Do you feel lucky, punk . . . giant Magnum makes gun-slinger's day

The Irish Independent ^ | February 15, 2003 | James Doran

[MadIvan]

DIRTY Harry has a new gun - and it is the biggest, most powerful revolver in the world.

Its .50 calibre bullets are capable of stopping a charging bear dead in its tracks.

The gun, made by Smith & Wesson, dwarfs the .44 calibre Magnum previously known as the most powerful revolver and used by Clint Eastwood in the 'Dirty Harry' films.

The new gun weighs 4lb and is 15in long, with almost double the firepower of most assault rifles on the American market.

The enormous revolver costs $989, holds five bullets, and, with a force of 2,600lb per square foot, is capable of blasting through bricks and the engine block of most cars.

Despite the gun's almost impractical size and weight Smith & Wesson has received a much larger response from America's gun lovers than it imagined.

"The initial reaction has been even stronger than we anticipated so we are ramping up production to meet demand," Bob Scott, Smith & Wesson's chairman, said.

The company claims that the huge gun is designed with big game hunters in mind, who could use the gun as a sidearm to protect against wild animals. The anti-gun lobby disagrees.

"This gun is not being made for hunters. It is being made for bored, white gun enthusiasts who want to make a bigger hole in whatever it is they are shooting at," Josh Sugarmann of the Violence Policy Center, a Washington think tank, said.

Mr Sugarmann believes that the gun is designed to revive flagging sales of handguns. In California, sales of handguns have fallen by 160,000 to 170,000 a year in 10 years.

[snooker]

>>>It is being made for bored, white gun enthusiasts

hmmmm, problem is worse than I thought.

snooker

[fish hawk]

Remember in "Crocodile Dundee" when the punk pulls a 
knife on him and his "shiela" says "he's got a knife". 
Dundee pulls out his and says " THIS IS A KNIFE".
   Well now he can pull out his Smith and Wesson and say
"This is a GUN".

[Inyo-Mono]

Why is it that any newspaper article on guns, always contains a quote from the Violence Policy Center? They don't know anything about firearms. Why doesn't the reporter call up the NRA, or even a gun shop for a more informative opinion.

After working in the media for over 20 years, I know the answer, just wanted to rant.

[Walkin Man]

Dirty Harry (1971)

Harry Callahan:

I know what you're thinking. Did he fire six shots or only five? Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, I've kinda lost track myself.

But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya punk?

[wcbtinman]

"It is being made for bored, white gun enthusiasts who want to make a bigger hole in whatever they are shooting at." Josh Sugarman.

Like the hole in your head, you ignorant, Socialist, racist bastard.

[Hitlerys uterus]

A fellow in Missoura named John Linebough has been building .500's on the ruger blackhawk and bisley frames for years. Damned pretty gun too. Check out some testing that was done with various loads. http://www.sixgunner.com/linebaugh/penetration_test.htm

[Eagle9]

You gotta ask yourself a question. Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya ... PUNK? (audio file)

[yarddog]

Around 25 years ago I recall reading an article in "Outdoor Life" which stated that no one had ever saved their life from a brown bear (or grizzly) with a handgun.

As luck would have it, the very next week I saw a news report where a guy in Alaska had been attacked by a brown bear and had saved his life with a Ruger .44 mag.

I suspect that story is still floating around about no one ever saving their life with a handgun from a bear.

On another subject, I have also read more than once that there are quite a lot more people killed by black bears than grizzly's. The reason of course being that the black bears are found much more often in areas with a lot of people.

[Riley]

in Which the Bad Guy with the Turban whips out his GIGANTIC SWORD [no erotic references in THIS scene!] and Indy thinks it over, recites several verses of the Quran to a salty hip-hop beat and WASTES him with a Luger, as I remember...

Haven't seen it in years, but I recall it being a sixgun of some kind. There is a story behind that scene, BTW. In the script, Harrison Ford was supposed to do some kind of elaborate cinematic counter combat to the guy with the sword. Ford was sick as a dog and really felt nasty during the shoot- he ad-libbed the pistol scene. Speilberg loved it, so it stayed. Good call, IMO.

[OKSooner]

""This gun is not being made for hunters. It is being made for bored, white gun enthusiasts who want to make a bigger hole in whatever it is they are shooting at," Josh Sugarmann of the Violence Policy Center, a Washington think tank, said."

Another Liberal Racist.

[SevenDaysInMay]

While on a trip to Alaska, I stayed with a friend who told me of a collegue who stopped roadside to take a leak. In midstream, he saw a blackie at about 15 feet starting a charge up a steep creek bank. From his hip, he drew his 4" .357 in time for the bear to take his arm up to the elbow down its throat. He fired off 3 rounds, probably while the bear was gagging on the fisted stainless. The bear let go and ran away leaving his arm covered in blood, mostly bear blood. Aside from tooth strapes and a bloody revolver, this lucky SOB had nothing but wet pants to show for the experience. The whole episode took less than 5 seconds.

Driving to Anchorage, for some 3,000 miles in Canada and Alaska I had been eating jerky and dried fruit, wiping my sticky hands on my jeans' legs and taking leaks roadside with my legal 870 in the trunk. Surely I smelled like 230# of candied bear chow. Never again.

Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, B.C., Yukon, and N.W.T. should join the USA. Eastern Canada is, well, eastern. We could then again lawfully carry adequate defensive arms, Josh Sugerman not withstanding.

Look for Feinstein et al. to introduce bill redefining "destructivew devices" as they become fearful that their armored limosines may not withstand the first round from these large bore magnums.

[DrNo]

Unfortunately, I don't like those Bisley grips!

[RebelDawg]

OK, here is the handgun cartridge power table again for thos ewho have not seen it.

Hangun Cartridge Power Table

The .500 Linebaugh is at the bottom. I belive this new .500 S&W cartridge is a production equivalent of the Linebaugh but I am not 100% certain of that.

[RebelDawg]

I couldn't locate a 3" for ya but here is a 4" custom gun in .500 Maximum for your concealed carry needs! LOL!

.500 Maximum BMF

[Lion Den Dan]

Now that is starting to look like a piece of business