The Freedom Arms

Model 1997 .45 Colt

A few years back I was privileged to shoot some tool-room prototypes of a new revolver that Freedom Arms was thinking about building.  It was a small, light single action that looked like a .454 Casull that had been shrunk.  The caliber's that they experimented with were .357 Magnum and   .45 Colt.  All of us who were allowed to shoot these little guns thought they were about the neatest thing we had seen.

As most  everyone is aware, Freedom Arms introduced the small revolver in a 6-shot .357 Magnum and called it the Model 1997.  It  was a hit immediately.  At the 1997 Shootists Holiday, Wayne Baker brought along a dozen or so in different configurations and they were fired all week long.  Again, most everyone who shot one liked it.  I know  I did.   Some of us who are fans of larger bores asked them when they would bring out the Model '97 in a larger caliber.  We were promised that they were working on it.

At the 1998 Shootists Holiday Randy Smith of Freedom Arms showed up with a surprise package, a Model 1997 in .45 Colt.    It had a 5 1/2" barrel and an extra cylinder in .45 ACP.  Everyone who saw it wanted to shoot it, and I had a hard time keeping it close by!  It was fired almost constantly for the next 5 days. I personally shot it at ranges from 15 feet to 400 yards.  The little gun seemed accurate with almost anything we fired in it.

The gun was a pre-production model, the serial number being "PP".  I asked Randy when they would be in production with it and he said, "Soon."  I made him promise me that he would send me one as soon as they began to come off the production line, which promise he made.  And  I reluctantly let him have his pre-production model back. 

In August Randy called me and said that the gun I wanted was being shipped.  I had ordered a 5 1/2" barrel fixed-sight version with the extra .45 ACP cylinder.  I figured this would look good alongside my 7 1/2" fixed-sight .454 Casull.  Sort of a "big brother/little brother" thing.   When Freedom Arms was designing the Model 1997 they took the .454 Casull and reduced it by 10%.  The Casull design is a good one with a grip shape and angle that handles the hard recoil of the big round easily.  And it points well.  Freedom's president Bob Baker said that after they had the frame size correct they worked on the grip shape and angle until it was "right", in his words.   And I think they got it!  For me the gun lays naturally in the palm of my hand and when I pull it up toward the target it points about like my finger.  I have found doing "point-shooting" that it  points so naturally for me that it is easy to hit with out to 15 yards or so.

The Model '97 is a small gun. While the cylinder is the same length as the Colt SAA it is smaller in diameter. It is also only a 5 shot due to the smaller size.  The frame is shorter from front to back and smaller from top to bottom than the Colt.  The overall length of the 5 1/2" Model '97 is only slightly longer than a 4 3/4" Colt SAA - and the Colt is not a large gun. The Freedom Arms gun is intended as a "daily use" firearm.  It is of a size that makes it easy to carry all day long.  And while it is a strong gun due to the materials it is made of, and its design, it is not a "magnum".   It will take stronger loads than the Colt and Colt-size guns.  Freedom Arms says any of the loads listed in the various reloading manuals for the Ruger and TC firearms are safe in the Model 1997 as long as they are assembled in the same way as listed in the manuals.

I have been carrying the Model 1997 .45 Colt for several months now and have put in excess of 700 rounds through it. Both the ACP cylinder and the Long Colt cylinder are accurate in the gun. I have fired groups of 1" or less with both cylinders at the 25 yard mark (from a rest).   The gun seems to prefer the 200 gr. bullet weight when using the .45 ACP cylinder. No problem. Cor-Bon, Winchester and Black Hills all make some good 200 gr. loads. So far the best accuracy is with the "Black Diamond" ammunition.  This is ammo loaded for Norma by Black Hills ammunition and features a moly-coated bullet.   The best accuracy in the Long Colt cylinder is hard to call.  All the brands of factory ammo I shot performed very well.  Buffalo Bore's Heavy .45 load was excellent, as was Black Hills, Winchester and Cor-Bon.

Hopefully I will have a good report in the next couple weeks - after deer season!  We will see. I can tell you that Freedom Arms has come up with a winner- again.         

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