suggestions for a SA revolver?

Runs With Scissors

Runs With Scissors

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Dec 3, 2000
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I'm thinking I'm in the market for a new toy here soon and wanted a few suggestions from folks. Here's what I'm lookin' for...

Single Action only...

.45 Colt+p or .454 Cassull Caliber What I'm wanting is something for plinkin' and playin' with 90% of the time, and grubbin' 'round in the woods the rest of the time. So far I've got four candidates.

Freedom Arms .454 Cassull- I looked at one of these seriously for my first time the other day and was utterly amazed. Incredible fit, finish, so unbelievably tight and precise...I'm honest to God considering it to be like the Bentley of field guns. Downsides are: I'd rather have blued, I'd have to save up about three times as many clamshells, and that's alot of money if it falls out of a boat, pack, etc. or gets stolen out of a truck or camper.

Magnum Research BFR- Saw one in .454 the other day. Not as good as the Freedom Arms, but better feeling action than the Rugers. The one I saw had about a six inch bbl, porting, and rounded wooden grips, it was $800 I'd have to save quite a few more clamshells, but not as many as for the Freedom Arms. Never messed with a Magnum Research..any feedback?

Ruger Blackhawk- not as precise in the action as the two forementioned, but hellbent for stout, and plenty accurate none the less. A huge concern of mine with these are the smallish grip size and my XL hands getting along. Are they as bad as they seem? I've Never fired one of these in the bigger calibers...(not counting .357)

Ruger Blackhawk Bisley- a larger grip, but I've heard they can be a bit of a finger smasher? I have a Cimarron Arms .45 Bisley that can be a bit of a finger mauler if not held perfectly. Several years ago I shot a friends hotloaded .45 Bisley and don't recall any such troubles though...

What have y'alls experiences been, and what would you suggest?

Thanks!
 
First and foremost I say the Freedom Arms. They are far and away the best SA out there. I am a bit of a gun snob, so that may bias my opnion a little. :D
With that being said, I am a huge Ruger revolver fan. While not as classy perhaps as a Colt SA, they can and will withstand lots and lots of abuse. Plenty of aftermarket parts to slick them up too. You might take a look at Bowen Classic Arms. They do some real neat stuff with the Rugers.
For what it's worth and your mileage may vary.
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Freedom arms. Great guns, I used to have a .44 mag but like the dumb s*&t that I am I sold it!
 
Freedom Arms by a wide margin. I've owned four of them, superb craftsmanship and accuracy. You will have to have an extra cylinder for the FA .454 Casull, if you want to fire .45 Colt ammunition. Actually, a .45 ACP cylinder makes more sense.

Don't discount the .45 Colt in the Model 97 (smaller than a Blackhawk or SAA), it can handle a 300 grain Speer at 1200 fps. It is a handful (I know, I own one) at that level of recoil. Short of the big bears, it will take anything in NA. Weighs about 36 ounces, ideal belt gun IMO. FA are made of very strong steels (17-4 PH), something others don't offer.

If you want something more personalized, Bowen does fabulous work. Be prepared for real sticker shock, his best grade guns run about $3,000. And be aware that an 18 month wait is not unusual.

I am not a fan of Reeders guns, too much like a Hubley cap gun.
 
I've owned a FA 454 and that was an awesome gun. In fact I regret now that I sold it. I, also, just sold my Texas Longhorn Arms in 45 LC. I'm down sizing to guns I'll really use and can't justify safe queens.

I think my next purchase will be a Vaquero in 45 LC, a simple shooter.

Win
 
my neighbor has a ruger bisley .45 done by bowen, 2 tone blue frame and bbl w/a nickle cyl and extractor rod housing in .45 long colt, expansion chamber, great sites, this revolver has the very best trigger pull of any firearm i have ever seen, bar none, bowen does great work. isnt cheap though he has $1800 in the bisley IIRC.

freedom arms is good a bud has a .454 casull w/a 4" or so bbl, goes to the end of the ext. rod housing, looks good, shoots good, kicks pretty good too lol, magna ported, i guess the short bbl doesnt help.

i have a super blackhawk that i installed a spring kit, hogue grips, it is a keeper imho, and i only have a few hundred $$ in it, like $350 or so. got a deal on the gun though, $200.

my neighbor shoots hard cast wadcutters outta the bowen .45, 350gr IIRC, handloads, it seems to be pretty powerfull, is it comparable to a .454, i dont know, it sure has some recoil though.

another bud just got a .500 S&W, shot it a while back, pretty cool gun, less recoil than expected, his 13 yr old shoots it quite a bit, and well too. imho it see,s like the most power, w/less recoil, ammo is outrageous though, he needs to start handloading, over $1 a round IIRC. pistol not cheap either, around $800.

the new ruger snub redhawks look cool too.

just depends on how much ya wanna spend.
 
Ruger Bisley. The grip shape and size is so much nicer than the standard Super Blackhawk.
 
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