Bearcat

Glaciers

Glaciers

Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
I was always told by my buddies that the BearCat was the sweetest little pistol going. Seemed like everyone liked them. When one would hit the table a a show they would be snatch up fast. I had little interest as they were just to small except maybe as a curiosity.
Finally had an opportunity to get a BC in a trade and I thought that I’d grab it just to see if I just had been missing something. Well I wasn’t missing anything at all, I don’t have big hands, probably average as I were large gloves. Shot a cylinder full once and besides the difficulty in holding it properly loading and unloading put it back in the safe and on the list of trade or sell list. Ended up trading for a Remington 700 Tactical 308 with a 3-9 scope and bipod. He was excited for the trade and I was excited as well. Trust me. Yeah I know, you’re mileage is going to vary for most of you guys.
I’ve had a SS model 63 4” Smith for years that is absolutely a sweet pistol. This next winter I’ll be visiting my brother in Southern California and will be picking up a blued Smith Kit gun from him along with a Remington slide action Model 12A round barrel that will look really nice next to my model 12C with an octagonal barrel.
But I’m with John on the Charter Arms Pathfinder, except I prefer a different style.

charterfirearms.com

Model # 72242

Charter's verstile Pathfinder, available in 22 LR, is a great introductory revolver for the novice shooter or anyone who needs a low recoil revolver. It has the look, feel and weight of a higher-caliber revolver, allowing you to gain proficiency while using relatively inexpensive .22 ammo. The...
charterfirearms.com charterfirearms.com

Can’t go wrong for the price and 8 shots.
 
P

Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
Glaciers said:
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I’ve had a SS model 63 4” Smith for years that is absolutely a sweet pistol. This next winter I’ll be visiting my brother in Southern California and will be picking up a blued Smith Kit gun from him along with a Remington slide action Model 12A round barrel that will look really nice next to my model 12C with an octagonal barrel.
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My DNA is tilted heavily towards double actions and as such, the Stainless Steel S&W Model 63 has always been near the top of my list.
I don't own one but If the right one came along at an acceptable price, I would snatch it up in a second.
 
Glaciers

Glaciers

Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
Well I’m pretty much a double action guy myself.
Used to do single action Rugers but sold them off all except an old 10” Ruger 44 flat top. I would grab up a 357 and a 44 flat top with 6” barrels if I run across one of each. A Ruger singe 7 (?) in 32 H&R would be fun, but otherwise I’m double action.
Yeah that 63 is sweet, but I’m looking forward to the blue one my brother has.
 
CWLONGSHOT

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
Bought a 34 back about 1989/90. First cyl stuck so bad cases WOULDN'T COME OUT! Returned to Smith like that.

Brand new! Hot back couple weeks first cyl broke skin extracting first cyl!!' Yes was nice looking and feeling but a POS! Returned to smith and said KEEP IT! I want one that works I requested a 17 Target. I think I had ta pay difference and dont ya know... First cyl was also sticky!!!!! Grrr. I polished that and it was a beautiful revolver but twice cost of a Ruger and Ruger knows how ta make a cyl as ITS CASES, fall out...

Not just for that, but Definitely a SA guy here!!

CW
 
L Ross

L Ross

Well-Known Member
No doubt the Kit gun is nice. I've had one for years and recently a 63 became available in a trade and I grabbed it. Still has the original box and price tag and sold for $249.00 originally. It appears virtually new. I let my blue one go to my best friend and gun nut buddy.

That said, the Bearcat is very light and is no burden whatsoever on a belt. Mine is surprisingly accurate and the limiting factor is the sights. I should really sit down with a bench bag and wring it out some day. I think it makes an excellent little gun for the close range dispatch of unfortunate critters. I am tempted to leave it in my truck. I cannot abide crippled animals on or alongside the road, but bludgeoning a coon with a broken back to death with a tire iron one day left me wishing I had a handy alternative.

On a trap line? Well, what could be better? Those of you that have trapped know that there is mud, water, dirt, blood, hair, lure, and harsh metallic objects present just waiting to come into contact with your sidearm. Somehow a well worn scuffed up Bearcat seems less offensive than similar damage on a Model 34. An old trapper I know carries a 6" Colt Woodsman. After 50 years of trapping it has patina alright. About like a 50 year old Estwing claw hammer. He has no magazine in it and single loads Hi-Velocity short hollow points when he can find them. He traps over 200 coon per season.

Last night I baited the dog proof with a marshmallow soaked in the juice from a jar of smoked fish, and I went to bed confident the Bearcat would be deployed again this morning. Somehow, the nimble fingered varmint got the marshmallow and did not trip the trap, and the trap is moved. Seems impossible because I impaled the marshmallow on the trigger. I thought of using a 220 Connibear but we have a large old Momma skunk that hangs out here and having her dump a load of green chemical agent 20 feet from the back door is not a pleasant thought. A skunk would certainly be attracted to bait but like a dog cannot get their nose into the dog proof.
 
Bret4207

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
My Kit Gun is near perfect finish-wise. In the field and trap line it stays in a good holster under a coat or sweatshirt if it's that warm. I would take similar of a Ruger. I have 2 Single Sixs in the safe that look like someone tossed them in a cement mixer with a couple shovels of stone! Not at all attractive to my way of thinking!
 
CZ93X62

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
My go-to 22 LR handguns are my Ruger 22/45 bull barrel autopistol and my S&W Model 617 x 6". Both are tackdrivers. It's early days with a Ruger Hunter Single-Six and its 7.5" barrel. It won't shoot 22 LR worth a flop but runs 22 WMR very well indeed. The addition of a Pachmayr Signature grip set adds utility and enables my paws to purchase the handle lots better. I doubt that the 22 LR cylinder will see further action, even CCI Mini-Mags shot 'Full choke' patterns at 25 yards.

I've owned a couple Model 34 revolvers and they went down the road. Handy and light, but their accuracy was indifferent. They were likely Monday- or Friday-builds.
 
P

Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
I had a VERY early blued Ruger MKII with a bull barrel. Probably one of the first MKII's with the heavy barrel to leave the factory. It was the best shooting .22 rimfire handgun I've ever seen. With younger eyes, ammo it liked and a solid rest, it would make one little hole in the target all day long. I assumed they were all like that one and didn't realize how exceptional it was. Like a complete idiot, I sold it off thinking the next one would be similar. (I had to have a stainless model)
Well I replaced it with a series of stainless MKII's and some were good pistols but I never got the same performance as I got from that early MKII.
I learned how to squeeze a lot of accuracy out of some of the later MKII's and won a few informal bets against friends with S&W model 41's and Browning Buckmark pistols, but I never bested that first MKII.
 
Bret4207

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
I think you're right Al. My 34 is, IMO, astonishingly accurate with CC Short HP's, the trappers cartridge.

I've heard others say their Ruger SS with 22 mag cylinder shot a lot better. I don't own one of those, but I do have a Smith M48 22 Mag. That particular gun shoot 22 WRF better than mags! I can still get 22WRF locally for less than the hi-tech style 22Mags. But they aren't $6.00 for a box of 50 anymore!
 
L Ross

L Ross

Well-Known Member
CZ93X62 said:
My go-to 22 LR handguns are my Ruger 22/45 bull barrel autopistol and my S&W Model 617 x 6". Both are tackdrivers. It's early days with a Ruger Hunter Single-Six and its 7.5" barrel. It won't shoot 22 LR worth a flop but runs 22 WMR very well indeed. The addition of a Pachmayr Signature grip set adds utility and enables my paws to purchase the handle lots better. I doubt that the 22 LR cylinder will see further action, even CCI Mini-Mags shot 'Full choke' patterns at 25 yards.

I've owned a couple Model 34 revolvers and they went down the road. Handy and light, but their accuracy was indifferent. They were likely Monday- or Friday-builds.
Click to expand...
If you can find or make a Paco Kelly Accurizer tool, you can expand the .22 l.r. to .225" and they may shoot better in the .224" groove diameter of a .22 mag barrel. Does for me.
 
J

Jeff H

NW Ohio
Winelover said:
I had trouble with the paw trap going off when young coons were involved. Just be patient, they'll eventually set it off.
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Familiarity breeds contempt.

Sacrifice a few marshmallows over the course of a few nights and the 'coon will get used to consequence-free, free treats and run out of luck.
 
L Ross

L Ross

Well-Known Member
CWLONGSHOT said:
Better then Paco's is a Neil Wlatz die set.

I just picked up a copy from a guy in Michigan as Waltz has gone blk and is no longer producing the die. Full video soon.

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Well certainly Walz's system seems like it should be superior to Paco's tool but I have never seen any actual test results. I do know this. Any .22 ammo I ran through the Paco tool, never shot worse than it did before it was modified and usually shot a bit better. More important to me was making a bullet nose, either hollow point or cup nose that was more effective killing game.
 
P

Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
I was lucky to get one of Waltz's dies. It is extremely well made and does exactly what it is made to do.
It does improve accuracy with some ammo. The results are more dramatic with the lower grades than some of the target ammo, likely because there's more room for improvement with the cheap stuff.
Being able to flat point the bullet is a huge plus. I'm not sure hollowpoint on a 40ish grain 22 bullet is a huge improvement considering the velocities but I mostly play with standard velocity stuff.
 
L Ross

L Ross

Well-Known Member
RicinYakima said:
Having shot Paco's "cup point" for many years, it is much better than the HP that may or may not expand. FWIW
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Perhaps not scientific level empirical data, but using the Paco tool hollow pointing pin to HP .22 HV shorts the killing power appears to be dramatically improved. Rabbits sniped in the garden, shot in the head with an unmodified RN .22 HV short die quickly, typically jumping straight into the air and kicking around for awhile. P-T HP the same ammo and the rabbit's eyes pop out of the skull and death is almost instantaneous.

Raccoons killed either in the paw hold trap or in the Hav-A-Hart, (snicker), show a similar decisive suddenness without the dramatic ocular protrusion. This is evident even with a 4" revolver barrel. I do not recommend .22 lr HV HP for dispatching deer as the slug flattens completely on the skull, and only the piece of bone blown into the brain killed the Mule Deer buck.

The cup point also seems to increase the effectiveness with a tad more penetration. Fine in some circumstances, especially in a .22 lr HV from a rifle when having to take body shots on running vermin.
 
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