Author Topic: Once again: what should I get? (Read 1827 times)

SM · « **on:** October 04, 2008, 10:29:58 PM »

I know that questions like this have been asked many times, but I'm doing it anyway

I've been thinking about my next FA, two configurations in .454 come to mind. Either a 4,75" round butt (possibly with a .45 ACP-cylinder and an octacon barrel) or a 7,5" with an octacon barrel. Both of these would be Premier Grade with micarta grips and have a 3lb honed action plus an over travel screw, just like my current .454 6". The similar models in .44 are also very tempting, but it'd be nice to be able to use the same ammo for both revolvers...

I got my 6" as a sort of a best all around choice as I thought it'd be my only FA, but now it seems that it won't be. As the things are going I may end up with a few more, but right now I'm pondering about the number two. What would you get if you were in my shoes?

Ken ONeill · « **Reply #1 on:** October 05, 2008, 01:26:40 AM »

I'd think about it more. There's no "wrong" answer. Personally, though, I don't like the feel of FA round butts...but that is a highly personal thing.
If I were you, my "next" one would be in another caliber, so that I could experience what an FA in that caliber has to offer. Both the .44 Mag. and the .475 Linebaugh would be superb choices, but once again, there is really no "wrong" caliber choice. I own and enjoy 83's in all the calibers offered. There is a use for any of those calibers.
My personal preference was once 7 1/2" barrels, but I've come to prefer 6" in 83's in the last few years. It is more difficult for me to hit as well with 4 3/4" barrels, and I only own 1 FA in that length.
Perhaps you could stay with 6" in your second FA, letting caliber be the difference?
Because light scratches and abrasions can be very carefully buffed out of PG guns with Scotchbrite maroon pads, that finish is definitely superior, and octagon barrels certainly have a great look.
Decisions, decisions...but that 's part of the fun.

EdK · « **Reply #2 on:** October 05, 2008, 02:56:24 AM »

Barrel length is a fairly easy choice for me. Of course we all have our personal preferences. I shoot Contenders and Encores at longer ranges so a long barreled scoped FA is not something for me. At the other end of the spectrum I enjoy 4" S&W Mountain guns and Colt SAA types in 4-3/4" barrels. They carry very nicely but If I'm going out with hunting in mind I have to admit that like Ken I just hit that much better with 6" of barrel.

I also like the standard grip frame. If I were to carry a mod 83 as a sidearm like the 4" guns mentioned above then maybe the round butt might make sense but I can't justify 50oz of steel on my hip when those other 36-40oz revolvers get the job done for anything I might need to do. Of course, when in an area where more power would be needed then a mod 83 sidearm would make good sense.

Where you have no immediate need, I encourage you to reason this out as long as you can stand it and then I'm sure you will make the right choice.

SM · « **Reply #3 on:** October 05, 2008, 08:32:46 AM »

Thanks for the opinions!

You have a good point in suggesting to try out different calibers. I have shot a couple of hundred rounds with my friend's .44 that's otherwise similar to my 83 (only other FA that I've shot), but has regular wood grips instead of the micartas. It's also an excellent caliber in the 83. I'm a little worried that if I were to get a .44, my casull might not get shot that much and I'd grow to be sensitive to it's heavier recoil

If I'm being honest, it took me a while to get used to all that power the .454 has to offer and I'd like to stay proficient with it. My friend who's got that .44 FA shoots excellent groups with it, but has some difficulty getting anywhere near that level of accuracy with my .454.

That .475 would definitely be a step up in terms of a challenge, that's for sure. However, it would cost me much more to shoot on regular bases. I'm strongly leaning towards another .454 or a .44, even though I've always wanted an octacon barreled .475 FA ever since I bought that Guns&Ammo in 1999 featuring an article by Brian Pearce...

I really like the 6" barrel and I hit pretty well with it, but I'm also itching for something a little different.

Graybeard · « **Reply #4 on:** October 05, 2008, 11:17:22 AM »

I've never understood the propensity some folks have to keep buying the same gun over and over again. Get a different caliber and enjoy shooting something different. Variety is the spice of life.

SM · « **Reply #5 on:** October 06, 2008, 05:22:16 AM »

Quote from: Graybeard on October 05, 2008, 11:17:22 AM

I've never understood the propensity some folks have to keep buying the same gun over and over again. Get a different caliber and enjoy shooting something different. Variety is the spice of life.

Maybe this is due to my background. I've been shooting IPSC in competitions for several years now and have done so at times a long way from home. The last five years I have had an identical backup pistol just in case. I don't want to throw away all the time and effort because something breaks and I have to end the match prematurely.

I'm not competing with my .454 and I know that anything major breaking is highly unlikely with a FA, but I wouldn't want a long break in shooting with it. If I have two of the same caliber and there's something wrong with one I can shoot the same ammo through the other.

Still, after all this reasoning, I'm not sure what I'll be getting

Both of the calibers and configurations I mentioned earlier appeal to me...

mray · « **Reply #6 on:** October 06, 2008, 06:56:12 AM »

I don't even have my first FA yet, but I do know what you should do. Dream more about it... I've found throughout my years, that anticipating is 3/4 of the fun. Enjoy dreaming, calculating, ordering the thing, waiting the 8-10 weeks, and then finally shooting the thing.

But I'm telling you. this is probably the best part of any new toy... :+)

Personally, I thinking of the same caliber (44 mag) in a different barrel length, for my second gun. Saves stocking up on another set of reloading "stuff".

Enjoy.

MR

Graybeard · « **Reply #7 on:** October 06, 2008, 12:22:52 PM »

Having a similar back up competition gun makes sense and yeah I had others I could fall back on in my competition days but have to admit it pretty much was never an identical one. I don't see the same logic applying here tho. I have lots of revolvers capable of taking hunting with me and I have loads worked up and ammo loaded up for all of them. Should something go wrong with one I'd just change to another. I feel no need for it to be the same kinda gun or even same chambering and for sure see no need for it to shoot the exact same load accurately. Just not the way my mind works.

SM · « **Reply #8 on:** October 07, 2008, 04:29:55 AM »

Graybeard, that is very true that even though you get two guns which seem identical, in the end they really aren't. If they are very similar regarding to trigger feel etc at first they start to feel different as the other one's springs get tired or the parts start to show more wear and tear. The best bet in getting two very similar guns would be to send them to a good smith when both of the guns are new and use them just about the same amount.

mray, you're right about the dreaming and calculating part. It's even nice to read when someone else is thinking about getting a gun I myself could be interested in

Currently I'm loading only two calibers; 9mm and .454 and I'm using a Dillon 650. I've got a toolhead and a powder measure for both calibers and since the casull uses SR primers, I don't have to even change the priming system when switching between the two. I'm a bit lazy and I like to keep things simple. I've even been thinking about adding another Dillon to be used with large primers (if I start shooting that kind of calibers), but my smallish loading room could run out of space by doing so... I've also thought about it, that if I decide to get that .45ACP-cylinder I have to start loading with large primers and get the same stuff for the reloading machine as I'd have to if I was getting a .44.

Wiking · « **Reply #9 on:** October 08, 2008, 09:50:54 AM »

I'd have to agree with Graybeard on this, why on earth would you get another .454 when you have one already?? If it was me I'd get, as you suggested, a 7.5" with octagonal barrel but I'd go with a .475 linenbaugh. Yeah I know - new dies, casings, bullets and maybe powder type, but what the heck?!

I would KILL to be able to get a bigger caliber than .357, that is unfortunately not allowed in my country. So to see you considering another revolver in a caliber you already have, instead of a .475 Linenbaugh or a .500 WE just makes me cry *sobbing*.....

crowmag · « **Reply #10 on:** October 08, 2008, 02:19:01 PM »

I would go with a 475 linebaugh less recoil than a 454 and more power

with a 4,75" octacon barrel and round butt.

SM · « **Reply #11 on:** October 09, 2008, 07:22:36 AM »

I can't say that I'm not interested at all in .475 or the .500, but those calibers have their drawbacks. At times it's difficult to get good bullets for the .454 at a decent price and I don't know anyone who has either a .475 or a .500 around here. Everything would have to ordered and I suspect that the importers don't stock them since there isn't much demand for those. I think that I'd have to pay about twice the amount of money per round with the bigger calibers than I do now

But then of course I could always shoot bigger quantities with the .454 and shoot with the really big bores on rare occasions...

If I have the means, I'll be buying more FA's in different calibers, but as I'm a bit uncertain about how many I can afford, I'd like to get a specimen that I can really use a lot. This is also one reason why I've even been thinking about the .44 alongside the original chambering.

crowmag, one thing has stuck with me ever since I read the first article about FA .475 (which featured a six inch octagon with micarta grips); the gun in that caliber should ALWAYS come with an octagon barrel

If I decide to get a .475 or a .500 someday, I'll order it with a 4,75" or 6" barrel. It just somehow seems right to me even if I haven't ever shot one.

BTW, I really like the .454 caliber and I'd love to find out how the model 83 behaves with a shorter / longer tube. The shorter 4,75" barrel offers more challenge and is very handy (especially a round butted one), while the 7,5" octagon would surely be very steady and accurate to shoot at longer ranges. Same goes for the .44 with the similar specs, though as a lighter caliber it wouldn't be that much of a challenge to master as the casull. I'm pretty much in a situation that if I want to test a different barrel length or any other caliber in a FA than my friend's .44, I have to buy one.

EdK · « **Reply #12 on:** October 09, 2008, 05:29:14 PM »

Quote from: crowmag on October 08, 2008, 02:19:01 PM

I would go with a 475 linebaugh less recoil than a 454 and more power with a 4,75" octacon barrel and round butt.

Less recoil eh? How do you arrive at that conclusion?

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #13 on:** October 10, 2008, 02:07:46 AM »

got to agree with ed here. Compare both with full power loads and the 475 has hands down more recoil then a 454.

yooper77 · « **Reply #14 on:** October 10, 2008, 03:02:01 AM »

Well if it was me, I would stick with your 6" in 454 Casull that you already have. I am sure its already fine tuned, but just add a 45 Colt &/or 45 ACP cylinder. 45 caliber components are very easy to find.

This way you get your 45 ACP cylinder, and the 45 Colt performs much like the 44 Magnum on game.

yooper77

SM · « **Reply #15 on:** October 10, 2008, 07:17:45 AM »

While I've been thinking about getting an additional .45ACP-cylinder, I'm not buying it for my current .454. I want a whole new gun to go with it

I know I can load down using .454 cases and have done so, but since I've got a .45 ACP STI and a bunch of brass for it, I could shoot the same ammo through the FA as well. And if I run out of components I could purchase some factory .45 ACP ammo from almost every gunshop to shoot with. The .44 is also a very tempting option due to the same reason...

Gun 4 Fun · « **Reply #16 on:** November 08, 2008, 10:27:27 PM »

Howdy!
Great subject, but then talking about any gun is a great subject.

I just got a FA on my birthday in Oct. PG, 71/2" octagonal bbl. in .475. It was used but like new [I knew where it came from before I bought it.] It has a T'SOB mount on it and 2x Leupold. I don't care for the looks of the scope on it but it made tight groups easy. After hunting season is over the scope will come off. No I don't need a .475 for deer, but a gun as nice as this needs to be put to use. I already have some nice medium loads for hunting with.
I didn't quite know what to expect recoil wise when I first shot it. I've read lots of articles about it and have some of Taffins works, wherein he mentions the kick, as well as a lot of Pearce's writings. I started with the light loads and then fired off some of the heavy stuff.I always heard that the FA grip handled recoil well and that's for darn sure.
I've never shot a FA in .454 so can't comment on it's recoil, but others I know have and say it's about the same as mine, just different. I guess the .454 recoils quicker, but the .475 pushes harder, so overall it sounds like a draw.
Get the .475- you may never go back to using your .454

______________________________________________

He who dies with the most toys, still dies.

SM · « **Reply #17 on:** November 11, 2008, 04:36:58 AM »

You guys had me thinking about the really big bores for a second, but then I started to remember when I calculated the cost of shooting them; a little shy of an euro / loaded round

My mind is pretty much set on the .454. I really like the caliber; it's not overly expensive to feed when one reloads and it can offer much more power than the .44 if I feel the need. And as I've stated I already have all the reloading stuff and brass for the casull.

I'm having second thoughts about the .45ACP-cylinder for the shorter one, but I'm still a bit undecided which one to get; the 4,75" (round butt) or the 7,5" octagonal

I probably would like the balance of the shorter one more, but lately I've been doing some shooting at 100 meters and that has made seriously think about what the longer sight radius has to offer.

If I do decide on the 7,5", I hope I'm lucky enough to get the shorter later on

EdK · « **Reply #18 on:** November 11, 2008, 03:38:20 PM »

I say your decision has been made tougher by the excellent 1st choice you made to get a 6" barrel

SM · « **Reply #19 on:** November 11, 2008, 09:47:50 PM »

Quote from: EdK on November 11, 2008, 03:38:20 PM

I say your decision has been made tougher by the excellent 1st choice you made to get a 6" barrel

That's true! If I was to get only one FA 83, I'd get it with a 6" barrel; as a result of that opinion I ordered that very gun a year and a half ago.

Had I known that I would buy more I might have started differently, like get a 4,75" and then a 7,5" or the other way around. One that is handy and the other would be a great shooter at the longer ranges. Now that I have the one in between, it's hard to figure out what next...

The ultimate trio would of course be .454s in all those three barrel lengths

I've noticed that some of you guys are lucky enough to have such (or even much larger) a collection and can pick your favorites through real experience.

Gun 4 Fun · « **Reply #20 on:** November 14, 2008, 10:32:22 AM »

I have to admit that I got the 7 1/2" because that's what was on the gun. My real favorite is the six" and when I can afford the car payment to send it to Freedom Arms, I'm gonna have them crop it to six. I think that's the perfect size for balance, ballistics and looks, as well as packability on the hip.

SM · « **Reply #21 on:** February 20, 2009, 05:44:14 AM »

Ok, it's time for an update. After some saving and some hard thinking, I ordered my second FA! It's a poor man's 25th anniversary 83 .454 Casull; 7 1/2" octagon barrel, 3 lb trigger with the overtravel screw and white micarta grips. I also ordered it with a special serial number and the FA shoulder holster.

Initially I was set on regular micarta grips, but after seing the pictures from the Shot Show I changed my mind. Besides the fact that it resembles the anniversary model, it's nice that it differs a bit more (cosmetically) from my first .454.

P.S. One thing helped me make my choice; my friend ordered himself a .44 4,75" barrel FA with the round butt, so now I get to try out that configuration also...

Ken ONeill · « **Reply #22 on:** February 20, 2009, 02:46:25 PM »

That 7 1/2" octagon with ivory micartas will be a beauty !