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ED NOTE: This article was written in 2021, but it took Ruger a few years to get caught up enough with the Post-Plandemic manufacturing boom to get production off the ground. These fine revolvers are finally available for sale, and ready for immediate shipping. These long-awaited Tyler Gun Works Bisley Single-Sevens are very limited, and will not last long!

-Boge Quinn

Tyler Gun Works (TGW) is now a household name in the gun industry.  Providing color casing services for 42 different manufacturers around the world, it is hard not to run across a gun at a local gun store, or at a gun show, that has been through their shop.  Based in Friona, TX, Tyler Gun Works provides custom gunsmithing, color casing, finishing, and refinishing services for firearms.  They have even developed their own proprietary method for color casing stainless, something that must be seen and handled to believe and appreciate.  Bobby Tyler, owner of Tyler Gun Works, and the man behind the genius, is a hard-working, God fearing, husband to Paige, and father to three great kids.   Tyler Guns Works is a family affair, with every member pulling their own weight around the shop.  A few years ago, during a visit to Friona, while driving to Shootists Holiday, I was shocked to walk into the shop at 7:30 on a Saturday morning to see Paige busily handling the book-keeping and shipping, and the children were deeply engaged in their own duties around the shop.  I watched one sweep and pick up to keep things organized and clean, another was wrapping parts in paper towels, and another was carrying trays of parts.  It was a wonderful sight to see the genuine closeness of this family and everyone happily pitching in.

In early April of this year, I had the opportunity to attend a media event held at Gunsite Academy, in Paulden, AZ, just North of Prescott.   Gunsite is the world’s oldest and largest private shooting school. Located on approximately 3,000 acres, with around 30 different ranges, Gunsite holds a multitude of classes year-round.  From beginner introductory handgun classes, shotguns, rifles, or carbines to very advanced classes.  At times, Gunsite Academy also holds trainings for select students who work for government agencies of local, state, and federal levels, as well as some that are highly classified.  Gunsite’s certified instructors have years of professional, first-hand experience, and are highly trained.  This media event was held to introduce Tyler Gun Works, along with their local partner, Fink’s Custom Gunsmithing, as the new on-site Gunsmith, AKA “The Gunsmithy”.  Definitely not ones to sit back and let grass grow under their feet, Bobby and Paige Tyler are now also part owners of Fink’s Custom Gunsmithing.  This allows them to serve the firearms industry by bringing services provided by both firms together in one location.  This new partnership is now the Gunsmithy at Gunsite, under the Fink’s Custom Gunsmithing name plate.  While their first priority will continue to focus on repair and maintenance of student guns during classes, Fink’s, in this partnership with Gunsite, will continue to work on customer projects, while also offering bluing, engraving and color casing services of Tyler Gun Works.  It is a match made in heaven.  With the most outstanding customer service in the industry, their combined Gunsmithing abilities are a great one-stop shop for any gunsmithing needs.  This is a great partnership and most definitely an asset to Gunsite as well as the entire Western United States!

During this media event, my good friend and brother Shootist, Bobby Tyler, had an impressive display of about 15 or 20 guns that had come through his shop as a show and tell.  The display showcased highly engraved and color cased Colt Single Action Army revolvers, Colt 1911 semi-automatic pistols, Republic Forge 1911 semi-automatic pistols, along with a few intricately engraved Smith & Wesson revolvers, including a pair of Registered Magnums, and a stainless-steel Ruger.   Wait, what?  That seemed out of place… a Plain Jane little stainless-steel Ruger Bisley single action revolver with stag grips, surrounded by highly engraved Colts and Smith & Wessons.  Being a die-hard Ruger collector, this is the one that most piqued my interest, naturally! 

Bobby explained to me that it was a prototype for a limited special edition Tyler Gun Works run that he was fervently working on introducing.  He had brought it to this media event to get some feedback on it before finalizing the project with Ruger.  I am fortunate enough to live in the Phoenix area, a mere 90 miles south of Gunsite, which allows me the opportunity to shoot at Gunsite quite frequently.  However, the media events that are held there provide a great opportunity for me to handle and shoot different gear.  I am able to try it out in a more rugged testing fashion, both from an environmental perspective, as the harsh, dry, and dusty environment of Arizona can be hard on equipment, but also from a shooting perspective as many of Gunsite’s ranges and courses can be quite challenging.

Bobby set out to get some honest opinions on the gun, and the only right way to do that was to “appropriate” it for a while and put it to work.  Along with the gun, Bobby handed me a great Sourdough holster by Simply Rugged Holsters, of Prescott, AZ.  Rob Leahy, the owner, and also a brother Shootist, has been the subject of many articles here on Gunblast.  In fact, Jeff Quinn, the man who founded Gunblast, along with his brother Boge, was the inspiration for the Simply Rugged name when he, very early on, reviewed one of Rob’s holsters, just as Rob was starting his business. Jeff made the comment that the holster being reviewed was “simple but rugged”.   I slipped the holster on my belt, stuffed the Ruger in it, and instantly realized how well that little “seven-gun” packed.  Light, compact, and very handy.  It had the making for a perfect little “trail packin’ gun”.  One might wonder what a makes for a good packin’ gun.  The long-time, noted firearms author and founder of The Shootists, John Taffin, has written many articles on this subject and has determined, I think, that it is a never-ending quest!  This little gun might get close!

Sporting a 3.5” barrel, this fixed sight, stainless steel, seven shot Single Seven revolver has Ruger’s great Bisley grip-frame, a TGW color cased Bisley Hammer and trigger, a Fermin Garza designed front sight, slick action job, and elk stag grips emblazoned with the Ruger medallion.  Fermin Garza, has really made headway in the design of sights for single and double action revolvers.  This dovetailed front sight is perfect for the fixed rear sight of the revolver.  While one can almost always expect to have to file down on the front sight of a fixed sight single action revolver to adjust for point of impact, not so on this little gun.  With four or five different factory 327 Federal loads, from 15 to 25 yards, the elevation was spot on.  One of the nice features of the 327 Federal is that, in a single action revolver, it can be shot with just about any handgun round chambered in 32 caliber.  From 32 ACP, 32 Short, 32 S&W long, 32 H&R Mag, to the 327 Federal, it handles them all quite well.  I had some 32 H&R Mag factory ammo on hand and, predictably, it shot a bit low for the sights, which are set up for the 327 Federal Mag loads.  As an added touch, the revolver has a shortened base pin allowing for positive extraction of the empty cases, even so with the slightly sticky magnum cases, with the shorter barrel.  The TGW tuned action felt great and was a definite improvement over the factory action, greatly helping the overall feel and desirability of this special edition gun.

While at Gunsite, I asked two of the instructors at our media event to shoot the gun as well, just to get some different opinions.  Lew Gosnell, a very accomplished shooter, and winner of the first End of Trail SASS shoot way back when, is a fan of the 327 Mag round and of Ruger revolvers.  He was positively impressed by the gun as it shot very well for him as well.  Aimee Grant also liked the gun, and its compactness.  Both of them shot the gun well and accurately.  What else is to be expected from the combination of great shooters and a great gun!? 

I had the opportunity to shoot the gun on both steel and paper targets, using both factory target and self-defense loads.  I am happy to report that this little trail gun did not disappoint.  Judging by the movement of the steel targets upon impact, it proved to be accurate and quite hard hitting.  Having been a fan of the 327 Federal round from its introduction by Federal and Ruger, for their 3” SP-101 double action revolver back in 2008, I know of the inherent benefits of the caliber, including its performance, which has a much more pleasant recoil than the 357 Magnum.  I am still impressed by how hard the round hits when shooting at steel.   The 327 is no slouch and, in my opinion, this little packin’ trail gun is the perfect combination for the round, whether carried in a Simply Rugged belt holster, in a pack, in a gear box, or toolbox, it is just as handy as handy can be.

By the time you read this article, these guns will be available for purchase through Tyler Gun Works.  However, these are a limited run of 150 guns, all receiving a great action job by the talented Gunsmiths at TGW. Be forewarned: if TGW limited run guns’ history repeats itself, they will not last long, so do not wait too long to decide.  Contact Tyler Gun Works to place your order.  I’ve already ordered mine!

Matt Olivier

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