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Ruger Wrangler
Posted by Junior Shooters
Left: Ruger New Vaquero in .357 Magnum with SASS cowboy action shooting specifications. Right: Ruger Wrangler in .22 Long Rifle (LR)
Ruger Wrangler, the Perfect Training Tool.
If you’re looking at this article, you are either a junior shooter, or you have been one at some point in the past. You have either been bitten by “the bug” of shooting sports just recently, or its DNA has settled in your bloodstream many decades ago. You are either someone in need of direction, or someone who has volunteered his or her time in the pursuit of helping others in the shooting sports world.
Recently I have come across a “tool” in the firearm’s industry that is so much fun; something that is equally fun, whether you are new to firearms or someone who has been around them a long time. Something that is well designed and engineered, reasonably priced, is an excellent training tool, and, most importantly, has a very high “fun factor”.
This is where the Ruger Wrangler comes in for those of us in the single action cowboy world. (See the Cerakote Wranglers in the pictures below) This particular firearm is by far the best training tool I have seen to date that mimics the feel and function of its big brother the Ruger Vaquero. (See the polished stainless steel Vaqueros below) Seldom does a “sister and clone” firearm come along that feels so much like the original that it makes perfect sense to own one. Of course a sister and clone is an almost exact replica of the original. It is something that allows you to work with it in such a way that you can develop your skills and at the same time, not put wear and tear on the original. Something that is less expensive to operate. Since the Ruger Vaquero is the single action revolver that I use and probably one of the most popular such handgun’s in our sport, it wasn’t until the release of the Ruger Wrangler in September of 2019 that the possibility of having such a practice tool even existed. Many reviews and YouTube videos’ have already been done about this .22 revolver, but nothing specific on this point as a training tool in the cowboy action world has been discussed.
Since I spend most of my time these days in the sport of cowboy action shooting, I am going to spend the majority of my time in this article with reference to that discipline. This of course is the world of
Left: New Vaquero, SASS Right: Wrangler The rear sights are very similar as are the hammers. The hammer on the New Vaquero is slightly wider.
SASS. (Single Action Shooting Society). This is the world that most, if not all of you were actually exposed to in the beginning of your firearm training. Not exactly the entire sport of cowboy action, but rather the tactile learning to operate a single-action firearm. This is the kind of firearm that requires the operator to manually manipulate the firearm to load one cartridge at a time. The feeding of that firearm could have been from a rotating cylinder, a tube magazine, a rotary magazine, or a cartridge holder like a belt or pouch on your person or nearby. It could have been a bolt action rifle, a break-action shotgun or in this case, a single-action revolver.
Firearm manipulation, the ability to develop muscle memory about which a particular firearm works in your hands takes a ton of practice. It takes dedication, persistence, patience, repetition, and a mature mind-set. It is not something that can happen over a short period of time. It is not something that can happen during a single season. It is something that can only be accomplished with hundreds if not thousands of hours. Something that needs to be practiced in all types of lighting and weather conditions, and then just when you think you have mastered it, something new occurs and you realize that even more effort is required. Not to mention that it is a skill that is “perishable” and must be revisited and practiced regularly to maintain a high degree of proficiency.
In the world of cowboy action, the revolver is always loaded with five rounds, not the six that there is room for in the cylinder. This is how the revolver was carried during the 1800’s. As a result, that is how we load it in our sport. This is the beginning of the manipulation of the firearm. Loading it in such a way that there is no live cartridge under the hammer before it is placed into a holster. In addition, our sport requires that you carry and manipulate two revolvers during a course of fire, also known as a stage. So as a result, just to begin with, being proficient with these single action revolvers requires the operator to load two handguns properly, and then holster them properly.
Because the Ruger Wrangler is essentially the same size as the Ruger Vaquero, (See photos) the fit and feel of it in your hand is going to be very close to the Ruger Vaquero. Of course the Wrangler is a .22 Cal long rifle cartridge firearm and the Vaquero is a .38 Cal. Cartridge firearm. This is where the financial savings is seen. The Wrangler is priced at less than half of
A pair of Wranglers in front and a pair of New Vaqueros in back.
what a Vaquero is priced at. Typically the Wrangler can be purchased at around the $200.00 dollar price point. And since in the cowboy world, you will need two of them, that price point is perfect for a firearm training tool. Not to mention the obvious savings on the cost of the ammunition.
Something else to think about, in the world of cowboy action, depending on the style you choose; traditional (One handgun at a time fired with both hands), duelist (one handgun fired with one hand one gun at a time), double duelist (one handgun fired one at a time, using each hand) or lastly, gunfighter (both hand’s firing both handguns simultaneously) transitioning in and out of the holsters is done on the clock. That means that your ability to move efficiently during these movements actually has more to do with being fast then pulling a trigger.
The Ruger Wrangler works perfect for “dry fire” and transition training. This is something the cowboy’s do a lot, not only “off season” but before matches. Because the physical dimensions of the Wrangler are so close to the Vaquero, replicating the draw stroke, (removing the handgun from the holster) is essentially the same. With the center of gravity, grip frame size, and barrel length nearly identical, the practice with the Wrangler almost completely replicates the Vaquero. This of course is as true on the return or holstering the Wrangler.
Even the reach for the hammer with the opposing thumb is nearly the same. In the photos, you will see that the “race guns” (Polished stainless steel SASS Vaqueros) with slightly lower and wider hammers, set up to SASS specifications are a very close match. Although you cannot see the trigger reach and travel, I will tell you that in my opinion, they are not so far off that it makes a huge difference under the stress of cowboy action shooting.
Also, in our sport there are many side matches. One “side match” in particular involves the use of a .22 caliber single-action revolver. It is called the 22 speed pistol event. This is typically a single gun, five round event. The shooter starts with the gun in hand and the barrel resting on a table top while in a standing position. On the clock, the shooter shoots at one or more steel targets as fast as possible. Five rounds fired in about two seconds is not unheard of. Once again the Wrangler is the perfect tool for this event.
Johnny Patriot and daughter Blue Fire
Although I have not talked to the design engineers at Ruger, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone along the way said this would be a perfect training tool for the Vaquero owners out there. It is my opinion that there isn’t a better sister and close to the Vaquero than the Wrangler. I think that if you have the opportunity to get behind one of these revolvers, you will be of the same opinion. It is the perfect beginning pistol for the Buckaroo or Buckerette in your world, and the Buckaroo or Buckerette inside all of us.
Happy Shooting,
Johnny Patriot, SASS #97665
V.P. Oregon Trail Rough Riders
Idahocowboyaction.org
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