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Post by bigbrowndog on Nov 27, 2019 16:25:43 GMT -5
Eskimo and I were able to finalize a trade we started a few weeks ago, he got his scopes and I got a FA97 in 41mag.
ive never owned a 41 before but have thought that a 10mm would make a nice ED field carry gun, well instead of having a custom built up this looks and feels like it could easily fill the niche. It came with a Lovell mount and an ultradot, which for now will stay on, also a spare set of sheep horn grips and the original rear sight.
The feel of this gun is remarkable, I know they are supposed to be Ruger sized, I think???........but this just feels very comfy in the hand. I can’t wait to get it shot, the trigger breaks with very little pressure, Speer 210gr DCHP’s are purchased and waiting.
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Post by Encore64 on Nov 27, 2019 16:29:14 GMT -5
The FA97 isn't much bigger than a Single Six and my favorite factory revolver.
The 41 Magnum is a fine choice and handles the excellent 41 Special as well.
No way to go wrong with these guns...
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Post by magman on Nov 27, 2019 16:39:46 GMT -5
Best comparison in size is Colt SAA. Just my 2cents.
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Post by bigbrowndog on Nov 27, 2019 16:45:29 GMT -5
Magman, I’ve got an old 3screw which I understand is very close to Colt SAA as well, but this feels different. Maybe is the grip itself.
Maybe a 10.4mm is better than a 10mm!!!
Trapr
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Post by rjm52 on Nov 27, 2019 20:16:34 GMT -5
Congratulation...you will come to love the gun...
I have two...a 4.25" round butt and a 5.5" square...both are totally different in balance and feel.
After a lot of testing I've decided to stay with lighter bullets in the 4.25"... Have one of the MP molds that throws a 180 FP, 170 grain pentapoint and a 165 HP... The HPs are available from GT Bullets. Have to look up the loads but they are running in the 1300s... Recoil is modest...
One has to watch which cast bullet is chosen or use Special cases. Keith bullets and many LBT designs are too long if seated in the standard crimping groove. For a "Heavy" the LBT 250 WFN works great...20 grains of H110 runs the bullet 1305 from the stubby barrel...and is a handful...
Have a great time with your new find...and what is the barrel length?
Bob
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Post by bigbrowndog on Nov 27, 2019 20:22:01 GMT -5
Thanks Bob,....mine is a shorty as well. I’ll look into the 250’s for walking around in bear country. I’ll look into the GT ones as well.
Trapr
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Post by bushog on Nov 27, 2019 20:48:52 GMT -5
Thanks Bob,....mine is a shorty as well. I’ll look into the 250’s for walking around in bear country. I’ll look into the GT ones as well. Trapr Get some of those PC'd hollowpoints from Dick! |
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Post by bigbrowndog on Nov 27, 2019 20:57:36 GMT -5
Bushog, the nose is too long it would require deep seating, which is not too unreasonable, but it’s still not optimal. I asked Dick about it right off when he posted his topic.
in retrospect the Swift 210gr. May just be a one stop shop???
Trapr
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Post by Encore64 on Nov 27, 2019 21:03:12 GMT -5
In mine all the jacketed bullets work...
Also...
GT 170 grn HP
SNS Casting 215 grn SWC
Missouri Bullets 215 grn SWC
Sure plenty more too. For the longer GT Hollow Point Bullets, I just load 41 Special brass.
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Post by bigbrowndog on Nov 27, 2019 22:26:07 GMT -5
If I decide to go with a reflex sight instead of the tube sight, who makes a good one for the FA97?.
Trapr
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Post by wildcatter on Nov 27, 2019 22:42:11 GMT -5
I love the compact size and weight of the Weigand no drill on my blackhawk and single six with the 1.3 oz Burris fastfire III very hot 45 Colt Linebaugh loads are its steady diet, 265's at 1300 fps and dead on every time.  That Fastfire in a 3 MOA dot is what I would fit that fine 97 with if you prefer it over the fine performing Ultra dot. Very nice rig you have there!! ENJOY!! |
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Post by potatojudge on Nov 27, 2019 22:56:59 GMT -5
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Post by joeb4065 on Nov 28, 2019 0:05:14 GMT -5
I had a 97 45 colt, was the sweetest thing. But was the nastiest thing to shoot! I loved it, but could not use it. Don’t know why it was so brutal to shoot, but got no joy at all. Traded it for a Reeder PFP, gaudy and all, shoots like a laser, not abusive at all. Great trade. Wish 97’s fit me better, as they are maybe the best design, on paper that ever was designed. Just don’t fit me at all.
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diddle
.30 Stingray
Posts: 471 
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Post by diddle on Nov 28, 2019 5:50:09 GMT -5
The factory RMR mount is by far the cleanest arrangement and IMO the best reflex sight. It adds almost no weight and imperceptible bulk to the gun. All you need is a holster with the right cutout and you're in business. Carries like iron sights, shoots as good as a 2x scope except in low light where the scope has an advantage. That’s great advice, IME. I have had exceptional results with my M97’s and M83 using the RMR. Regarding holsters, I had “Doc” Barranti make holsters for mine with cutouts for the RMR ... they fit like a glove. |
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Post by bradshaw on Nov 28, 2019 9:03:00 GMT -5
This is an excellent thread, which anyone trying to select a packing revolver should read. Contributions from members of the forum indicate a diversity of personal experience to underline the importance of----when possible----SHOOTING a revolver before prior to purchase. The Freedom Arms Model 97 has a fan base who probably wear it in the bathtub. Others, this shooter included, cannot make it behave. Nothing to do with the mechanism. It is the grip frame. My hand cannot abide the M-97 grip frame, especially in .45 Colt.
When Dick Casull told me the Model 83 has the perfect grip frame, I asked, for whose hand?
“My hand,” smiled the brilliant machinist. It took this shooter a while to learn the Casull handle.
There is room for another handle on the M-97. Perhaps a savvy smith, Jack Huntington comes to mind, has worked on it. It may be that the M-97 starts to roll in my hand a microsecond before the bullet departs the crown. FOLLOW THROUGH be damned, the gun gets away from me. There is no other explanation. Years ago, sharpshooter Edna Huff fairly ripped up IHMSA firing lines with her S&W M-29 8-3/8-inch. She told me she just could not do the same shooting with the Super Blackhawk, she could not ride the roll. When a revolver gets light, with big bullets invited to play, recoil gets out-of-hand. This is a huge deal when shooting long strings. It separates a gun which is shot one or a few rounds at a time from a revolver ready to play a concert.
Human anatomy becomes the limiting factor, not the gun. Might illuminate the challenge to compare hands which get along fine with the M-97, with hands that do poorly with that grip.
David Bradshaw
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