We have tested a variety of 22 LR Single Action Army (SAA) revolvers in the past, and those six-shooter revolvers have been the traditional models with 4.75- or 6.5-inch barrels. In this match-up, we wanted to look at shorter-barrel SAA revolvers in 22 LR. So we gathered two Heritage Manufacturing Barkeep models and two Ruger Shopkeeper revolvers. These pistol designs share a similar idea: Abbreviated barrels.

Ever since SAA revolvers were invented, gunsmiths have lopped off a good portion of the barrel to make the pistol easier to carry as a back-up gun. In fact, Colt made centerfire Sheriff models with short barrels and without the ejector rod, and a centerfire 4-inch-barrel Storekeeper’s model with an ejector rod. In the recent past, a variety of SAA manufacturers and importers have introduced short-barrel SAA revolvers.

The assembled SAA rimfire revolvers are at polar opposites are far as price is concerned. The Heritage Mfg. Barkeep models are under $200, and the Ruger Shopkeeper models are about $500 to $575. That’s a difference of $300 to $375 if we do the math correctly. We know what you are thinking: Are the Ruger models worth the extra coin?

Where the four revolvers are similar is in chambering, size, weight, barrel lengths, and sights. The Heritage Barkeeps and Ruger Shopkeepers are scaled down so they fit adults as well as small-stature shooters. All of these rimfire revolvers had similar barrel lengths between 2.6 and 3.5 inches and traditional SAA sights, consisting of a front blade and a rear groove notch. Grip style is where the Barkeep and Shopkeeper revolvers differ. The Barkeep models have a traditional SAA grip, while the Shopkeeper models have a smaller bird’s head-style grips. We have gripes about the grips, as you’ll read below. All four are smart-looking revolvers with different finishes that vary in execution.

We think three of these compact SAA revolvers would make fun plinkers. The Rugers are small enough to drop in your back pants pocket or coat pocket when taking a stroll or walking the woods. Tin cans and paper targets don’t care what we use to shoot at them, but as shooters, we care, a lot.

How We Tested

Burning through a bunch of 22 LR ammo, we found all four pistols performed well, though we did find the Rugers more user friendly due to their ejector rods. Sticky empties did not fall free from any of the guns, but a rod with a wood handle, which comes with each Barkeep, helped eject stubborn cases. We tested three flavors of ammo: Remington Thunderbolt with a 40-grain lead round-nose bullets, Winchester Xpert High Velocity rounds with 36-grain hollow points and some zing, and a 38-grain LRN from CCI Blazer. These rounds have a range of velocities and bullet weights and styles, from target rounds to hunting rounds. We had issues loading the Winchester ammo in the Rugers, but not in the Heritage guns. Using our range bag as a rest and firing five-shot groups at cardboard targets, we tested for accuracy at 15 yards. Both Rugers and one of the Heritages shot to point of aim, which is a requirement for a fixed-sight revolver. One of the Barkeeps shot to the left, which doomed it in our eyes. Still, we thought there were some “keepers” in this group.

Gun Tests Grade: A-

$669

The 3.5-inch-barrel Shopkeeper is similar to the 3-inch-barrel model except for the barrel length and a few other characteristics. The longer-barrel model has Ruger’s signature matte-blue coloration, which was well executed. The trigger guard was also well mated to the frame. We could hardly see a seam. The grips were better fitted on this model than the 3-inch model. This model also has a fluted cylinder. The ejector-rod housing is made of steel, so this small gun has some heft.

In hand, the 3.5-inch revolver was a bit muzzle heavy compared to the short-barrel Shopkeeper. We liked the added sight radius and to our expectation, the 3.5-inch barrel Shopkeeper shot to point of aim. It was also the most accurate of all the revolvers tested. This little gun had some game. It also had more velocity and energy at the muzzle than the 3-inch barrel Ruger and 2.6-inch barrel Heritage Barkeep. The cylinder gap measured 0.005 inch, which is in spec. The best five-shot group was with inexpensive 40-grain Remington Thunderbolt ammo that measured 0.53 inch. That’s some shooting. The CCI Blazer with the 38-grain LRN came is a close second with a group that measured 0.73 inch. The Winchester ammo, however, gave us fits again. So what we did was try to load a Winchester cartridge, and if we felt resistance, we placed the cartridge to the side. We had to fully seat the cartridges or else the cylinder bound up on the Winchester ammo. We did need to remove the cylinder and use the cylinder pin to push out the stuck Winchester cases. This is the first issue we’ve had with this ammo, which we have run in lever-action and semi-auto rifles with no issues. We also did not have an issue with the ammo in the Heritage guns. The worst accuracy came from the Winchester load, so we’ll reserve this load for rifles.

The U-shape ejector head again was a pain in the finger with the 3.5-inch Shopkeeper, and we’d definitely remove the sharp edges if we owned this gun. The cylinder pin was short, similar to the other Shopkeeper, requiring a finger nail or knife blade to grip the pin and pull it from the frame. Not sure why Ruger decided to use the same-size pin they used in the 3-inch model, but it looks like the longer pin from the standard Bearcat would work and not interfere with the ejector head. In fact the ejector-rod spring compressed as much as it could and did not allow the ejector to move further. Regardless, we were able to easily eject the Remington and CCI cases. We would prefer a longer cylinder pin, however, for easier disassembly.

Our Team Said: The 3.5-inch Shopkeeper is an accurate little rimfire that shot to point of aim. It has a nice heft in hand, but may be a bit too heavy to drop in your pants pocket. The sharp corners on the ejector head are disappointing, so we knocked it down a half grade.

22 LR Range Data

Value Guide: Single-Action Revolver Rankings