Freedom Arms - Barrel Length, Grip, and Trigger, Sights [Archive]

calshipbuilder

03-20-2015, 04:31 PM

Hi,

I've been doing a bit or research on the model 83. Based on photos alone, I have my heart set on a 4.75" premier with Adjustable Sights and round butt grip. I'd have cylinders for 454 and 45acp.

I'm interested in experience others have with barrel length, sights, and grips so that I don't end up with something that looks pretty, but is not fun to shoot.

Also, is the trigger job worth it?

Hickory

03-20-2015, 04:44 PM

You might be happier with a longer barrel.
I shot a Freedom Arms 454 with a short barrel, the sensation was like having a hand grenade going off at the end of my arm and getting hit with a wet blanket at the same time.
Reminded me of a guy I saw who made his living blowing himself up with dynamite.

dubber123

03-20-2015, 05:30 PM

Although I only have experience with a short barreled F/A, my 4.75" .475 Linebaugh, another fellow I know has quite a few. He shoots them a lot, and claims the longer barrels are more punishing. I dunno. Mine has the standard grip frame, and the hardwood grips. It kicks quite hard, and the sharp edges like to cut and bite. I would expect the .454 to be a bit less punishing.

I would not spend the money on the trigger job. Unless they have changed their policy, they will not go below 3 pounds, and want $100 to do that. I sent mine to a good smith, and had it set to 2 pounds. He says the sears are cut perfectly, and all he has to do is tweak the trigger return spring. He says it's a 5 minute job, and tried to get me to do it over the phone versus paying him. I will do the next one myself.

ejcrist

03-20-2015, 06:24 PM

I have the 83 in 454 with the 45 Colt cylinder in a 7 1/2" barrel. I got it primarily to shoot 45 Colts in it with hunting loads and got the 83 instead of the 97 in the Colt because I needed the extra cylinder length for the heavier boolits I like to shoot. The shorter barrel may produce a little more felt recoil than a longer barrel but when you're shooting full house 454 Casull's I don't think the difference is material - it's gonna be mean no matter what length barrel you have. Regarding the trigger job, I was told by the rep at the LGS that it's not worth the $100, and like dubber123 said, it's better and cheaper to have a smith do it. I like the stock trigger that came with mine so I've left it alone. It came in the box at a little over 3 lbs and is nice and crisp so I'm happy with it.

calshipbuilder

03-20-2015, 07:59 PM

Thanks for the great responses.

I think I will stick with the 4.75 - I plan on shooting mostly ACP and 454 just a few times a year.

Anyone order the express sights?

dubber123

03-20-2015, 08:28 PM

Thanks for the great responses.

I think I will stick with the 4.75 - I plan on shooting mostly ACP and 454 just a few times a year.

Anyone order the express sights?

Tried them on another F/A I have. I hate them. Not any faster, and very hard to hold windage consistently in the super shallow notch.

Tyler Anderson

03-21-2015, 02:58 PM

I agree. I hate express sights on a handgun. I have a 7.5 inch barrel, and I think it's too long, I keep thinking about sending it back to get chopped to 5.5".

Whiterabbit

03-21-2015, 09:07 PM

I suggest that, no matter what grip size and shape you pick, that the sides are smooth. If you are in the "let it roll" camp, then the smooth sides will slide on the ball of your hand easier. If you are in the "don't ever let it roll" camp, then you are using your middle and ring fingers to hold it fast as your arms rise, and have no need for any checkering to grind up your hands.

MT Chambers

03-21-2015, 10:25 PM

I have an '83 with all the bells and whistles, Premier model, extra .45 Colt's cyl., trigger job, express sights, forcing cone bushing, micarta grips, 4.75' barrel. Heavy .454 loads are kickers and bother my arthritic wrist somewhat. The gun is the finest handgun that I have ever handled, express sights included, tolerances are precise, before I bought one I compared it with a BFR and there was no comparison.

Golfswithwolves

03-22-2015, 02:51 AM

I owned a Model 83 with the rubber grips, and do not recommend this type of grip for anybody with medium-size (or smaller) hands. I was not able to effectively hang on to this revolver with its snappy .454 recoil because the grips were too big for my hands. I have a feeling that the Premium factory grips would let the average sized shooter do better. I thought this revolver was a fine gun, but traded it for a Model 97 instead of trying to find more suitable grips.

MGD

03-22-2015, 05:12 PM

I have a Model 83 4.75" w/express sights. I have to work harder with the sights but they made for hunting and fast acquisition. It does get exciting with full house loads. The nice thing is how easy it is to carry the 4.75.

dubber123

03-22-2015, 06:00 PM

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh83/dubber123/IMG_0011.jpg (http://s254.photobucket.com/user/dubber123/media/IMG_0011.jpg.html)

50 yards. I have a very hard time doing this with express sights. I don't find them a bit faster either.

Groo

03-22-2015, 07:56 PM

Groo here
I have a 4 3/4 in and a 7 1/2 in 83 in 454 [ both old enough that there was only one grade.]
The shorter has the two port magnaport system and the 4 port on the longer.
The longer is the only long barrel gun that I though needed porting , the shorter , porting works good.
I should say , I got these guns to hunt with [ not for fun] and my loads reflect that.
The number of "light" loads [ ruger only ] you could count on your hands and feet.
My first loading was a 200gr j-word bullet at 2000fps from the longer.
Every one is different .

44man

03-23-2015, 07:54 PM

I found the same about the trigger, sears were perfect, just the spring is strong. My friend has the .454 freedom in 7-1/2" and it is not much worse then my .44 to shoot.
Another friend had the .475 and THAT was something else. neither of us liked the smooth grips so he sent for the rubber ones and it made it easier to handle. That trigger guard knew where my knuckle was for sure.
I am so far from a "roll" thinker then anyone.
My Vaquero .45 with hunting loads was far worse then the .454, I don't remember anyone running a cylinder full without quitting. I put Pachmeyer grips on it to tame it.

bobthenailer

03-24-2015, 07:02 AM

On my 454 83's i just bent the trigger spring !
As far as barrel length I have a 6" with 2 port MP , 7.5 " with 4 port MP and a 9" a 7.5 with a SSK muzzel break bought it that way very reasonable.
Of the three if i could have only one it would be the 6" I use Aimpoint Micros red dot sights on them and a scope on the 9"

IMO a aux cyl is a waste of money that can be better spent elseware !
I regulary shoot 260 to 300 gr cast bullets in the 1,000 to 1,100 fps with excellent accuracy using 454 brass.

NLS1

03-24-2015, 10:47 AM

I owned a FA in 475 for a few years before I got into casting.

That gun was gorgeous, perfectly made. Express sights, 6" octagon barrel, micarta grips, and had had maybe a cylinder of ammo through it when I got it used. It was my dream gun I stumbled on in the LGO.

It was so sharp that every time I shot it I got cut up. Being a lefty, the loading gate would cut up my left hand really bad in the web. My left middle finger knuckle sure took a pounding.

I remember being at the range with 4 or 5 friends back then, and after a couple cylinders, they all asked to shoot it, one shot was all it took and they all quit. One of them said "looks like you are loading tubes of chap stick into that thing". And then I proceeded to shoot a couple cylinders full one handed!

Good times. Sure hope you enjoy yours. Wish tough times hadn't forced me to sell it a decade ago.

Dan

Doggonekid

03-26-2015, 11:41 PM

I shoot a FA mod 83 .475 Linebaugh with a 7.5" octagon bbl and I have thought about sending it back to FA and having 1.5" cut off. It is just a personal preference I think it would look better. I would not go below 6" my self. There use to be a dumb law on the books around here that you could not hunt big game with a handgun with a bbl shorter than 6". The DWR said you could hunt with a .357 mag with a 6" bbl and not with a .454 Casul with a 5.5" bbl. I think the longer bbl is easer for me to control for accuracy. I think it is better for the longer range shots too.

One more thing. I would not spend the money on a trigger job. My buddy did and I can not feel $100 diffenence.

Two more things. NICE SHOOTING DUBBER123! THATS AWESOM!

Bigslug

03-27-2015, 09:22 AM

Trigger job - no. There isn't much at all on those guns that requires any kind of further work.

Barrel length - The cool thing about a .454 is that you don't have to load it like a .454, and a Freedom revolver is one of those things you want to own regardless of the power factor. If you DO want to load it like a .454, however, a shorter barrel castrates the potential.

Full power loads - the gun rotates so forcefully that the Pachmayrs try to take the meat of your hand with them. Smooth, solid grips feel more like a glancing blow from a baseball bat. It's not nearly as bad as a Wildey semi-auto (which has a samurai sword on each rear corner of the grip frame), but the Marquis de Sade probably had a hand in the development.

snowwolfe

03-27-2015, 11:41 AM

Express sights? NO, Had them on a previously owned FA and ended up taking them off.
Trigger job? Flip a coin.

But get your order in as soon as possible as current delivery times are running 15-18 months.

Barrel length? Highly subjective personal choice so no wrong answers but I prefer around 5.5 inches. If you are ordering consider an octagon barrel. They add a classy look that will never go away.

dubber123

03-28-2015, 12:29 PM

Mine did need a trigger job, at least in my opinion. It was 4.0 pounds as delivered, and it is much more shootable at 2.0 pounds. It was very crisp as delivered, and many would not have a problem with that. My other F/A is set at about a pound, but it's pretty much just a group shooting toy, thats a bit too light for field use to me.

44man

03-28-2015, 01:51 PM

If rubber scrunges your hand you do not hold it proper. It should NOT slip.
It takes much more to hold a slippery grip to prevent "roll". Roll is the enemy of consistent groups. You just increase vertical dispersion and stringing.
Fingers do not have muscles, they are controlled by your forearm with tendons and the arm needs strength to control barrel rise so the tighter the gun is held, the more tension is on the arm to control rise. Your elbow is the pivot point. NOT the grip in your hand.

RJM52

03-29-2015, 07:26 PM

I had a 6" 83 .454 with the extra .45 Colt cylinder...unless you are a .45 Colt shooter don't bother...just load .454 brass down to whatever level you like. As to getting a .45 ACP cylinder, if you have a lot of brass and you like shooting it from a SA revolver it isn't a bad purchase.

As to my gun, I ran .454s with 250+- grain bullets at 1600 fps...quite mild for a .454...and it began to injure my right wrist and elbow. After some conversations with John Taffin about what big bore shooting has done "to" him vs. for him I decided that I wasn't a .45 guy and got the exact same gun in .41 Magnum...have lived happily ever after.

Before I sold the gun however a friend who has two 4 3/4" .454s that he let me try them. If it wasn't for the fact that my black Micarta grips would not fit on his gun we would have traded... I really like the 83 with a short barrel and in handling their guns at the SHOT Show also like the round butt. If I ever come across a .41 with a short barrel I will buy it...

Sight wise I've tried the Express rear with both FO and gold bead front and as others have reported while fast it is hard for fine shooting. The standard front serrated blade is no joy either...it grays out in sunlight. I had David Clements make a long range front sight with two gold holdover bars and it gives an excellent sight picture. When hunting however I prefer a green FO with the standard notch rear.

Two years ago bought a 6" .475 with Mag-Na-Port barrel but even at 1100 fps bullets from 330-420 grains were just unpleasant to shoot...so it went to a new home also.

If you don't want to wait 18 months to get a gun look on GunBroker and GunsInternation...there are several dealers that put new guns up for sale all the time and lots of used ones in LN condition. There are several 4 3/4" .454s on GunBroker right now...

Good luck on your quest...

Bob

dubber123

03-29-2015, 07:47 PM

RJM52, the .8" group in the above pic from me was with 440 gr. LBT's at 1,340 fps from the 4-3/4" barrel. You are right, it takes a lot of concentration to shoot one of these. I'd like to meet anyone who would shoot mine and claim it was pleasant. :)

44man

03-30-2015, 09:03 AM

RJM52

03-30-2015, 09:28 AM

To the OP...about what you are looking for...

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=473669507

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=472550364

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=475402426

High Desert Hunter

03-30-2015, 11:30 AM

I have a 6" Premier Grade with the hardwood grips, and after owning 4 3/4" pistols, have found I like 5 1/2" to 6" much better, a little less muzzle blast, and much more accurate for me. These days I launch mostly 340gr WFNPB bullets from an LBT mold at 900 to 1350 FPS and it never fails to amaze me how accurate this 5 shooter is, I have turned in groups less than an inch (one big hole) for 5 shots at 50 yards with this bullet, and generally have no trouble hitting basketball sized rocks at 180 yards, have even rang the dinger on 4 out of 5 shots at 250 yards at the local range, took a cylinder to figure out the hold over, but once I had it, I left some jaws hanging open, good thing it's so dry and dusty here. I much prefer the hardwood grips, hate the rubber ones, have to grip them too tightly, and they are too big. Of all the different styles of grip frames I have shot, I feel the FA is the best for accuracy and for handling recoil.

dubber123

03-30-2015, 09:12 PM

How about ME? I wish we lived closer.

I know you would shoot it Jim :) Like it? probably not.. It's probably 2 pounds lighter than yours, much shorter, and has those slippery hardwood grips you hate. :) I go to Virginia a couple time a year, I've thought about stopping by.

44man

03-31-2015, 09:31 AM

I know you would shoot it Jim :) Like it? probably not.. It's probably 2 pounds lighter than yours, much shorter, and has those slippery hardwood grips you hate. :) I go to Virginia a couple time a year, I've thought about stopping by.
You would be more then welcome.

calshipbuilder

03-31-2015, 01:56 PM

I'm bidding on the second one on your list :-) wish me luck

calshipbuilder

03-31-2015, 11:29 PM

might have overpaid a tiny bit, but just over 1400 seemed reasonable to me - I'll post pics when I get it in

RJM52

04-01-2015, 01:45 PM

...great!!! Glad to have been of help.... With those upgraded grips it was well worth the money...

Bob

raisinriverron

04-03-2015, 05:32 AM

I have a 7 1/2" Field Grade .454 M83.
The Field grade comes with the rubber stocks, the only ones I have on a single-action.
I load the Hornady 240gr. XPT-Mag and H-110 for deer hunting.
By the time you add a scope, with rubber stocks, and shooting a relatively light bullet, recoil is not nearly what I expected.

RJM52

04-03-2015, 06:14 AM

For whatever reason FAs dropped the Pachmayer made rubber grips on the Field Grade guns several years ago... From what I have read they are now hard to find...

Bob

MGD

04-03-2015, 06:45 AM

If you want the Pachmayer grips, go to the specials section of Lymans website then go to the Spring Cleaning/Discontinued. They have FA Pachmayer grips for under $20.00 on closeout.

Tar Heel

04-03-2015, 08:54 PM

I just have to chime in here and I know you will all savage me but heck, here goes. If you want a 45 ACP in a 4.x barrel, get a 1911. If you want a Freedom Arms 454 Casull, get one with a 7" barrel. "That's all I have to say 'bout that."

Plastikosmd

04-04-2015, 11:54 AM

Love my 45acp FA. I also shoot 45lc, 45 win mag and 454 in same guns. ( along with 357/22lr/22wmr in other guns). Mine are all silhouette types, so a bit longer in barrels 7.5-9.5". I do like these pistols, good luck with your search
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j5/plastikosmd/freedom%20arms/20141013_093151_zpsev2wqfcy.jpg

44man

04-04-2015, 12:02 PM

I love longer barrels. Those are some nice guns.

Plastikosmd

04-04-2015, 04:04 PM

Thank u, not up to your level of target shooting yet but I read everything u post in hopes to learn!

calshipbuilder

04-05-2015, 01:53 AM

Got a conjugal visit while its in jail.

44man

04-05-2015, 12:34 PM

There has never been a more beautiful gun ever made then a SA but I profess to loving a 1911 too. Yet a SA is always first.

High Desert Hunter

04-05-2015, 06:53 PM

I prefer the 6" barrel, or even a 5 1/2", easier to pack, yet still enough sight radius to shoot accurately. My FA is a 6" Premier Grade which was the culmination of a 20+ years dream.

calshipbuilder

04-06-2015, 02:40 PM

to be honest, the barrel length is all about aesthetics and "handiness" to me. I was thinking about the 6 incher a lot at the beginning, but there isn't going to be a way around that blast. Even in a 4 incher, the 454 has more power than I will ever need in a handgun. If I want to shoot long range, I will mount a scope on it. I'll work up a 454 hunting load (probably closer to 45 colt+p power levels) over the next year, then send it in for a 45acp cylinder. I plan to put a lot of ACP through it. I load plenty for my 1911s and my Smith 325 TR.

Whiterabbit

04-06-2015, 04:27 PM

FYI starline is in stock. Both 45 colt or 454. As I said before, you can load 454 loads in 45 colt cases as long as you put hte base of the boolit in the same place in either case. that lets you use large primers.

Your other option to use large primers is to cut down 460 cases, but that's expensive.

Or you just get yourself a hand primer for srp and prime off the press. Since you probably won't be loading much 454 anyways.

-------

In either case, both are in stock right now from starline :)

Whiterabbit

04-06-2015, 06:49 PM

by the way, you want some 425 grain ranchdog beasts to go with those LEE 300's I gave you? :)

Sure would put whatever buffalo bore makes into hard perspective... :)

Whiterabbit

04-06-2015, 09:48 PM