I can recall all the times I have been off the beaten path in my life, and there was never an instance where I found the need of a handgun—but that is not to say I wasn’t carrying one. Over dozens of excursions in the wide open expanses of Southern California deserts, I never ran across anything more dangerous than getting my 4×4 high-centered on a boulder just before sundown. Not even one unsociable reptile, a coyote, or any form of two-legged trouble ever crossed my path. Maybe I was lucky.

In recent years, I have been on a few mountain hikes in central Pennsylvania with family, and being responsible for carrying a sidearm, I normally carry a revolver of some sort.

Large ramped front sight and fully adjustable rear sight (windage and elevation) make the BFR suitable for finely adjusted sighting using a given load and predetermined ranges. Author adjusted the sights for 50 feet with Federal Premium 000 buckshot and managed very tight groupings.

Again, never has there been an occasion to un-holster my gun. Just the same, in my mind, no handgun is better suited to trail work, hiking or desert excursions than one chambered to fire .45 Colt or .410 buckshot—be it to defend against four-legged or two-legged predators. So when the opportunity came along to test the new Magnum Research Big Frame Revolver (BFR) .45/.410 single-action, another hike seemed appropriate.

Gun Details
The BFR is a big gun by any standard of comparison. The new .45/.410 is based on the long cylinder design introduced over a decade ago. Since then, the BFR has become something of a legend gun among enthusiasts who like shooting large calibers like .30-30 Win, .45-70 Gov’t and .454 Casull out of a revolver. The full-size long and short cylinder BFR (yes, the .45/.410 with new 5.25-inch barrel could be considered a smaller model) also come chambered in .480 Ruger/.475 Linebaugh, .450 Marlin, .500 S&W Mag, .50 AE, .444 Marlin, and .460 S&W Mag.