A rimfire revolver like this custom Ruger can help you fine-tune your shooting skills on the range or protect yourself on the trail, especially if you have to dispatch a few snakes. Check out these .22 rimfire camp revolvers, perfect as camping or hiking companions.
Day after day chasing bull elk in rough terrain with bow in hand, the ever-present spruce grouse that held tight until you almost stepped on them begged to be put on a green stick and hung over a campfire. Launching a $10 arrow at them didn’t make sense, but a quiet .22 rimfire was just the right medicine to cure my hunger pains.
The versatility of the .22 rimfire cartridge, from .22 BB Caps to .22 WMR, speaks volumes when it comes to the wide array of applications a revolver is capable of tackling. A .22 Long Rifle semi-auto pistol can make a great companion on camping trips, but the versatility of being able to shoot .22 BB Caps, .22 CB Caps, .22 Short, .22 Long, and .22 LR from the same cylinder can fit almost any shooting or small game hunting application. Some wheel guns even give the option of swapping cylinders and stepping up to .22 Magnum.
For this foray into .22 “camp guns,” we’ll delve into an array of handguns, both old and new, that fit a pretty broad definition of what it takes to qualify for inclusion. Whether it’s a single-action or double-action, a camp gun is simply any .22 that you like to carry. I’ve carried and shot several .22 rimfire revolvers over the past 38 years since I got my first one. They are truly year-round fun guns and utilitarian tools. During the fall and winter, they are constant companions on squirrel and rabbit hunts, pull their weight when dispatching bobcats and coyotes on the trap line, kill venomous snakes on post-season deer scouting trips, and fill the time between on the range.
Ruger Single-Six
My first .22 rimfire revolver was a Ruger Super Single-Six with a 9 ½-inch barrel. My father indulged my interest in this six-shooter by “buying” it with the money I earned cutting grass and working part-time at an old country hardware store. I also used some of the money I earned to join the local gun club, the Cross Creek Long Rifles. I was the only dues-paying 16-year-old member they had, and my primary interest at the time was shooting in the club’s NRA reduced-course handgun metallic silhouette matches.
These “hunter class” matches were at steel reduced-sized rams, turkeys, pigs and chickens at 100, 75, 50 and 25 meters. I took my new Ruger .22 with its rather long barrel and took it to Bullseye Gun Shop in my hometown, Fayetteville, NC, and asked the gunsmith what he could do about putting a vent rib on the barrel. Nothing existed in prefabricated form, so he milled a shotgun rib to fit the contour of the barrel and soldered it in place. When I shot the matches, or practiced, I swapped to the .22 Magnum cylinder and let fly. I didn’t have much problem toppling the targets, except for the rams when I hit them low in the belly or in the legs. It was big fun, and I really enjoyed beating guys that were three times my age shooting their powerful .44 magnums.
That well-worn Single-Six has been much more than just a target plinker. I’ve killed enough critters with it to fill Noah’s ark. It’s toppled several score of coons from the upper bows of starlit oaks and pines to waiting Walker hounds below. Countless rabbits and squirrels, rattlers, javelina, a couple of wild hogs, and an assortment of things I can’t remember have fallen to the well-worn Ruger. On the trap line, it’s been a constant companion, too.
Ruger’s list of .22 revolvers has grown exponentially over the past 38 years since I got my first one. Like my first, the Single-Six Convertible is available in four barrel lengths: 4 5/8, 5 1/2, 6 1/2 and 9 1/2 inches. Stainless models are available with 5 1/2- and 6 1/2-inch barrels. These 6-shot revolvers come with an adjustable rear sight and a ramp front blade. First-generation single-action Colt fans will like two Convertible models with the reminiscent grooved top strap and a simple blade front sight with either 5 1/2- or 6 1/2-inch barrels.
If you want to take the Single-Six to the extreme, step up to the stainless Hunter model. This comes equipped with a 7.5-inch barrel with an integral top rib, which comes inletted for supplied Ruger scope rings.
Ruger Wrangler
A few weeks before its launch, I got a chance to burn some .22 fodder in a Wrangler while at a Ruger writer event in Texas in March 2019. I enjoyed the new Ruger enough to see that it went home with me.
The Wrangler comes in 12 variations, all but three being distributor specials. The Ruger catalog carries three models. It’s cold-hammer-forged barrel measures 4.62 inches, and it is a true 6-shooter. The Wrangler’s sights are simple, harkening back to bygone era Colt’s single-actions with a grooved top strap for the rear sight.
Ruger engineers kept production costs down (and weight) by building the frame from aluminum, the grip frame from a zinc alloy, and mated it with a steel barrel and cylinder. That’s how they keep this handgun retailing at or below its $249 MSRP.
My Wrangler weighs 30 ounces before loading. Internally, its got a coil mainspring, just like its Single Six counterpart.
Is the Ruger Wrangler accurate? It’ll hold its own. Firing several different .22 LR loads produces an approximate average that hovers around 3 inches at 25 yards for six shots.
Ruger Bearcat
The Ruger Bearcat, introduced in 1958, is based on early Remington percussion revolvers of the mid-1800s. Early advertising touted the Bearcat as being ideal for hikers or campers in need of a .22 LR revolver, or “kit gun.” It wore a partridge front sight, had an unfluted cylinder with roll engraving, and had a light-weight alloy frame, making it the perfect .22 rimfire camp revolver.
Ruger discontinued the production of the First Generation Bearcat in 1971. They followed up with a Super Bearcat between 1972 and 1974, which offered a version with a blued steel trigger guard, or with a brass trigger guard. The Super model had a steel frame compared to the older model’s alloy frame.
In 1993, Ruger reintroduced the Bearcat as the New Bearcat, which was re-engineered to include the transfer bar system. Somewhere along the way, a .22 WMR version surfaced, but was recalled for safety reasons.
A stainless steel variant was added in 2003, a 50th Anniversary version followed in 2008, and finally, Ruger added an adjustable rear sight version in 2015.
Ruger LCR
Moving over to Ruger’s double-actions, the LCR in .22 LR is a handy, fun .22 Rimfire Camp Revolvers with a 1.87-inch barrel in double-action-only. The cylinder holds 8 rounds. If you want to step up in power, a .22 WMR version is available, too.
Ruger LCRx
The Ruger LCRx is a monolithic frame made from aerospace-grade 7000 series aluminum. The LCR’s friction-reducing cam is a next generation design in fire control systems that results in a smooth, non-stacking trigger pull. The polymer fire control housing holds all the fire control components in their proper dimensional relationships, reduces weight significantly and helps reduce recoil. A high-strength stainless steel cylinder is extensively fluted to reduce weight and features a PVD finish for excellent durability. It features a replaceable, pinned ramp front sight with white bar.
An external hammer makes single-action a choice when double-action isn’t your preference.
The “x” version of the LRC .22 has a 3-inch barrel with a 1:16-inch right-hand twist. It is finished matte black, and weighs 17.3 ounces. Overall length is 7 ½ inches. It also holds eight rounds of .22 LR. Retail price is $579.
Ruger SP101
Although the .22 SP101 isn’t available in a convertible .22 WMR version, the double-action, 9-shot .22 LR may be the perfect camp gun.
The SP101’s 4.2-inch barrel is ideal for balance, and adjustable sights help fine-tune the handgun’s accuracy potential. Made from stainless steel, it will withstand brutal environments.
Smith & Wesson Model 17 K22
Smith & Wesson got into the camp gun craze more than 86 years ago with its early K22 Outdoorsman in 1931. The later Models 16 and 17 both have their origins with the company’s Pre-World War II Hand Ejector series from the 1930s. These two revolver models debuted as companion pieces known as the Models K-32 and K-22 after World War 2. The double-action Model 17 was introduced in .22 Long Rifle in 1947.
I got my introduction to the Model 17 when I was 14 years old. Roy Enochs, a Southern Illinois Church of Christ preacher, was the first true gun collector I ever met. He loved to show off his gun collection, and he loved to have people shoot his guns. Over a two-week vacation one summer, I got to visit Roy several times, and shot more than a brick of .22 ammo through his Model 17 at paper targets, green walnuts and any other target of opportunity. It’s the smoothest, most elegant .22 revolver in existence.
The Model 17 features an adjustable rear sight and an un-pinned, fixed ramp front sight. It was designed as a target revolver and could be ordered from S&W with “The Three Ts: Target Trigger, Target Hammer, and Target Grips. Standard barrel lengths were 4, 6 and 8 3/8 inches. Some of the rarer versions of the early Model 17s, such as the 4-inch Model 17-6, has become collectible in the higher grades.
In 1990, S&W also shipped the Model 17 featuring a 4, 6, or 8 3/8-inch full under-lug barrel. The under lug is cast as part of the barrel and runs under the barrel from the front of the cylinder yoke to the muzzle’s end. The under lug not only enclosed the ejector rod, it also added considerable weight to the gun itself. The under-lug model shipped with a special round-butt wood grip that featured inletted finger grooves.
Smith & Wesson Model 53
The Smith & Wesson Model 53, introduced in 1961, was chambered in the .22 Jet caliber. A 6-shot revolver built on the small K frame using a double-action trigger.
Smith & Wesson collaborated with Remington on the Model 53, but it was short-lived. Remington claimed the .22 Jet cartridge reached a muzzle velocity of 2,460 fps using a 40-grain bullet, but did good to reach 1,800 fps.
The Model 53 came from the factory with chamber inserts to allow it to fire.22 Short, Long, and Long rifle cartridges using, which makes it a qualifier for a camp revolver. The hammer had a two-position firing pin to allow it to be switched from rimfire to centerfire as needed.
The handgun came with target handgrips and sights and barrel lengths of 4, 6 and 8 3/8 inches. The Model 53 was manufactured from 1960 to 1974, but never really caught on with shooters.
Charter Arms Pathfinder
With the same feel and weight of a larger caliber revolver, the Charter Arms Pathfinder in .22 LR offers inexpensive training for anyone who carries a revolver for self-defense. It also gets the nod as a camping companion. The Pathfinder has a 2-inch barrel topped with a fixed ramp front sight. Made of stainless steel, these 19-ounce revolvers come with full-size rubber grips to make recoil light and easy to control. Charter Arms also offers a Pathfinder chambered for .22 WMR. It is common to find these at retail for about $325. (203-922-1652). charterfirearms.com
Taurus Model 94
Suitable for practice or carry, the Model 94 from Taurus is a very soft-shooting nine-shot revolver. Unlike some lightweight guns, this stainless steel wheelgun weighs in at 24 ounces for the 2-inch version. This additional weight helps absorb recoil, turning the relatively mild .22 LR into a true pleasure to shoot. A full-size rubber grip further reduces felt recoil, and it gives the shooter a solid grip on the revolver. A full-length underlug protects the extended-length ejector rod.
If the Taurus Model 94 looks familiar, it is. This is a take-off on Smith & Wesson’s Model 17. The Model 94 has been discontinued, but can be readily found in local gun shops and online on sites like Guns.com.
A wide variety of .22 rimfire camp revolvers will help zero in on one to carry with you when you hit the woods next time.
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