Freedom Arms Packer - King of the Belly Guns!

I can't believe I haven't written yet about my FA Packer! Sometime in the early 90's, someone convinced FA to make a Model 83 with a 3 inch barrel as backup bear medicine. They wound up making about 200, chambered mostly in 454. There were 12 made in 44M, and I snagged one of those recently. Since it was made for full-house 454 loads, it can't be overloaded in 44M... Any bullet and powder combination that can be shoved into a cartridge will come out of the barrel. The gun weighs 44 ounces, is made of 17-4PH stainless steel, and every part of it is clearance fit, I can't get a feeler gage in anywhere. Bullets must be exactly 0.429" or they will not fit in the throats. Cylinder has recesses for the case head, and the case heads cannot protrude the least bit or the cylinder will not turn. However, I have shot 400 rounds through it with no hiccups. It doen't foul at all. No leading even with a Keith 250gr bullet over 22gr of 2400 (a compressed load - held down by a HARD profile crimp) - Which still poops out of that 3" barrel at subsonic velocity. Followed by a muzzle blast to rival a Howitzer.

The factory test target showed a 3/8" group at 25 yards. No trouble hitting an 8" plate with it at 100 yards.

Why did I buy something like that? Well, I keep hearing talk at the range about "compensation for the size of his d***", and since I blush easy, I Figured I should pre-empt having to hear that said about me

FA fixed sight guns ship with a significantly oversize front sight. Folks rarely carve on them, so most fixed sight owners never shoot their FA's (hence most FA's sold used are NIB). It's a real crime. I carved off about a pound from my front sight (the job required driving 25 minutes each way to the range 4 times), and it finally shoots to POA with 250gr over 22gr 2400 AND 300gr over 20gr 2400.

Pic is actually my gun, but was taken by the dealer I bought it from, that unmatched gentleman, JackTheDog.

 

It may have been the Packer. The Ruger Alaskan came out 10 years after the Packer faded away. John Taffin recommended some wild loads for the FA83 in 44M: http://www.sixguns.com/BookOfThe44/bot44c34.htm

 

There were only 12 made in 44

But there were maybe 200 made in 454

Excellent FA's are available at auction for around $1500 often. It's not the prettiest gun in the world, but it IS the most accurate.

 

Purty maple grips on that Vaquero! I see some other unusual things about it, how about a walk-through? I recognize those Keith bullets too - 7.5gr Unique?

Yep, the FA is a 5 shot six-shooter, as John Taffin calls them.

My, that pdf is hard to read... I'm printing it out now...

That pdf is a nice summary of handloading practice for the 44 special, but now my eyes are bleeding!

 

I have to save all the 2400 I can get for magnum loads. I have a lifetime supply of Unique, so I shoot Skeeter's load in 44 special. 22gr 2400 for magnum. Only found 4 pounds of 2400 in the last two years.

Very pretty Vaquero. Must be nice having an ejector! So, that's the old sheriff's model, right? Did you regulate the front sight for your load? The grip frame looks nice and generous. The grip frame on my flat-top 44sp Blackhawk (New Model) is too small.

I'm not ignoring the rifle, I just don't know squat about rifles!

 

Just checked out Private's Custom Grips. Very nice grips at great prices. Only a bit more than what I paid for some bad fitting Hogue micarta grips. If the Hogue grips were oversize it would have been okay. They're undersize.

I bought some fake ivory grips once that flew to pieces on the first shot! Trying to cheap out on grips doesn't pay.

 

If you can't find Unique and you need some, I can sell you a pound. I can't get 2400 here at all. When I last got it, the price was terrible.

Brian Pierce is terrific! Nobody else does pressure testing.

The packer shoots great, but it's ugly. People compliment me on my Blackhawk, and think the packer is some piece of junk!

 

The sad part is, I doubt anybody shoots them. I might pick up a 454 packer (if I can find one with the 45 Colt cylinder), because the muzzle blast must be even more epic than that of the 44

Last time I fired up the Packer at the range (last weekend), the three people to my right all turned green. One had to sit down, and they were all muttering about their teeth hurting. I tried to be nice, and compliment them on their nice collection of little guns, but they just looked at me like you would look at the ass-end of the Huey as it flew back to reload.

On days when I mostly shoot 22, I listen for the jocks who ho-ho about how awesome their 9's and .40's are, and I "make a mental note" about likely candidates for the next scorched earth operation.

 

I could plumb a "T" onto the end of the barrel. Thanks for the suggestion!

Cary's grips look pretty nice to me, but for that kind of money I would expect a little more style. They look about the same as Private's. If John does a smashing job on my 1911 and AMT grips, I'm going to order some Ruger grips from him, smooth but shaped like Roper's.

 

Welcome!

I never saw one of those before! Looks like FA tried to get rid of those 3 inch guns any way they could, huh?

So, I hope you're here to tell me that you can't stand shooting it and want to sell it. Right? Only thing better would be to hear that you shoot it and love it! Man, it would be a hoot to stand up next to you with mine and clear the firing line on a Sunday!

 

Hey, I found some other pics of your guns online. Care to tell about that old nickel plated job?