Heritage Manufacturing made its name producing Old West style revolvers at an affordable price. The company has since branched out to shotguns, a revolving rifle, lever action rifles, and the 1950s-style Roscoe revolver.
Heritage makes fun, nostalgic, quality firearms that won’t break the bank. And most are made in the USA. Heritage was founded in 1992 by Jay Bernkrant and his wife, Maria Diaz. Their signature product was the Rough Rider Revolver, a .22 version of the classic Colt Single Action Army design.
Taurus Arms purchased the company in 2012, keeping Heritage as a stand-alone brand and continuing the popular Rough Rider line. Heritage now operates alongside Taurus at their Bainbridge, Georgia facility.
Heritage continues its founders’ vision of affordable firearms that remind us of where we came from. The company’s focus remains true to its name. The Rough Rider is still the Heritage flagship, but Taurus has driven the company’s expansion into other revolvers, long guns, and even a hybrid.
Heritage Revolvers
Heritage built its name on revolvers, and Taurus has continued that tradition. The company currently has three distinct revolver lines, plus one revolving rifle.
The Rough Rider
Named for Teddy Roosevelt’s famed Spanish American War cavalry unit, the Rough Rider is reminiscent of the Colt Single Action Army, the classic “Peacemaker.” Some of Roosevelt’s comrades may well have carried a Colt SAA in Cuba, though Teddy himself did not.
The Rough Rider is a classic six-shooter, but comes with interchangeable cylinders, giving you the choice between .22 Long Rifle and .22 WMR. That choice makes the Rough Rider very versatile, essentially giving you two firearms in one package.
Heritage offers the Rough Rider in a variety of barrel lengths, ranging from 3 to 16 inches. Here’s your chance for an affordable Buntline Special. Multiple grip styles are also available, including birdhead options. Heritage offers many finish options too.
Besides the calibers, the primary divergence from the Colt design is the hammer-block safety mounted on the frame’s left side. Some may like it and some may not, but it hasn’t hindered the Rough Rider’s proven success.
The Barkeep
The Heritage Barkeep hearkens back to when Old West bartenders and saloon gamblers carried concealed pistols for emergencies. The single-action Barkeep has a slightly more compact frame than the Rough Rider and comes with a 1, 2, or 3-inch barrel. The 1-inch barrel model is called the Barkeep Boot, and it likely would make a fine boot gun.
Like the Rough Rider, the Barkeep features interchangeable .22 Long Rifle and .22 WMR cylinders. Grip and finish options abound, and there’s even an engraved model.
The Roscoe
The .38 Special Roscoe is currently Heritage’s only centerfire revolver offering. “Roscoe” was early 20th-century slang for small handguns, and the term has become associated with classic detective movies from that period.
The Roscoe is based on the proven Taurus Model 85 compact-frame revolver, which, in turn, is reminiscent of the old Smith & Wesson J-Frames. Smith & Wesson designs heavily influenced early Taurus products, so that’s not surprising. The Roscoe resembles the 1950s-era Smith & Wesson Model 36 Chief’s Special as much as anything, with a choice of a 2 or 3-inch barrel.
The Roscoe holds five rounds of .38 Special and is +P rated. The blued steel finish is very old school, as are the wooden grips. Like the Rough Rider and the Barkeep, the Roscoe is nostalgic. It’s just nostalgic for a different era.
The Rough Rider Rancher Carbine
The Rough Rider Rancher Carbine reaches way back to a design that hasn’t been popular since the 19th century. Pairing the Rough Rider revolver with a 16-inch barrel and walnut stock, the Rancher Carbine provides a unique shooting experience. It comes with interchangeable .22 Long Rifle and .22 WMR cylinders and is available in three configurations: the basic carbine with grooved rear pistol sight; an upgraded model with buckhorn rear sights and a leather sling; or the Tactical Rancher with a black beechwood stock, threaded barrel, top strap-mount Picatinny rail, and a nylon sling.
Heritage Lever Actions
Nothing says Old West like a lever action rifle, so it’s only natural that Heritage offers numerous options over three basic models.
The Model 92
The Heritage Model 92 is based on the classic Winchester 1892, with a side loading gate and top ejection port. Model 92 rifles are available with 16.5, 20, and 24-inch round or octagon barrels with black and stainless steel finishes. All have wooden stocks and forends. Available chamberings are .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and .45 Colt.
There’s also the 92 Ranch Hand, a 12-inch barreled Mare’s Leg design available in .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum.
The Settler
The Heritage lever action Settler Series includes three models chambered in .22 Long Rifle: the 20-inch barreled Settler, the 16.5-inch Settler Compact, and the 12-inch Settler Mare’s Leg. Heritage’s Settler Series features a simulated color case hardened finish and nice wooden stocks and forends. The Settler Mare’s Leg even has a saddle ring on the receiver’s left side.
The Range Side
The Range Side Series guns are .410 bore with beautiful, nicely checkered Turkish walnut stocks and forends. Heritage offers your choice of black chrome, case-hardened, or nickel finish over the alloy steel receiver, 20-inch barrel, and trigger guard. The trigger guards are sheathed in black leather, further refining the guns’ appearance. The tube magazines hold five rounds of .410, which are loaded via a side gate on the receiver.
Heritage Shotguns
Heritage currently offers the Badlander series of Turkish-made double-barreled Coach Guns, available in 12-gauge, 20-gauge, and .410 bore. The 18.5-inch barrels and receivers are a flat black chrome finish over alloy steel. The checkered stocks and forends are made from very nice darkened Turkish walnut.
The side-by-side barrels are controlled by a standard lever latch and the guns have tang-mounted slider safeties. The shrouded hammers give the guns a sleek look. A classic Coach Gun in the Old West style.
Heritage Equals Nostalgic Fun
The word “nostalgic” appears several times here. That was a deliberate choice. Heritage firearms recall the historic firearms that built the nation after the Civil War. Even the 20th century Roscoe reminds us of the classic era of Film Noir Detective movies. These guns are full of personality. And Heritage Manufacturing offers these quality firearms at prices most people can afford.
In a world of polymer guns, classic wood and steel still have their place. Heritage not only reminds us of that fact but provides the guns that prove it.
