None of the named guns are made "by hand." They are mostly the product of precision machinery.
Yes and no.
The parts used to build the listed revolvers are made using modern precision machinery, but in some cases the parts are deliberately left oversized at certain points so that they can be individually fitted later. The amount of hand fitting varies greatly at different factories, as does the actual method of fabrication.
For example, as I noted earlier, Freedom Arms and STI International line-bore the cylinders. So what exactly does this mean, and why does it matter? In the process of making cylinders most manufacturers bore the charge holes (which will become chambers) while the cylinder is held in a fixture. Some drill the holes one-at-a-time, while others drill them all at once.
Line-boring is much more expensive, but it insures that each chamber will be exactly aligned with the bore. The initial pilot hole(s) are drilled while the cylinder is locked in the frame and a drill passes though a bushing in the barrel hole. The better concentricity between the bore and chambers insure better accuracy.
All of the makers under consideration use more skilled hand labor then is usually the case, and this is reflected in the justified asking price.
That doesn't mean they are bad. But if you want a hand fitted single action revolver you will have to go custom. There are several specialists doing nice work on Rugers.
In the above it can be seen that the exceptional hand fitting goes into the revolver while it is being made. Custom Gunsmiths take a previously finished revolver and literally rebuild it, sometimes using after-market custom parts. The resulting product is often more customized to meet the owner's requirements or desires. In some cases they replace the original cylinder with a new one and line-bore it, as well as fit a new higher quality barrel. Again the work is expensive, but justified considering the work that's done.
Generally, the object of all this work and expense it to obtain (1) better accuracy, (2) a smoother action and lighter/crisp trigger pull, (3) higher quality finishing and cosmetics, (4) a unique configuration that the owner/buyer wants.
What the potential buyer needs to do is decide which manufacture offers the most of what they want.
