Welcome back to another Wheelgun Wednesday where we regale you with our love of six-shooters, revolvers, wheelguns, cowboy guns, and every other colloquial synonym we can think of for the throwback handguns we enjoy to talk about and love even more to shoot. As we close in on the end of 2020, it is often fun to look and contemplate what the future might hold. For firearm fanatics, that means looking forward to SHOT Show and all of the new firearms that are soon to be announced.
While SHOT Show this year has been cancelled, firearm manufacturers are still going to create and debut a slew of new arms including revolvers. So, with that being said what is your best guess?… Throughout the year we have postured a couple new firearms that could breakout in 2021 and we will cover those again here. We will see if you agree or think that something entirely different might burst forth for all of us to clamor over. Let’s have some fun!
NEW REVOLVERS 2021?… COLT ANACONDA .44 MAGNUM
Colt is one of the most storied revolver manufacturers in history, and Samuel Colt’s name is widely famous throughout the entire world of firearms. There was an audible wailing and gnashing of teeth when Colt decided to discontinue many of their beloved double-action “Snake Guns” including the Diamondback, Cobra, Python, and Anaconda (to name a few). They have slowly been bringing many of these wheelguns back to market, but there is still the absence of their BIG DAWG!…the Anaconda.
We at TFB had predicted in a previous Wheelgun Wednesday you can read HERE that the Colt Anaconda will return next year or very soon. We are only 14 years removed from the last time Colt was producing Anacondas, but for many of us, it seems much longer than that. The timeline of their prior production is as follows:
- Anaconda (1st Edition): 1990
- Anaconda (Standard): 1990 – 1999
- Anaconda Hunter: 1991 – 1993
- Anaconda Custom Ported: 1992 – 1993, 1995 – 1996, 2002 – 2003
- Anaconda Camo: 1996
- Anaconda (Custom Shop): 2002 – 2006
Colt has started small with their Cobra series for a couple years, then jumped up to a larger iteration in their King Cobra Target model, and finally, they rebirthed the Python. The next logical step is the Anaconda, right? We can only hope. And again, this is not a news leak, but our simple guess of what is one of the potentially many new revolvers to be debuted soon in 2021.
NEW REVOLVERS 2021?… RUGER SUPER WRANGLER .22 LR / .22 WMR
Another firearm that we previously juxtaposed its future existence is a Ruger Super Wrangler with interchangeable cylinders for .22 Long Rifle and .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (.22 WMR or .22 Magnum). The original model of a Ruger Wrangler has become wildly popular because you have a price-point, single-action revolver from a solidified name brand such as Ruger. Also, the fact that Ruger is offering somewhat fun Cerakote colors on their new revolvers at the affordable MSRP of $249 brings a little bit of 21st-century flair to a 19th-century design – a sampling of the best of both worlds.
The reason why it makes sense to guess for a new release of a Ruger Super Wrangler is because Ruger has been making “Supers” for a long time. In a previous Wheelgun Wednesday you can read HERE we covered all of the different models and dates of manufacture that Ruger has done this. That list can be read below:
- Super Single-Six (Mfg 1964 – 1972)
- Super Blackhawk (Mfg 1959 – 1973)
- New Model Super Blackhawk (Mfg 1974 – Current)
- Super Redhawk (Mfg 1987 – Current)
- Super GP100 (Mfg 2019 – Current)
So, as you can see it is a pretty normal thing for Ruger to produce a given revolver model, watch it rise in popularity, and then produce a “Super” version to ride that wave of popularity even further. If a Ruger Super Wrangler does not happen in 2021 we would be willing to bet that like the Colt Anaconda it does inevitably happen soon.
NEW REVOLVERS 2021?… 10MM EVERYTHING
Before the world fell into a coronavirus plagued Earth with people hoarding toilet paper and stumbling around like zombies from an epic Michael Bay movie, the prices for 10mm ammunition were getting very favorable and affordable for shooters. Recently Smith & Wesson had reintroduced their Model 610 in both a 4″ and 6″ version. Ruger has their Super Redhawk in 10mm (there they go again with those “Supers” we were talking about). Even more and more semi-auto manufacturers are producing more 10mm offerings which simply shows the direction of the market. Firearms chambered in 10mm are the new hot thing and many gun companies looked to ride out that trend for a while.
Photo Credit: Smith & Wesson [Model 610 10mm revolvers]
So, who do you think could surprise us next year with a 10mm revolver?… I’ll throw out one reasonable guess and one wild one. For someone reasonable, it would not be very difficult or honestly surprising to see Taurus produce a 10mm revolver. They could slide that into their Raging Hunter line-up very easily and I believe it would be pretty popular if it maintained Taurus’ somewhat affordable price-points for large-framed revolvers. Now for a wild guess… Colt! Do I think Colt is going to make a 10mm revolver? Absolutely not. Would you, your sister, your grandma, your aunt, and your 3rd cousin, twice-removed go out and buy one? I bet you would.
While I love Colt and a significant portion of my safe is dedicated to their firearms, they have been struggling for a long time. Them bringing back their “Snake Guns” has helped restore a lot of their respect and stake in the market as of late, but they still need a firecracker… a showstopper… something unexpected… like a 10mm! This would involve an entirely new model, R&D, and a lot of resources, but it could pan out huge. You simply never know until it happens.
So, the final question is what do you think? I am rooting for a lot of different new revolvers to make their debut in the coming months, but again, this is not insider information, but simple wishes from a wheelgun fanatic. Do you think we will see a Colt Anaconda in 2021? How about a Ruger Super Wrangler in .22 LR/.22 WMR? I could definitely go for a Taurus Raging Hunter in 10mm myself. As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.