Top Gun [Smith and Wesson .500 Magnum]

Popular Mechanics ^ | 2003 | CHRIS CHRISTIAN

[45Auto]

Let's try it again; Custom .500 Linebaugh built from Ruger Blackhawk from Dave Clements

[Myrddin]

I'm still waiting for my Hunter magnum model to arrive at my FFL. I did some quick calculations of felt recoil for two of the Corbon loads. The 275 gr load will produce a felt recoil energy of 23 ft-lbs in the 82 oz Hunter. This is similar to firing a 240 gr PMC .44 Mag cartridge in a Model 629 with 4" barrel. No problem...even single handed. The Ruger .454 Casull in 7.5" barrel produces 38 ft-lbs when firing a 300 gr Hornady load at 1500 fps. That's 1500 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. The Corbon 400 gr load produces 48 ft-lbs of felt recoil in the Hunter. That is a lot harder slap in the hand than the Hornady round in the Ruger .454 Casull. When I first shot that round in the .454, my palms felt like they had been smacked with a baseball bat. They were stinging. The Hunter with the 400 gr round is going to be a real experience.

[GladesGuru]

"Gun porn" indeed! I nearly spilled my coffee laughing.

Your post by implication, raised the question "Will the HillaBeast ever forgive S&W?"

Perhaps only slightly less important is the question "Will they care"?

[45Auto]

From the FR archives:

Taffin Tests the .500 Linebaugh

[mercy]

If God wanted me to fire a .50 cal handgun using a cartridge delivering 2600 ft lbs he would have put my shoulder where my hand is.

I traded away my Desert Eagle 44 mag for just this reason. I'm sure I did permanent damage.

[mrmeyer]

It'll be a cold day in hell when I buy S&W.

[bereanway]

Awesome firepower,

But the frame design of the X-frame really isn't all that revolutionary as many of the feature were incorporated into another Wesson's revolver years ago. The Dan Wesson revolvers with their interchangeable barrel and shroud system is exactly as described here resulting in the barrel being in tension and less resultant barrel flex and whip. They (DW) have always had great DA revolvers for
long range shooting. I've got a new DW 741-v8 on order which I hope is in by thursday. A 41 mag which weighs in at 64 ounces (4 lb), full length lug under an eight inch barrel.

BTW, I'm pretty certain the S&W foundry supplies DW's forgings. It seems the two companies work pretty closely together.

[bereanway]

I thought S&W was now under new American ownership as opposed to the English group that sold out to the Clintons.

[yarddog]

I saw one at a local dealers about two weeks ago.

It is nice looking but picking it up it struck me as being too heavy for practicality. Not that I wouldn't want one tho.

If I did have it I probably would buy one box of heavy loads and never completely use it up. I would either load a bunch of sub power loads or buy the same.

The dealer "poor boys" in Defuniak Springs said they had sold a bunch which surprised me considering the price.

[rllngrk33]

I saw this gun at a gun show in Baltimore this past weekend. It is a monster gun and weighs over 4 pounds. You need a firm grip just to hold it on target. I can't imagine trying to shoot it with just one hand.

At about $1000, I won't be getting one anytime soon unless Santa leaves it under my tree.

[45Auto]

I think that top-end loads even in this heavy, ported gun, are going to be like nothing you've ever experienced in a handcannon. I recently read a Taffin article on this beast, and he was not down-playing the recoil from top loads at all. The worst "handgun" I ever fired was a Thompson-Center Contender chambered in .45-70, built by J.D. Jones, with a 14 inch heavy barrel with a Jones compensator. After that, I decided that I would ONLY shoot .45-70 in a rifle! I have a Linebaugh-built .475 Linebaugh chambered Ruger Bisely Blackhawk; and that thing is awesome when loaded and fired with top-end 395 grain hard cast BRP flat nose bullets. Its a bit more manageable when loaded with 300 grain Hornady jacketed bullets, those intended for the .480 Ruger Super Redhawk. Still, these things make really big holes, which is the name of the game.

[joesnuffy]

Be sure to get your name and address engraved backwards near the front site...
so when the docs remove the front site from your forhead it will leave a readable tatoo
so they can notify your next of kin... :)

[Oatka]

I wrote New England Firearms, makers of those cheap-but-accurate break-top single shot rifles, asking them to come out with a carbine in this caliber.

I haven't heard back from them yet.

Saw a box of 20 for $32.99 at a recent gun show in Utah. If that's the norm, this gun ain't agoin' anywhere. One salvation might be reloading with cast bullets, though.

[paul51]

I'm going to have to make a modification to my xmas list

[45Auto]

I've always had an interest in this gun:

The .475 Wildey

[semaj]

Hmmm...I don't know, it looks kind of flimsy?

[45Auto]

Charles Bronson, in Death Wish III, with .475 Wildey:

[LibWhacker]

Oh, man . . . I want to fire it . . . With some hot loads in it . . . Just to see if I really need one. ;-)

(More wrist curls! That's what I've got to do, more wrist curls!)

[wardaddy]

You would be the undisputed Queen of Long Island....

(not that ur not already)

[cyborg]

Not only that, but I will have achieved the heights of street cred not even 50cent hopes to achieve. I will suddenly have plenty of dates with policeofficers, bountu hunters, and corrections officers.