Where does Freedom Arms stand today?

Still in Wyoming, and selling arms. http://www.freedomarms.com/

jski wrote:
...this lawyer's logic would apply to any gun based on the classic Colt 1873 design...

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What you refer to as the "lawyer's logic" is the legal doctrine known as "strict liability in tort". [Perhaps too] Simply, it means if there is a known safety problem with a product (i.e. the hammer can strike the firing pin thus discharging the gun if dropped) and the manufacturer does nothing to correct that problem, they are liable for any damages resulting from that uncorrected defect.

As the video notes, manufacturers like Ruger and S&W have already redesigned their products to eliminate this possibility. The fact Freedom Arms has not means they are accepting the exposure that comes from their dalliance.

The video linked is from 2012 and Freedom Arms is alive and well making (in my opinion) the finest SA revolvers in the world.

There a millions of other revolvers out there with the same design. Treat it and load it properly and you're fine.

Lots of BS in this video - model 83 has a hammer block, but it has to be manually engaged by putting the hammer on the quarter cock position. Someone bright enough didn't follow the safety instructions from the manual and shot himself. Why am I not surprised?

Ohen Cepel said:

The video linked is from 2012 and Freedom Arms is alive and well making (in my opinion) the finest SA revolvers in the world.

There a millions of other revolvers out there with the same design. Treat it and load it properly and you're fine.

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Yeppers, it's taken me awhile to pay for it as it was pricey (for me) but I'm getting my first FA .357 out of layaway next week. I can hardly wait!

I didn't know Freedom Arms' financial solvency was in question when I laid my revolver away a couple of months ago. Our favorite gun dealer never mentioned it, and he had a half dozen FA revolvers to select from.

And about that "load it properly" thing - I cut my handgun shooting teeth on a couple of Colt Frontiers Scout .22s Dad had. Then, later on when my wife was shooting IHMSA and was only allowed 5 rounds at a time in her revolver anyway, she used the same "load one, skip one, load the other four" technique even though she was shooting a Ruger Super Blackhawk with the transfer bar.

.308 Norma said:

Yeppers, it's taken me awhile to pay for it as it was pricey (for me) but I'm getting my first FA .357 out of layaway next week. I can hardly wait!

I didn't know Freedom Arms' financial solvency was in question when I laid my revolver away a couple of months ago. Our favorite gun dealer never mentioned it, and he had a half dozen FA revolvers to select from.

And about that "load it properly" thing - I cut my handgun shooting teeth on a couple of Colt Frontiers Scout .22s Dad had. Then, later on when my wife was shooting IHMSA and was only allowed 5 rounds at a time in her revolver anyway, she used the same "load one, skip one, load the other four" technique even though she was shooting a Ruger Super Blackhawk with the transfer bar.

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Share pics when you pick it up.
I'll go out on a limb and predict you'll love it.

Tuckerdog1

I grew up a hundred years after the introduction of the Colt single action revolver. I learned the "load one, skip one, load four" thing in my childhood. But somehow now it's a liability? Meh. I blame nimrods who remain willfully ignorant of proper gun handling and use.

But anyway, if I ever get the itch to buy a nice new revolver, I'd like to have the coin for one of the Freedom Arms guns. They seem to turn out some nice stuff.

I'll stick with my single action Rugers. Freedom Arms are overrated. (Only saying that cause I can't afford one ) The 83 premier grade in 44 with the 6" barrel is on my short list. I love single actions and the few FA's I fired were slicker than snot.

On the one hand, FA says: "All Model 83's have a manual sliding bar safety."
"HAMMER SAFETY POSITION - In this position, the
hammer is slightly back and away from the receiver, and you
will see a slight gap between the hammer and receiver. (See
Figure 5)
When the hammer is in this position, the safety bar is
physically positioned between the hammer and receiver to
prevent the hammer from hitting the firing pin. When the
hammer is in the Hammer Safety Position, pulling the trigger
has no effect."

On the other, liability averse hand, they also say, repeatedly and in bold caps:
NEVER HANDLE YOUR FREEDOM ARMS®
REVOLVER WITH A LIVE CARTRIDGE IN THE
CYLINDER CHAMBER WHICH IS IN LINE WITH
THE BARREL AND FIRING PIN, UNTIL YOU
ARE FULLY PREPARED TO SHOOT AT YOUR
TARGET. IN THE FIELD NEVER CARRY THE
REVOLVER WITH A LIVE CARTRIDGE IN THE
CHAMBER WHICH IS IN LINE WITH THE
BARREL AND FIRING PIN.

The later design model 97 "All Model 97's have a transfer bar safety." and do not require manipulation.
but you still get the Never Never warning with an added Never holster it with a live cartridge, etc.

As Jeff Cooper said, you will do as you think best.

hdwhit said:

What you refer to as the "lawyer's logic" is the legal doctrine known as "strict liability in tort". [Perhaps too] Simply, it means if there is a known safety problem with a product (i.e. the hammer can strike the firing pin thus discharging the gun if dropped) and the manufacturer does nothing to correct that problem, they are liable for any damages resulting from that uncorrected defect.

As the video notes, manufacturers like Ruger and S&W have already redesigned their products to eliminate this possibility. The fact Freedom Arms has not means they are accepting the exposure that comes from their dalliance.

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There is no safety problem with the 1873 Colt design. You are not supposed to put a round in the chamber under the firing pin. If you do, you are not operating the firearm as it is designed to be operated.

Only blood sucking leeches known as lawyers would disagree.