im kinda diggin' this BFR config, aesthetically

[Whiterabbit]

http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/p2U9I5FzstI/maxresdefault.jpg

I always thought a short barrel on a long frame BFR looked goofy, but this seems to work. That pic looks pretty darn nice.

This is not factory. Who did these? Anyone see any "signatures" in the work? D-max?

If these are sidewinders, why does the 7.5" bfr look so odd, and these with an even shorter barrel look....less odd?

[RED333]

Well I feel dumb, had to look up what BFR stood for."Biggest Finest Revolver." OK? "Big Fricking Revolver"?
Them are nice looking pistols!

[Sharpeye]

There is a gentleman on you tube that has a couple videos (one of him shooting a 700 grain in a BFR) and his is a cut down ported BFR with I believe a 6" barrel but he does list who cut his down and who did the porting. I do like the way they look but after some hot loads in mine with the 7.5" barrel I don't know if I would want anything lighter. :o

[Whiterabbit]

OK, I'm having a BFR crisis here. I'm to the point where I'm thinking about a shorter barrel so I can carry the thing under a jacket in the woods without having to think about it or shift it when I get into an OHV. The 10" just isn't working well for that. I'm happy with it otherwise.

I can trade out for a 500 JRH with the 5.5" barrel of cut my BFR to a 5.25-6.5" barrel. Somewhere in there.

I'm not sure I should worry about wasting powder capacity because my current load is a 425 or 500 grain bullet with 31 or 32 grains of 4198, goes just under 1400 fps in my 10". I feel like I'm wasting the potential of the 460, I can't be pushing the pressure very high.

The fact that cutting the BFR would be much MUCH cheaper than trading out for a JRH cannot be ignored either. Even though I still end up with a "clunky" long cylinder as opposed to a short.

--------

I know the short barrel is, in general principle, supposed to be "wrong", but the cost difference compared to the JRH is too advantageous to ignore also. Especially given how much tooling I have for the 45 cal already. Combined with the fact that really, im not in love with JRH as a cal, but linebaugh, though I had some emails with MRI past couple days and saw just how little support they give to the LB cartridge (not unexpected).

So I'm torn. I need advisors to tell me what to do. Try a shorter 460, or bite the bullet and sell all to convert over to 500 jrh?

[44man]

You know how much I love the JRH but I would have a hard time changing what you have or selling any of them.
The JRH has the short cylinder and is a super gun.
Those darn things grow on a guy and mine will go with me when I croak!
Time to bite the boolit and buy another to go with what you have.

[clyde-the-pointer]

I think that gun is the cat's meow and have been looking for a good deal on a .45-70 version. Pistol and rifle same round symphony.

[Whiterabbit]

You know how much I love the JRH but I would have a hard time changing what you have or selling any of them.
The JRH has the short cylinder and is a super gun.
Those darn things grow on a guy and mine will go with me when I croak!
Time to bite the boolit and buy another to go with what you have.

44man, I appreciate your input on this matter, particularly knowing your bias against short barrels on high capacity pistol cases. I cannot have a hard time changing anything simply because I lack your experience. Changing things is how I'll get that experience, and I don't have the money to buy one of everything! I think that's something you can appreciate too.

In the spirit of "not changing anything", perhaps I can have my cake and eat it to by making no changes that cannot be reversed. Do you think it may be straightforward to find a .452 takeoff barrel? Who can I call? I am hesitant to call MRI about it because I assume the cost will be high, plus the cost of shipping a pistol is also high. to get a barrel onsite, I can cut and crown at my leisure, and take days or weeks to fit it if needed. A labor of love.

But I have no idea whom I might call. a custom pistolmaker? maybe they'd have some 454 BFR takeoff barrels laying around? How much do you think MRI would charge me to have another barrel made?

[44man]

No Idea if you can find a barrel. For the 45-70 you need a .458" barrel. .460 or .454 the .452" is what you want.
I go by case capacity and the darn hard to find loads and powders that work. Not that I am against short barrels but some calibers just need longer.
I feel the money pain too, had to sell some great guns to get my BFR's. There is no overtime on SS.
BFR barrels are top quality Badger barrels, hand lapped so to find one might be tough.
You might call Jack Huntington with the question.
I have changed rifle barrels but have no frame wrench for the revolvers, can't afford one either so I would need to make one and a barrel wrench. You can twist a frame without the right tools. I would stay away unless you are equipped for it.

[stephenj]

Abl I realy like the .500jrh with the 5.5 inch barrel .. looks like it would be a nice easier to carry cannon.
Its on my short list to buy .

I have a 7.5 inch 475 linebaugh ... i do love it and it isnt so bad to carry in the woods
And i do like the short cylinder .. both how it looks and feels.

I also have a 10 inch convertable 45-70 / 450 marlin
I have zero complaints with how it shoots .. mostly
But it is freakin huge .. not easy to carry at all
While im not a fan of the ling cylinder ... i got it cheap
Cabelas had it on sale for for well under $600

I tend to treat the .450 marlin cylinder as a novelty
I have yet to figure out how to make the belted case shoot as
Well as the 45-70

[Whiterabbit]

put a rag over the barrel and took a blurry picture. To get a sense of aesthetics if a 410 shotgun barrel were to be put on the bfr.

Doesn't look.. that.. bad

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=98888&thumb=1&d=1394208905

[lar45]

I believe that MRI's charge for a new barrel is $150.
I think that some of the 410 barrels are a 1-20 twist and others are a 1-16.
If you do send it in, be clear on what the overall barrel length is that you want.
The production guns are measured from the front of the frame, but the custom work is measured from the cylinder.
I sent my 50AE in to get a 500 JRH cylinder and wanted a shorter Octagon barrel. I told them that I wanted a 5.25" barrel thinking that they would add the 3/4" of extra barrel on for a total length of 6", but I got a 5.25" barrel back.

Here are some pics of MRI's version of an octagon barrel.
http://www.lsstuff.com/misc/500gn-01.jpg

http://www.lsstuff.com/misc/500gn-02.jpg

I have the 500S&W BFR with 6.5" barrel and it seems to balance fairly well, and the weight isn't too bad with the larger holes in the cylinder and barrel.

[44man]

I believe that MRI's charge for a new barrel is $150.
I think that some of the 410 barrels are a 1-20 twist and others are a 1-16.
If you do send it in, be clear on what the overall barrel length is that you want.
The production guns are measured from the front of the frame, but the custom work is measured from the cylinder.
I sent my 50AE in to get a 500 JRH cylinder and wanted a shorter Octagon barrel. I told them that I wanted a 5.25" barrel thinking that they would add the 3/4" of extra barrel on for a total length of 6", but I got a 5.25" barrel back.

Here are some pics of MRI's version of an octagon barrel.
http://www.lsstuff.com/misc/500gn-01.jpg

http://www.lsstuff.com/misc/500gn-02.jpg

I have the 500S&W BFR with 6.5" barrel and it seems to balance fairly well, and the weight isn't too bad with the larger holes in the cylinder and barrel.
That barrel is SWEEEEET.
My JRH is from the custom shop before the caliber went production. My 7-1/2" barrel is 8-3/16" from the cylinder.
I guess some complained and they differ with lengths, ME, I prefer longer.

[rlb]

Those pistols in the original post aren't DMAX guns. DMAX serial numbers are on the bottom and starts with a D.

[44man]

I do believe Ruger's Pine Tree cast the frames. Not many others have the capabilities to make them. They are clearly lost wax cast. More precision with out a lot of machining.
Now with MR and Ruger, it seems they are a good combination and I am sure they work together.

[tek4260]

Look at the base pin latch. The DMAX guns had that base pin retention system, while the later JT guns have the base pin retained with a screw, like on the one posted by lar45

[tek4260]

My previous 475 was shortened to 4 5/8

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/834/photoapr22090329.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/n6photoapr22090329j)

[rlb]

My DMAX says "Magnum's BFR" on the right side and the sn is on the bottom, just ahead of the grip frame. Might be earlier than the ones in the first post.

[monge]

WOW that is one fine looking shooting iron! how the recoil with those grips?

[tek4260]

Wasn't bad at all. Actually those grips are rather thin, as I asked for them to be. Considering how wide the grip frame is on a BFR, thin grips are the only option in my opinion. Otherwise it would be like holding on to the end of a baseball bat and you would not have much control with your hand so spread.

[tek4260]

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm35/tk3945/DSCN0991.jpg~original (http://s292.photobucket.com/user/tk3945/media/DSCN0991.jpg.html)

[tek4260]

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm35/tk3945/DSCN1002.jpg~original (http://s292.photobucket.com/user/tk3945/media/DSCN1002.jpg.html)

[Whiterabbit]

well, I confirmed that the JRH is a custom shop cal now, price up $1000 from the factory models. :( That door is closed to me now. Unless I find a 454 bfr for an absurd deal to offset the cost of a new cylinder.

I did confirm the cost of a new barrel too. you guys were right. basically, $150 plus $50 shipping. Comes out to just less than $200. If they promise to give me my old barrel back, I might do that. Probably ask for a barrel that sticks out about 1/2" past the ejector rod housing, give or take

[44man]

I guess I was lucky with the 7-1/2" JRH. Never going to leave me.
I hate to see it go away from production.

[Whiterabbit]

well, that's an alternative. Offer to trade my 460 for a 7.5" 454. I don't like the 454 cassul cartridge, but it lets me shoot with my existing molds and brass (after cutting them down) while I save my nickels for a new barrel.

Would you make that trade if given the option? cheapest way to a short cylinder 50 cal, methinks. double the cost of rebarreling the 460. But a real 50 cal, and a short cylinder.

[lar45]

I bought mine as a 50AE and sent it back for the 500JRH cylinder.

[44man]

I think I would just buy the JRH that is listed on the MR site. The 6" shot super so the little shorter should be OK, not much difference.
I was afraid they did away with it but it is still there. The only thing they did was offer one barrel length.
The .475 is offered in two lengths.

[brasshog]

I called MRI this week to see about cutting my BFR 45-70 ten incher down to about 5 1/2. It's a non FFL shipping to them, $150 fee, and $42 return shipping (Florida) with about a three to four week turn around. They will fit the 450 marlin cylinder for $350 while it's there.

[44man]

I think the .450 is too large and would prefer even longer then 10" for it. The trouble I had with the 45-70 in 10" will not be repeated.
Once I worked it out, I can pop 1" targets at 100 if I can see it. It is the gun that gave me 2-1/2" at 500. Red dot, no scope. I don't know what it would do with a good scope.
I found a shoulder holster from Uncle Mikes that the big gun fits.
I had the same trouble with the Tender in 30-30 because of case size-barrel length of 10" but was able to hit pennies at 100 with cast. Yes, it was 4759 in both, also the 7R in 10" and the 7BR in 10". Best stinking powder ever, bulk with a fast burn rate. Might work in a shorter barrel. I still feel you need barrel for complete burn and the velocity/spin match.
I can shoot eight different boolits and weights from my 45-70 without losing accuracy, one gave me 3/8" at 50.
The JRH from 6" to 7-1/2" is just crazy accurate with my 420 gr boolit, PB.
I don't like the .454 either but you can bring it in by cutting .460 brass and using a Fed 155 primer. That stinking SR primer was the worst ever.
Face facts, the BFR's are NOT carry guns, they are for hunting or doing ridiculous long range shooting. Some say take a rifle but even my largest revolvers leave my hands free. I don't see a day when I take a rifle anymore. I kill so stinking many deer I have no tags left for ML season.
I like Ruger's but ask what my next revolver would be!

[Whiterabbit]

I ended up buying a ruger (pair) after my BFR for one reason, and one reason only. I like blue guns. The day MR makes a blue frame is the day I sell all my ruger handgun stuff and go back to MR only.

[44man]

I like blue too but not the maintenance. I like to slip the gun back in the safe dirty.
I just plain hate to clean guns.