Ok guys...I'm baaack. Hope everyone is well and thanks to everyone who's helped me out from time to time on here but I have to ask a question. I just purchased from a gentleman in New Mexico, a 5.5 stainless bisley 45 colt with a custom trigger job. Not a homeowner job as I understand it. I bought this to send to jack Huntington for a conversion. I need some opinions... Maybe a poll if you will.
454 casull since the bore diameter is already there ... Not sure on correct rate of twist but think it should be ok.
475 linebaugh since its a proven penetrator and can use 480 ruger
500 linebaugh since... Well it's a 500 and same thing with 500 jrh. But the I've been trying to help jack find someone to make commercial ammo and had no luck to date. Lord knows I've tried. I know I can cut 500 sw down to make it though.

I own 454 right now and have shot most of the the other big bores so I know what I'm getting into with recoil etc but I keep waffling on the caliber. Need a kick up the arse in one direction or another. Took me a year to decide on the gun!

Finally... Anyone know who could turn a stainless gun into a black gun with a rock hard finish? I am using this in alaska next year, then on other handgun hunts after that and want stainless as a base for corrosion but I hate stainless guns I have to say. Robar? No offense to the stainless guys either... Just not my color choice. Help. My fiancé is of no use at all in this matter. She shoots the 454 and my 458 at her height of five foot six and 115 lbs and loves them both and could care less as long as the other two stay where they are.

I personally think the 475 / 480 is much more manageable than any of the 50's. The only downside is that there aren't as many bullet choices available. I guess you could cerakote it.

Is there a major real difference in performance on game with the 475 vs the 454? Never shot anything with the 475 other than paper. The 50s are a bit of a thumper if you hot rod them.

Huntington will not do a .454 on a Blackhawk -- most of the smiths won't do it. That said, a .475 or .500 of some type is a possibility. They all work well and it's just a matter of doing what you would like with it. I like the .50 cals the best and either a .500 Linebaugh or a JRH would be great. The .500 JRH is better from a component standpoint as there are lots of bullets in .50 caliber out there and not so many in .511 bore (the .500 Linebaugh).

I would leave the Linebaugh out except for nostalgia because of component issues. The 475/480 probably has the largest availability of components with the JRH next. As for finish there are a couple ways to go, you can get a special solution to go in caustic bluing to blue SS. I haven't tried it so I don't know how it looks. The other is a bake on coating and after trying several types the Cerakote tops the list for me.

I seem to remember a picture in a certain book that showed your penchant for Cerakote.

LOL, yep I believe your right.

Ok. Narrowed it down with the help so far to 475 or 500 jrh. I told jack before I might try his jrh. Ok... So 500 jrh it is. What about the cerekote? Is there someone who can be recommended to do it at a reasonable cost? I have done duracoat on semi autos many times and I'm good at prepping and applying it but would it hold up? I read not so much on a revolver so I ruled out doing it myself unless someone else has put it on a revolver and had good luck with it?

One more really important question is should I round butt the grips? I like the look but never shot a bisley rounded butt. Will it increase or decrease the middle finger bashing with heavy loads?

Thanks guys!

Huntington modifies the Bisley grip to give you some more space between your middle knuckle and the back of the trigger guard. It works quite well. My .500 Maximum will only tag my knuckle off of the bench, otherwise it doesn't make contact.

I personally like the round butt on the big bores but there are those that prefer the full Bisley profile. I feel it fits the hand better and I've never noticed getting bit anymore with the rounded butt over a full profile.

The trick with Cerakote is to use fresh product. I found out the hard way that when they say a shelf life of 6mos in the fridge they mean it. I would suggest having jack build you a chromoly cylinder and blue it and then cerakote the grip frame, cylinder frame and barrel. You can either install a blued steel ejector housing or cerakote it. Cerakote doesn't add a lot of thickness but it does add some, normally about 1 mil.

I'd go with one of the 50 cartridges just because you've already got the .454

You can chemically dip stainless steel to blacken it. Looks like a beautiful satin black. I think Robar offers it, maybe Accurate Plating?

500 jrh for sure. I also backed out of the stainless bisley deal and bought one that is blued in 44 mag... not that it matters since its not going to be that way for long. It was a better deal and in the long run it will save me money with the refinishing costs and I'll oil it more when we are in Alaska. I was being lazy...

I forgot that jack does that whitworth with the trigger guard bashing the knuckle issue. I do think I will round butt it.

Anyone know what type of bullets to use with the 500 and what type of penetration I can expect on bison, bears and stopping a bear charge? I'm hanging up my rifles from here on out for revolvers exclusively and if I need a rifle I'll get a specialty pistol for longer ranges.

I used a 440 grain flat-nosed hardcast that was hell on wheels on everything it touched. I used 350 grain Sierra JHPs as well that was exceptionally accurate.

I believe the answer to that question is "complete"

Seriously, I don't believe it matters what angle you are shooting at, the 500 JRH is a freight train of a cartridge and will put 2 holes in whatever you are shooting at....one in, one out...even if it has to go throught the animal from nose to a55hole.

Exactly!

440 sounds good to me!

I just got my 500JRH from Jack a couple weeks ago. I LOVE it. I shoot the 440gr WFNGC from Cast Performance with 29.5gr H110 and I have to say, I haven't been shooting my other guns NEAR as much since this one arrived. It has quickly become my favorite.

And NO Craig... that does NOT mean you can have my Colt!!!!

I know that you have chosen a blued gun, but for future reference you might consider ION-Bond.
I have used it on AR 15 parts(bolts, bolt carriers, barrels,etc)

It is extremely hard, very thin, so I am considering it for

a couple of my Freedom Arms guns.

Bob

Raptor,

But you now have that sweet holster for it now....I could learn to like that, as well ;^)

I sure would love to see some of these blackened stainless finishes in the flesh, so to speak. It sometimes sucks living in a dink of a town, with gunshows happening infrequently, 2+ hours away. Lucien, if you make this happen, how about some nice pictures for us ;^)

Good luck with the choices.

Craig

Hmmm.... ION-bond.... Might have to do this to my stainless Colt Anaconda.

HAHAHA!!!! Pick your jaw up off the ground Craig! Just kidding!!!

Bearbait,

I will be posting pics but its going to take awhile to get it back and I did decide to go with a blued gun... So that might mess up your picture thoughts of blackened stainless. Very deep blue with ivory colored grips on the 500 I think would look classic and hopefully not too tacky.

Raptor, what's the recoil like? Stiff loads in DA cut ruger SRH I have are snappy as hell. Vicious little prick of a gun with 360 grain casull loads. I shoot it often but after a couple cylinders full with a gp100 style grip it embeds rubber into my skin. I could change the grip but with the target gray finish and marble sight it looks just right, not recoil sensitive but I'm curious to compare it vicariously through you guys wo already own and shoot them.

Bearbait... Raptor told me he was giving you his colt for Christmas since he got the 500. He was even going to pay the shipping.

Oh, one more thing Lucien forgot to tell ya Bearbait... He is now dead and stuffed in a well out in the oilfield! :-)

Recoil is certainly there. It makes my 460 full house loads look like a capgun. I have the wood grips on my 500JRH, and don't use shooting gloves. I can shoot it just fine, but better be hanging on. I have the modified grip that Jack does, and it takes the bite away. When shooting, I use the two handed grip that Whitworth shows in his book, and it helps a LOT. As long as I keep my second hand low on my first, it is very manageable. I would say that anything with more recoil than this gun is probably going to be limited to 10 rounds a session at the most. This 500JRH isn't overbearing, but its as close as I want to be.

Oh you are an evil SOB! Poor guy.... All he wanted was your colt and you had to go and do that to him. RIP bearbait....

Well, it sounds like it might be a bit more than the 475 I shot then and quite a lot more than my 454 snub. But... Fun nonetheless. I've snagged my donor revolver and will be calling jack tomorrow to arrange the final details.

I wonder if my fiancé is going to be able to control it. I know she will want to try. She shoots 458 500's full tilt for fun and she loves the 454 so maybe she will. Is it the type of monster that wants your forehead split in two using the front sight like a splitting wedge to accomplish this?

I got a 500 JRH last year after Whitworth threatened me....lol.
It does not have to be a skull buster. I spoke with Jack Huntington and he told me when they were testing the prototype they shot a bison in the right rear hip and the bullet traveled all the way through and broke the left shoulder and exited and that was at about 1100fps. Hot loads can get a little sporty, but then again they are not for plinking. It is a round that can go from mild to wild and remain accurate.

I believe that sums it up in a nutshell right there!!

You guys are terrible ;^) Just because I have a little gun envy...Of course I have more than a few nice things, but on a forum like this, pretty easy to covet. Guns, that is.

Sean, I understand that this is a project for you and will take some time. In the mean time, Raptor can coat his Colt, Bob can do his FA, and they can give the rest of us the vapors.....

Craig

Mike, that quite a bit of penetration to say the least! Skull buster would not be high on my Xmas list I must say. It has to be on par with the 475 I would think in terms of recoil.

Craig, I too covet many guns... Every day. My poor fiancé. Makes me ill thinking about the ones that I want and the ones that got away either from lack of money or from selling or trading the darned things. I need to win the powerball lotto. But yeah, it is a project and I can say that I am looking forward to it but the excitement will nearly kill me I'm sure while the months roll by waiting to see it completed. As to the vapors... Lets hope it's Hoppes and not something else... say after a night of Mexican and hot sauce. That could make one a bit woozy.

Well Lucian, I don't care for skull buster loads either. But I think you would like the 500jrh. I know I do....and I am not as recoil proof as Whitworth. Jack Huntington just received my BFR in 500JRH this afternoon. He will be doing his magic on the grip frame and cutting the barrel to 5 1/2". Can't wait. If I had it to do over again, Lucian, I would get the stock BFR and send it to Jack. He can do the grip frame and tune the trigger. I went the custom shop route. It is a nice product but I could have done the same thing for less $$$.

Mike... Good point