OK, so, ummm, yeah. It's stuck in my head. S&W 500.

So, I live in Cali. And Obama's in the House. And I get the feeling the days of the 500 may be numbered. Heck, you can't get a .50cal Desert Eagle in Cali anymore...

So, I've fired a .480 Ruger in a SBH (not bad at all) and I've fired a .45-70 Contender w/ BuffBore Heavy Loads (split my knuckle, hand tingled for 3 days).

But I've never fired the 500. Does it fall into the "Big Push" category of shooting? Or more of the "Painful Snap" shooting?

Of course I handload, so ammo wouldn't be that much of an issue...

And do I want this thing for anything other than showing off at the range? I'd hunt with it somewhere, I'm sure. Pounding deer into the ground I suppose...at least I don't think I'd feel undergunned against Chipmunks.

So, am I nuts? Should I do this? Am I just being obama-paranoid?

Well, you have learned the TC is a pain to shoot! The BFR revolver is tame in comparison. The .475 is a thumper but controllable. From what I read here, the .500 is not that bad with the weight and porting.
Your biggest problem is living where you do! What a horrible thought!

The one I shot was a none ported 10" Single action. It was awfull to shoot, but that may have been more due to the fact that my hands don't fit SA very well at all.
If you want one buy all means buy it man. If you don't like it it will be worth enough in like new condition to sell at a mear loss, and buy something else.
Might go to your local range and see if someone would let you fire theirs as a brometer of how well you like it before buying on.
JMHO>
MM

I voted with my wallet .45-70/.450 Marlin. Have two frames, 14.5" barrel and 10" barrel. Wheels are interchangeable. (Extra wheel from one to the other is $150 bucks extra when you order one.)

An 8 year old girl has comfortably shot the 10" .45-70 BFR with no bloody knuckles with standard Remington Green-Boxish loads.

Marlin is a bit of a handful but it won't bloody your hands or hit you in the face. Can't see much advantage of a .500 S&W and I don't like the frame feel. My personal ergonomic tastes.

My two cents,

Opinions are like me...but I'll own up to being a prejudiced arsehole.
Neither are ported or braked.

I like Contenders too and Encores. Working on two .375 H&H Encore pistol projects at the moment.

For practical hunting and defense porpoises, I'd go with a .44 Mag and Garrett type loadings.

FWIW

Go find somebody that will let you shoot one and then decide. That's the best way to figure out if you will or will not like something.

I carry a 3" compact 1911 but I find the ergos of the .500 S&Ws I've shot lacking. The people that own them love them.

Everything is a compromise.

The 500 Mag is a great round. I have shot about every 500 Mag that was made. I have owned a S&W 10 inch, 2 of the 8 3/8 inch a BFR 7.5 inch, and a Encore 10 inch custom. I currently own a 4 inch S&W that I don't have a compensator on, I had a custom end-cap made for it, I also own a custom 6 inch BFR 500 Mag.

The recoil is there, and can be loaded to be a real pain in the upper loads. But the 500 Mag can also be down loaded to be very manageable.

Is the 500 Mag worth getting, I say yes. My collection will never be without one or two. I have not shot a 500 Mag that was not accurate. They all have been tack drivers. With a 440 gr. hard cast bullet, the 500 Mag will kill anything walking on the planet.

So my vote goes for, hell ya get one.

do you know where i could pick up a couple of those compensator replacers? My buddy is looking for one for his 4 inch gun and if i could get two it would probably be enough incentive for me to pick up a 4 incher myself. Cant stand shooting his with the ports and cast bullets!

quote:

Originally posted by Redhawk1:
The 500 Mag is a great round. I have shot about every 500 Mag that was made. I have owned a S&W 10 inch, 2 of the 8 3/8 inch a BFR 7.5 inch, and a Encore 10 inch custom. I currently own a 4 inch S&W that I don't have a compensator on, I had a custom end-cap made for it, I also own a custom 6 inch BFR 500 Mag.

The recoil is there, and can be loaded to be a real pain in the upper loads. But the 500 Mag can also be down loaded to be very manageable.

Is the 500 Mag worth getting, I say yes. My collection will never be without one or two. I have not shot a 500 Mag that was not accurate. They all have been tack drivers. With a 440 gr. hard cast bullet, the 500 Mag will kill anything walking on the planet.

So my vote goes for, hell ya get one.

The S&W 500.....get some!

Then again, I'm partial I've got 5 of them and won't part with any of them. It's the most versatile handgun round I've ever loaded, with slugs ranging from 223gr to 700gr. It can be loaded from mild to wild.

quote:

do you know where i could pick up a couple of those compensator replacers?

+1. I would love to get something like that for my 4" .500.

In response to the original question, by all means buy the .500. The top end loads are a handfull, but the midrange stuff isn't that bad, and they tend to be very accurate.

Lloyd, I bought the S&W 460 end caps that S&W use to sell. I had it machined to fit the S&W 500 Mag, there is about 4 or 5 steps that needs to be done by a machinist.
The problem now is, S&W quit selling the S&W 460 End caps, and I have no clue as to why they did that.
The 460 end caps were machined so they would not fit in a S&W 500 Mag. If you can find a 460 end cap anywhere you can get it do very easily.

My suggestion is take one of the compensators to a machinist, and have them make one with out the holes.

Lloyd here is a like to how it was done.
http://50caliberforum.proboards99.com/index.cgi?board=5...n=display&thread=100

quote:

Originally posted by Redhawk1:
Lloyd, I bought the S&W 460 end caps that S&W use to sell. I had it machined to fit the S&W 500 Mag, there is about 4 or 5 steps that needs to be done by a machinist.
The problem now is, S&W quit selling the S&W 460 End caps, and I have no clue as to why they did that.
The 460 end caps were machined so they would not fit in a S&W 500 Mag. If you can find a 460 end cap anywhere you can get it do very easily.

My suggestion is take one of the compensators to a machinist, and have them make one with out the holes.

Lloyd here is a like to how it was done.
http://50caliberforum.proboards99.com/index.cgi?board=5...n=display&thread=100

From my readings of the ballistics charts, the .500S&W doesn't warrant any muzzle brake or porting anyway because it lacks in powder charge vs bullet weight and muzzle gas exit velocity. Seems it would only make it louder and not much less recoiling. I've contemplated adding one to the collection, but I haven't found the right one yet and it would definitely not be braked. Deafening myself and people nearby with a minor reduction in recoil is not a favored thing of mine.

I'm the same guy that has a braked .223 AckImp Contender and it makes a night and day difference with that cartridge. Pistol oriented cartridges usually don't benefit much from porting and braking compared to rifle cartridges in pistols. My empirical experience and a couple physics classes along the way. Not enough unburned powder and muzzle gas pressure to make that much difference. In some types of shooting matches it would get you back on target quicker and in most cases it's irrelevant.

Brakes works best with overcharges of powder for barrel length and high pressure bottleneck cartridges...hence the advent of the recoilless rifle that spit as much powder backwards as it spit round forwards...almost anyway...

I've been looking at the John Ross Special .500S&Ws and I have to admit a temptation. And they aren't ported or braked. But then I'd be into buying more dies and brass for a new toy again and I'm still recovering from the investment I made in loading 6.5s...too bad santa claus and the tooth fairy don't really exist. Currently, I'd rather save to go back to Africa with my rifle chambered Encore pistols for some BIG kitty cats than buy a $1200+ revolver that doesn't do much that the .450 Marlin won't do.

I hear you, tom, but I would still prefer a half-inch hole to a .45 caliber hole. I'm not starting a pissing contest here about muzzle energy or velocity, whatever (hey it's early and I'm working on my first cup of offee), but that .500 Smith will throw a BIG chunk of lead downrange much to the detriment of even the largest of game. I differ with a lot of the guys here in that I don't think you need a lot of velocity,so I don't know where the .450 Marlin shines over the .500 Smith. Give me the 1/2-incher! JMHO. Again, not trying to be contrary......

quote:

Originally posted by Whitworth:
I hear you, tom, but I would still prefer a half-inch hole to a .45 caliber hole. I'm not starting a pissing contest here about muzzle energy or velocity, whatever (hey it's early and I'm working on my first cup of offee), but that .500 Smith will throw a BIG chunk of lead downrange much to the detriment of even the largest of game. I differ with a lot of the guys here in that I don't think you need a lot of velocity,so I don't know where the .450 Marlin shines over the .500 Smith. Give me the 1/2-incher! JMHO. Again, not trying to be contrary......

Load availability in the wild if you aren't near a reloading bench and the fact that I don't have brass and dies for .500 yet and I'm working on a .458 WinMag hand rifle (albeit not a revolving one)? I haven't fully investigated bullet choices for the .500S&W. Might be relevant vs .45 cal in some instances, maybe not.

I said I admitted to temptation, just not sold on the idea yet. Prolly be one of John Ross' babies if I buy one if not ANOTHER BFR.

300 Grainer H&H Mags and assorted .450 Marlin loads seem to drop things nicely to the ground with one shot stops and I'm set up to load for them?

I guess I need to earn more money or figure out how to be a rich movie chick's boy toy, although that sounds like more work than earning more money honestly.

Air Ticket with return to/from Joburg or a new toy that involves buying more reloading stuff???

tom`
The Smith & Wesson Model 500 ES 2 3/4 inch barreled gun is another one I would love to have. No compinsator, and the John Ross version is also a nice choice. I just don't like the look of the barrel nut on the John Ross model.

And you are right, when I put the end cap on my 4 inch 500 Mag, I did not notice a change in felt recoil what so ever, but what I did notice is, the gun was not as loud and a lot less flash. But I always wear hearing protection when shooting handgun, no matter what they are, handguns are loud.

Oh and I also like bigger holes...

quote:

Originally posted by Redhawk1:
tom`
The Smith & Wesson Model 500 ES 2 3/4 inch barreled gun is another one I would love to have. No compinsator, and the John Ross version is also a nice choice. I just don't like the look of the barrel nut on the John Ross model.

And you are right, when I put the end cap on my 4 inch 500 Mag, I did not notice a change in felt recoil what so ever, but what I did notice is, the gun was not as loud and a lot less flash. But I always wear hearing protection when shooting handgun, no matter what they are, handguns are loud.

Oh and I also like bigger holes...

I'm sorta inclined to 10-14.5" barrels in BFR form to see how hard I could push it because I carry 1911s defensively and I ain't fixing what's not broke on that tangent. Would be for hunting porpoises.

You already know me and the partial deafness from many things besides gunfire even/often forget hearing protection when hunting thing.

I have a machine shop so I could un-ugly the one mistake on the Ross gun aesthetics but then I'd likely screw the pooch on collector value...

I like my 500 revolvers, a 500 JRH and a 500 Linebaugh


Here's the JRH

Oh man. You guys ain't helpin' me none!

I said "Talk me OUT of it!" not talk me into it!



I sense a new handgun in the future...but now I gotta figure out which one!

Get a 500 and be done with it...

But why in the world would anyone try and talk you out of one...

I usually remove the temptation of buying a particular firearm I want by buying it.

Works like magic. I'm no longer tempted to buy it anymore every time although it sometimes leads to additional purchases of related items.

If you'd rather have a S&W 500 that looks like a 629 and without the barrel nut, look at the new 6 1/2" model. I might have to add it to my wish list.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/P...angId=-1&isFirearm=Y

I just talked to John Ross' assistant.

He's got some of each color left in stock.

Make a new barrel nut that only has one flat on each side indexed to be vertical and keep the original nut for collector porpoises?

Air ticket to Africa, new toy, or figure out how to do both without familial arguments?

You're in the wrong place if you're looking to be talked out of a .500 here........

quote:

Originally posted by Whitworth:
You're in the wrong place if you're looking to be talked out of a .500 here........

I blame all of us!!!

We're instigators!!!

Get the S&W 500. It's better than sex (I can say that at my age cause I can't remember what sex was like anyway). I also have the .460, but nothing gives you the rush of the .500 going off. It's like popping the clutch of a 396 Chevelle with a Holley 4 barrel. If you're into planes, it's better than throttling up a Merlin on a P-51 and better than any Harley crotchrocket.

Trust me, there's no "push". The .500 is not for the timid of heart. It THUNDERS, the barrel comes up, the trigger guard thumps your middle finger knuckle, and you can see the fire erupting in front of you at noon on a cloudless day. But it's raw power and if raw power excites you, IT DON'T GET NO BETTER THAN THAT!

I have a 7.5" BFR and it's great. Even with full tilt loads, it really isn't that bad.

I had no intention of getting a .500 S&W, but I ran across a deal that I couldn't refuse.

400 gr Sierra's at 13-1400 fps, don't really get your attention. Even at 1700 fps, I wouldn't consider it brutal.

Now I'm hooked.

quote:

Originally posted by george roof:
Get the S&W 500. It's better than sex (I can say that at my age cause I can't remember what sex was like anyway). I also have the .460, but nothing gives you the rush of the .500 going off. It's like poppling the clutch of a 396 Chevelle with a Holley 4 barrel. If you're into planes, it's better than throttling up a Merlin on a P-51 and better than any Harley crotchrocket.

Trust me, there's no "push". The .500 is not for the timid of heart. It THUNDERS, the barrel comes up, the trigger guard thumps your middle finger knuckle, and you can see the fire erupting in front of you at noon on a cloudless day. But it's raw power and if raw power excites you, IT DON'T GET NO BETTER THAN THAT!

What is "poppling" the clutch? Just asking as I don't know what "Poppling" is

quote:

Originally posted by jwp475:

quote:

Originally posted by george roof:
Get the S&W 500. It's better than sex (I can say that at my age cause I can't remember what sex was like anyway). I also have the .460, but nothing gives you the rush of the .500 going off. It's like poppling the clutch of a 396 Chevelle with a Holley 4 barrel. If you're into planes, it's better than throttling up a Merlin on a P-51 and better than any Harley crotchrocket.

Trust me, there's no "push". The .500 is not for the timid of heart. It THUNDERS, the barrel comes up, the trigger guard thumps your middle finger knuckle, and you can see the fire erupting in front of you at noon on a cloudless day. But it's raw power and if raw power excites you, IT DON'T GET NO BETTER THAN THAT!

What is "poppling" the clutch? Just asking as I don't know what "Poppling" is

I thought even you were smart enough to know he accidentally put a L in when he was witting, but I guess I was wrong.

Why do you have to make a big deal out of anything George or I say or miss spell?
Are you the spell check clown or the grammar police? Why not give it a rest already.

quote:

Originally posted by Redhawk1:

quote:

Originally posted by jwp475:

quote:

Originally posted by george roof:
Get the S&W 500. It's better than sex (I can say that at my age cause I can't remember what sex was like anyway). I also have the .460, but nothing gives you the rush of the .500 going off. It's like poppling the clutch of a 396 Chevelle with a Holley 4 barrel. If you're into planes, it's better than throttling up a Merlin on a P-51 and better than any Harley crotchrocket.

Trust me, there's no "push". The .500 is not for the timid of heart. It THUNDERS, the barrel comes up, the trigger guard thumps your middle finger knuckle, and you can see the fire erupting in front of you at noon on a cloudless day. But it's raw power and if raw power excites you, IT DON'T GET NO BETTER THAN THAT!

What is "poppling" the clutch? Just asking as I don't know what "Poppling" is

I thought even you were smart enough to know he accidentally put a L in when he was witting, but I guess I was wrong.

Why do you have to make a big deal out of anything George or I say or miss spell?
Are you the spell check clown or the grammar police? Why not give it a rest already.

You seem so angry. Why

Oh oh, I see that blood pressure is starting to rise! Hell, we haven't had a brawl in a few weeks, is it that time?

No, it's not time for a brawl. It's called picking at someone else's typing, of which none of us is without a typo or three. No different than if we were all in the same room and a word was mispronounced.

ok... I'll talk you out of it...

get the 500 Linebaugh or 500 JRH

more "packable"

quote:

Originally posted by MS Hitman:
No, it's not time for a brawl. It's called picking at someone else's typing, of which none of us is without a typo or three. No different than if we were all in the same room and a word was mispronounced.

Sensitivity seems to be running a tad high...... My comment was in jest. I personally will not take part in such despicable behavior. Therefore, ah hell, what were we talking about?

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
ok... I'll talk you out of it...

get the 500 Linebaugh or 500 JRH

more "packable"

I agree wholeheartedly. That said, I like 1/2-inch cartridges, so a .500 of any sort is a welcome addition to anyone's arsenal. JMHO.

So....

What were the chances anyone would actually try to talk you OUT of buying ANY handgun here.




dan

Dan, if I've decided to buy a handgun, I certainly wouldn't be asking anyone for approval of to talk me out of it! Now, if I were on the fence....... I have a particular weakeness for big-bore handguns........I just can't help myself!

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
ok... I'll talk you out of it...

get the 500 Linebaugh or 500 JRH

more "packable"

The good thing about the 500 mag is, it will do anything the 500 Linebaugh will do, or the 500 JHR.
And if for some strange reason you want to burn up more powder, or put heavier bullets in it you can.
But I agree, any 50 cal is OK with me.

Anything, but fit in a smaller package

Ok, so it looks like I'ma gonna have to break down and gits me a 500. I'm really thinking of the 8 3/4" version and besides the wow-factor at the range it definitely would see use out in Texas on hogs and deer. And I want to make sure that the BBL is long enough that if I hunt in a state with barrel length restrictions I'm covered (IIRC, some states have a 6" length restriction?)

I certainly don't need it for defense carry here in the lower 48 - I've got a S&W 357PD in .41 mag for that.

Also, I tried looking up trajectories on the 500 - from the interwebs reports it's reportedly fairly flat shooting...but from trajectory calculations this thing looks like a 200 yard rainbow. Am I off base here?

BTW, The Wifey's on board with this - not that I needed to ask. But it sure is nice when the Wifey buys in on things! Direct Quote: "Before Obama takes office, are you SURE there isn't anything else you need?" (Eat yer hearts out Boys!)

quote:

Originally posted by rnovi:
Ok, so it looks like I'ma gonna have to break down and gits me a 500. I'm really thinking of the 8 3/4" version and besides the wow-factor at the range it definitely would see use out in Texas on hogs and deer. And I want to make sure that the BBL is long enough that if I hunt in a state with barrel length restrictions I'm covered (IIRC, some states have a 6" length restriction?)

Can't see why you'd want a hunting handgun with less than a 6" barrel anyway, but that's me. Few extra feet per second and longer sight radius if you use irons never hurt anybody that I know of. I definitely wouldn't go under 5 if my intent was to hunt with it as opposed to carry it as bear medicine. As far as I can recall there is still no barrel length restriction on hunting handguns in Texas but i haven't read the 2008-2009 rulebook yet. All my hunting handguns are 10" or greater length barrels so it's nothing I'd ever worry about anyway, hence me never having gotten around to reading the handbook looking for restrictions on that particular issue. My Texas hog killers are a 10" 30-30 AckImp Contender with irons on it and iron sighted .45-70/450 Marlin BFRs either 10" or 14.5" barrels depending on frame choice of the day. I usually go with the .30-30 because it's lighter and handier when walking through the brush and cedars and I can one-hand it if I have to for snap shots on running pigs, which I can't easily do with anything bigger. If I blind hunted by a feeder it'd be different.

with a short barrel you might want to go with a jrh

Well if we haven't talked you out of it yet here's a picture of some of what I've loaded for mine. They range from 223gr (the green polymer tip) to 700gr (upper right hand corner). I like to keep 800 to 1k rounds loaded. You just never know



It really is a versatile cartridge.