition was cheaper, a lot of trappers preferred the various .32 calibers for their more humane killing power. Trappers often need to also carry a heavier caliber gun for protection so having an accurate small bore pistol is a big asset.
As a kit gun taken along on fishing, hiking, and just going out in the woods the Ruger Bearcat offers plinking pleasure, a means to kill poisonous snakes, and some protection against man or beast. It’s light weight and small size enables it to fit easily in a pocket or in a fishing tackle kit where it rides unobtrusively without weighing you down. It is small and light enough that it gets carried when a larger gun might not.
A good handgun needs a holster and Ruger has a quality forward-canted thumb break holster deeply stamped with the Ruger emblem that is comfortable and fast. This holster is made for Ruger by Triple K. Riding tight against the body, it is easily concealed under a coat for discrete carry. The bottom is closed so that you don’t have to worry about getting a barrel obstruction when you sit down in the woods.
There is another advantage of this gun’s small size. While it locks into an adult’s hand for steady aiming it is also small enough for youngsters to use when they are being taught to shoot. Just as a Colt Model 1903 pocket .32 auto is a full size pistol for a youngster so is the Bearcat. It is important to have the right size gun just as it is to have the right size clothes and shoes. I have photos of my 5 foot 2 wife shooting both a Westley Richards .577 three-inch and a Tolley 8 bore double barrel rifle. Despite being able to handle these heavyweights, her favorite rifle was a Ruger semi-auto .44 magnum carbine which she felt had been made just for her.
Thanks to a modern transfer bar you can keep all 6 chambers loaded.
The Bearcat comes in both blued chrome-molybdenum steel and stainless steel. The cylinder is unfluted which always improved the looks of a revolver to my eyes. Appropriately, there is a bear and a mountain lion roll engraved on the Bearcat’s cylinder.
The Bearcat has fixed sights, which I welcome. There seems to be an unwritten law of physics that a handgun with adjustable sights always lands on its sights when dropped. I believe handguns are supposed to be pointed and fired by instinct for the best accuracy and speed. Sights are there just so you can find where a new and unfamiliar gun shoots. Instinct shooting is for any serious work. I have always found fixed sights adequate for any time you want to use sights.
The trigger on my test gun broke clean at 4 ½ pounds as measured by a Lyman trigger pull gage from Brownells Gunsmithing Supplies. You couldn’t ask for a better trigger pull.
Fit and finish is first rate. The only criticism I can make is the rosewood grips are not as well fitted as the rest of the gun. At any rate, the Bearcat will give long and trouble free service as proven by its track record of use since its introduction. That’s important for a gun with a MSRP of $819. You expect that to be a long term investment and the Bearcat has consistently lived up to expectation. For those who don’t realize how bad inflation is, when the Bearcat was first introduced in the late 1950’s it sold for $49.95. For test firing I had 520 rounds of Federal Value Pack copper plated hollow points, 300 rounds of CCI Mini Mag copper plated segmented hollow points, 300 rounds of Remington .22 target standard velocity LRN for a total of 1,120 rounds.
The chambers are tight and some rounds had to be seated with finger nail pressure. They are also counter-bored so that the case head of the .22 is fully enclosed. Personally, I don’t like that because I can’t see if all the chambers are empty or loaded by glancing at the side of the cylinder like I can with my Colt .45 SAA.
Shooting began with centering ¾-inch to 1-inch targets of opportunity which served to prove the gun’s pin point accuracy. After that it was time for the traditional tin can target. These don’t have to be stationary. They can be thrown rolling and bouncing away from you, hung on a string and set to swinging, or thrown up near the top of a dirt bank and shot up as they roll down.
You can make them jump by hitting the dirt just under them in the same manner as barking a squirrel where you fire a high powered rifle so that the bullet goes under the bark beneath the squirrel and the explosive effect of the bark and part of the tree coming out kills the squirrel. While the can is knocked in the air you can hit it before it comes down. Tin cans are fun and this is a gun made for fun. It is very efficient at that.
When it’s time to clean the little Ruger, the cylinder pin comes out easily. It is neither too tight or too loose. I have had to take 600 grit sandpaper and polish some single actions’ cylinder pins until they could be removed without excessive force so this was most welcome.
Because of its unique steadiness and ease of hitting for such a light sidearm. I consider the Ruger Bearcat the finest kit gun currently made. It is a delight to shoot, a lot of fun, and I highly recommend it.
