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The .454 Casull (/kəˈsuːl/) is a firearm cartridge, developed as a wildcat cartridge in 1958 by Dick Casull, Duane Marsh and Jack Fullmer. It was announced in November 1959 by Guns & Ammo magazine. The design is a lengthened and structurally improved .45 Colt case. The wildcat cartridge went mainstream when Freedom Arms brought a single action five-shot revolver chambered in .454 Casull to the retail firearms market in 1983. Ruger followed in 1997, chambering its Super Redhawk in this caliber. Taurus followed with the Raging Bull model in 1998 and the Taurus Raging Judge Magnum in 2010. The .45 Schofield and .45 Colt cartridges can fit into the .454’s chambers, but not the other way around because of the lengthened case (very similar to the relationship between .38 Special and .357 Magnum cartridges, as well as the .44 Special and .44 Magnum cartridges).

The Casull cartridges were originally loaded with a triplex load of propellants, which gave progressive burning, aided by the rifle primer ignition, resulting in a progressive acceleration of the bullet as it passed through the barrel.The first commercially available revolver chambered in .454 Casull was made by Freedom Arms in 1983 as a five-shot single action Model 83 revolver that is capable of firing .45 ACP, .45 Colt and .454 Casull with interchangeable cylinders. The .460 Smith & Wesson Magnum cartridge introduced in 2005 is a lengthened .454 Casull cartridge and has the same diameter as a .45 Colt or .454 Casull. Therefore, revolvers chambered for .460 S&W will also chamber .454 Casull, .45 Colt, and .45 Schofield (.45 Smith & Wesson).

The round is one of the most powerful handgun cartridges in production. The .454 Casull generates almost 5 times the recoil of the .45 Colt, and about 75% more recoil energy than the .44 Magnum. It can deliver a 250 grain (16 g) bullet with a muzzle velocity of over 1,900 feet per second (580 m/s), developing up to 2,000 ft-lb (2.7 kJ) of energy from a handgun. One Buffalo Bore loading drives a heavier, 300 grain, JFN bullet at 1,650 ft/s for 1,813 ft-lb of muzzle energy. The .454 Casull round is primarily intended for hunting medium or large game, metallic silhouette shooting, and bear protection.We offer cheap ammo and bulk ammo deals on the most popular ammo calibers. We have a variety of deals on Rifle Ammo, Handgun Ammo, Shotgun Ammo & Rimfire Ammo, as well as ammo for target practice, plinking, hunting, or shooting competitions. Our website lists special deals on 9mm Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 45-70 Ammo, 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, 300 Blackout Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 5.56 Ammo, Underwood Ammo, Buffalo Bore Ammo and more special deals on bulk ammo.

Please click the above links to take a look at all of the .44 Remington Magnum and .454 Casull ammo we have in stock and ready to ship, and let us know any parting thoughts in the comment section below.Alucard’s first gun is chambered in .454 Casull (11.23mm), however, he claims that it fires 13mm rounds. A possible explanation would be that the gun was originally chambered in .454 Casull, but now fires a custom round necked up to 13mm, as the casings shown ejected by the pistol are bottle-necked and rimless, while the real Casull round uses a straight walled rimmed case. Therefore it can be assumed that the .454 Casull Pistol uses the same bullet from the .454 Casull cartridge, but the casing is a custom design made by Hellsing Arms.

However, in both the anime and the manga, the Casull fails to kill Alexander Anderson, so Alucard specifically asks Walter C. Dornez for “something bigger” (however, he may have been refering to the ammunition). This led to the creation of the Jackal, a 13mm handgun that has the same size as the Hellsing Arms Casull, but fires even more powerful rounds. Alucard often dual wields these two pistols later on.

Even though Alucard has stated that the Casull uses explosive ammo, the traits exhibited by the bullet wounds show that it displays characteristics similar to that of a full metal jacketed pistol round, when it punches through the lung of two people without having the round explode. Early on, Alucard used the Casull alone to terminate all sorts of vampires, including the Cheddar Priest. After acquiring another weapon, he still uses the Casull along with this new weapon. During the flashbacks to World War II (specifically 1944), which is seen in much of Ultimate’s promotional material, Alucard is seen using this same weapon. This is anachronistic, as the .454 Casull round was developed in 1957. The Hellsing ARMS .454 Casull Auto (usually referred to simply as “Casull (カスール,, Kasūru)” is a very powerful handgun and one of the first personal firearms wielded by Alucard.

In the original fan-translation of the Hellsing manga volume 2, the translators incorrectly translated Walter’s line referring to the gun, making him call it the “Joshua” even though the Katakana reads “KASURU (カスール)”, which would be the correct Katakana for “Casull”. Since then, many fans have perpetuated the name, so much so that ADV (the Official European Distributor for the TV Series) called it “Joshua” on their Official Website, the Special Features, and the booklets on their DVD release. Regardless, this name is incorrect as it never appears in the Original Japanese version of either the Manga, TV series, or OVA, or any official Translations of Hellsing, not even ADV’s, as they use Geneon’s dub and subtitles.The Casull is a semi-automatic magnum pistol, based on two pre-WW1 handgun designs by Colt: the M1903 and M1905 pistols (the early versions of the M1911). The gun weighs approximately 6 kg unloaded and has a magazine capacity of six .454 Casull cartridges. Its appearance is also similar to the AMT Automag III. The Casull is believed to be based upon the Colt 1911 (or its variants like the longslide), however, it also bears a resemblance to early model Colt pistols. In some close-ups, one may note that the hammer is never fully cocked, indicative of either a double-action or fast-action mechanism similar to the Daewoo DP51. The lengthy barrel and slide give this gun incredible accuracy, and the weight at the front of the gun makes the massive round significantly more controllable. Something this extreme suits Alucard perfectly.The gun fires custom-made explosive .454 Casull rounds, with the steel bullets bearing a core made from a melted silver Christian cross from Manchester Cathedral. They are used in a six-round single-stack magazine. The Casull is able to kill normal vampires with only 1 shot. It is too heavy and unwieldy for a human to use, yet a perfect match for Alucard’s strength. Although Alucard has reloaded it at many points throughout both the manga and anime, Hirano has joked in the back of volume 1 that “They’re all cosmoguns that can hold a million rounds”. This is also evidenced in the first OVA, where Alucard takes out a large group of ghouls without reloading.

This weapon is the first custom handgun made by Hellsing and was specifically designed by Walter C. Dornez. It’s essentially a very big semiautomatic pistol, with a length of 39cm. It’s chambered for the mighty .454 Casull round, which finds use primarily in hunting large game, such as deer and bears. Of course, these bullets are special, being made out of silver obtained from melted holy relics, with an exploding property as well, making for a rather devastating cartridge against the legions of the night.The overall design of the Casull is simple, using the Browning short recoil mechanism. Its most recognizable feature is its long slide, counteracting the weapon’s heavy recoil with its weight. The barrel is 10 inches long (specified on the slide) and finished with titanium nitride which gives it a characteristic gold color.

Bulk Reloading Supplies was established and stocked up in January 2019 to officially launch activities later that year, due to COVID-19 our grand launch was postponed till further notice.Scelerisque adipiscing bibendum sem vestibulum et in a a a purus lectus faucibus lobortis tincidunt purus lectus nisl class eros.Condimentum a et ullamcorper dictumst mus et tristique elementum nam inceptos hac parturient scelerisque vestibulum amet elit ut volutpat. The future of this round remains unsure. Magazine articles and online forums were, for a brief while, replete with discussions about the potential of the cartridge. However, lackluster sales and a limited number of firearms available in this caliber have shown it to have only moderate popularity. Handloaders reported getting phenomenal performance out of the round, rubbing shoulders with the .475 Linebaugh and easily equaling and even eclipsing the Taylor Knockout Value (TKO) of the .454 Casull, with less recoil, muzzle blast and noise due to the .480’s lower pressures. Still, for the most part, the round was seen as not doing anything new, and available loads limited its potential for the non-handloader to mere deer hunting (for which many calibers already exist to serve that need). When Ruger began to design their new cartridge, they started with the .475 Linebaugh super-magnum cartridge but went a different direction. Rather than using the Blackhawk, Ruger chose to chamber the new round in the double-action Super Redhawk, and designed the cartridge to fit in a 6-shot cylinder. The Super Redhawk was already the only 6-shot .454 Casull revolver in production, as all other makers used 5-shot cylinders to keep the cylinder walls thicker to handle the high pressures. The .480 Ruger uses lower pressures than the .454 Casull, at 48,000 PSI, so the .454 Casull can produce higher velocities and more energy. Although, with much lighter bullets than available in .475 caliber. The .480 case was also .115 inches shorter than the .475 Linebaugh, at 1.285 inches, the same as the .44 Magnum. The .480’s large diameter rim is also turned down, which is required to fit the 6 cartridges in the Super Redhawk’s cylinder without interference.The .475 Linebaugh was introduced around 1988, for a custom, five-shot Ruger Blackhawk single-action revolver. The .475 is a wildcat cartridge made by cutting a .45-70 case to a length of 1.4 inches (36 mm), and necking it to accept a .475 bullet. The .475 Linebaugh is an immensely powerful cartridge, almost as powerful as the .454 Casull, the most powerful production revolver cartridge at the time (the .475 generates about 1,800 ft-lbs of energy. The .454 can generate around 2,000 ft-lbs). The .475-diameter bullet allows bullet weights over 400 grains (26 g), a feat not possible with the .45 caliber cartridge cases, and the terminal ballistics of the heavy bullet, even when loaded to moderate velocities, were impressive. The .475 Linebaugh was designed for handgun hunting of large game, such as bear, where deep penetration is required for a quick, humane kill, and the heavy, cast Keith-style semiwadcutter bullets out of the .475 Linebaugh penetrated very well.

The .480 Ruger is viewed by some as a “.475 Special”, a slightly downgraded version of the super-magnum cartridge. In fact, .480 Ruger rounds will fit and function in a .475 Linebaugh revolver, just as a .44 Special will fit and function in revolvers chambered for the .44 Magnum. Reviewing the .480’s ballistics, however, reveals this is somewhat misleading, as this “Special” reference may cause one to consider the .480 a low-powered target round when in actuality it is much closer to its more powerful cousin the .475 Linebaugh than the .44 Special is to the .44 Magnum. The .480 Ruger operates at a maximum pressure of 48,000 psi, whereas the Linebaugh has a maximum pressure of 50,000, showing how close indeed the two cartridges are. Depending on load, the .480 Ruger can easily reach within 150 ft/s (46 m/s) of the .475 Linebaugh, making it a very formidable hunting cartridge for large and dangerous game.The .480 is a well-balanced cartridge, providing a lot of energy without the recoil of larger hard-kicking rounds. It has been stated by many gun writers that the .44 Magnum is typically the most powerful handgun an average person can master. The .480’s original Hornady loading of a 325 gr JHP, easily surpasses factory loadings for the .44 Magnum, with very similar recoil in handguns of like weight. As a point of reference, the factory 325 gr bullet of the .480 Ruger, has the same approximate sectional density as the 300 gr projectiles often loaded in the .44 Magnum, which has been proven quite capable for very large game species. There were many handgunners that disliked the heavy Super Redhawk and waited for Ruger to release the cartridge in their Super Blackhawk single-action. This did not occur until August 2015, when a Bisley Super Blackhawk model in .454 Casull and .480 Ruger, was announced as a distributor exclusive through Lipsey’s. The initial response to the .480 Ruger was mixed, as many reviewers compared it unfavorably to the more powerful .475 Linebaugh or .454 Casull, and wondered why Ruger had bothered to introduce a lower-powered cartridge. (This was based on muzzle energy alone, with no regard to either bullet diameter or weight, or to TKO, as was evident in the sales literature and magazines of the times, which compared the new 325 gr load’s muzzle energy to the muzzle energy of other handgun hunting cartridges.) Indeed, the first factory load, a 325-grain (21.1 g) bullet at 1,350 ft/s (410 m/s), is nearly within reach of the .44 Magnum. However, with bullets of 400 grains (26 g) and higher, the .480 Ruger starts to show more potential. The standard .44 Magnum powders, in similar amounts, will push a 400-grain (26 g) bullet at over 1300 ft/s (thus yielding a TKO factor around 35.28 vs. 34.62 for a 325 gr 454 Casull at 1,650 ft/s (500 m/s)). This provides 1,500 ft⋅lbf (2,000 J) of muzzle energy, about 50% more than commercial .44 Magnum loads, showing the .480 Ruger’s good efficiency with the heavy bullets. The lower velocities and lower pressures mean the .480 Ruger has less felt recoil and muzzle blast than the higher-pressure super-magnums.

The .480 Ruger (12.1×33mmR) is a large, high-power revolver cartridge, introduced in 2003 by Ruger and Hornady. It was the first new cartridge introduced by Ruger, and when introduced, was the largest-diameter production revolver cartridge, at .475 in (12.1 mm).After Smith & Wesson introduced its .500 S&W in 2003, and .460 S&W Magnum in 2005, the .480 fell even further into obscurity as it could not compete with the glitz of these new mega-cartridges. Revolvers chambered in .460 S&W Magnum can usually accept .454 Casull, .45 Colt, and .45 Schofield rounds as well (in the same way that a .475 Linebaugh revolver can take .480 Ruger), a useful cost-saving feature that can increase the appeal of the .460 over the .480 for some shooters, especially for practice sessions where full-power rounds are not necessary.

Most of our brass come directly from US Military ranges. During our proprietary ReSpec process, each cartridge is individually analyzed, machined to exacting SAAMI specs, then cleaned and polished.

Since we didn’t know at that point what was keeping the hammer back on a loaded chamber, we assumed there was no way of knowing why or when it would fall. Earlier we had noticed that the hammer would fall even with the loading gate open. Thankfully, we had some sturdy Velcro ties and were able to secure the hammer back by lashing it in front of the hammer, then underneath the grip just behind the trigger guard. We finally made the gun safe by prying loose the mainspring and removing it.The Taurus was happy to comply in both single and double action but we were reminded of its weight and size each time we staged the trigger. All three guns handled the Long Colt ammo with little bother in regards to recoil. In fact, the compensated Taurus cried out for more muzzle flip just to keep the front sight afloat between shots.

Freedom Arms Premier Grade Model 83, $1,790. This gun malfunctioned during testing and was uncomfortable to shoot. It’s expensive to boot. Don’t Buy It.

In comparison, our session with the Raging Bull was a relief. From a bench rest we managed a best group of 1.3 inches with the Long Colt round. Standing and shooting from our improvised rest, we broke the 2-inch barrier again with the 300-grain Winchester jacketed flatpoints. In fact, both the Long Colt and the Casull rounds from Winchester resulted in an average group size of 2.0 inches. The Hornady ammunition that proved so erratic in the Super Redhawk and so damaging to the FA gun shot groups that varied as little as 2.1 to 2.4 inches in the Taurus product.Then, with inserts in hand and the Ransom Rest bolted firmly to a steel-and-concrete-reinforced table, we began anew testing the Freedom and Ruger guns. When using a machine rest of this type, insert fit is critical for accurate results. We started off with the Long Colt ammo to settle the guns into the rest for a solid, consistent hold. After firing just a couple of rounds of the Winchester 300-grain Casull ammo from the Ruger, it became apparent that we didn’t want any part of touching the Ransom Rest either. To shoot a gun in the rest, one need only press a lever that makes contact with the trigger. Upon recoil, the gun axles upward against a hinge fortified by a coil spring that is tension adjustable. But the recoil of these guns dominated the hefty coil spring. To keep our fingers out of harm’s way, we used a lightweight tube to press the trigger lever.

I owned a model 83 and found it superb. I bought factory then reloaded and shot from a bench often.. I don’t want to be rude but I had the same impression when reading this review as the others. The tester shooters don’t seem to be highly experienced. The fit and finish of the FA revolver is what drives the cost. Mine was stolen also. I think this publication should find more experienced testers for the big bore guns. Recoil is something that takes shooting to learn to handle. I really think perhaps your dread of testing the guns built up your fear of them. Understandable, but you are doing your readers that don’t know better a disservice. Too bad I cannot show a picture. My wife shooting a Raging Judge Magnum DA at 21 feet is a pattern to behold. I am mystified over your recoil comments. I can one hand the Judge for one cylinder full after another with full bore Hornady 300gr XTs. The trick is not to fight it. Just let it rise and go on. I was very surprised that the lead online in your article is about too much power, and not enough real world use. It’s your story sir. But several writers have said that the Raging Judge Magnum is the best all around SHTF weapon out there. Someday someone is going to tell the truth. The Truth is THE SHORTER THE BARREL THE LESS RECOIL. It’s simple physics. There does not seem to be much difference in the construction of the large-framed guns available from Freedom Arms, and overall, the company’s products have been very good in previous tests. But in the case of the really big bangers, like this Casull, we feel the Freedom’s basic design, a modernization of the cowboy gun, doesn’t cut it. Mainly, there is just not enough forward weight distribution to help with recoil. Would a heavy barrel or underlug shroud help? Definitely. Would porting? Yes, but without additional weight up front, it is our opinion that the blast would be louder than any reduction in lift could justify. One solution would be to add a compensator or rifle-type suppressor to the muzzle. Instead of removing material from the barrel and thereby lowering its weight, this could make use of expanding gases and ballast the front end as well. The end here is not just to protect or comfort the shooter, but to preserve the gun as well. Ours broke down in the Ransom Rest after firing some of the most powerful ammunition ever to be produced for a handgun.Ridiculous. Learn to shoot. Sure, my Ruger Blackhawk .454 has hefty recoil, but no, I don’t flinch. Put two or three rounds in the cylinder, spin it, and practice not moving when the hammer drops.

No malfunctions occurred with this gun, and we could discern no change in lockup or cylinder gap over the test course. This gun features a vented but deeply shrouded barrel lug to add weight to the front end. This extra mass not only helps reduce muzzle flip and dampen recoil, but it protects the gun itself from the shock waves of full-power ammo, we found. While the barrel is listed as being over 8 inches long, the actual rifled area is closer to 7 inches. An expansion chamber topped with eight ports fills out the remaining length. The trigger span is particularly long on the Taurus, and there is nearly a full half-inch of rubber grip between the shooter’s hand and the rear of the frame. The back portion of the grip is a red insert of a slightly different compound. The rear sight is adjustable with a plain black blade, and the front sight is a marked improvement over what we are used to seeing on production guns. Instead of a red plastic insert on a ramp, we are treated to a straight patridge blade pinned tightly atop a stanchion—at last a serious target sight from Taurus. As we mentioned before this was the only gun in the test that made full power .454 Casull loads bearable, but the most fun we had was rapid-firing hot defense loads in .45 Long Colt. We were very comfortable keeping the front sight dancing at the end of the long sight radius. All that was missing was a sixth shot.

Our testers prepared for firing the Casull ammo by wearing PAST gloves on their shooting hands. This glove is heavily padded at the web, and we generally consider it to offer a high level of insulation from recoil. In fact, in some cases, we feel that the PAST glove is too heavy and may even disconnect the shooter from the gun. Gloves such as this are at their best where the backstrap of the gun in question is particularly narrow or unpadded.Great lesson thanks. I was thinking of the 454 in this ammo shortage, as it is sometimes available. Sounds like that would be a big mistake. You saved me a ton.

Puss*ys should not be allowed to review manly guns! LOL. The .454 C is a great cartridge. Whining needs cheese and crackers to be acceptable in a gun or cartridge review. The Ruger is the best one to purchase. I prefer the Super Blackhawk over the Redhawk.

Grow a pair of balls. 454 casulll isn’t for the limp wristed. It is a caliber for a function. It wasn’t designed for the flannel wearing man binned weekend outdoors metrosexual. Please, it was meant for real men in the outdoors to protect their own. Stop being pansies.

Without a way to fire test groups for all three revolvers with the safety and precision of the Ransom Rest, we called upon firearms instructor and master gunsmith Ross Carter, former staff member at John Shaw’s Mid-South Institute of Self-Defense Shooting, for advice on shooting the Casulls comfortably and well. Carter suggested we shoot groups from the standing position using a stepladder and sandbag for support. This technique for teaching trigger control and sight alignment was developed some years ago as an intermediate step between firing from a bench rest and shooting unsupported groups standing. For our testing, we decided to shoot groups with the milder .45 Long Colt ammunition from a bench rest, but try this new technique when firing the ultra-hot Casull ammo. We were depending on the standing position to allow the recoil to dissipate through our arms, shoulders and entire body if necessary, rather than just our wrists and arms, which tend to be captured when seated at a bench.Your article is misleading. I have two Ruger .454″s and have no problem with them (even the 2″ barreled Alaskan). I’ll agree that the double action trigger is too heavy, but that’s it. Yes, the recoil is stout. But let the muzzle rise between shots and recoil is dissipated to a manageable level. I wear a glove on my shooting hand only because of trigger bite. I’ve let others shoot it and their experience was similar. Just don’t hold it in a death grip and fight the recoil so hard and you’ll be ok. Seriously, you cry so much about recoil I’m inclined to think there must be a problem with your technique.

I don’t understand how you were so injured by the .454 Casull. I have a stock Ruger Super Redhawk (no scope yet, that will add another pound and tame recoil even more) and even shooting the Doubletap ammo, which approaches 1900 ft-lbs in a 7.5″ barrel it’s manageable. My brother and I have both shot it with no difficulty, neighbor as well but the sound was his bane. I bought it to hunt whitetail and black bear where I live. At the time we were shotgun only, no rifles, right after I bought it that changed to allow rifles but I still carry the revolver. The longest shots we get are 100 yards, the thick underbrush is detrimental to carrying a rifle. The portability is excellent while keeping enough firepower in case of running into said black bears. Please note that none of use are accomplished shooters. We have fired a few hundred rounds from handguns ranging from .380 acp-.454 Casull. The revolver, when left to recoil up and not braced/placed in a vise; is a fast shooting, quick to follow up, handy companion that can be carried in any number of holsters.The single-action trigger is fine, but the double action is difficult. In all fairness, all large guns suffer from this for a variety of reasons. For one, the trigger is being asked to move not only a larger hammer but a larger cylinder as well. The hand that reaches through the breechface to contact the ratchets and stir the cylinder has a much longer travel with greater friction upon a larger ratchet. But as we noted elsewhere, there were other irritations. Dry firing the Super Redhawk gave us no indication of the real problem that cursed our test gun. After a very short firing session, the cylinder began to bind. We ruled out heat expansion as a cause when firing mild cowboy loads in .45 Long Colt. The soft lead soon coated the face of the cylinder and forcing cone, but even when we switched to fully jacketed bullets, this problem recurred. We cleaned the gun thoroughly and ran full-metal-jacket Casull ammunition through it to see if the heavy blast would provide a self-cleaning effect, but sooner or later the problem reappeared and required attention before the gun would operate properly.In the April 1999 issue of Gun Tests, we tested a Freedom Arms Premier Grade revolver in .475 Linebaugh, some loads of which nosed out .454 Casull factory rounds in terms of muzzle energy. In this current test, the Hornady Custom 300-grain XTP-HP rounds proved stouter than all but one of the .475 Linebaugh rounds fired in the April test, and our conclusions then, as now, were that the powerful rounds challenged the limits of practicality. Freedom Arms, in fact, sells most of its .475 Linebaughs, and likely its Casulls, to Alaskans who need bear-stopping power in a portable package.In sum, we found shooting all three of these guns to be painful and discouraging, and though we say one of these guns is good enough to buy, our overall recommendation would be not to buy any of them. If you need this much power in a handgun, then buy a rifle instead. Nevertheless, we know there’s a lot of curiosity about Casull handguns, so we shot them with both the shorter, less powerful .45 Long Colt cartridge as well as factory Casull warheads. Here’s what we found:

Both the Taurus Raging Bull and the Ruger Super Redhawk are fitted with double- as well as single-action triggers. Certainly the Raging Bull was a more willing participant in rapid-fire games, since the Red-hawk soon complained of leading at the forcing cone and the cylinder had to be coaxed to the next chamber. Even when firing single action only, the mode in which all accuracy data was compiled, this problem recurred. We cleaned the forcing cone and the face of the cylinder with solvent and crocus cloth, and the problem disappeared. But, even when shooting jacketed ammunition, we saw that enough debris found its way into the cylinder gap to impair cycling. Also, the double-action trigger on the Ruger Redhawk, even when clean, was the heaviest we’ve measured to date—more than 18 pounds. In our opinion, this is unnaturally heavy, and the trigger likewise displayed a very notchy feel.To familiarize ourselves with the action of each gun, we fired a succession of different loads in .45 Long Colt. Initially, the Freedom Arms Premier Grade Model 83 five-shot revolver displayed every characteristic we have come to expect from the little factory in Freedom, Wyoming. The trigger is single action only, and the gun’s fit and finish were impeccable. Testers remarked that both the dormant and cocked position of the trigger were nearly identical, and the trigger action was superb compared to the others. The gun’s point of aim was way off, however. At 25 yards groups clustered as much as 10 inches above the point of aim, even when the rear sight adjustment was used up. Perhaps the average shooter who is willing to spend $1,700 or more on a revolver would not think of using anything other than an optical scope, but we think this was an oversight. Why have iron sights that don’t work.We stayed with the 250-grain round and moved on to the Freedom revolver. Here was another brutally humbling experience. With its round, cowboy-style backstrap, the sensation of catching a steel rod in the palm of the hand was exchanged for a violent upward wrenching that we felt all the way back to our shoulders. Finally, our shooters developed flinches, dashing any hope of delivering fair group-size comparisons. We left the range and called Ransom International to order inserts for the Ruger and Freedom Arms guns. We judged the Raging Bull to be comfortable enough to shoot without flinching, and our standing rest method was accurate enough to portray its grouping potential.

Unfortunately, recent testing of three revolvers chambered for the .454 have convinced us that you may not want to be there when Mr. Casull meets Sir Isaac Newton, whose coining of the phrase, “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction…” was undoubtedly meant to apply to the .454 Casull round. When we shot the Taurus Raging Bull, $820, the Ruger Super Redhawk, $745, and Freedom Arms’s $1,790 Premier Grade .454 single action, we learned you can’t just strap a Hogue grip onto a Howitzer and call it a handgun.

If the session with the Ruger was not harrowing enough, the Freedom gun’s turn in the vise spooked us even more. As we expected, it showed great promise with the 225-grain Winchester Silver Tip hollow point .45 Long Colt ammo. Switching to Hornady’s 300-grain Custom ammo, the design of the Freedom Arms gun caught up with it. While not substantially lighter overall than the other guns in the test, the barrel lacks an underlug, so only a minimum of mass is forward to counteract recoil. When we shot the gun in the rest, its rearward pitch was so violent it resonated the concrete-filled support table. We checked the group downrange after each shot and by the fourth round, we felt assured the Freedom Arms gun had settled into the rest. But when we tried to light up the fifth round, the hammer would not fall. Even prodding the hammer directly was to no avail.The physical limitations of a hunting handgun—that is, its overall size and weight—can be said to be advantages, but the corresponding lack of power compared to a long gun cannot be spun into any other shape. It’s a detriment. Still, handgunners want power enough to kill game humanely, and one alternative is to find a way to get more powder behind the bullet. More powder behind the bullet is the purpose of the longer magnum cartridges, such as the .357 and .44 caliber rounds, resulting in the ability to deliver more energy at a greater distance. A big step up from these rounds, however, is the vaunted .454 Casull cartridge, which takes care of business when an increase in stopping power is desired.

With the Ruger Super Redhawk nestled between the rabbit ears of a sand-filled bag placed atop a stepladder, we were able to obtain a clear, steady sight picture on our target 25 yards downrange. Pulling back the hammer to enter single-action mode, we settled our sight picture and pressed the trigger. The shooter was rocked by hellatious recoil and muzzle blast. But like a fighter who has finally met his match, our test shooters vowed to keep getting up and take punches in five-shot clusters. One immediate conclusion we came to was that any benefit of the padded glove had been defeated instantly. Firing the Winchester 300-grain rounds made it seem like the Ruger Redhawk’s rubber and wood grip had somehow disappeared, exposing the steel frame. Switching to the Taurus after only one group, we tried Winchester’s 250-grain Casull bombs. Here, we found the lighter round, combined with the Taurus’s heavy underlug, porting, and special grip, made group shooting bearable. After the beating the Ruger dished out, shooting the Taurus was like being saved by the bell.(I) Giveaway ends July 31, 2023. All entries must be received by giveaway end date. Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: GUNS Magazine, GOM July 2022, P.O. Box 488, Escondido, CA 92033. Deployed military should use stateside address. (II) Limit one (1) entry per household; multiple entries will disqualify entrants. Contest open to U.S. residents only. Employees and agents of Publishers’ Development Corp. are not eligible. No purchase necessary. Contest void where prohibited by law. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if required) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. Prizes will not be a
warded if illegal in jurisdiction of winners. No substitutions or transfers to third parties allowed. Associated taxes and fees are the responsibility of winners. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. Factory warranties may apply in some cases.

Today, these rifles are out of reach from most mortal men pricewise but luckily we have companies like Rossi making renditions of their own version of the ’92.

The action was smooth when working the lever and the trigger was crisp, creep-free and smooth, breaking at 3.5 lbs. What was going on here? It was beginning to look like love at first sight after the precursory handling/fondling.(I) Giveaway ends June 30, 2023. All entries must be received by giveaway end date. Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: GUNS Magazine, GOM Surplus 2023, P.O. Box 488, Escondido, CA 92033. Deployed military should use stateside address. (II) Limit one (1) entry per household; multiple entries will disqualify entrants. Contest open to U.S. residents only. Employees and agents of Publishers’ Development Corp. are not eligible. No purchase necessary. Contest void where prohibited by law. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if required) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winners. No substitutions or transfers to third parties allowed. Associated taxes and fees are the responsibility of winners. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. Factory warranties may apply in some cases.Newer Rossi R92s have a safety on the bolt, which is obviously something to keep the attorneys happy. It can only be activated when the gun is cocked but its position makes flicking it with your thumb quite easy. The hammer is nicely serrated, providing positive purchase for thumb-cocking.

A true truck gun if there ever was one, you won’t mind getting it scratched or dinged, as your new faithful companion gains a few character marks by always traveling with you. But that’s what makes it so charming! Since you won’t mind the wear marks, you’ll be more prone to have it with you, no matter the conditions, weather or terrain.The compact stainless R92 carbine comes with a Brazilian hardwood stock. My sample had a touch of figure, with a smooth, even, attractive finish. The black rubber buttpad was nicely fitted to the stock and appreciated for taming the recoil generated by stout .454 loads. Overall length is 38.5″ and length of pull is just over 13″.

John Wayne — “The Duke” — carried one, as did perhaps the most iconic of all lever gun loonies, Chuck Connors, in his portrayal of Lucas McCain in The Rifleman TV series. Connors kept the popularity of the lever gun going with his snappy show opening scene, walking down Main Street, shooting a dozen cartridges from the hip as fast as he could work the lever. It was mesmerizing for kids of all ages!Able to drive 300-grain bullets in excess of 2,000 FPS, this small dynamic package has better ballistics than factory-loaded .45-70 cartridges, in a more compact package. Being chambered in .454 Casull, it also has the ability to shoot .45 Colt rounds, making it both versatile for hunting and cheaper to practice with. Being designed to cycle the longer .454 Casull cartridge, the R92 cycles .45 Colt loads like corn through a goose.

Rossi cold-hammer-forges the 20″ barrel and uses magnaflux testing on every one. Magnafluxing is an advanced procedure using strong magnetic fields to test structural integrity of metals. Assembled guns are then proof-tested before leaving the factory.(I) Giveaway ends August 31, 2023. All entries must be received by giveaway end date. Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: GUNS Magazine, GOM August 2023, P.O. Box 488, Escondido, CA 92033. Deployed military should use stateside address. (II) Limit one (1) entry per household; multiple entries will disqualify entrants. Contest open to U.S. residents only. Employees and agents of Publishers’ Development Corp. are not eligible. No purchase necessary. Contest void where prohibited by law. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if required) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winners. No substitutions or transfers to third parties allowed. Associated taxes and fees are the responsibility of winners. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. Factory warranties may apply in some cases.(I) Giveaway ends June 30, 2023. All entries must be received by giveaway end date. Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: GUNS Magazine, GOM June 2023, PO Box 488, Escondido, CA 92033. Deployed military should use stateside address. (II) Limit one (1) entry per household; multiple entries will disqualify entrants. Contest open to U.S. residents only. Employees and agents of Publishers’ Development Corp. are not eligible. No purchase necessary. Contest void where prohibited by law. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if required) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winners. No substitutions or transfers to third parties allowed. Associated taxes and fees are the responsibility of winners. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. Factory warranties may apply in some cases.Eight rounds can be loaded from either the side loading gate or by removing the magazine tube. This is done by unscrewing the knurled knob of the magazine tube and lifting it out, inserting cartridges into the port and screwing the tube back in. It also allows you to unload your rifle without having to cycle the rounds out by working the lever. It’s a nice feature.

Sights consist of blued buckhorn rear with stepped-wedge adjustment and the front sight consists of a traditional brass bead. Both sights are securely dovetailed, contrasting nicely with the stainless-steel barrel.Ruger first tried making the cylinder from stainless Type 410, a hardenable martensitic stainless steel generally suitable for highly stressed parts, such as Ruger’s other revolvers. This grade simply would not hold up for any extended length of time during firing of the higher pressure proof rounds required for the .454 Casull.