THAT’S ONE BFR

It’s been more than a decade since I first reviewed a BFR revolver in .500 JRH. Surely not much has changed in those 10 years, or has it? What’s so significant about this revolver configuration warranting a reprisal?

I’ve been delving into the half-inch cartridges heavily for more than a dozen years, from load development, bullet design, bovine flesh testing, grip technique and, most importantly, big-game hunting—that’s truly the purpose and calling of the .50 calibers. Of all of the big .50s, the .500 JRH is the stand out in a very capable field.

Developed by gun builder/dangerous game hunter Jack Huntington, the .500 JRH amounts to a shortened .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum (with a smaller rim), although it predates Smith & Wesson’s king-of-the-hill .50 caliber. Huntington recognized the build superiority of Freedom Arms’ (FA) Model 83 single-action revolvers early on, making for a great custom revolver platform