MRI FAQ BFR

Questions & Answers: BFR Revolvers

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Remember to always practice good gun safety and wear eye and ear protection while shooting. We always suggest wearing a good Magnum Research hat, too, for a little extra protection (plus they look good).

Always make sure your revolver is unloaded before you perform any maintenance. And go through your owner's manual every once in a while. There are some good tips on cleaning and taking care of your revolver right in the manual that we send out with every new revolver.

  • Q. What is the warranty on my new BFR revolver?

    A.     One-year parts and labor.
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  • Q. Can I shoot reloads in my BFR revolver?

    A.     I am sorry we do not offer any reloading information since we do not recommend reloading in any of our products. Any use of reloads (problems caused by them) null and void the warranty on any MRI product. However, if you are going to reload we suggest you strictly follow all safe reloading information in a good up to date reloading manual.
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  • Q. What loads will the BFR .45/70 handle?

    A.     Lever action rifle loads, the #2 loads.
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  • Q. Can I interchange cylinders on my BFR revolver?

    A.     Yes, if you have a serial number beginning with the prefix "JT". We have cylinders for your BFR .45/70 to the .450 Marlin or your .450 Marlin to the .45/70 and also for your .22 Hornet to the .218 BEE. The cylinder does need to be fitted to your BFR revolver either at the time of ordering or you can send in your revolver to us.
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  • Q. Can I put the new .410 vent rib on my BFR .45LC/410 revolver?

    A.     Yes, if you have a serial number with the prefix "JT". The .410 vent rib is for enhanced sighting on moving targets. Features front and mid-bead. Simply remove front and rear sights and install on your BFR revolver. For those of you that have a BFR revolver with the serial number prefix "DM", this is also a possibility but we will need to fit it to your existing BFR and there is a some labor charges for this.
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  • Just some interesting factoids on the BFR revolvers

     SPECIAL FEATURES
    • 100% made in the USA.
    • Handmade by gun people for gun people. Each BFR is meticulously inspected and hand polished, hand fit and hand assembled.
    • Nominated for handgun of the year 2002.
    • Chambered for cartridges that provide heart-stopping power for the serious handgun hunter.
    • Interchangeable cylinders in calibers that utilize the same bullet diameters. The .450 Marlin and .45/70 are fully interchangeable and the .22 Hornet and .218 BEE is also fully interchangeable, cylinders to be fitted by MRI gunsmiths.
    • Free wheeling cylinder allows the shooter the ability spin the cylinder either clockwise or counter clockwise to load or unload the revolver.

    ACCURACY
    • Barrel cylinder alignment is held to under .002 concentricity.
    • All barrels are precision cut rifled.
    • Barrel cylinder gap is held to less than .005.
    • All barrels are hand lapped.
    • All barrels are precision recessed crowned.
    • Cylinder tolerances are so tight that best accuracy is available with all chambers.
    • Tolerances between the cylinder throat and internal barrel dimensions are matched to each caliber.
    • Many of the BFR's calibers will shoot groups of well under 2" at 50 yards with mechanical sights.
    • All calibers feature twist rates specifically matched to the ammunition available and barrel lengths offered.

    QUALITY
    • The BFR utilizes state of the art tough stainless alloys through out. We use five different types of stainless steel in each revolver so that we can produce the strongest, most weather resistant handgun available. Some of these alloys are extremely hard to machine but the end result is worth it. Each part is made from the best stainless alloy that will give it the strength and hardness necessary to hold up for the powerful loads it is chambered for.
    • The BFR is hand finished to a beautiful soft-brushed finish, which is more weather resistant and practical than vapor honed or satin finished guns. This soft-brushed finish is also very easily restored by the gun-owner.
    • Fully adjustable rear sights and a full complement of different front sight heights allow guaranteed point of impact for all individual shooting styles.
    • All grip frame screws are specially hardened and plated hex head screws that WILL hold up under continuous repeated firing of heavy loads.
    • Frames, grip frames and cylinders are machined in precision CNC equipment with a proprietary process developed specifically for the BFR. This process insures the dimensional integrity of ALL of our parts. The frame alone has over 70 features that are measured after machining to insure quality.
    • All guns are proof fired after assembly to insure integrity of the entire revolver and its total function.

    THE ONLY'S
    • Only .450 Marlin revolver.
    • Only .45/70 revolver that is not a joke. This gun really works and shoots like a laser.
    • Only .45 Long Colt/. 410 revolver
    • The one .480 Ruger/.475 Linebaugh under $1,000 retail.
    • Only serious heavy caliber handgun that is designed from the floor up to eat up the powerful cartridges that it is chambered for. The BFR is NOT a standard revolver "converted" to a heavy caliber. It is designed and built as a heavy caliber handgun and will hold up to the test of repeated and sustained firing.

    RECOIL
    • The BFR in 45/70 recoils less than any .44 Magnum that weighs under 3-pounds.
    • Recoil is a factor of bullet weight, velocity and gun weight.
    • Remember recoil is not a factor of size, just because it is physically large does not mean that it recoils large. The BFR simply weighs a little more than other revolvers because of its heavy design for powerful ammunition. The added weight makes the gun balance better, makes it easier to hold steady and makes it recoil less…Period.
    • The 45/70 will produce the same velocity as the 454 Casull with 2/3 less pressure, and a lot less noise and muzzle flash. This is because the 45/70 case is longer so it allows for different types of gunpowder to be used and the case has more room for the burning and expanding gases to expand. The end result is less pressure, less wear and tear on the gun, less noise and less recoil.

    SAFETY
    • The BFR uses a transfer bar that will not allow the gun to fire unless the trigger is pulled back to release the hammer only after it has been fully cocked. There is no need to carry the gun with an empty chamber while hunting. The BFR will not fire if it has been accidentally dropped.
    • Special processes are used for heat treating critical parts.
    • All guns are proof fired after assembly to insure integrity of the entire revolver and its total function.

    RECOIL OF FACTORY REVOLVERS AND LOADS
    Formula: Add velocity to bullet weight and multiply that number by the velocity. Then divide by the weight of the firearm multiplied by 80.

    BFR .450 Marlin, 10-Inch 4.5 lbs. 350-gr. Bullet 1814 FPS 109.04 Recoil Factor
    BFR .45/70, 7.5-Inch 4.4 lbs. 300-gr. Bullet 1472 FPS 74.1 Recoil Factor
    BFR .480, 7.5-Inch 3.75 lbs. 325-gr. Bullet 1409 FPS 81.44 Recoil Factor
    Redhawk .480, 7.5-Inch 3.3 lbs. 325-gr. Bullet 1409 FPS 92.55 Recoil Factor
    Redhawk .454, 7.5-Inch 3.3 lbs. 300-gr. Bullet 1600 FPS 115.15 Recoil Factor
    Freedom Arms .454, 7.5-Inch 3.25 lbs. 300-gr. Bullet 1600 FPS 116.92 Recoil Factor
    Super Blackhawk .44, 8-Inch 2.9 lbs. 240-gr. Bullet 1400 FPS 98.96 Recoil Factor


    BFR .45/70 recoils less than all of the above guns including the lowly .44 Magnum with a 4 5/8-inch barrel. The advantages of the .45/70 over the .454 Casull are that the .45/70 is an extremely potent hunting cartridge that is loaded at EXTREMELY low pressures. The Casull is loaded at over 50,000 PSI and the .45/70 is loaded under 25,000 PSI. The .45/70 can be hand-loaded to exceed .454 Casull velocity and still be under 30,000 PSI! There is the big advantage. Much less recoil and half the working pressure means the guns will shoot better and last longer. Ammo is also a lot less expensive and more readily available. THE LONG .45/70 CARTRIDGE DOES NOT MEAN MORE RECOIL IT MEANS MUCH LESS PRESSURE BECAUSE THE POWDER HAS MORE ROOM TO EXPAND, GIVING EQUAL PERFORMANCE WITH LESS PRESSURE.

    BFR VELOCITY WITH SELECTED AMMO
    (All tested with PACT Chronograph)

    .45/70, 7.5-Inch Barrel
    1. 300 grain Federal Sierra Classic, average 1472 FPS and muzzle energy 1444 FT/LBS
    2. 300 grain Winchester Super X, average 1272 FPS and muzzle energy 1078 FL/LBS
    3. 405 grain PMC, average 980 FPS and muzzle energy 864 FT/LBS

    .45/70, 10-Inch Barrel
    1. 300 grain Federal Sierra Classic, average 1507 FPS and muzzle energy 1513 FT/LBS
    2. 300 grain Winchester Super X, average 1405 FPS and muzzle energy 1315 FT/LBS
    3. 405 grain PMC, average 1056 FPS and muzzle energy 1003 FT/LBS

    .444 Marlin, 10-Inch Barrel
    1. 240 grain Remington Soft Point, average 1831 FPS and muzzle energy 1787 FT/LBS

    .450 Marlin, 10-Inch Barrel
    1. 350 grain Hornady, average 1814 FPS and muzzle energy 2558 FT/LBS

    .480 Ruger, 7.5-Inch Barrel
    1. 325 grain Hornady XTP, average 1409 FPS and muzzle energy 1433 FT/LBS

    .475 Linebaugh, 7.5-Inch Barrel
    1. 400 grain Hornady, average 1424 FPS and muzzle energy 1802 FT/LBS

    .500 S&W, 7.5-Inch Barrel
    1. 275 grain Barnes X CorBon, average 1770 FPS and muzzle energy 1914 FT/LBS
    2. 400 grain Hawk SP CorBon, average 1679 FPS and muzzle energy 2504 FT/LBS
    3. 440 grain Hard Cast CorBon, average 1671 FPS and muzzle energy 2729 FT/LBS

    .500 S&W, 10-Inch Barrel
    1. 275 grain Barnes X CorBon, average 1856 FPS and muzzle energy 2104 FT/LBS
    2. 400 grain Hawk SP CorBon, average 1752 FPS and muzzle energy 2727 FT/LBS
    3. 440 grain Hard Cast CorBon, average 1718 FPS and muzzle energy 2884 FT/LBS

    All ammo and firearms can and will produce slightly different results. These are actual numbers for specific revolvers, but they are representative of all BFR revolvers.

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