Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Freedom Arms... worth the $$$?

My Dad recently passed and I have some cash from his estate I would like to "invest" in a few guns. He had told me in the later years to "use the money for some stuff you normally wouldn't use your own for". I am thinking about a Freedom Arms in .454. I don't "need" the .454, but have a good amount of .45LC ammo already and figure the .454 is just a bonus if I ever need it. I have also looked at the various BFR revolvers and they seem to be a somewhat close second. Looking for real world experience with either.

Already have .357, .41, .44, .45LC revolvers set up for whitetail, along with 2 10mm hunting set ups.

Do you have kids to leave all your toys to and will they want them? I'd buy less stuff and more experiences, but that's me.

Sorry about your father.

Sorry for your loss.

As to "get stuff you wouldn't normally buy" - I think that's likely up to you what you would/wouldn't buy.

A FA doesn't make my socks go up and down but were I looking for an investment/something extra nice type of revolver - I'd probably have a good smith work something over to be bespoke rather than just buy an expensive, off the rack, revolver.

Maybe a Ruger Super Blackhawk worked over by Hamilton Bowen instead.

I always thought a Freedom Arms was just too expensive. I bought a used Model 83 in .454 Casull with a 7 1/2” barrel with a Leupold 2x scope and the first time I shot it with full house loads I giggled then asked myself “why did I wait so long?” I have had a bunch of Rugers and they are great but the FA is leaps and bounds above a Ruger. The fit, finish and the accuracy are pretty significant improvements over Ruger and BFRs. I liked it so much that I bought a brand new Model 97 in .22 LR/.22 Mag. So yes, in my opinion they are definitely worth the cost of admission

FAs are works of engineering marvel. The only other place I've seen workmanship of that caliber is on expensive European double rifles and shotguns. I have a 454 and like it very much. Do yourself a favor and do a side by side with an S&W or even a Colt Python, especially the cylinder lock up Truly impressive.

Don't know what they are selling for these days, but I have never regretted purchasing mine.

Freedom Arms revolvers are like a Swiss watch combined with a bank vault.

The only “drawbacks” to some folks are their rather short cylinders and the long wait time to get one.
My M-83 in 454 regrettably got sold to a buddy when I was in severe financial straits and the 454’s recoil was getting too much for my arthritic hands.
My daughter will inherit my M-97 in 41 mag. It is still and will remain my favorite firearm.

They were about $1000 when I bought mine. No way I could handle a .454 now, but I’d lean toward a M97 in .45 Colt with the .45 ACP cylinder. Get the trigger job and micarta stocks, bead front but no express rear sight, the square notch is much better for accuracy. It’s a very fine revolver, when mine was delivered the guys at the shop were amazed.

It's a difficult question to answer because it would be impossible to claim something that is machined to that level is not worth the money. They are incredibly well built.

But for me, they are not worth the coin if you are going to order one brand new. I do not like the size of 83. To me they are just too tank like. I do like the 97 and that is what I ordered, but the incredibly tight tolerances ended up being what I disliked about them. The action never rolls and clicks in your hand like a SAA or Ruger Blackhawk and the throats were so tight that I would have to rotate the cylinder and press extra super hard onto the case to get it to seat fully so I could rotate the cylinder. The folks at FA believe this is perfectly normal. I do not.

I don't need the throat on a .44 Special to be that tight. There is little doubt that a Freedom Arms revolver can shoot better than 99% of their owners, and that's really cool. But to leave close to $3K out of fun money circulation for that type of firearm is just silly in my opinion. Especially when you consider that they're making more every day and probably will continue to do so for some time. Now, if I could find a screaming deal on a 83 or 97 that was used, I'd probably be all over it. But I don't think that's what we are discussing based on your question.

If I was in your situation I would buy something that they're not making any more so you and your kids can enjoy them while you're still around. Old Colts and old Smiths would bring a lot higher pleasure to dollar ratio in my opinion.

Having no dog in this hunt, will offer a reality test:
My 45 Colts consist of two New Service Colts and a Ruger NM BHawk;
Actual use of the Ruger BH in Wyoming with 270-300 gr bullets.
Bears almost always require repeat shots. Grizzlies for sure.
Time in recoil is a factor, while a SA revolver allows aiming
carefully.

It will always be a personal decision.

You can look on Gunbroker and pick up a used custom Ruger by Stroh, Clements, Gallagher, Bowen, Linebaugh and others sometimes at very good prices. Sometimes they go for the price of a new one but it does cut out the 1 to 2 year wait time

Buy it and use it.

While excellent they do not equal an FA-83

You base this statement on what experience

The BFR is dollar for dollar the best buy. They are indeed as accurate and in many cases more accurate. Cylinder strength us a wash but the BFR frame is stronger. They are both made from the same material and the BFR frame is thicker

Agreed... These revolvers are like a very, very fine Swiss watch.....maybe better.

The statement about BFRs doesn't match my experience. BFRs are every bit the equal in accuracy and often even more accurate

I have an FA 83 and it is a fantastic gun but it is not up to my Linebaugh built .500 Linebaugh or the Clements .500 Linebaugh I had. I do like the 84 better than the Reeder I had but not by much. I haven’t had a Bowen, Stroh or Gallagher gun yet but by all accounts they too are better than a Freedom Arms. I left one out that builds fantastic guns and that is Jack Huntington. Of course your opinion may be different from mine and this is just my opinion

I bought my first Custom in 1985 it was a Bisley converted to 475 Linebaugh by Hamilton Bowen. I own many by Jack Huntington who is first rate.

But they are still Rugers and often the cuts in the frame aren't as precisely located as they should be and adjustments have to be made for them to function. Not the case with FA revolvers they are precise. This informatipn has came from Jack as Well as John Linebaugh. The customs can be wonderfully accurate but the frames aren't as strong.


The BFRs are very well built and are super strong

I owned a handful of Freedom Arms revolvers. All were truly beautiful examples of machined artistry. All you need to is pull back the hammer and feel the precision. For the most part they are worth the price of admission.
The BFR’s for all intentions are just as accurate, sometimes maybe more so. But the difference is not significant.
The BFR can be bought for roughly 1/3rd the cost of a new Premier grade FA.
If accuracy is your main concern buy the BFR
If accuracy AND fit, finish, and artistry in metal if what you prefer buy the FA.