Are you sold on the 44 being the caliber for your octagon 83? I thought the 454/45 was going to be the be all/ end all but then kept dreaming about the 47 and 48 calibers. Make dang sure about the caliber before dropping another $1400 because that 44 is sweet as is. Someone would snag it up quick (and for a small profit) and allow you to get whatever you wanted.

Best of luck with your decision, I know how hard it can be. Once every 4 months or so I toy with sending in my 5.5 inch 97 to be shortened and rounded. I would also like my 4.75 inch 475LB to grow another inch or so in barrel length but I can't stomach the extra cost right now. I keep waiting to read about some guy who has a six inch 475 and is curious about shorter barrels so I can offer a trade.