Freedom Arms 83 .357 Mag throat question

[tja6435]

So I bought a Model 83 built in 1997. I went to clean the cylinder and noticed one of the throats is a little looser than the other 4. My pin gage set confirms my feeling of throat differences.

So, I have a lapping kit from LBT and I am planning on lapping all of my newer .357's. Should I shoot lapping bullets out of the other 4 throats until they catch up to the 5th then shoot a few more lapping bullets through all 5 chambers ?

Or or I could send it to Dougguy to uniform the throats.

What would you do if it were your revolver?

thanks

[Electric88]

I'd probably just send it to Dougguy and have him do it, especially a gun as nice as a Freedom Arms.

Maybe one day I will own one :Fire:

[dubber123]

Lapping has done nearly nothing to the throats on all the revolvers I have lapped. Contact DougGuy before you send your cylinder in. He had a tough time reaming/honing the F/A .357 cylinder I sent him, but he did a great job. (He used to think Ruger stainless was tough) :)

If you haven't slugged your bore, I would suggest doing that too. Mine was oversized and egg shaped. Make up some dummy rounds and verify they will even chamber before opening anything up. Mine has no problem with the .359" it requires.

[Tatume]

So I bought a Model 83 built in 1997. I went to clean the cylinder and noticed one of the throats is a little looser than the other 4. My pin gage set confirms my feeling of throat differences.

So, I have a lapping kit from LBT and I am planning on lapping all of my newer .357's. Should I shoot lapping bullets out of the other 4 throats until they catch up to the 5th then shoot a few more lapping bullets through all 5 chambers ?

Or or I could send it to Dougguy to uniform the throats.

What would you do if it were your revolver?

thanks

I take it the Freedom Arms revolver shoots poorly and fills up with lead? If not, then what problem are you trying to solve?

[JSH]

I would shoot it before doing anything!

[tja6435]

I take it the Freedom Arms revolver shoots poorly and fills up with lead? If not, then what problem are you trying to solve?


Yes, poor grouping with all weights of cast bullets from 140-210. Jacketed do much better. No leading problems sizing to .358"

[Golfswithwolves]

I would send the cylinder to Freedom Arms; likely they would be interested in making it good.

[Rifle 57]

I would send the cylinder to Freedom Arms; likely they would be interested in making it good.
This is your best route for sure send to Freedom Arms. If you let some one else work on it, it might void your warranty.

[tja6435]

I had considered sending it up to WY as well but I have experience with Dougguy and like his service and attention to detail.

I am the second owner, so no warranty.

[Rifle 57]

Well in that case I would send it to Doug he is the man for cylinder work. I did not know you did not have a warranty.

[dubber123]

F/A sometimes has problems with admitting they did anything wrong. I didn't bother dealing with them on the oversized and out of round barrel on my F/A .357, I just had Doug fix the throats to fit it. It didn't lead, and shot under 2" at 50 yds. with iron sights. After the fix, it still doesn't lead, but shoots under 1" with the same loads. Nothing wrong with making a gun better than "good enough".

[gwpercle]

Shoot it before doing anything, you may be spending money fixing something that's not broken !
Then again, if you don't shoot it first, you won't have anything to gauge how much better the throating job improved the accuracy.
Gary

[44man]

My friend had the same problems with a .357. Barrel was out of round to .3599". Throats were .357 all.
It took 3 barrel changes from Freedom to get one at .357". I blame the problems on their barrel supplier but you would think they would air gauge them.

[tja6435]

Shoot it before doing anything, you may be spending money fixing something that's not broken !
Then again, if you don't shoot it first, you won't have anything to gauge how much better the throating job improved the accuracy.
Gary


I have shot it, the cast bullets don't group well at all. Jacketed bullets do much better, but I don't want to buy jacketed bullets. My 27-2, GP100, Security Six and Blackhawk (357 Max) all shoot cast bullets much better than the Freedom Arms.

[tja6435]

My friend had the same problems with a .357. Barrel was out of round to .3599". Throats were .357 all.
It took 3 barrel changes from Freedom to get one at .357". I blame the problems on their barrel supplier but you would think they would air gauge them.


My barrel seems to be round, the pin gage slide slowly through the length of the barrel with no feeling of loose or tight spots.

[44man]

You have to remember that .357 Freedoms have 1 in 14" twist rates, made to shoot a heavier bullet for steel clangers. You might over spin with light and fast bullets.
You can't find an out of round with pin gauges because you fit them to the minor diameter.

[tja6435]

I did have some pretty decent groups from the higher end loads using 210gr gas checked bullets (4 pretty much on top of each other and the 5th 2" to the right of the other 4 holes). I had seated the bullet out too long to chamber in any of the other. 357 revolvers (the 77/357 will take a lot of bullet sticking out of the case before it won't allow the bolt to close). The 140gr and 166gr cast bullets did poorly again while at the range yesterday. I've been thinking I should order a 200gr mold with a .45" nose specifically for the FA from LBT.

[dubber123]

I think you will find the RCBS 35-200 RF to be very hard to beat if a design with a good sized meplat is desired. The RCBS 180 SIL is excellent also, and has a little better profile for serious long range shooting. My 180 Sil casts at 198 grains.

[Norbrat]

This is the CBE boolit I used to use in my DW 357 max, but it now does a much better job in my FA 357.

159782

Casts @ about 210gns and fits the long cylinder of the FA perfectly.

[tja6435]

I have on order from LBT a .360" 200gr LFN with a .45 nose. My current 200gr mold was ordered with a .35" nose so I can use it in 38spl (900 fps and smacks with authority) and 357mag brass with normal chamber lengths. The FA cylinder will take a 1.776" COAL.
I am looking at the lee 358-200 that seems to be a copy of the RCBS 35-200, will probably go with one if the .45 nose mold doesn't produce the results I'm looking for