Freedom Arms Model 83 .500 WE

Model 83 .500 WE is a single action revolver manufactured by Freedom Arms chambered for the .500 Wyoming Express round. In the 1986 film Armed and Dangerous, John Candy brandishes a Freedom Arms Model 83 chambered in .454 Casull (with scope), claiming it's "a .50 caliber," designed for "hunting buffalo...up close." Candy adds that the firearm is only legal in two states, and "this [California] ain't one of them."

Model 83 .500 WE
TypeRevolver
Place of originUnited States
Production history
DesignerDick Casull
Designed1950s
ManufacturerFreedom Arms
Specifications
Mass51 oz (3.2 lb)
Barrel length4.75 in (121 mm), 6 in (150 mm), or 7.5 in (190 mm)

Cartridge.500 Wyoming Express
ActionSingle-action
Muzzle velocity1,300 ft/s (396 m/s) with 420 gr (27 g) projectile
Feed system5-round cylinder
SightsRear square notch, front blade

Nate Romanowski - a continuing character in the C. J. Box series of “Joe Pickett” books - falconer and former special forces - carries a model 83 chambered in .454 Casull which he shoots with uncanny accuracy and without an electronic sight. Later in the series, he begins to carry a model 83 chambered in 500 Wyoming express, noting that the heavier projectile recoils more smoothly and tends to pass through a target, lessening the chance of a forensics team finding the projectile.

References

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