FA or Full Custom

To those who have had a Freedom Arms revolver and a full custom build, what's the difference? I mean other than getting EXACTLY what you want with a full custom, is the quality any different than a Freedom Arms?

I'll be getting a 45 Colt or a 500JRH. Leaning towards having Jack do the build, but curious about getting an FA also.

If you could only have one more revolver, which way would you go?

I own several F.A. revolvers and to me the attention to detail is fantastic. I had considered having Jack build a 500JRH for me so I ordered a pair of Ruger .45 Colts with the Bisley grip. What I got from Ruger were two pieces of crap! On one the ejector rod had a large void/gap where it contacted the barrel and both of the frames with the cylinder removed looked like they just came out of the mold. I have owned a lot of Rugers which were "Okay" but have had more function problems with them than any other brand. You can clean up a Ruger but to me I rather buy quality at the start rather than try to add it on. Others may have had better luck but I know which route I would take.

The 41 mag i had jack build is without question the nicest revolver ive held and ive had most varieties of customs and have several freedom arms. Its got features that you cant get from freedom arms in both beauty and functionality. I habe better grips, a by far better trigger. Color case hardening and those neat little blue screws and punchs. Jack machined a base that accepts fa sight blades. Oversized cylinder with 6 shots thats as strong as fa 5 shots. Bull barrel and barrel band. Just an unbelievable looking and performing gun. I promptly took it out and scratched it up and killed the biggest whitetail of my life and backed up and put down one of my kids whitetails. All for 500 bucks plus donor gun over a base with no options fa 83 premier grade. I do love my fa guns and use em regularly but they really arent near as good imho.

Done! Staying with my original thought, and going to Jack again. He made my first two. I'll have him do these two.

The BFR option is also viable.... .500 JRH....

I've had the opportunity to shoot many custom Ruger's of my shooting buddy's that were built by Jack or Linebaugh as well as several FA's.

As much as I like the custom Rugers, the one gun that fit my hand the best and I shot the best was a 5 1/2" FA 454 with roundbutted grip frame.

So if I was to get one special single action revolver it would be an FA mdl 83 with 6" octagon barrel in 475 with an additional 480 cylinder. For me, the perfect revolver.

Lots of FA revolvers in IHMSA Silhouettes.. ln fact they dominate

they dominate the sport in ''REVOLVER'' class... 0bserving these

guys shoot their FAs they all seem to be constantly adjusting the

the rear grip frame screws.. Don't know if it affects Ruger SA

revolvers because virtually nobody shoots Ruger SA revolvers in IHMSA

I would go for the FA. They are so nice right out of the box.

For me redoing a Ruger is kind of like remodeling an 60 to 70 year old house. It might be all up dated with all the latest bells and whistles and look fantastic but in the end............its still an old house!!!!

Either way you wind up with a great handgun!

I really like my FAs, but I like my customs so much better. There is nothing like actually speak with a gunsmith and get exact what you want. A true refinement of a great base gun.

Not only that, I like the feeling and look of blued steel and wood grips. Will I part with my FAs? Probably not. Will I part with my customs? Definitely not.

Exactly how I felt, till I was forced to. But, I know what I want done now since having those first two built. Some features I'll keep, others I'll change. And HOPEFULLY I won't have to get rid of these in the future. Our new electrical company is a bit more financially secure than we were when we first started out two years ago, and we can absorb a financial hit a little easier.

I'm definitely going with the Ruger rebuilds. I was leaning that way anyway, but started this thread to see if FA's are good enough to change my mind. Doesn't sound like it.

I remember touring the Ruger plant in New Hampshire - where Pine Tree casting resides, when I was researching my Ruger book. I will never forget the look on the engineer?s face when I asked which corner of the building was Freedom, Wyoming..... yeah, Pine Tree (Ruger) was casting their frames...

I can tell you with certainty that my custom Rugers are a lot nicer than my FAs and I still love my FAs, but they?re not the end-all, be-all IMHO.

Again, I would also suggest a close look at BFR because are lacking nothing really and they keep getting better with regular refinements.

I've never been much for the BFR. No idea why either. I've always liked the Ruger Super Blackhawk though. The two builds I had Jack do where as close to perfection as I've ever seen. Absolutely loved them. Both were a joy to shoot. Never thought a full house 500JRH would be pleasant to shoot, but that one was, relatively speaking.

The most recent iteration available for the BFR that permits an upgrade to their BFR model is their design of a Bisley grip. So altered as an option it would make, I believe, a perfect "upgrade" revolver project to consider. The frame on the BFR is more robust than the Ruger and the free-wheeling cylinder is a standard characteristic, unlike the Ruger models.
If you work with the BFR Precision Center you can get many custom options from the factory. Only Mag-Na-Porting would be an additional trip to consider. Just my opinion.

My FA 454 is really one of the tightest, most accurate guns I own. When you cock the hammer it locks up like a safe. Still a beauty 23 years later. That said I also like my Linebaugh, talked to John and he built a perfect gun for me over 20 years ago. But now I got the bug again and ordered a BFR in 500 Linebaugh, I think it's an incredible bang for your buck, $1285. If I were to buy Ruger Bisley send it out to get worked on you'd be running $4000 plus. I had always wanted to have Hamilton build me one of his Nimrods, but just can't justify the cost right now. In the end I'm happy it's guns that I have to this inability to sit still and be happy with one, if it were women my wife would've dumped me a long time ago. All I can say is Thank God we're in America.

Welcome to the forum.

Go with Freedom Arms and you won?t be disappointed.