I just bought my Roughrider .22LR/.22mag on the 5th and I really enjoy it! It was on sale at the local gun show for $165 from $199. I traded in an old Buffalo Plains "RG" and paid $100 for mine. I am really impresed with the value. The gun feels better in my hands than the RG ever did. The six and a half inch barrel definitely helps with my shots. I'm still new to the shooting scene (Only 5 or 6 times at the range so far.) but had decent grouping in the 3.5 to 5 inch range with an occasional wide shot from trigger jerk.
I'm not sure if Heritage calles this gun "blue", I call it black. The hammer is a machined silver color and the grips are a nice Cocoloba wood. I'm not really thrilled with the fit and finish of my grips. There is a crack on the butt of the lefgt grip causing it to pull away from the frame leaving a gap big enough to wedge a dime in the corner. I plan on calling Heritage to see about a fix. I must say that I've seen many other Roughriders with great grip-frame finnish, so I'll call this a rarity. I e-mailed Heritage about it and they said to send the grips back for replacement. No questions asked! It took a week from the mailing of my cracked grips to Heritage to me finding my new grips in the mail. They look great! They are a little redder than the originals but still have a nice grain pattern showing through. I have to admit that the originals had a nicer smell tough. The new ones are definitely sealed better.
The transfer bar safety works great and switching out cylinders is a breeze! I also liked the fact that it came with a trigger lock. If I had papooses runnin' 'round I'd have that lock on in a hurry. The biggest thing for me is the solidiy of the hammer as it is pulled back. The RG (Buffalo Plains) had roughly a 1/4 inch of play (creep?) when I pulled it back. This Roughrider has very little in comparison. It just feels like a much safer gun all around.
My wife loves the gun, too. She didn't like the kick that my 1928 Colt .38 Police Positive has but found firing the Heritage very enjoyable. She has small hands and did state that she thought the reach for the hammer was long for her, but I think I'd have her try the Beasley model and see if that's better.
If I was just getting started in SASS and had to have new guns, I'd have no problem getting a Roughrider in .32 or .45 Colt. They may not be the best out there, but they work well, seem reliable (I'm not experienced enough to quantify this.), and feel good.
I like 'em!