FN Barracuda Questions - 3" revolver

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croyance

New member
A local gun store has an oddball revolver, the FN Barracuda in .357 Magnum.
It has this funny thing where the yoke & cylinder can be removed with the press of a button, like a Beretta or SIG.
The trigger is a bit heavy, but smooth enough. About K-frame size, feels heavier, and points okay. The cylinders are recessed and the trigger has a curved face with serrations.
I did a Google search, but haven't found much.

Does anybody have any information on reliability? Wil it take any common speedloaders? The K-frame speedloaders would be ideal.

It looks like it could be a good working gun. It is blued, but not so nice that I would be concerned about it getting a bit beat up. The 3" barrel makes it handy enough.
 
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croyance

New member
$340, though I have seen $285 on some auction site as well as absurdly higher prices at another. Some guys just want to fish for a sucker.

I figure that FN doesn't have a history of making junk. As I said, it really is a nice size and would make a great working gun unless you are in grizzly territory. That and the ease of removing the cylinder intrigues me.
 
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Jim Watson

New member
I thought I recalled that FN did not actually make the Barracuda, found this on a Google in Wikipedia:

FN Barracuda (Belgium/Spain - Revolver - 9 x 19 mm Parabellum & .357 Magnum: Astra Police Variant)

The only Astra DA revolver I have seen was a big gun, I'd try a N-Smith speedloader.
 
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p99guy

New member
the easily removable cylender was because they came with a 9mm para cylender as well! and you could switch back and forth. They stopped making them about 20 years ago and was also sold as the Astra police...no it isnt a N frame size revolver, it is roughly K size.
 
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RJay

New member
Gets confusing, Listed under FN in Guns America is a FN/PW Barracuda revolver. Also as Mr Watson states it is listed as Belguim /Spain , a Astra Police variant. Now that Astra is no longer with us I wonder if FN took over the equipment so they could get into the revolver game.
 
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Jim Watson

New member
I doubt FN was moving machinery from Spain to Belgium, they have been moving away from home for some time now. The Astra Convertible .357-9mm came out in 1986 and is listed in the 1990 Gun Digest.

There is an Astra Police advertised on Auction Arms for $275 buy now.
http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=7370033&aa=%20Astra-Unceta%20SA%20%20ASTRA%20POLICE%20REVOLVER%20.357MAG%203"BRL-COMPLETE%20PKG!

Is that what your FN Barracuda looks like?

Any road, if the price was right, I would think it a serviceable piece.
I'd take some speedloaders and snap caps to the store and see what fit.
 
C

croyance

New member
It does look like that, right down to the bobbed hammer.
I have found questions people posted in other gun forums and that 400 have been imported.
FN made this 20 years ago for use in the colonies.

I found out the K-frame speed loaders fit perfect - food for thought if you run across one. I think it will be a good working gun. Finding a 3" S&W 19 is doubtful.
 
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p99guy

New member
Gets confusing, Listed under FN in Guns America is a FN/PW Barracuda revolver. Also as Mr Watson states it is listed as Belguim /Spain , a Astra Police variant. Now that Astra is no longer with us I wonder if FN took over the equipment so they could get into the revolver game.

Thats PW Arms..the importer. And best I can figure, Astra produced these for FN at the same time selling them under their own name....all were made in
spain I suspect...or at best Astra shipped all the parts to be assembled in Belguim. Its not the first time for such arraingements....the FN BDA .380 or .32acp made by Beretta comes to mind(and marked FN)
 
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p99guy

New member
Where they come from, quite good...not as well known here and mistakenly grouped in with Llama,RG and every other not made here, must be a cheapie
generic pile we dont think of on a day to day basis. Nothing wrong with them
they just didnt sell well in the wonder 9 eighties and was dropped...just a matter of bad timing.(and was never sold/offered in the US market at the time either)
 
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law1234

New member
My story on 9mm Revolvers

Good Evening,

I'm new to these forums but can add some thoughts as to 9mm revolvers made by Astra and also marketed bt FN. I have been a dealer in Canada for over 20 years. I would purchase end of lines from the distributors and dealt with Canadian Stoeger which handled ASTRA and LLAMA. I would also buy anything that was unusual. Here is the story.

in the early 1980s the French police decided that they required new firearms to replace the various 9mm, 7.65mm and other that they were using. They thought (for a very short time) that revolvers were safer than semi-automatics (the Yanks used them). A competition was held to determine the most suitable hence Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Astra and maybe others entered the competition. I think FN thought they might stand a chance so they re-badged the ASTRA Police as the Barracuda (sic) and marketed it at the same time. I think the Ruger was the winner but not for long as semi-autos came to the fore.

OK, I owned a FN Barracuda ( I sold to the RCMP) and a pile of the ASTRA police 3" barrel with 2 cylinders. I also picked up the literature at a SHOT show from FN that shows the revolver along with the access. available. I also have owned several Smith 547s, the Ruger (it's a sickness).

Willing to share other stories. Doug Lawrence
 
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tekarra

New member
Barracuda

Interesting reading about the Barracuda. My references do not list it under FN, but they have Astra revolvers. These are chambered for 9mm and .357. One also lists a convertable with two cylinders. In the mid 1980s I saw one in either Edmonton or Calgary and have regretted not buying it; the reason being I was buying several 547s at the time. As I recall it appeared to be a well built revolver and I had read several favourable comments in various publications.
 
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SFAL

New member
just crazy reason i was just thinking about this gun and did a goggle search of this piece, as i bought 2 of these, consecutive #'s by the way, when i was in Germany in 83.
They are made in Belgium and both came with the 9mm extra cyl. of cousre i sold one after getting back ^&#* oh well..very nice and well made.
Al
 
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SFAL

New member
just a tag line to my past reply, after finding other searchs about this, it looks like they were made in Spain. One comment was look under the grips and there will be a spanish proof. Will have to look at mine when i get back too it. Dont mean to beat what may be a dead subject, just wanted to pass along info.
Al sends
 
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