Freedom Arms model 97

[Gary W. Strange]

Back in the early 90’s when my kids were home and required all our extera money, I mowed yards on the side to save for a Freedom Arms in 454 Casual. At the time l finely got one, I though a Freedom arms revolver must be to revolver men, what a fine English double gun is to a shotgun men. It was a field grade with a 6” barrel. It was and is still a very fine revolver. I will never part with it. I am getting older now and just can’t carry it in the woods like when I was a young man.
Early this week I was looking on the Freedom Arms website on the instock gun page and seen they were showing to have a model 97 in .44 Special with a 4 1/4” barrel and wine wood grips in stock. A quick call confirmed they did. I called my dealer as soon as I got off the phone with Freedom Arms and ask him to order it for me. I picked it up Friday afternoon. It is just perfect. Fitted and finished like a Swiss watch. As a comparison, I ordered a Colt New Frontier and waited over a year, received it and was somewhat disappointed. Colt is by all means not what they once were in the quality department. The Freedom Arms makes the Colt look like a Ruger.
I decided on .44 Special because it has always been one of my favorite calibers. I growed up reading Elemer Keith, Skeeter Skelton and Sheriff Jim Wilson and just seen the .44 Special as just enough gun for my needs now. I plan to reload the 255 grain gas check at around 1000-1100 FPS. Needless to say I am tickled with it. Expensive but you get what you pay for.

 

[PO2Hammer]

She's a beauty. Really love the wood. I was out shooting my 15 year old model 97 357 today and was really enjoying the superb trigger and the no doubt accuracy. My one regret was not getting wood. I went with black micarta and its nice, but it's not as handsome as yours, congrats.

 

[Gary W. Strange]

They had one with black micarta instock also. I almost got it instead. I think micarta is pretty also. The laminated wood FA uses get dull over time. The micarta probably will fair a little better.

 

[bannockburn]

Gary W. Strange

To me the Freedom Arms Model 97 is like the Rolls Royce of factory built .44 Special single action revolvers! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Beautiful gun in a great cartridge. Enjoy and thanks for sharing.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Very nice revolver. While I agree there is no reason not to buy another revolver I'm wondering why you just didn't decide to carry 45 Colt ammo in your 454 Casull M97?

 

[Gary W. Strange]

Very nice revolver. While I agree there is no reason not to buy another revolver I'm wondering why you just didn't decide to carry 45 Colt ammo in your 454 Casull M97?

Wanted a lighter handier revolver with a shorter barrel. Bought the 454 when I was a young man because I wanted the biggest and baddest. Now light and easy to carry feels a lot better. Also I have always wanted a fine single action in 44 Special, not a cleaned up Ruger. Freedom Arms are as good if not better than custom single actions. Besides I am a life long collector and wanted a model 97 in my collection.

 

[paul105]

Very nice -- think you will really like it. The M97 is one of my favorite single actions - 4 1/4" is my preference. The .44 special and the short cyl of the M97 seem to be a perfect match.

The M97 is a totally different platform than the M83. In addition to being almost 14 oz lighter than the 6" M83 .454 (36oz 4 1/4" M97 vs 50oz 6" M83) it is also smaller -- the M97 is a bit smaller/narrower than the Colt Single Action Army. It's five shot cylinder has the bolt notches between chambers, and according to Brian Pearce is fully capable of handling .44 mag pressures. Some don't care for the grip design, but I for one really like it, especially with the winewood grips. I have guns with both winewood and black micarta and even one that's round butted black micarta. My 5 1/2" .44 special is one of the most accurate handguns I own.

Here are a couple of pictures:

4 1/4" .45 Colt



3 1/2" round butt .45 Colt



Paul

​

 

[If1HitU]

Those are beauties Gary W.Strange your .44 Spl. and your .45's paul105.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Wanted a lighter handier revolver with a shorter barrel. Bought the 454 when I was a young man because I wanted the biggest and baddest. Now light and easy to carry feels a lot better.

Nothing to argue about there. Lighter and easier to carry sounds great to me to over the past bunch of years.

 

[Gary W. Strange]

Very nice -- think you will really like it. The M97 is one of my favorite single actions - 4 1/4" is my preference. The .44 special and the short cyl of the M97 seem to be a perfect match.

The M97 is a totally different platform than the M83. In addition to being almost 14 oz lighter than the 6" M83 .454 (36oz 4 1/4" M97 vs 50oz 6" M83) it is also smaller -- the M97 is a bit smaller/narrower than the Colt Single Action Army. It's five shot cylinder has the bolt notches between chambers, and according to Brian Pearce is fully capable of handling .44 mag pressures. Some don't care for the grip design, but I for one really like it, especially with the winewood grips. I have guns with both winewood and black micarta and even one that's round butted black micarta. My 5 1/2" .44 special is one of the most accurate handguns I own.

Here are a couple of pictures:

4 1/4" .45 Colt

View attachment 797993

3 1/2" round butt .45 Colt

View attachment 797994

Paul

​

Very nice looking revolvers in another great, do anything caliber. Probably will handle bigger stuff, if needed, than a .44 special. I almost got the black marcita grips. The only reason I didn't, was my because my .454 has the wood grips also and thought little brother would look nice with the same. The laminated wood has a tendency to get dull looking over time but I have found bee's wax or a little pure carbona wax will take the dull out just fine. When I was a young man, I thought bigger and faster was the thing. Now that I am older, I find the .44 Special or .45 Colt will do everything I need to do, with less recoil, muzzle flash, powder and weight.

 

[Gary W. Strange]

Nothing to argue about there. Lighter and easier to carry sounds great to me to over the past bunch of years.

Kinda a different subject, but it seems the handgun market it's self is moving to lighter. The fantastic plastic is taking over. I think Glocks and such are good firearms but cannot bring myself to see them as more than a good hammer. They work and work well but there is no real craftsmanship in them. They can be made fast and cheep from molded and stamped parts. Just not the same as a wood and steel firearm. Likewise the new revolvers Smith and Wesson is making, with the frame mounted locks, just don't seem the same. The hole in the frame takes something away from them. I had some but have parted with them for that reason. Still have one of the newer model 21's, not the Thunder Ranch model, with the lock but I will probably rid myself of it also. Smith and Wesson revolvers are not the same anymore. The newer ones with the locks and frame mounted firing pins are quite a step down. Just old school, I guess.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Kinda a different subject, but it seems the handgun market it's self is moving to lighter. The fantastic plastic is taking over. I think Glocks and such are good firearms but cannot bring myself to see them as more than a good hammer. They work and work well but there is no real craftsmanship in them. They can be made fast and cheep from molded and stamped parts. Just not the same as a wood and steel firearm. Likewise the new revolvers Smith and Wesson is making, with the frame mounted locks, just don't seem the same. The hole in the frame takes something away from them. I had some but have parted with them for that reason. Still have one of the newer model 21's, not the Thunder Ranch model, with the lock but I will probably rid myself of it also. Smith and Wesson revolvers are not the same anymore. The newer ones with the locks and frame mounted firing pins are quite a step down. Just old school, I guess.

A lot of us feel the same.

 

[captain awesome]

Congrats in the 97. A couple of Freedom Arms revolvers are on my short list.

 

[Plastikosmd]

A beauty for sure, enjoy

 

[bannockburn]

paul105

Really like the shape of those grips with the round butt configuration! Thanks for sharing!

 

[cowboy77845]

You, sir have a fine revolver. I have the 83 with 4 cylinders, 454,45,45ACP and 45 Mag. I shot the 454 in a rifle and have not decided whether I wish to experience that in a revolver. I do like the 45 mag though.

 

[CraigC]

Sweet sixguns, just wish they made them in carbon steel. May still have to get one with the octagon barrel.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I just don't have the money to buy one although I really want to buy one of two.

I would like a M83 in 454 Casull and then a M97 in 45 Colt.

 

[tuckerdog1]

Never tire of seeing Freedom Arms revolvers. Saw a field grade 353 at the last gun show I attended. It was well used, and tagged for $1K. 353s are hard to come by, but the so so condition made me walk away.

Tuckerdog1