Freedom Arms
Freedom Arms produces powerful single-action revolvers and single-shot pistols.
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Freedom Arms, based in Freedom, Wyoming, builds powerful single-action revolvers. The company was started in 1978 by Wayne Baker and Dick Casull. Their first product was a mini-revolver, and they later created a revolver for Casull’s high-powered .454 Casull cartridge, called the Model 83. Today, Freedom Arms also produces a single-shot pistol alongside its revolvers.
The company’s first firearm was a five-shot mini-revolver in .22 Long Rifle named “The Patriot,” later offered in .22 Short and .22 Winchester Rimfire Magnum. Dick Casull patented a belt-buckle holster for this small revolver, and a boot pistol version with a longer barrel was also made. A four-shot mini-revolver was produced until 1990, when the design was sold to North American Arms.
Casull had been testing prototype revolver cartridges since 1956, aiming for a more powerful round than the .45 Colt and .44 Remington Magnum. He built five-shot prototypes on Ruger Super Blackhawk frames. Freedom Arms became the first commercial maker of .454 Casull revolvers in 1983, a model still produced as the Model 83.
The Model 83 has several five-shot variants. A .45 Colt version appeared in February 1986 (54 units sold through 1989), followed by a .44 Magnum. The Model 252 in .22 LR came in 1991, and the Model 353 in .357 Magnum in 1992, including a nine-inch barrel version for IHMSA Silhouette competition.
The Model 555 in .50 Action Express arrived in 1993; .41 Magnum and .475 Linebaugh chamberings followed in 1997 and 1999. In 2005, Freedom Arms introduced their own .500 Wyoming Express in the Model 83. Two variants with three-inch barrels and no ejector—the “Marshall” and “Packer”—were made in .454 Casull and .44 Magnum, featuring symmetrical frames.
The smaller Model 97 debuted in 1997 with a six-shot .357 Magnum cylinder (a .38 Special cylinder was optional). A five-shot .45 Colt came in 1998, and a five-shot .41 Magnum in 2000.
Six-shot .22 Long Rifle cylinders (sporting and match grades) were offered, plus .22 Winchester Rimfire Magnum from 2003. A five-shot .44 Special followed in 2004. In 2009, Freedom Arms announced the .224-32 FA and began producing a six-shot revolver in that chambering.
The Model 2008, introduced in 2010, is a single-shot pistol with interchangeable barrels in various rifle calibers.
Lore & Background
Freedom Arms' first offering was a five-shot mini-revolver in .22 Long Rifle known as 'The Patriot,' later offered in .22 Short and .22 Winchester Rimfire Magnum. A beltbuckle holster version was patented by co-founder Dick Casull to accommodate the small revolver, and a boot pistol model was available with a longer barrel. A four-shot mini-revolver was produced but ceased in 1990, with the design sold to North American Arms.
Co-founder Dick Casull had been experimenting with prototype revolver cartridges since 1956, seeking a more powerful version of the .45 Colt and .44 Remington Magnum. He built five-shot prototypes on Ruger Super Blackhawk frames. Freedom Arms became the first commercial producer of revolvers chambered in the .454 Casull in 1983, a model still manufactured as the Model 83.
Variants of the Model 83 include .45 Colt, .44 Magnum, .357 Magnum, .50 Action Express, .41 Magnum, .475 Linebaugh, and the proprietary .500 Wyoming Express. The Model 97, a smaller-frame revolver, was introduced in 1997 with various chamberings including .357 Magnum, .45 Colt, .41 Magnum, .22 Long Rifle, .22 Winchester Rimfire Magnum, .44 Special, and the .224-32 FA wildcat cartridge. The Model 2008, a single-shot pistol with interchangeable barrels, was introduced in 2010.
Reader's Guide
Freedom Arms is significant for its role in commercializing the powerful .454 Casull cartridge, which was developed by co-founder Dick Casull and became a benchmark for high-pressure revolver cartridges. The company's Model 83, introduced in 1983, remains in production and is noted for its five-shot cylinder and robust construction. Freedom Arms also introduced the proprietary .500 Wyoming Express in 2005 and the .224-32 FA wildcat cartridge in 2009, designed for varmint and predator hunting.
The Model 97, introduced in 1997, offered a smaller frame with multiple chamberings, expanding the company's lineup. The Model 2008 single-shot pistol, introduced in 2010, provided interchangeable barrels in various rifle chamberings. The company's legacy includes the production of specialized revolvers for silhouette competition, such as the nine-inch .357 Magnum Model 353 variant meeting IHMSA weight requirements, and the Marshall and Packer variants of the Model 83 with three-inch barrels and no ejector.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Freedom Arms (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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