new 475

[white eagle]

If you were to buy a 475 Linebaugh which would you buy
I have this bug pretty bad
wanting to know from others who have been down that road
would you start out at John Linebaughs' house with the 475 ?
I need to keep costs low but sometimes paying more is the only way to do it

[44man]

If you were to buy a 475 Linebaugh which would you buy
I have this bug pretty bad
wanting to know from others who have been down that road
would you start out at John Linebaughs' house with the 475 ?
I need to keep costs low but sometimes paying more is the only way to do it

The very best bang for the buck is the BFR. All I have worked with and the one I own all have had perfect dimensions of .475" grooves and .4765" throats along with a perfect twist of 1 in 15" for the boolit weights of 400 gr and up. The gun has enough weight so recoil is not bad and accuracy is in the 1" area at 100 yards depending on the loose nut behind the grip. It is so accurate I once kept 4 out of 5 shots on a 6" swinger at 400 yards, shooting Creedmore, off the side of my leg. I have clanged steel rams at 500 meters.
I paid $715 out the door but a friend found them for $500 and did not tell me. I would have bought another in an instant.
I shot this paint can twice at 100 yards but got tired of setting it back up. The gun is actually boring because when you miss, it is your fault.

[jackhandle]

been down this road! searchin' for donor gun for Linebaugh conversion took forever. Have worked with John on other projects (he usually guides me through). He does TOP shelf work and it helps that we're neighbors!!! I ended up finding a .475 BFR for around 600 shekels, we took it apart for measurment...John gave it the thumbs up! Now fitting Bisley grip frame and cutiing barrel back to 4 5/8's .. Not a Linebaugh custom but....Excellent gun and way more satisfaction than what I paid. I Highly recommend John but if you find the cookie jar short, get a BFR!!!!!

[Whitworth]

I love my customs, but I would recommend the BFR over all others for the fact that they are hands down the best bang for the buck available IMHO. Every one I have shot has been accurate and they are a good foundation for a custom down the road if you ever decide to go that route. I too would fit it with a Bisley grip frame.......

[Heavy lead]

I fit mine with a Bisley frame too and made it even a better shooter for me anyway.

[Merc41]

Hi White Eagle

Your definitely getting some good information here. Hard to beat the price for the BFR. Here is my personal favorite, although a bit more than the BFR in cost.

[odis]

Hi White Eagle

Your definitely getting some good information here. Hard to beat the price for the BFR. Here is my personal favorite, although a bit more than the BFR in cost.

Nice looking gun.

[freedom475]

afer shooting them all at Linbaughs seminar... I would have to say that I would trade my Premere 83 Freedom Arms for one or Johns conversions in a HEARTBEAT!...but my FA is a fine gun and has served me well.

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive got a fa and a john linebaugh gun. Both are about equaly as accurate. The linebaugh gun may edge out the fa with a few loads but both are proably the most accurate revolvers i own. the advantage to my fa is its stainless and after a few years of shooting the snot out of it and carrying it in a holster it still looks like new. My blued linebaugh gun has had one refinish allready and will soon need another. the advantage to the linebaugh gun is it will chamber about any bullet. The fa is limited because of the shorter cylinder. The linebaugh gun is also a tad lighter even though its a 5.5 inch gun vs my fa at 4 3/4. I have no doubt the bfrs probably shoot just as well and are a good bang for the buck but imo there a tad bigger and heavier then i like in a holster gun. If your buying a long barreled gun to put in a shoulder holster then they would probably work fine. Someone on here had a nice one cut down to 4 3/4. Its probably a bit heavier and bigger then the fA but i probably could live with something like that. One bad experience with there arogant customer service dept has soured me forever on them though and i personaly would have to pass.

[500bfrman]

One bad experience with there arogant customer service dept has soured me forever on them though and i personaly would have to pass.

Magnum research?

[500bfrman]

The model 83 from FA weighs 3.2 pounds in a 7.5 inch
The BFR weighs 3.6 pounds in a 6.5 inch which is about the same length as a 7.5 inch because they figure barrel lengths different. So about .4 pounds just call it 7 ounces difference. Is that difference worth an extra 1100-1500 dollars. I guess that depends upon what you want. They both shoot good, one takes any bullet and one takes some. I would think if you are even looking at doing FA or a linebaugh conversion then you are just going to do that. you can buy a bfr, 500 pieces of brass, 3 semi-custom molds, powder, primers, a holster rig, a scope if you want, and still be under the prices though. I think differently than some people though. Doesn't make me right, doesn't make them right just makes us different.

[44man]

I like a gun that is easy to care for. Take a Ruger or BFR. Get scratches on the stainless and a few swipes with Scotch-Brite and it is like new.
Blued guns can get worn bluing and it does not bother me as long as there is no rust.
I get scratches and know darn well I didn't touch anything????? GREMLINS!
I used to get peeved when a mark appeared and fretted over it. Now the most important thing is when I drop the hammer on a deer, it goes down.
I had a neighbors old pump .22 here the other day and the blue has turned to brown with a little rust. I used steel wool and Hoppe's on it, then sprayed Sheath on it. The bore is clean and shiny. It shot a better group then you would believe and I think it is the most beautiful gun there is. Old Savage, by the way, with one of those loooong skinny Savage scopes with external adjustments. Black hole shooting!
Some of the guns you guys show would have to be wrapped in bubble wrap, 5 layers of blankets and nailed into a hardwood box!
They are indeed pretty though.

[cptinjeff]

Now the most important thing is when I drop the hammer on a deer, it goes down.
.

The hammer or the deer?

[44man]

The hammer or the deer?

Darn, you got me there!

[Whitworth]

The model 83 from FA weighs 3.2 pounds in a 7.5 inch
The BFR weighs 3.6 pounds in a 6.5 inch which is about the same length as a 7.5 inch because they figure barrel lengths different. So about .4 pounds just call it 7 ounces difference. Is that difference worth an extra 1100-1500 dollars. I guess that depends upon what you want. They both shoot good, one takes any bullet and one takes some. I would think if you are even looking at doing FA or a linebaugh conversion then you are just going to do that. you can buy a bfr, 500 pieces of brass, 3 semi-custom molds, powder, primers, a holster rig, a scope if you want, and still be under the prices though. I think differently than some people though. Doesn't make me right, doesn't make them right just makes us different.

I couldn't agree more.

[tek4260]

Here it is Lloyd. Seems to shoot better 3 shot groups with my hand loads than with factory. The 1st pic is 3 shots with the 400 Lee, the second pic is 3 shots with factory and then one more after I adjusted the sight. 25 yards for both. I need to hurry up and send the grip frame off and have some grips for deer season. The ones on it are just to test it out as I couldn't bring myself to shoot it with the Goodyears that came on it.

[white eagle]

Those are some FINE lookin guns boys
makin me drool over here
Nice shootin too !

[c.r.]

I'm going to suggest you try to get your hands on examples of each and see how you like them. I've never shot a BFR, but i've had the opportunity to shoot warm loads in an FA chambered in 454 casull and a few custom bisley in John L's 475 and 500.

even if you can't find examples in the "super magnums", finding examples loaded with heavy 45Colt and 44Mag loads in them will give you a good idea whether the grip designs work for you.

For me the ruger bisley feels more comfortable. I'm sure other folks prefer the FA to the bisley and other folks do just fine with the BFR. I'm just fortunate that i was able to handle the two before i decided to go the custom bisley route.........after choosing the custom bisley route, i just decided to go all the way with the 500L........ by the way, i do own an FA mdl 97, that i run warm 44 special loads in and i'm cool with it. but when it comes to big guns, i prefer the bisley.

Before i settled on a 500L, i was interested in the 475L.........i was concerned with bullet length in the FA............. however after speaking to a number of folks who own FA's in 475L, not a single one complained they weren't able to find heavy comercial cast bullets that shot well in their guns. I removed the cartridge OAL as a variable.

one thing though that hasn't been mentioned is the FA doesn't have a "free-spin" pawl, not sure about the BFR, i'd assume it is with how similar how it is to a ruger and being a 5-shot.

now MY opinion is that after the custom bisley, my second choice would be an FA. again, my opinion and nothing more.

[Lloyd Smale]

yes it was.

Magnum research?

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive got to agree with cr. First in choises. My first choise is a true linebaugh built gun. To me theres something just cool about owning a gun made by the man that invented the cartridge. I wont get into arguments about who first thought up the 500 or 475 i just know who they were named after. John makes a fine gun. There must be others that agree with me as he has a 3 year waiting list to have a gun built. second choise would be a FA gun. Maybe there not so nice as to be worth more then twice what a bfr is but imo they are a better gun and they do (at least in 475) hold there value more then a bfr. Now im into the handgun thing more then most and at least back when i was working didnt bat an eyelash at shelling out 2k plus for a nice handgun. Those days are over for me and i doubt another full blown custom will ever be in the cards for me. Luckly i have enough of them to keep myself happy and dont really need anymore. I also agree with cr on another thing. I do like the 475 and probably shoot it more then my 500s but if i was only going to have one custom big bore revolver it would have to be a 500. Why? Because its bigger. Guys will say that the 475 is all you need and will kill anything a 500 will but then the same could be said for comparing the 475 to the 44,45 colt and 454. I did have a sour experience with magnum research. I swore off ever buying another. I could possibly be swayed if they would ever put them out from the factory at those prices with a bisley frame and a 4 5/8s barrel.