Axehandle
Buckeye
Personally I think that is cool for a 454 FA.. Lots of FA owners do just that.
RUGER VS FREEDOM ARMS
- Thread starter sc1911cwp
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sc1911cwp
Single-Sixer
Seems to make sense. I haven't checked my reloading books yet. However, I think there is an answers there. Then again, it is a way to work up to .454. Hey, I'm 58 and working a soft job, as in "not much strength required". More on the application side and having the knowledge to work within it.
Bucks Owin
Hunter
I fired some 325 gr @ 1200 fps today out of my .45 BH...That's near enough to a .454 for me! :lol:
Axehandle
Buckeye
For over the top 45 Colt loads there is a lot to be said for a custom 5 shot 45 Colt... Here are my Clements and Reeder 5 shot 45 Colts.
tek4260
Buckeye
All the Reeder naysayers should take note of that 45. I bet it is built as good as other customs and at probably 1/3 the cost and 1/10 the wait!
Axehandle
Buckeye
FWIW the above Reeder 45 Colt opened my eyes to Reeder guns.. Found it on this forum in the classifieds. Price was so low that I asked for more pictures and even tried to pay the seller more than his asking price.. It is all the gun that it appears to be in the pictures. Of course as is SOP for my customs it now wears a Ken O'Neill front sight and a Bowen rear... 
tek4260
Buckeye
There was a post on castboolits from someone who contacted Reeder about converting a Bisley to 454. New cylinder and new barrel, and the cost quoted was around $650 IIRC. Thats about as cheap as one could ask for.
CraigC
Hawkeye
Umm, no. There are several steps that other `smith's take that Reeder does not. Moreover, he does not believe in them. Such as lineboring and bolt bearing blocks. His guns are semi-production customs built by a team of gunsmiths. No sir, I would consider his guns "good" but they are less expensive for a reason. Certainly not the equal of guns built one at a time by Bowen, Linebaugh, Clements, Harton, Stroh, etc. IMHO, his polishing lives a lot to be desired. Does he even open the frame window and use an oversized cylinder???tek4260 said:
I also wouldn't call 3-4months 1/10 of a year either. Unless you're talking about finding them used. Bowen's lead time is especially short.
Axehandle
Buckeye
We have box stock Rugers. We have FAs. We have custom Rugers. Every one has strengths and weaknesses. We recognize what each of them is and is not. All are appreciated and have a home.
tek4260
Buckeye
CraigC said:
Guess the economy has shortened their lead times.
I am not going to get into some pissing match about who is the best. They are all good in their own rights.
Nevermind
Nice Reeder 45 Axe
Nice 45 Axe
CraigC
Hawkeye
That's how I look at it. I try not to mix my preferences too much with objective opinions. In my objective opinion, Reeder makes a good gun for less money with shorter lead times than the rest. In my objective opinion, the others make better guns but they cost more and lead times are longer. Nothing personal about it.Axehandle said:
I would still like to have a Reeder Ultimate Bisley but I'm not gonna delude myself into thinking that I'm getting an equivalent gun at a bargain price. I would just accept it for what it is, a good gun at a good price. No more, no less.
flatgate
Hawkeye
I've never been "bitten by the bug" for a "custom" gun except the mundane stuff I've had done by a "good 'smith" like a barrel swap. Most anything else I've needed is covered by Flatgate's Homeboy Gunsmithing"....
Of course, I have some connections.......... :roll:
One of my favorites. Original BKH-47, 7-1/2" .44 mag. Owner fitted with a Super hammer, wide trigger and a steel XR3-RED New Model grip frame.
I had a "pro" refinish the gun but I'd already fitted everything and match polished the grip frame, etc. Cost was minimal, satisfaction was at the top of the scale.
I've been to Linebaugh's shop/home and seen the "real deal" and, yup, it can make the mouth water.....
JMHO,
flatgate
Of course, I have some connections.......... :roll:
One of my favorites. Original BKH-47, 7-1/2" .44 mag. Owner fitted with a Super hammer, wide trigger and a steel XR3-RED New Model grip frame.
I had a "pro" refinish the gun but I'd already fitted everything and match polished the grip frame, etc. Cost was minimal, satisfaction was at the top of the scale.
I've been to Linebaugh's shop/home and seen the "real deal" and, yup, it can make the mouth water.....
JMHO,
flatgate
Bucks Owin
Hunter
VERY nice hogleg flatgate, I'm envious! 8)
(And I'm "double drooling" over your visit with Linebaugh too!)
(And I'm "double drooling" over your visit with Linebaugh too!)
tek4260
Buckeye
Bucks Owin said:
Hey Bucks here is proof that I don't shorten them all!
Or at least haven't yet!
Tis a shame that I haven't got around to shooting either of them. The 44 has lived here over 2 years and the 45 for over a year. Would be a good excuse to measure velocity loss for short barrels.
Bucks Owin
Hunter
Both beauties amigo, I'm envious! Swap ya my firstborn for the pair?
(And uh, ....how 'bout ya use a NM for the shortened barrel velocity test? Please! )
8)
(And uh, ....how 'bout ya use a NM for the shortened barrel velocity test? Please!
)8)
Ruger4Life
Single-Sixer
For the same price as a Freedom Arms, I had my SBH customized to a 5-shot Bisley style. A real tack-driver.
sc1911cwp
Single-Sixer
Well, I did it. Let's see if I made a good choice. Just bought a early model Premier 83 454. No box or papers. It was advertised on Gunbroker, preowned but looked and sounded cared for. I contacted FA for the owners manual and such, which they stated they would send me. Now the wait begins. I figure I'll shoot reduced loads in it that I can handle. I looked all over the place and could not find hardley anything that didn't look beat.
Lee Martin
Hunter
I posted this on my forum regarding Freedom Arms. Not trying to throw any bombs here, but here's my two-cents:
Nothing against Freedom Arms. They're exceptionally well built guns. That said, this "bank vault" thing is over-done in my opinion. I've seen plenty of customs (ours included and by no means am I trying to brag), that have very slight cylinder movement side to side....and by slight I'm talking well less than a half-thousandth. They tear ragged little holes just like Freedom Arms, stand-up to more rounds of heavy stuff than most can handle, and look good doing it.
Again, nothing against FA. Just that the constant comparison to customs with Freedom always coming out on top because of fit gets old.
And I know what Bowen said about custom Rugers and he's right. In many ways you can't get them as tight as an 83 or 97. My point though is that "bank vault tight" isn't a must have. Hell we're talking revolvers, not benchrest rifles.
BTW, we've done our customs via line-boring, line-indexing, with bearing blocks, without bearing blocks, etc, etc. My line-bored guns with blocks shoot no better than my line-indexed without bolt support. Not saying they're a waste of time, but when it comes to accuracy and durability I haven't had a need to go that route.
Nothing against Freedom Arms. They're exceptionally well built guns. That said, this "bank vault" thing is over-done in my opinion. I've seen plenty of customs (ours included and by no means am I trying to brag), that have very slight cylinder movement side to side....and by slight I'm talking well less than a half-thousandth. They tear ragged little holes just like Freedom Arms, stand-up to more rounds of heavy stuff than most can handle, and look good doing it.
Again, nothing against FA. Just that the constant comparison to customs with Freedom always coming out on top because of fit gets old.
And I know what Bowen said about custom Rugers and he's right. In many ways you can't get them as tight as an 83 or 97. My point though is that "bank vault tight" isn't a must have. Hell we're talking revolvers, not benchrest rifles.
BTW, we've done our customs via line-boring, line-indexing, with bearing blocks, without bearing blocks, etc, etc. My line-bored guns with blocks shoot no better than my line-indexed without bolt support. Not saying they're a waste of time, but when it comes to accuracy and durability I haven't had a need to go that route.
sc1911cwp
Single-Sixer
I appreciate the advice. I understand the critique and its basis. I have read alot of posts that have spoken of cylinder gap, too tight for its own good, and the like. That being said, I purchased an FA to see what it is like. I am not a 454 shooter so I will probably op for getting a 45Colt cylinder. I got the gun at a reasonable price and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. If I sell it later, I hope to get my money out of it. I think it would be easier with a FA than a custom. I think I would ideally op for another caliber but after looking for a long while I just couldn't find one at my price. The other option was just to go with a stock Ruger. I wanted alittle more. Hopefully it will turn out well.
Arokcrwlr
Blackhawk
sc1911cwp said:
I don't necessarily share that thought. A custom from one of the masters will go up in value if, heaven forbid, they either stop building customs or worse. However, the same will be true if FA ceases to exist.
The opposite would be true if some jeg leg gunsmith "customizes" your gun.
This, of course, is only my opinion.
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