Hi guys,
I will be sending my FA83 back to star valley next month to have some length trimmed off of the 10" barrel it currently wears. I'm trying to figure out if I should let them stop at 7" or trim it back to 6". It is currently wearing a Millet red dot, but I'm seriously considering mounting a leupold deltapoint or similar reflex sight. I'm wanting to increase the packability of this gun, without detracting from it's shootability. I'm interested to hear your opinions on this. I know a 4" gun should have the same mechanical accuracy as a 10" gun, but the shorter gun is harder to shoot more accurately.

I like a 6" barrel myself. My Bisley was 7-1/2" and I trimmed it to 6" and am much happier.

After about 50 years of preferring 7 1/2" single actions, I decided several years ago that the 6" 83's were (more) perfect for me at this point in my life.

I really like the 6-inch .454 FA 83 I am currently playing with. It balances really well.

Well if you're considering changing it why not 5 1/2". I really like the aesthetics of that length.

+1


Dan

Another thing to consider is to make sure any of the states you hunt will work with the length you choose. And perhaps states you are thinking of hunting ;^) I love my 4 3/4's but it tends to be more of a companion at that length, and less so a dedicated type hunting handgun, although many might disagree.

Craig

Thanks for the input guys. Bearbait, you make the point I was wondering about. This is a dedicated hunting handgun. I have other guns for carry and trail use. I just want to trim this gun down to a more manageable size for hunting. A 10" tube is a pain to lug around, but a joy to shoot when a solid rest is available. A short gun is a joy to carry, but a struggle to shoot accurately with the same ease as the longer gun. I'm trying to strike a balance.

Dan,

You know what they say, it's harder to put an inch back on then it is to take another off. Well, not harder, just more money ;^)

While I would never say that you should pick a holster then match the gun length, I do believe that the way you carry (or plan on trying) might have some impact. Case in point, a highrise hip holster gets kinda tricky at 6 inches. At 7 inches, a highrise will have to have a reasonable cut-out at the front of the holster unless you are a gymnist. A cross draw is a snap with just about any length. A cowboy rig is easy with any length, but if your plan is to wear the rig for extended periods, I personally think cowboy rigs suck. Unless you ride a horse, cowboy rigs are always in the way, and you will bang the gun butt on everything ;^)

So kinda hard to say 6 or 7, for you, but for a dedicated hunting gun, I might lean towards the 7, knowing that the 7 will take a bit more thought to carry than a 6.

Craig

Here's a 6-inch 83 in .454. It's a good length for the FA. I like 5 1/2-inch barrels on Rugers.

i like teh 7.5" length of mine best all around, but i end up carrying the 4 3/4" or the 6" most. somewhere in there works best.

I would try it at 8" then make a final decision from there. Just a couple of inches could make the difference you are looking for. I am going to start at 12" on my 454 and decide from there. The only advantage that I have is that I am going to do all of the work on it. JMO

I like the heft of the longer barrel, and am currently leaning towards 7". I will be using optical sights, so that negates the sight alignment criticality that comes with a shorter sight radius. 6" is appealing, but I just don't want to cut the barrel so short that the gun loses it's steadiness in my hand when firing from field positions. I don't get many rested shots when hunting here in Wyoming. My normal firing position is seated, with my wrists resting on my knees.

Toss up between 6 and 7.5 here - if you think you may transition from the red dot / reflex and switch to a conventional scope in the future, I'd stay with the 7.5. The 6" guns with a reflex style sight are a great combo. My 6" Linebaugh may be wearing one next season...unfortunately I have some really nice gunleather that fits an unscoped 6" FA! Guess I'll have to get another. I love rationalizing gun purchases

This 7 1/2" .454 with Bushnell 2-6 Elite has taken over 50 deer, 300+ groundhogs, and 3 1/2 dozen turkeys. It's my most versitile revolver. I carry it in a hip holster without any problems.

Totaly agree 5 1/2 is the perfect length

Unless you want to hunt deer in MD:

5 1/2 would be perfect for packing around with a good belt holster

I can make it without hunting in MD

I like the balance of 5 1/2 or 6".