The Model 97 produced this excellent 0.86-inch, five-shot group with Federal .45 ACP 230-grain Hydra-Shok ammo. It is the most accurate dual-cylinder revolver Greg has ever evaluated.
Like a lot of shooters, I grew up watching cowboy movies. Although AR-15s, big-bore hunting rifles, and 1911s occupy the majority of my range time, I have never stopped longing for a single-action six-shooter like my big-screen heroes packed. I”ve gone through a few sixguns over the years, but I never found one I liked well enough to keep until I put the Freedom Arms Model 97 through a review.
Although best known for its large-frame Model 83 and the .454 Casull, Freedom Arms introduced the mid-sized Model 97 in, well, 1997. Like its bigger brother, the single-action Model 97 is made from solid stainless steel with a brushed finish. The Model 97 has an automatic transfer-bar safety that puts a solid bar of steel between the hammer and the firing pin when the hammer is lowered.
All Freedom Arms revolvers are made to the tightest tolerances, and this one is no exception. The five-shot cylinder is line-bored, and many hours go into the fitting of each part. The quality is immediately apparent in the tight, seamless fit of the grip frame to the frame and the black micarta grips to the grip frame. The cylinder locks up nice and tight with no noticeable play. Its smooth action and crisp, 3-pound, 1-ounce trigger pull are further testament to the many hours spent making what many shooters consider to be the Rolls Royce of revolvers.
Although my revolver is chambered in .45 Colt, the Model 97 is available in six other calibers from .17 HMR to .44 Special. Extra cylinders are also available for some revolvers. For example, you can get a 9mm cylinder if you have a .357 Magnum Model 97 or, as I did, a .45 ACP cylinder for the .45 Colt Model 97. Considering the extra cylinder has a retail price of only $286 and I have a closet full of 230-grain .45 ACP ammo, the extra cylinder was a no-brainer.
You can order your Model 97 with fixed or adjustable sights and a barrel from 41/2 to 10 inches long. Because I plan to hunt with mine and carry it a great deal, I went with adjustable sights and the 51/2-inch barrel, which I think represents the ideal compromise for easy packing and iron-sight-range accuracy. With a scope, a longer barrel would be nice, but given my limitations with an iron-sighted revolver, 51/2 inches is long enough and still packs easily.
The ramped front sight has a black, serrated blade. It is replaceable, which allows a great detail of adjustment to compensate for the wide variety of .45 ACP and .45 Colt loads. The rear sight is drift-adjustable for windage and screw-adjustable for elevation, and it is a low-profile affair that resembles a fixed sight in profile.
The Model 97 On The Range
Impressed with the sample gun”s looks, fit, and finish, I was anxious to take it to the range. So I grabbed an assortment of ammunition, including a pair of my favorite accuracy loads and a few factory loads in both .45 Colt and .45 ACP, and set out to do some serious shooting.
