Magnum Research BFR
Encyclopedia
The Magnum Research BFR is a single-action revolver manufactured by Magnum Research
. It is made from stainless steel
and is manufactured in a variety of heavy calibers, such as .500 S&W Magnum
, including some traditional rifle cartridges, such as the .30-30 and .45-70
/.450 Marlin
. The name "BFR" officially is an acronym for "Big Frame Revolver". However, collectors and large-caliber enthusiasts have been known to misinterpret the acronym,, often in humorous reference to the Doom series.
Magnum Research makes these guns in custom calibers and discourages the use of most rimless cartridges in their revolvers due to mechanical issues. The BFR can be customized for the .50 Beowulf
cartridge. These pistols were originally made by DMAX in Springfield SD until Magnum Research bought them out.
Magnum Research
Magnum Research Inc. is a privately held corporation based in Fridley, Minnesota which manufactures and distributes firearms. The majority owners, Jim Skildum and John Risdall , have been with the company since its founding in 1979...
. It is made from stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
and is manufactured in a variety of heavy calibers, such as .500 S&W Magnum
.500 S&W Magnum
The .500 S&W Magnum is a fifty-caliber semi-rimmed handgun cartridge developed by Cor-Bon in partnership with the Smith & Wesson "X-Gun" engineering team for use in the Smith & Wesson Model 500 X-frame revolver and introduced in February 2003 at the SHOT trade show...
, including some traditional rifle cartridges, such as the .30-30 and .45-70
.45-70
The .45-70 rifle cartridge, also known as .45-70 Government, was developed at the U.S. Army's Springfield Armory for use in the Springfield Model 1873...
/.450 Marlin
.450 Marlin
The .450 Marlin is a firearms cartridge designed as a modernized equivalent to the venerable .45-70 lever-action cartridge. It was designed by a joint team of Marlin and Hornady engineers headed by Hornady's Mitch Mittelstaedt, and was released in 2000, with cartridges manufactured by Hornady and...
. The name "BFR" officially is an acronym for "Big Frame Revolver". However, collectors and large-caliber enthusiasts have been known to misinterpret the acronym,, often in humorous reference to the Doom series.
Available Cartridges
The BFR comes in two basic models, one with a long cylinder for big rifle cartridges, and one with a more traditional revolver cylinder length (called "short" by Magnum Research). Note that some models that use identical bores such as the .45/70 and .450 Marlin can be made with two cylinders for the same gun.Magnum Research makes these guns in custom calibers and discourages the use of most rimless cartridges in their revolvers due to mechanical issues. The BFR can be customized for the .50 Beowulf
.50 Beowulf
The .50 Beowulf [12.7×42 mm Rb] is a rifle cartridge developed by Alexander Arms for use in a modified AR-15 rifle. The cartridge utilizes a rebated rim, sized to match the rim of the 7.62×39mm and 6.5 mm Grendel rounds...
cartridge. These pistols were originally made by DMAX in Springfield SD until Magnum Research bought them out.
Long Cylinder
- .30-30 Winchester.30-30 WinchesterThe .30-30 Winchester/.30 Winchester Center Fire/7.62×51mmR cartridge was first marketed in early 1895 for the Winchester Model 1894 lever-action rifle. The .30-30 , as it is most commonly known, was the USA's first small-bore, sporting rifle cartridge designed for smokeless powder. The .30-30 is...
- .444 Marlin.444 MarlinThe .444 Marlin is a rifle cartridge designed in 1964 by Marlin Firearms and Remington Arms. It was designed to fill in a gap for the older .45-70 at a time when that cartridge was not currently available in any lever action, making it the largest at the time available lever-action cartridge...
- .45 Colt.45 ColtThe .45 Colt cartridge is a handgun cartridge dating to 1872. It began as a black powder revolver round developed for the Colt Single Action Army revolver, but is offered as a magnum level handgun hunting round in modern usage. This cartridge was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1873 and served as the...
/.410.410 bore.410 bore, commonly misnamed the .410 gauge, is the smallest gauge of shotgun shell commonly available. It has similar base dimensions to the .45 Colt revolver cartridge, though the .410 is significantly longer, up to , allowing many single-shot firearms and some revolvers chambered in that...
(Not available in CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
due to legal restrictions) - .45-70 Government
- .450 Marlin.450 MarlinThe .450 Marlin is a firearms cartridge designed as a modernized equivalent to the venerable .45-70 lever-action cartridge. It was designed by a joint team of Marlin and Hornady engineers headed by Hornady's Mitch Mittelstaedt, and was released in 2000, with cartridges manufactured by Hornady and...
- .460 S&W Magnum
- .500 S&W Magnum.500 S&W MagnumThe .500 S&W Magnum is a fifty-caliber semi-rimmed handgun cartridge developed by Cor-Bon in partnership with the Smith & Wesson "X-Gun" engineering team for use in the Smith & Wesson Model 500 X-frame revolver and introduced in February 2003 at the SHOT trade show...
Short Cylinder
- .22 Hornet.22 HornetThe .22 Hornet is a low-end vermin, small-game and predator centerfire rifle cartridge. It is considerably more powerful than the .22 WMR and the .17 HMR, achieving higher velocity with a bullet twice the weight. The Hornet also differs very significantly from these in that it is not a rimfire...
- .218 Bee.218 BeeThe .218 Bee is a .22 caliber centerfire rifle cartridge designed for varmint hunting by Winchester in 1938. The cartridge was originally chambered in lever-action rifles, which may have ultimately led to its lack of popularity...
- .44 Remington Magnum
- .454 Casull.454 CasullThe .454 Casull is a firearm cartridge, developed in 1957 by Dick Casull and Jack Fulmer. It was first announced in November 1959 by Guns & Ammo magazine. The basic design was a lengthened and structurally improved .45 Colt case...
- .480 Ruger.480 RugerThe .480 Ruger is a revolver cartridge, introduced in 2003 by Sturm, Ruger and Hornady. This was the first new cartridge introduced by Ruger, and was at time of introduction the largest diameter production revolver cartridge, at .-Design:...
/.475 Linebaugh.475 LinebaughThe .475 Linebaugh is an extremely potent rimmed revolver cartridge developed by John Linebaugh in the late 1980s. The cartridge is based on the .45-70 Government case cut down to 1.5 inches and loaded with bullets weighing from to... - .50 Action Express.50 Action ExpressThe .50 Action Express is a large caliber handgun cartridge. It was developed in 1988 by Evan Whildin of Action Arms. The .50 AE is one of the most powerful pistol cartridges in production.-Overview:...