the beautiful, mighty bearcat

The Bearcat in it's natural environment with color case finish by Tyler Gun Works in Texas.

I doubt there's a modern revolver that's as sublimely sized for it's intended caliber as the Ruger Bearcat. Bill Ruger really had his design cap on when he birthed this brainchild in 1958, just a decade after his inaugural brand-launching weapon, the MK1. The Bearcat was allegedly configured after the 19th Century Remington percussion revolver - albeit in a sweetly downsized package - and stayed in production until 1974 when Ruger patented the transfer bar safety. Seemingly the Bearcat did not lend itself to the addition of this excellent safety feature, or at least it wasn't a viable modification considering sales at the time and it fell out of production for almost two decades. Following reintroduction in 1993 with the New Bearcat moniker and transfer bar added, it's stayed in Ruger's lineup ever since. To me it epitomizes everything that's right in a utilitarian single action revolver: the caliber (good for almost everything from field to trail except grizzlies and cougars), the size (lightweight and inherently pocketable), the wide spur hammer and glassy clicks of cocking (ah, like birdsong), a silky fit and finish (hey, it's a Ruger) and the fixed sights (never understood adjustable sights on a handgun, once they're set, whoever changes them?). The only feature I dislike is the chintzy looking scrolling on the cylinder, it just belies the petite beauty of this revolver and hinders it's ability to be holistically elegant. So then thank the gun gods for Clements Custom Guns in Virginia who'll lathe off the scrolling and flute your cylinder for just a $100, and for Tyler Gun Works in Texas who'll give the frame a color case blueing - with such services rendered I'm not sure you could own a nicer revolver. I remember reading an article several years back (prior to the whole "tactical" movement) by a guy who had a substantial firearm collection. He'd been asked by a friend that if he had to choose only one, which would it be? He's reflections on the value of each firearm was well considered and in the end he selected a blued single action revolver as his absolute keeper...not because it was the perfect all-round firearm but because it fulfilled every emotional and aesthetic sensibility, and reminded him of how his interest in firearms was born. Well that's the way I feel about the Bearcat (with the fluted cylinder, naturally): if I had to abandon every weapon I had for some unimaginably horrific reason, I'd slip this thing in my belt, grab a brick of ammo and run for the hills!