CUSTOM 480 REVISITED

sixshot

Buckeye
Joined
Aug 20, 2006
Messages
1,835
City & State/Province
soda springs, idaho
Well its been 3-4 weeks now & I've taken a pretty good pounding over my gun, its been in almost every state in the Union, many total strangers have man handled it & quite a few of my "friends" have used & abused both it & me. I always get even though & those that have continued to hammer me are in for a surprise! I've had the gun for 3-4 days.......... how about that! :wink:
After drooling over it for an hour I jumped in my truck & headed to the range as fast as I could go, I felt like I was driving a TOYOTA! We were flying fast! :lol: I already had several test loads put together for when the gun arrived but I wanted to shoot one of my hold over loads from my old SRH first, well things didn't work out too well, the first shot sounded kind of funny & the next shot went real bad, I've never been rocked by a revolver like that before, I was stunned!
I had taken the time to scope the gun because I wanted to see what it would really do accuracy wise, the gun was a total loss & after only 2 shots!







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Well, I told you I always get even, this gun was a 44 magnum that a friend blew up last year using someone else's handloads, kind of got ya didn't I :wink: After all the abuse I received I had to get a little payback on my "buddies"
My Alan Harton masterpiece is built like a Rolex watch, spin the cylinder & it will spin for 2 minutes, ear the hammer back & it locks up like my Heritage safe, sight down that Bowen rear sight & that Harton front sight jumps out like a deer in the headlights, the trigger breaks like frozen lettuce & this baby shoots like a laser guided missle, why did I ever wait so long for one of these revolvers.
Running my test loads through it proved to be boring, it shot everything I had into small itty bitty clusters even though the weather was unpleasant & the wind was making my eyes water a little bit, still it would "hammer" them time after time.
I ran about 12 different test loads & she purred like a kitten, knocking big old 475 caliber holes in the paper in nice little ovals, even though some of the test loads were right at the upper limits they were easy to shoot, none of them were uncomfortable.
This is a 5 shot gun with an oversize cylinder, Alan opened the frame window, machined a 17-4 stainless cylinder, fitted a match grade 5 1/2" barrel compete with barrel band, mounted his own custom front sight with a gold bar, recontoured the trigger, worked his magic on the trigger, recut the hammer notch, added a Belt Mountain base pin, narrowed the front sight to 1/10" & perfectly fitted a set of my Holly stocks to the Bisley grip frame.
Some would say the gun is too pretty to shoot, its a beautiful gun but they get shot at my house, the barrels been warm for 3 days now & the love affair keeps growing! The steel plates at 50 yds today while leaning against the fender of the truck got boring in a hurry but there's so much snow I can't find anything else to shoot at!
Am I happy.......oh baby! Did I get even with my "friends"............oh baby! And then after all the abuse I got, 4 of the worst offenders gave me a custom Bill Snow knife, complete with giraffe bone handles. Its engraved with Dick Thompson -- "THE MEAT HAMMER" I'll have to admit, when I spotted that knife from my pals it brought a little tear to my eyes.

Thanks guys!!!!

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Here's the Bill Snow knife with "THE MEAT HAMMER" engraved.

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350 gr LBT LFN, just under 1" for 5 shots

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Several groups with the 370 gr WFN have been right at 1"

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An Alan Harton gun, a Mike Barranti holster & a Bill Snow knife, 3 artists at the top of their game.

Dick
 
Man Dick, I'm glad that pistolo finally made it there ! I was getting kinda worried for you :? . You deserve everything you got, gun, knife, and holster wise ! You're a great guy, who deserves the best in life, and you have it ! Great family, friends, place to live, lifestyle, you name it !

I'm sure there will be quite a few critters shaking in their tracks, come this Spring. :lol:
 
Its all cuz we just think the world of OUR MEATHAMMER.
You are two or even 3 shelves above the top drawer!
Try NOT to cut your foot off!!!
And remember WHO shot that bad boy FIRST!!!! :D
 
THAT is one BIG horse of A gun :D NEAT as can be --White does look good on stainless :) 370 what A chunk of lead :!: :!:
 
We are all HAPPY :D :D :D for you, and even a bit envious. May you always be as happy as you are now, and keep shooting straight and often. :lol: Steve
 
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Ok,, I fell for it,, !!!!!! I saw the exploded cylinder,, and did a double take! Then I realized it wasn't the same gun. WHEW!!!!!!
Ya got me!
:D :D
Now,, that aside,, I'm glad to know you finally have that BEAUTIFUL gun,,and it's all & more you could have asked for.
I can't wait for more reports,, and to see what the meat hammer nails first.
That knife looks familiar,,, but just a little different. Are ya gonna give it the same "coloring" treatment as the last one I saw?
 
WOW, Very Nice, and now to the next chapter of the Sixshot hunting Stories.
My family allways look forward to your blood shots, My Boys & Brother really enjoy the heart shots too.

Congrats!!
 
I'm a little bit surprised no one has said, why didn't you just go with a 475 & load it down. Kind of like the 44 special vs 44 magnum, a lot of people never thought the 44 special would sell, well, they can't make enough of them.
I've had a 475 Freedom Arms, it was a wonderful gun, I used it in Africa, I also left it there, my PH wanted it. With this 5 shot gun & oversize cylinder I can load this 480 to 1400 fps + with the 370 gr slugs I've been using, I won't go there, not because I can't shoot them but because there's no need for that much velocity....recoil, If I can't kill something at 1200 fps give or take 50 fps, then I need to do things differently. Bullets this heavy, 350 gr--370 gr at 1100-1200 fps will smash through anything in North America, including the big bears, I haven't seen a big bear all winter :wink: Truthfully none of us will ever recover a cast bullet at these velocities except on a full length, end to end shot, even then its not likely. I'm yet to recover my first cast bullet in almost 45 years of taking big game with them, some have been lengthways shots, this includes deer, elk, bear & moose.
Also I already had lots of 480 brass left over from my Ruger SRH 480, I also have the dies & if ever needed I could always rechamber, but that won't happen. This gun, with the Bisley gripframe (thanks Fermin) is very easy to shoot & believe me, easy to shoot means the shooter is controlling the gun instead of trying to keep up with the gun, thats a huge difference.
Shooting from a seated position at the range in broad daylight, at a known distance & not out of breath is much different than having to make a quick shot when that buck or bull suddenly appears, he's standing in the shadows, ready to run, you don't know the distance & your breathing is heavy, now make that shot in 5 seconds or less without running at the trigger!
To me, Alan Harton just made me the Michael Jordan of hunting handguns & it will be a happy marriage.

Dick
 
Im not sure why it would surprise you that anyone would question your choice....You have probably hammered more wild hair than all 16000 of us on the Ruger Forum put together....Its like being friends with a African PH. NEVER question the PH.....Even Im not that dumb.
 
NOTE: The reason Dick is thanking me is that one day I drove halfway across Texas to meet this most interesting personality of the sixgun community personally and at that time I showed him several custom sixguns set up with Bisley gripframes, hammers, and triggers. Up to that time Dick had been shooting the standard Ruger gripframes. You could see the light in his eyes as he gave them study with a knowing hand. That was an exceptional day in my life and I can say I know The Meathammer!
 
Great gun and knife combo, Dick! Great shootin' too! No critter was safe before, but now they can't even hide behind trees!

Can't wait for the first field report!
 
All of us who have been enjoying a bit of fun at Dick actually know he's a super nice guy,, and fully expected some sort of payback. Now,, whenever I get back out to Idaho,, I hope he'll actually let me shoot that fine handgun!
 
On the visit Fermin is referring to, we met at my wintering grounds in Fredricksburg, Texas & over lunch & a much too brief gun session at my RV I learned about all things good, Alan Harton guns, Mike Barranti leather & Bisley grip frames. Never had I seen such quality workmanship, I was stunned at how little I actually knew & was missing out on. In 2-3 hours I knew I had to make some changes. That was 2 years ago, now there are several Bisleys around my diggins, a goodly amount of Mike Barranti leather & just about the neatest revolver I could ever hope to own, life is good!
I've always said, have fun everyday & don't take yourself to seriously, well I'm having a blast! Great guns, great friends & the greatest wife on planet earth, I'm a happy man.

Dick
 
Hey, Dick, why didn't you just go with a 475 & load it down??

:wink: :D :wink:

Seriously, that's a beautiful piece. Thanks much for sharing it with us.

:mrgreen:
 
Awesome gun, Dick. And the knife is a class act touch. Super cool. 8)

I don't question the 480 Ruger at all. Heck, I look at the 50 caliber 5 shots and figure I don't need all the speed they offer either...

Really nice, too, with your white holly grips, Dick.

Definitely worth the wait. I'm sure others will agree, but I've been anxious to have you receive this gun too so I could read about it here.

Can't wait to hear about your next moose with this 480.
 
Hey Fiveshot errrr Eightshot oh hell Dick,
Well That is a great report. After seeing it I knew you would be happy. Alan said it was a tack driver. What Alan says take to the bank. End of story.

Na ya didn't get me I knew better. :D
Ya think I got pretty good with the file and angle grinder? :roll:
Take care Pard
Jim
 
Very nice Dick.I remembered you talking about having that one built and said then,that may be the perfect big,big bore sixgun.I believe it is.That is truly a beautiful and practical gun.The grips really set it off too.I love the sights,everything.Great shooting also.I believe if I were going to have a custom gun built,I would copy that one to a tee.
 
Sixshot, its about time for an update on this 480 sixgun! Have you worn it out yet? Whats next in its life?
 
Fermin, the 480 is banging on all 5 cylinders :wink: , just got back from the range, been doing some offhand shooting with it & the 44 special Lipsey's gun. Both will get blooded shortly.
I'll be moose hunting friday...but its with a friend, he has the permit, I'll be packing the 480 but I won't be shooting anything bigger than a chicken.
We will hunt friday & saturday & we'll see moose for sure, just have to find the right bull.
Two friends from Oklahoma will be here sunday, they will be bow hunting for a week, I'm setting up a nice tent camp for them right in the middle of prime elk country.
Still looking for another badger, their pelts will be super good right now, its froze 3 nights this week! Little bit of snow east of me.

Dick
 
That's a fantastic creation, sixshot! Alan Harton has the best-looking front sights in the custom sixgun craft.

The folks who need to examine your fine revolver are Ruger engineers. They'd see a platform that, if copied, could really showcase the revolver cartridge that bears the Ruger name.
 
Dick, I have alot of shooting to get done myself. I have all my stuff set aside and ready to go test, but with record heat the last couple of days I have just elected to stay indoors and share a cold one with myself!
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