Magnum Research Short-Cylinder .44 Magnum Revolver

The Magnum Research BFR earned its reputation as one of the most powerful production single-action revolvers built in the United States, and this .44 Magnum example carries that pedigree in a shorter, five inch barreled format built for practical field use. The BFR line began in 1999, when Magnum Research turned to bench gunsmith Jim Tertin to develop a large-bore revolver capable of handling rifle-length cartridges as well as standard magnum handgun rounds. The first production guns left Tertin's Brainerd, Minnesota shop in January 2001, and the name itself shifted over the years, starting as a nod to "Brainerd's First Revolver" before settling into "Biggest Finest Revolver." Kahr Firearms Group acquired Magnum Research in 2010 and still builds the BFR today, hand-fitting each gun and having the assembling technician sign the underside of the grip.

This short-cylinder .44 Magnum configuration pairs a five inch barrel with a five-round cylinder, keeping the gun more manageable to carry than the long-cylinder rifle-caliber versions while still delivering serious magnum performance. The frame, cylinder and barrel are stainless steel, finished bright and brushed the way Magnum Research ships these guns from the factory. Sights are a factory fixed front blade paired with an adjustable rear, and the frame is drilled and tapped for a Weaver-style scope mount, so an owner can run iron sights or add optics without extra machining. The grip is a black rubber panel, the standard factory offering on this configuration rather than the optional Bisley or ivory-look grips Magnum Research also sells.

It reads as a working gun first. Collectors drawn to the BFR tend to appreciate the overbuilt frame and the fact that a small crew still finishes every example by hand, a detail that sets it apart from mass-produced single actions on today's market. Whoever owns this one is getting a genuinely large, purpose-built magnum revolver rather than a boutique reproduction.