It’s a nice change of pace from the simple, utilitarian style of a semiautomatic handgun magazine. It sounds like a tedious process, and it could be for some, but I actually enjoy the mechanical actions necessary to load the Rough Rider. Then, you swing open a hinged loading gate on the right side of the frame and insert rounds one at a time, rotating the cylinder and repeating the process until all six chambers are full. Instead, to load the gun you first pull the hammer back to a half-cocked position that allows the cylinder to be rotated by hand. Unlike modern revolver, the cylinder on the Rough Rider is fixed in place and doesn’t swing out for loading. I’m typically not a revolver shooter, so maybe that’s a learned taste. It’s not especially hard to hold the gun correctly, but it doesn’t fall into my hand as naturally as I’d normally like for a handgun. It’s relatively small size, combined with the classic shape and style of the hand grip, make the Rough Rider decidedly less ergonomic than most of my more modern guns. After thousands of rounds and countless cleaning sessions, the finish is starting to wear off on the front of the cylinder on mine, but beyond that I have not had any issues with the gun’s long term durability.
Overall I’m impressed with the build quality, especially at this price point. The wooden hand grip, aluminum frame and steel barrel give the gun a substantial, sturdy feel. The Heritage Rough Rider looks like it belongs in an old Western, with a design reminiscent of the classic Colt Single Action Army revolver.