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.

[MadIvan]

Here's a picture:

I was just thinking - draw this gun on a mugger or some of our lager louts, and they'll run away screaming with a full pantload.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[Happygal]

Not exactly easy to conceal I would imagine.

''Is that a .50 calibre in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me''

[MadIvan]

That's what long coats are for love...after all, I think it was always the fellow who wore the longest coat in every Western who had the biggest gun. ;)

Love, Ivan

[amstaff1]

This story actually made it into the SF Chronicle Friday and second page to boot. Even used the same picture to accompany it. I can't wait to see the op ed page on Monday. Looks like a beaut. Not a very good plinking gun I'll bet.

[4Freedom]

Wow, I can't wait to have one 'magna-ported' and I'm not "bored" by a long shot. ;^)

[Jarhead_22]

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

As are the bullets from a .22. It's all about shot placement.

"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.

The fact that it's for white people makes it automatically 42% more evil!

And since when is the VPC a think tank?

[LibKill]

Hmmmmmm. If S&W keeps this up, I may just forgive them for kissing Klintoon's backside.

[rgboomers]

"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.

Take a good look at the above quote which is supposedly part of the reason this gun is opposed by certain anti-gunners. Does it say it will be used by criminals or in some other nefarious manner? No, it does not. Essentially, the gun is being opposed because someone will have fun with it. That's the kind of personality we are dealing with, people who worry about how others have a good time.

Well, back to the gun. I'd like to see this massive revolver also offered in .44 mag. Ever own a S&W M29 and actually shoot it quite a bit? I have. They are safe to shoot but actually are not large enough to be durable without excessive maintence. This large revolver frame in .44 mag would give S&W a product that almost anyone would prefer to any other in .44 mag.

[Ches]

Is there something wrong with big holes in "bad guys" or paper?

[MadIvan]

I like the idea of big holes in bad guys. It's a powerful incentive to be well behaved.

Regards, Ivan

[Ches]

The fact that it's for white people makes it automatically 42% more evil!

Expensive guns are for White people, cheap guns are for people of color, and they are not racist in the least.

[Ches]

Big holes for big aholes.

[GailA]

Big holes in bad guys, means LESS ammo used to stop them. A money conserving idea. Less air polution too, as the air we breathe will not be contimated by the bad guy any longer.

[varon]

''Is that a .50 calibre in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me''

ROFLMAO

[Ches]

Thanks, I thought I was nuts. They said it was for bored white guys, that it was fun and put big holes in things. Now I find out it was a redeaming quality.

Better ban them! HA<HA<HA

[ezo4]

Buy a good ol 45/75 for $450 and have half left over for ammo. Or buy two :-) and give one to a friend.

[advocate10]

Hmmm...I wonder how this cannon compares to the Ruger .480 Super Redhawk and the Taurus Raging Bull .454 Casull. The Taurus has greater striking power despite the smaller caliber. I wouldn't want to fire either one except wearing a catchers mitt. I've seen night pictures of the Raging Bull firing. Flames shoot out the bbl about 4 feet! It also strikes with about 1-1/2 tons of energy!

[I_dmc]

The bigger brother:

http://www.smith-wesson.com/Products/Firearms/pc/images/170231_lrg.jpg