FA 83 or Linebaugh Custom?

[peps123]

Hello all,
     I am new to this forum, but have read alot of intersting information here for some time. I was wondering if some of you might be able to help me off the fence? I am debating between an FA 83 or a Linebaugh Custom in .475, with a 6 inch barrel. I am trying to figure out which grip frame would work best for me in this caliber? Also, trying to decide between blue/stainless, which would eliminate the FA. I have small/medium hands; anyone care to share thoughts/insights? I'd greatly appreciate any help, as I wasn't sure if I should post this in the Single Action forum.

Regards,
J.S.

[MS Hitman]

JS,

My best advice is to try and shoot both the FA and the Bisley before spending your money.  You don't say where you are located, but it would be time and effort well spent if you could get together with one of members who may be willing to let you shoot each and try them out.  Both are fine revolvers.

[EdK]

I find the Ruger Bisley grip frame to be significantly larger than the FA mod 83. If you have small hands I definitely second the recommendation to shoot the Bisley before investing time and money into custom work.

[Ken ONeill]

MS Hitman offers you the essential advice. Also inquire about the level of load you're shooting, when you test fire each gun. Some can be mild, others can be wild, thereby giving you a false impression.

[Lloyd Smale]

both! Sell one of your kids.

[peps123]

Thanks for the replys. I'm in so. Komifornia, and don't know if any members are near the Pasadena area. It would be great to try both before taking the plunge, but that may not be possible. I am familiar with the Bisley and Blackhawk grip frames. So, how does the FA 83 grip frame compare with these? What about blue vs stainless, to complicate matters?

[Graybeard]

Blue vs SS is a personal decision only you can answer for you. For me it is ALWAYS Stainless.

The Bisley grip is similar to the FA 83 grip but to me the FA fits better and handles recoil better for whatever reason. I'd agree it is generally a bit smaller as well but grip panels differ and the thickness of them can alter the feel greatly.

For me there would be no question I'd go for the FA83 as I prefer SS over blue and you should be able to get into a new FA83 quite a bit cheaper than a custom Ruger Bisley I think. But these sort of decisions are very much a personal one that no one else can answer for you. We can tell you what we'd do but in the end you must decide what you will do.

[peps123]

I appreciate the input. I realize the FA is less than a custom, so it may be down to grip frame at this point. Since I already have a Bisley, I was curious about the FA 83 in .475, and how it handles recoil in comparison to the Bisley grip frame. I know this depends on load, etc.   

[Lloyd Smale]

i own them both and they both have there advantages. Like bill said if you prefer stainess then theres a choise. Me ive always been partial to blueing and wood on guns. A custom is just that. It allows you to have a gun built exactly the way you want and like them. To be fair though FA has many more options then they used to and even a guy like me can find a combo he likes. A fa may be a little stronger but it comes at a price. There almost built to tight and just a little bit of fouling can tie up a gun. THey also in my opinion have a glaring fault. Just about every one of them in about any caliber is hamstrung by to short of a cylinder. You cant run alot of bullet designs because of it and the ones you can place the bullet very close to the end of the cylinder and if a bullet jumps crimp even a little it will tie up your gun. Not something you want when hunting big game. I know if i was going on a dangerous game hunt id no doubt be taking one of my linebaugh built guns. They will go bang every time. Even if there dirty or a bullet slips a bit. Price is a toss up. You can spend as much or as little on each depending on what you want but for the price of a stad premium grade gun clements will build you one simular. As to the grip frames to me it is a toss up. I used to not like the FA grip frame but after shooting it for a few years have come to like it. I think the bisley does slightly better in recoil but the fa feels better in my hand. Resale is something else you need to look at and its a tricky one. I think the best resale is in a bottom line conversion from one of the reputable smiths. Add a bunch of fluff to your gun and dont count on getting it all back. Fa guns seem to loose quite a bit of resale, especially the 454s. You can easily find a premeier 454 for around a grand if you watch close. A 475 for maybe a couple hundred more. So when you state that a FA is cheaper you need to keep resale value in the equation to. I know alot of guys say they never will part with a gun but things in our lives change. So if i buy a new fa for 2000 dollars or a custom for 2500 and can only get 1200 for my FA and can get 1800 for my custom, which was more expensive? Bottom line is its a matter of personal prefernce. I like both and will allways own both. I think everyone should own a gun as precisely fit as a fA gun and i think once in every handgunners life he ought to have the enjoyment of buying and owning one gun that is just what he has allways wanted in a gun.

[peps123]

Thanks for your insight, Lloyd. I also am quite fond of blued guns with wooden stocks; very classic and elegant combination. I agree, I don't like the idea of short cylinders in the FA .475 Linebaugh, but it looks as though there are quite a few bullet choices in spite of that. This was one of the main concerns for me at first, along with grip frame between the two. I'll have to decide if I want to deal with any of the potential short cylinder issues. How big of a deal is this?

[MS Hitman]

Honestly, much less of one than many people make of it.  You have a large selection of bullets to choose from, both jacketed and hard cast.

[Lloyd Smale]

i guess not so much if your willing to buy a couple molds. After all i bought one.

Thanks for your insight, Lloyd. I also am quite fond of blued guns with wooden stocks; very classic and elegant combination. I agree, I don't like the idea of short cylinders in the FA .475 Linebaugh, but it looks as though there are quite a few bullet choices in spite of that. This was one of the main concerns for me at first, along with grip frame between the two. I'll have to decide if I want to deal with any of the potential short cylinder issues. How big of a deal is this?

[EdK]

As for resale an already depreciated but in excellent condition FA will probably have the best resale value. Considering mod 83 sticker price is around $2k, getting a clean used one for a grand or a little more is going to hold its' value pretty well. After all, good as a stock Ruger is for the money, by the time most enthusiasts pay for a trigger job, upgrade sights & grips, add an aftermarket base pin, etc. where are you at? Somewhere midway between $500-1000. You can't add a few hundred more and turn it into a FA.

As to the short cylinder: not a problem with most molds. With the heavies you may want to go with a custom mold anyhow so you can get whatever nose you want.

[jbquack1]

I have a blued 5 1/2 inch bisely in .475, great pistol.The freedom arms has always just been out of my reach, i don't think either one is a bad choice even though i like blued guns.

[Lloyd Smale]

thats a good point. You will take it in the but for resale if you buy a fa or custom new. If you buy one used like the example of a 83 for a grand it will not only hold its value but will probably actually go up in value slightly. Problem is finding a 475 for a grand isnt easy. I payed 1200 used form my premier and it was a steal at that price. 454s seem to run around a grand used but 475s tend to run around 1400 as do 50we guns.

As for resale an already depreciated but in excellent condition FA will probably have the best resale value. Considering mod 83 sticker price is around $2k, getting a clean used one for a grand or a little more is going to hold its' value pretty well. After all, good as a stock Ruger is for the money, by the time most enthusiasts pay for a trigger job, upgrade sights & grips, add an aftermarket base pin, etc. where are you at? Somewhere midway between $500-1000. You can't add a few hundred more and turn it into a FA.

As to the short cylinder: not a problem with most molds. With the heavies you may want to go with a custom mold anyhow so you can get whatever nose you want.

[fowler]

I bought my FA 475 from a friend who felt I needed one and helped me a lot, I really like the gun. Now it came with a 480 cylinder as well, something I would never order with the gun but in reality probably is a better fit for the gun for a couple of reasons, A: you can shoot pretty much and hard cast 475 bullet out there, B: you can push the 480 to within about 100fps of the 475 so it is in a power range that will rarely be used.

In the real world I have ordered 2 different LBT molds that were cut to fit the 475 cylinder so that has not been that big of a issue, if you want to order standard 475 molds it will matter as the RCBS and the Lee 400gr are both a little long for this cylinder. Now I have both Bisleys and this FA and the biggest difference I have noticed with the grip frame is the FA has "ears" at the top of the grip frame like a Blackhawk does. I have had the grip slip in my hands and cut the web of my thumb with heavier loads, something that can not happen with the Bisley.

Given a choice I would probably have Bowen build me a 4 5/8" (not the standard 5 1/2" with the barrel band) Nimrod in 475, blued, casehardened frame, custom grips, the whole works. Now that package would set you back probably $3000+ the base gun. So with that in mind I think the approx half of that that I have in my FA is a great bargain, especially for my first serious big bore. The rest have been slightly tuned Rugers that are a far cry from the guns we are speaking of here.

So all of that being said try to shoot both guns first and buy the one you like the best. If you can not get your hands on any (like was the case for me) a used FA is the best value out there. Buy it shoot it, and upgrade if you want then you can sell it for at least what you have in it if you look around. Fun game to get into though...

[odoh]

Hello all,
    . . . .I was wondering if some of you might be able to help me off the fence? I am debating between an FA 83 or a Linebaugh Custom in .475, with a 6 inch barrel. I am trying to figure out which grip frame would work best for me in this caliber? Also, trying to decide between blue/stainless, which would eliminate the FA. I have small/medium hands; anyone care to share thoughts/insights? . . .  .

Regards,
J.S.

I realize the following is perhaps one-half off-topic so feel free to skip/have it removed if you so wish.

In the sharing of thots vein; I've a FA83 & BFR in that cal purely unintentionally but wonder if you've given much thot to the BFR? The BFR is in stainsless and slightly larger than those mentioned but can be had new <$1000 still. Clylinder is longer, negating the space crunch of the FA. Did I mention it can be carried safely w/5 shots?

They have a custom shop w/many options avail at reasonable costs and less than a new FA ~ like an extra cylinder would run approx 1/2 that of the FA. The gripframe is very close to the ruger style (definitly non-bisley) I can't talk much re recoil cause I've scoped one and red dot on the other ~ surely do wish my eyes could handle irons but for that I'd have to be younger than I presently am.

Indeed its your call as you already know ~ thats why you wisely seek counsel/input. For me, I can't git rid of either. I love'em both ~ I think I feel slightly friendlier w/the BFR thats to say it seems to be the one I goto first for some reason.

[peps123]

Thanks for all of the input. I was away for the Holidays and only now had time to log on. I appreciate your time and advice.

-J.S.

[TEXXAS]

  I have small hands also and it can make a big difference. I shoot a Clements 500 Linebaugh Bisley and have shot four of John Linebaughs Bisley guns (2-500's & 2-475's), two of Bowens (414 Super Mag & 445 Super Mag), and five FA (4-454's & 1-475). For me the Bisley frame is better at handling recoil, not by a great amount but quite noticeable.   
 I had my grip roudbutted, all edges are smooth. It makes a HUGE difference and is MUCH more painless to shoot. If I had it to do over again (and I just may do it anyway) I would have the trigger guard, trigger, and frame melted, radiused, and smoothed. The difference in comfort while shooting would be tremendous.
  At a Linbaugh seminar every one who tried mine said it was more comfortable to shoot than the others but some didn't care for the look.
  All this is the main complaint I have for a FA. The great precision that they are made to is one on the best reasons to own one. That same precision gives them LOTS of very square and sharp corners the bite me with hevy recoil.
 I think you will be happy with ether the FA or a custom Bisley, but recommend the you consider a "meltdown" it will make it much more comfortable to shoot. I like the way it looks almost as much as the feel.



TEXXAS/Chad