Author Topic: F A Eye Candy Please (Read 29327 times)

picturerock · « **Reply #90 on:** February 06, 2011, 08:10:50 AM »

Who did those grips for you?

paradocs · « **Reply #91 on:** February 06, 2011, 08:29:02 AM »

Scott Kolar, several years ago.

ihmsakiwi · « **Reply #92 on:** February 22, 2011, 08:23:38 PM »

My new toy.

Shoots great. Two barrels, .223 & 7BR.

doghawg · « **Reply #93 on:** February 23, 2011, 01:55:57 PM »

Nice! I have a .22BR and a couple of 6BR rifles that see a lot of use for prairie dogs (that's where the "doghawg" originated) and I always figured the 7BR would make a nice deer cartridge. Obviously you're a silhouette shooter but I bet you'd feel pretty well equipped on a 200 yard deer or antelope. Nice uniform "star" on the muzzle too.

parisite · « **Reply #94 on:** February 28, 2011, 11:28:50 AM »

Never had a FA but I just made a deal for one and am going through process of sending FFL's at present.

One thing I have noticed in all these pics is I see no turn lines on the cylinders. Is it because FA's don't develop them with use or the guns in the pics haven't been used very much?

SJPrice · « **Reply #95 on:** February 28, 2011, 01:05:39 PM »

My FA's are very well used and have nary a single turn line.

Ken ONeill · « **Reply #96 on:** March 11, 2011, 03:16:38 AM »

I'm thinking we may not have seen as many 97's as we should.
This .22LR was the second one in that caliber to leave the factory, after John Taffin's test gun. Shown here with a T'SOB and 2X Leupold, making it a perfect early season squirrel gun:

A 7 1/2" .32 H&R Magnum with ISGW rear silhouette sight and an early custom O'Neill front sight:

A .45 Colt / .45ACP convertible with octagon barrel, special serial number and engraving to commemorate SCI's 31st Anniversary. Bought at live auction:

ole 5 hole group · « **Reply #97 on:** March 11, 2011, 05:30:30 AM »

Ken,

Just a question: Using the ISGW rear silhouette sight - I believe it has the same width as the FA factory rear, so did you narrow your front sight to get a better sight picture or just purchase the sight for easier sight adjustments?

Ken ONeill · « **Reply #98 on:** March 11, 2011, 09:00:16 AM »

No, I continue to use a .125" wide front sight. The ISGW rear sight does require a front sight which is approximately .100" higher than the standard FA rear sight would require.
The ISGW sight does have much finer adjustments than the standard one, and that's what I was after in this case.
One could also mount the adjustable width hooded front sight if they chose to do so, and this would be a desireable thing to do for a Hunter Pistol / Field Pistol Silhouette gun. However, in my case, I use this as a holster gun for groundhog hunting and such, so a hood would not be practical.

Ambler · « **Reply #99 on:** March 11, 2011, 11:27:53 PM »

Some poor guy sent this 20 year old 454 back to FA for a new barrel and grips, then donated it to a local pawnbroker. It remained unfired since it's new barrel........ till yesterday.

Ambler · « **Reply #100 on:** March 17, 2011, 02:12:03 PM »

Got them all together for a picture. Watch out Ken, I am catchin' up!

picturerock · « **Reply #101 on:** March 28, 2011, 01:00:02 AM »

Chambered in 454 Casull, and engraving done by Jere Davidson of Virginia.

Ken ONeill · « **Reply #102 on:** April 04, 2011, 04:13:09 AM »

Fabulous engraving!

cprher · « **Reply #103 on:** June 26, 2011, 02:29:12 AM »

Here is my latest project, done and ready to go. Both are early production, 85 and 87 for the long and short barrel guns respectively. Both are 454s and both have similar modifications: fluted and chamfered cylinders (bevel on the front edge), action jobs, antique ivory micarta grips, and all sharp edges carefully removed. Both guns have been calibrated to shoot my mid-range load (250 grain lead SWC GC over 11 grains of Unique) to point of aim at 25 yards. In the process both front sights have been slimmed to .080" from their original .100" width. This alone makes the fixed front sight set up much more useable.

Of particular note was the condition of the long barrel gun when I got it. It apparently came out of the factory on a Monday or a Friday, pretty much destroying my belief that early guns were always of better quality than current production guns. It had several very noticeable areas that needed addressing. The front sight was crooked causing the gun to shoot 12" left of point of aim at 50 yards. John at Freedom Arms replaced the sight and calibrated the gun's sights. The hammer was not fit well and needed to be replaced. The grip frame was not fit with the same precision as on other FA83s I owned and John replaced that, as well as several other internal parts like the safety bar. The muzzle was recrowned and the action smoothed up. Timing on all three cylinders (454, 45C and 45ACP) was synched up and all three were beveled by Hamilton Bowen. He calls it a Black Powder Chamfer and it replicates what was done on the old black powder Colt Single Actions. As usual, FA did not charge me for any of the action upgrades that brought it up to modern standards.

SJPrice · « **Reply #104 on:** June 26, 2011, 07:21:36 AM »

Great looking project. How about some details. On a separate note. I can not believe this thread is still going from my original post on July 3rd 2006.

Ken ONeill · « **Reply #105 on:** June 26, 2011, 10:27:26 AM »

With almost 11,000 views.

cprher · « **Reply #106 on:** June 26, 2011, 01:10:12 PM »

Quote from: SJPrice on June 26, 2011, 07:21:36 AM

Great looking project. How about some details. On a separate note. I can not believe this thread is still going from my original post on July 3rd 2006.

SJPrice, additional details have been added.
Keith

Ken ONeill · « **Reply #107 on:** June 28, 2011, 01:52:59 AM »

The radius of the black powder chamfer is very attractive. These are the first examples of it that I've seen on a FA.

benny123 · « **Reply #108 on:** June 28, 2011, 02:18:02 PM »

I'm not intending to steer the focus away from FA pics, but is this chamfering done strictly for fluted cylinders?

picturerock · « **Reply #109 on:** June 28, 2011, 06:30:41 PM »

Model 97, .45 LC. Shoots as well as you would think.

cprher · « **Reply #110 on:** June 29, 2011, 04:56:49 AM »

Quote from: benny123 on June 28, 2011, 02:18:02 PM

I'm not intending to steer the focus away from FA pics, but is this chamfering done strictly for fluted cylinders?

Benny,
The Black Powder Chamfer is specifically designed to remove the sharp points that result from fluting a cylinder. Left untouched they have a tendency to tear up holsters.
Keith

embalmer883 · « **Reply #111 on:** September 29, 2012, 05:41:47 PM »

My first, not even in my hands yet! Fixed sight 83 in 454.

picturerock · « **Reply #112 on:** November 25, 2012, 05:59:12 PM »

Fixed sight? Interesting. Is that an older model 83?

sc1911cwp · « **Reply #113 on:** November 26, 2012, 02:29:31 PM »

A lot of nice looking guns here.

Tall Pine · « **Reply #114 on:** February 24, 2013, 07:25:36 AM »

So many look so nice on here. But this one below looks bad to the bone, something about that chunky front end really scratches an itch. I also like the ported octo barrel just above the post below. Too cool fellas. Maybe I'll throw up a pic of mine if I get the right glamour shot.

Quote from: paul105 on January 10, 2011, 05:19:04 AM

Didn't see this one in any of above pictures. FA97, .45 Colt, 3 1/2" Round Butt. Axehandle's .500 WE, 4" RB shown above would make a perfect companion for this belly gun.

Paul

SDGlock23 · « **Reply #115 on:** March 26, 2013, 05:05:33 AM »

Beautiful FA's!! I don't have one, but the one I would buy if I could would be a 6" M83 in .475 Linebaugh. Someday!

97shorty · « **Reply #116 on:** March 26, 2013, 12:26:21 PM »

A portrait of my reworked "gun number one" and the first target (barrel on a bench rest, only 25 feet) after it came back from a return trip to Freedom, Wyoming for green grips, fluted cylinder(s), rounded butt/grip and the 5 1/2 inch barrel shortened to 4 1/4 inches. I went to the range to sight it in, but shot the test target before any adjustments and decided to leave it alone. Rounds are 357 magnum with 6.0 gr Unique under a 158 gr Speer LSWC (non HP). Tempted to add a scope but the whole idea of the barrel chop and flutes was to enhance packability, so it will likely stay this way. Gun has 38 spl and 9 mm cylinders as well, but I'm drawn to the 357 mag setup and will make that the primary diet. Buckle by F.A., belt and ammo pouches by Simply Rugged.

zac0419 · « **Reply #117 on:** March 30, 2013, 03:50:10 AM »

My two.

Freedom Arms 97 45 Colt. 5.5 inch barrel, Ivory Micarta. Shown with Barranti 2DXD Holster

And my Freedom Arms 83 475 Linebaugh, 4 3/4 inch Black Micarta

SJPrice · « **Reply #118 on:** May 20, 2013, 06:24:41 AM »

Wow! I started the original thread back in 2006, I checked back in 2011 and there were nearly 11,000 views. Now two years later it is still an active thread with over 21,000 views. I guess there are a few Freedom Arms lovers around.

dbriannelson · « **Reply #119 on:** May 20, 2013, 08:02:58 AM »

And I posted my little boot gun back in 2010. Since then I've gotten these two, the top in .45 Colt and the bottom in .44 Special:

-Don