A Gun Called Roscoe

By R.K. Campbell | Contributing Editor

   For this review I picked up my piece, my Roscoe, and headed to the range. Roscoe is a slang term of uncertain origin used in tough guy stories by hard-boiled detective writers.

   Mike Hammer’s girlfriend used a snub .38 and so did many other legendary heroes and quite a few more real life shooters. As for the Roscoe Taurus has owned Heritage for more than a decade and Heritage has a reputation for offering affordable and useful rimfire revolvers.

The Roscoe is basically a modified Taurus Model 85. The new revolver is going to be popular as there is a steady market for snub nose .38s. For pocket, inside the waistband, ankle or car carry nothing quite fills the niche of a quality .38 Special revolver.

   The new Heritage Roscoe features a unique grip design and a nice deep blue finish that sets it apart from other revolvers. The Roscoe is a double action/ single action revolver. This means that the trigger both cocks and drops the hammer. A smooth double action trigger is controllable and makes for good shooting for those who take time to master the type. The revolver also may be fired by cocking the hammer for a crisp let off.

The double action trigger breaks at about 13 pounds, the single action at a light 3.0 pounds. I like the versatility of the DA/SA type. While double action fire should always be used in personal defense the single action trigger is useful. As an example taking the head off a snake at a few yards is within the expectations we may have of a snub nose .38. Some of us have taken small game with similar revolvers. A 148 grain wadcutter has flattened many bunnies and provided table meat. But that isn’t something the defense shooter is likely interested in.

   Roscoe features a round butt grip frame and well figured checkered walnut stocks. The finish is nicely done without polishing marks or dark spots. The sights are a post front and a wide groove in the rear. The hammer has a checkered spur for cocking. The frame is all steel. The Roscoe tips the scale at 21 ounces. I don’t know about you but a .38 Special weighing less than 20 ounces is easy to carry but not as comfortable to fire. The Roscoe is a good weight for constant carry. The Roscoe features a different lock up than some small revolvers. The action is a transfer bar type. The hammer cannot contact the firing pin unless the trigger is completely to the rear. The Roscoe locks up at the rear of the cylinder and also at the yoke or crane. This makes for a solid lockup and promotes good accuracy.  Short barrel revolvers are often more accurate than shooters realize. This is proven in bench rest fire. Practical offhand accuracy is what demands practice.

   The Roscoe is bult on proven principles and features well thought out improvements. The 1/8 inch front sight is serrated to reduce glare.  It sets well in the wide rear notch. The cylinder release is designed to avoid the common problem of the thumb bring rapped by recoil. In a double action revolver you don’t want a serrated trigger. The smooth finished trigger of the Roscoe makes for good control in double action fire.

          In my life snub .38s are house guns and back up guns. I don’t subscribe to having guns stashed about the house, that may serve to arm a housebreaker. The best bet is to have a revolver in the back pocket, not one you have to bowl over an unexpected guest to get to! After all if I have warning of an emergency it will be an automatic shotgun not a handgun at ready. All handguns are a compromise, ready to meet an unexpected threat. I set up a man sized target at 5 yards for initial firing. The load was Federal’s 158 grain RNL .38 Special. This is an affordable load, accurate and clean burning. It went to a couple of inches high with the Roscoe’s fixed sights, easily accounted for.

   Firing double action as quickly as I could control recoil and get the sights back on target I fired a box of Federal’s RNL loading. Recoil isn’t difficult in this revolver. I centered the hits and experienced good results. I also tried a few speed loads with a Speed Beez speed loader. Results were good, just thread the bullet nose in correctly by holding your fingers on the bullet nose, not on the speed loader body.  Results were what I expected from a quality snub nose revolver.

I also took to the bench rest and fired slow fire, single action, taking plenty of time to address a target at 15 yards. It isn’t difficult to keep five rounds in four inches or less, with one group less than three inches. This is a stunt but demonstrates the inherent accuracy of even a small revolver.

   Shot placement is what matters most with a .38 Special and we should also choose an expanding bullet with good wound potential. I dug into my .38 Special larder and came up with three loads I felt would be ‘worth a shot’. One is the standard velocity Federal 110 grain Hydra Shock. Despite a modest muzzle velocity this loading offers good expansion. Control is excellent in fast double action pairs. The 110 grain bullet strikes to the point of aim at 7 yards. I also tried the Remington 110 grain JHP +P.

Recoil is more pronounced but may be handled with practice. This tulip shaped hollowpoint has plenty of exposed lead on the nose and consistently provides good results. For greater penetration the Federal 130 grain Deep Hydra Shock is a good choice. Also firing to the point of aim this loading provided good accuracy. I wont debate the merits of these three  I will load whichever of the three is available in today’s market. I would favor the Hydra Shock Deep when hiking and the Remington 110 grain JHP +P for most defense uses.

   Leather

   The snub .38 is short without much bearing surface to stabilize the handgun. A holster must be properly designed for a balance of speed and retention. The Wright Leather Works (wrightleatherworks.com) Banshee inside the waistband holster is ideal for the Roscoe. The Banshee IWB is worn inside the pants and a light covering garment used to cover the revolver’s butt. This makes for excellent concealment. The Banshee features good molding and dual loops to spread the weight of the holster about the belt. The Heritage Roscoe is reliable, useful in many roles, and is affordable with an average price of $325.00.

 Roscoe Specs