I have been looking at a lot of guns lately in the web. There's one on pro boards that speaks to me. I might just have to get one made. Some of you guys visit over there have seen it under the case hardening finish thread. After learning Mr Turnbull is 60 miles from me kind of got me thinking I should start sav ing my pennies. Im not independently wealthy so its gonna take me time and a lot of overtime. I am thinking 45 lc 45 acp convertible. . Single action. 4.5 inch barrel. Guess I'm wondering best doner gun to start with knowing I would be case hardening frame . If it wouldn't be to much maybe a pic with list of mods and who did the work.

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Rack what would be your idea of a custom dream gun?

Ruger is a GREAT basegun. Almost all of my customs have been built on rugers. When I'm at the computer again, I'll post a few pics but there are others that have the "sickness" here that can post many more as well

just remember, the fun of it to me is in the planning!

Tracker, think on the Freedom arms,you will not loose on a freedom,pretty small market on the custom jobs

Did someone say color case hardening??

I vote for the Ruger frame also. Love the Super Blackhawks.

Whitworth, my friend that's just beautiful!!!!

Ain't it now!

I like that finish on the metal, Whitworth.

If you don't mind stainless, the FA is the way to go for accuracy and in a 45/454, they can be picked up pretty reasonably on the used market most days because there are so many out there. They are built right and shoot lights out! If you want CCH, ruger is the way to start but it gets pricey in a HURRY

I wouldn't say FA is the "only" way to go for accuracy. I'm sure they are shooters, and for that kind of money, they better be. Same to be said for customs. For the amount of money ya put in one, they better be shooters. If not, something is wrong. My custom 500JRH from Jack will shoot with the best of them, and I expect the same from the 45 Colt that he's building for me right now.

I've never had a FA, but will someday, maybe. But I LOVE my customs from Jack! Even gonna have a 22 mag built on a Ruger Super Blackhawk frame sometime this year. Might do a 20 shot cylinder or something!!

I'm with you though on the stainless. All my handguns are stainless. Including the 1911 that I carry daily. I like how easy they are to keep "clean". Nothing wrong with blued guns, but I personally don't like how they lose bluing from holster wear and tear. Just don't like the look for some reason.

I think its going to be a ruger guys dont want stainless. So what model ruger in 45 lc convertible thinking bisley gripframe .

Nice pics.. so much to think on.

Hope ya went with the Ruger, JMHO, can't go wrong.

That's purdy Whitworth!

Well as usual Life gets in the way. Gun money got spent on well repairs... vet bills... but i now have a good head start on building it up again as i worked 60 hours last week and 82 this week.. but im pretty sure its going to be a sbh.

I am a little too pragmatic to go the custom route. I have friends that have them and they are nice...very nice...and pricey...very pricey. And, as mentioned in an earlier post, there is a relatively small market for them and you can soak up a bunch of money in a gun that can be hard to sell...if you needed/wanted to sell it. And, if it does move quickly, there is a very good chance that you will not recoup your investment.

As I said, I have been exposed to them and like them a lot...but I have never seen one that I would have paid the price to have it built. I can look at'em, fondle'em, put'em down, walk away and not feel as though I have missed anything consequential.

So, I decided long ago, any money that I will spend on a premium gun, will be spent on a FA...just as gooda gun and better investment, in my opinion.

Although, for a good many years, I thought that I was going to have to invest in one custom...but then Ruger brought out the 44 Specials and I was given a reprieve. So, I now have 4 fantastic performing 44 specials for about the same price that one custom would have set me back.

With that said, y'all please keep getting them built...cause I do love to look at them. Window shopping...the cheapskate's way.

I have had quite a few high-end customs and believe it or not, when you sell them, they typically command a premium. On the other hand FA's tend to decrease in value used quite a bit. The evidence is the high volume of them on the gun auction websites. I paid $1,000.00 for my FA83,, but the last Linebaugh .475 I sold fetched more than three times that amount and cost roughly that much to build. Since there is roughly a two-three year wait on a Linebaugh gun, many figure they can have one in hand buying on the used gun market. And typically, folks don't wear out the big calibers so they are more often then not in pretty good shape.

I'm doing the best I can to wear out my custom guns!!

They sure are fun!!

Actually, quite the opposite is true. FA's don't hold their value at all. They're a production gun and depreciate like any other. Real easy to find one under $1500. I just watched an auction for a Field Grade end without a bid, starting at $1250. That's a thousand dollars less than a new one. I would love to know where all the cheap customs are because I never see them for sale for less than replacement cost.

Really can't go wrong with Turnbull's CCH or a custom gun for that matter.

Magman, that's a beauty! What's the details, if you don't mind?

Thanks, but I never said that I would buy a new FA...and I have been around enough to know that a used FA will return more of the money invested in it than most customs will. As I said, I don't own one, but I have friends that have them and have sold them and NOT ONE of them has gotten their investment back. I have seen too many of them listed with a build sheet posted and an asking price that is on average about 25% less than the cost to build the gun. Typically, these guns will not return the initial investment unless it is something rare. Save that argument for your wife...I know better and you don't have to justify anything to me.

Look, this is a personal choice, if you like'em and are willing to pay for them and take the loss (that does come with most of them) when selling...more power to you. I view it as one of those things that is obviously worth it to some. But, they are no better gun and certainly are no better value than a used FA.

And, y'all are correct...they are seldom worn out. Everyone that I see on the market has some comment about how few rounds have been put through it. Kind of tells me that most folks get them built to look at...cause they sure aren't shooting them...probably cause they are scared of hurting the value.

I couldn't disagree with you more. I don't need to argue these points with my wife as she doesn't own any custom revolvers. From a percentage basis, the custom will return a lot more than a used FA. I have bought and sold both and I rarely lose much on a custom and in some cases actually make money. A production gun (which the FA is) loses a bunch as soon as it hits the used gun market. Case in point, the $1,000.00 I paid for my pristine FA83.

I don't believe custom big bores aren't shot because the owners are afraid of hurting the value any more than the guy who lays down nearly $3K for a new Premier Grade FA 83 in .475 Linebaugh or .500 WE. I think folks simply overestimate their ability to withstand sizable recoil. There are many barely used big-bore revolvers of all sizes, makes, and shapes on the used gun market.

I think Max hit the nail on the head here. Case in point, shortly after Smith came out with the 500 Mag there was a glut of used models on the market, many being sold with a partial box of ammo, and same for the 460 after it's debut. So then there was a commercial "super" magnum that many folks could afford without having to fork over "custom" money and a lot of people jumped on them with no idea of what they were getting into.

I got my original 460 from a guy that shot it twice, and then couldn't wait to get rid of it. I loved it. Best purchase I ever made. It was one of the best guns I ever bought. Not because of what it was, but because of what it got me into: Hunting with a handgun!

I have two custom guns, and when I had them built, I had them built with the idea that I was NEVER going to sell them. So far, I still have them both, and no plans on dumping either of them any time soon. Resale value was never a thought to me, as I hope I never have to be concerned with it.

Perhaps those that sell their custom guns cheap are probably doing so because they think it won't sell otherwise. They don't like the big recoil, so why would anyone else? With that mindset, they probably think they gotta sell it cheap to get rid of it. Those of us that like our customs don't let them go easily. If someone wants to make me an offer on the Brute Squad or Fezzik, they better come with an arm and a leg, and throwing in the first born MIGHT help.

I don't plan to ever sell my custom revolvers. That's why I had them built... they are made to my specifications.

I'm trying to wear the bluing off my customs. Biggest is a .44 special. I will be passing them, bluing worn off, to my kids someday.

Whoever gets my customs when I'm done will get some of them barely shot. Not because of the recoil, but because I have more than I can shoot regularly - I love them all, but it's hard to spread the love around.

I have bought and sold many and I typically have made money on the customs that I bought on the used market. The customs that I had built are still with me and will not be sold unless something catastrophic occurs.

In my experience with buying and selling custom guns, any of the big, very well known names like Bowen, Linebaugh, Stroh (especially since he is now retired) seem to command premiums. I have one FA that I bought new and I paid as much for it as I have some of the customs that I have had done. I expect to lose quite a bit if I ever sell it. I don't think I will ever by another new FA as there are good deals to be had on used ones. That doesn't seem to be the case with customs - I am always on the hunt for good deals. They don't come around too often and when they do, be prepared to draw and pull the trigger...

Kral, It started out as an uncoverted 357 Mag that had seen better days. I sent it to John Gallagher for the work. It is now a 44 Special with Bowen rear sight and custom front sight. The grips are Gold Stablized Spaulted maple from CLC. I absolutely love the gun even though the safety conversion was done w/o my permission. But Gallagher did a great job on it.