Any other reason to buy this handgun besides stopping charging elephants? I couldnt put a spot on why I wanted one other than...power and just to have, thoughts? Anyone please.

Thanks.

-Mash

The reason to have one is because you want one. why ask the internet world in general why you want one?
You are the man with the long green spend it the way you see fit.
As to charging Elephants why wait till one charges you just shoot at targets, tin cans, dirt clods, stumps, steel plates, and anything else that you want to.
I've never seen the need to wait on a charging whatever to have an excuse to shoot my handguns.
A big bore will hit a tin can or target just like a 22 LR or a 38 special.
Get it and don't give a rats behind what anyone else thinks.

When they first hit the shelves(Well the 30 seconds they sat on the shelves) I had myself talked into not wanting it. I wouldn't hunt with it very often and it would cost a lot of money for just fun shooting. Who would want one if it was no fun to shoot. I mean look at that thing it must plant its front sight in anyones forhead who dared shooting such a beast.....then the shooting reports started to roll in.
Well that did it, now I want one.

i loveeeeeeeee mine

i bought it a week ago and shoot handloaded 440 promance cast wide nose gas check bullets out at a chronoed 1625fps

man i absolutly cant say enough about this gun
and belive it or not recoil isnt that bad the larg frame and weight of the gun take most of the snap out of it......i am not saying it dose not kick it dose but not as bad as some would belive it to.

if you can handle a full house 44 mag in a super black hawk or a 454 cassul in a simalr gun you will have no problem here.

i shot it with iron sight so far and at 50 yards it will put all 5 shots into a 2 1/2 " circle.

i cant wait to smoke some hawgs with it

and even better my second african hunting trip i will bring it with me for plains game.

Now your being mean!!

I handled one at a gun shop this week. Man, the thing is a monster. Would be great bear defense.

If at first you miss the bear you can also club him!

I have a 14" 500S&W braked barrel on the way from OTT for my Encore and intend to use it for everything from coyotes to elk.

A dose of Unique and a hard cast bullet and it can be tamed down to a pussycat.

I can't imagine a more useful cartridge for medium to large game.

I imagine that I'll also one day get one of S&W's revolvers too.

It's the first factory offering in a handgun cartridge I'd consider for hunting brown bears in Alaska although I'm sure I'd like to have a 375 H&H hanging on my shoulder from a sling too... <grin>

$bob$

Personally I think you might be defeated already,if you actually need a real reason to buy a big bore revolver .I have about 1400 rounds thru mine shoots great with cast bullet loads,the biggest animal I will get a chance to hunt will be Bison,unless I go to Africa (possible).They are accurate well made guns,some have had problems with cylinders ,I think that has more to do with grip or lack of grip especially for those who are not used to the recoil, Sean

I've had mine for awhile now and I'm convinced it is the most versatile handgun cartridge available. I had a long discussion here with people that felt otherwise (of course, none of them owned one, fired one, or reloaded for one) but I stand by this statement. The guns may not be the most versatile yet (because they are large and a bit heavy, but no heavier than a 10" Encore!!! Check it out--I weighed both!) but as more variations come on the market, I'm sure this will change.

You can download it to perform like a .44 special, or take it up to surpass a factory 30-06. Using large meplat bullets, penetration and shock will be tremendous. Accuracy is fantastic (I've got some loads that have done 0.5" at 50 yards, consistently), and recoil isn't bad. I've put over 150 HEAVY loads through it in a day (450 to 650 grain bullets with max charges) and could have done more if I had any left.

You want it? Get it. You won't be dissatisfied. On top of all of this, mine has the timing-jump problem but I still won't give it up.

Some talk of this timing problem as if it were a myth (I'm not saying that anyone in this thread has, but I've read posts before about it), but it is real and it is not because I am an inexperienced big bore shooter. I've been shooting heavy charges in big bore guns for over 20 years, many of my friends have done the same, and we've all had the cylinder jump time on us. We've altered our techniques but it continues to happen. I think it's just a weak locking lug spring and I've heard that Smith has fixed it. I'll get around to ordering a new spring soon and I'll put in in myself.