Gentlemen, thank you for all your thoughts and input here. I would have stopped back in earlier, but Thor had me fending off attackers all weekend. So the seven-year-old got some daddy time and my little inquiry got a bit of neglect…

James, thanks for piping up. As one of the forum’s most diehard FA fanatics (Ken is probably the other), it’s good to hear why you are so steadfastly a FA man.

And Bearbait, thank for chiming in with some real world FA experience. I heard a million times that you simply can’t get one dirty and expect it to work. The dust likes to blow around here too, so it’s good to know that some of the wailing might be just so much internet hype.

It’s also nice to know that many of the concerns with Freedom Arms in the field - bullet jump and broken springs in particular - are things that owners simply account for and deal with (load right, carry extra parts).

As far as reliability concerns from bullet pull. I’ll never redline a 475L. Never. But I’ve got a young son and soon enough he’ll be a young man… and sometimes young men just like to push the pedal, for no other reason than the fact that it’s there for the pushin’. So it's something to consider, at least fundamentally.

But all that being said, Whit makes a very strong argument toward sticking with the BFR and getting it customized. The two biggies in my mind are the legendary reliability of the Blackhawk lockwork (broken springs and firing pins, really??) and the Transfer Bar.

Even so, it’s still not an easy decision to make. Configured the same, the FA will always be lighter than an equally appointed BFR. Probably in the neighborhood of a quarter pound or so. A quarter pound less would be nicer for days long carry. A quarter pound more for day long shooting.

For sure and certain the FA83 wins for looks in my mind. I wish someone could figure something to do with that big fat BFR flattop and really wish a hunter-length Ruger ERH would fit on the BFR too. But at my age you begin to realize that in truth, looks don’t mean sh!t. And it’s a dead heat at the target. And that’s where it truly counts.

So I guess there really is no “right” answer. And I guess I’ll just have to chew on it a bit longer. Right now I’m leaning toward customizing my BFR. Then again, if the right FA rolls around…