S&W 500 Magnum-- anyone have one?

[Hohn]

Specifically, I've been looking at the more compact model with the 4" barrel. I say more compact, because this gun is huge no matter how you slice it.



I've been looking for a revolver for personal safety, both at home and while camping/hiking in areas with dangerous game.



I won't consider anything smaller than 44Mag.



I was curious what people who have the S&W 500 think about it...



I've also been considering a compact 44Mag revolver from Taurus-- the 444 Multi (click here



The Pros of the S&W 500 are obvious...



The cons?

-- Almost twice the price of the Taurus $650ish vs $1150)

-- Ammo for the $500 is WAY expensive at $2+ per.



This isn't something I envision shooting often, so maybe the ammo cost isn't that important. It's DEFINITELY not a gun you take to the range and kill 100 rounds (as if you could do that and keep your body intact).



I want something that will kill almost any living thing and do it even if you don't hit them in the main target areas (chest and head). IOW-- it should have enough power to rip off a limb and do catastrophic physical harm.



Justin

 

[jgillott]

I had the opportunity to handle and fire three different models of the 500 Magnum over the last several months. Specifically the 4", 8 3/4" and the hunter model. If you are used to firing big bore revolvers, you will not be uncomfortable with the 500. The 4" that you are looking at is a little rougher than the others, but still very controllable for the experienced shooter.



Remember that the $1100+ is the MSRP. I know for certain that you will be able to find the model you desire at a much more reasonable price.



Justin

 

[MFalkinham]

I haven't handled a model 500, but I did previously own a S&W model 686 . 357. The 686 weighed in at 44 ounces, which I thought was rather heavy, but the 500 weighs 56 ounces! :0 S&W makes a great gun (although $$), so I'm sure you'll love the 500.



Heaviest handgun I've ever used was my buddy's Desert Eagle . 357. Man that thing weighed a ton, and the slide spring felt like it must have been off a garage door!!!!



- Mike

 

[dresslered]

I haven't fired the S&W 500 but it looks like a nice gun. I've got a Colt Anaconda which holds six rounds that I have truly enjoyed over the years. It will put some blisters on your hand after going through a few boxes of cartridges though. And, nothing else sounds like a 44 Mag! Unless Taurus has changed things, they really didn't have a great reputation when I was looking.

 

[Proram]

If your talking about the 50 mag. (model 500) the thing weighs 82 oz. (performance version, standerd version is 72. 5 oz. )and only comes in (4" ,8 3/8" AND 10 1/2) and you can get um way under a 1000$ if you know how to do it. the thing had virtullay no kick but it will try to shove your arm thru your shoulder. due to the way the muzzle is vented. heres a link, check out the caliber comparison.

http://firearms.smith-wesson.com/store/index.php3?cat=293531&item=831462





Scott@RDP

 

[ndurbin]

50 caliber handgun, my god man. I pitty the animal or anything else that crosses it's path.



I've never shot a 50 caliber handgun but I have shot a few 50 caliber rifles and they kick like a mule. I caint imagine you'd be able to get more than one shot off with that handgun before it broke your arms.



Nathan

 

[smartineau]

I have not shot a S&W 500, but I really like the 454 Casull. Easy to shoot and handle and very accurate. I have a S&W Model 29 in 44 mag with a 6 inch barrel (it was a gift) but I do not like the gun,it is just not comfortable to shoot. My step-dad has a Ruger Redhawk or Super Redhawk I am not quite sure which, and it has about an 8 1/2" barrel. Anyhow it is in 44 Mag. and we can consistantly hit 1-gallon milk jugs at 100 yards with iron sights. Also you can put a 100 rounds through it at the range and not mind it at all.



steve

 

[CGriffith]

In my experience Smith and Wesson revolvers are poorly made and don't hold up to hot loads very well. After 50 rounds of the 440gr factory loads my friends . 500 wouldn't index the cylinder properly. I have had similar problems with my S&W . 44 after running medium to hot 300gr hand loads. I would recomend a . 44 ruger in a 6" barrel. They are much better made and can handle big loads much better, however they are single action only. Freedom Arms makes some very well made guns, but they are more expensive. A 500 smith is too big to carry easily IMO. Also the muzzle brake equipped guns are way louder than any other handgun because it directs some of the muzzle energy/gases back at you. If you have to go big go with the. 454 casull it's a lot lighter(and kicks harder) and easier to carry. Plus it doesn't give that much up on muzzle energy. A well loaded 44 mag will take care of any animals in the lower 48 so I don't think a 454 is necessary. A 44 can also be accurratly loaded down for plinking at 800ft/s with a 240gr. Keep in mind that a good hot handgun isn't very good for home defense. You don't want to have to worry about shooting through two walls and hurting your neighbors.

 

[McDowra]

Well everyone has their opinion, so here is mine no disrespect to anyone. 44mag 500's and other big cal. 's are useless for defense not to mention to expensive to target shoot with.



1. They are big and bulky which makes them hard to carry, so eventually you don't. If you don't have it you can't use it.



2. You always have to assume that you will miss the first shot and/or there will be more than one badguy. Big guns are way to slow on the second shot because you have to pull it back down from the recoil.



3. If you are wounded can you fire it one handed with either hand? Or worse yet if you are down can your wife/girlfriend fire it accurately?



Get you a . 357 revolver, cheap,no safetys to remember just point,pull trigger, mop up mess after cops leave. I am assuming you have no other guns, btw best home defense weapon IMA is a shotgun. Ok i'm getting off my soapbox now



We return you to your regulary scheduled program



Tim

 

[MFalkinham]

Gotta agree with Tim on this one. When I used to carry a duty weapon for work (armored transport), I could choose between . 38 revolver, 9mm semi-auto, or . 40 cal semi-auto. Although I love revolvers, I chose to go with 9mm semi-auto for the additional ammo capacity. Even though it has less knock down power than the . 40, I could shoot it more accurately. During qualification, the guys with the . 40's always scored lower than those of us shooting the 9's. I figured that if "the feces hit those spinning blades", I'd be lucky to get a shot off at all, and that the accuracy of that first shot could mean everything. My reasoning was that it's better to slow down an attacker with a 9mm hit than to miss him altogether trying to shoot bigger, more lethal iron.



Of course, everyone has to make their own decisions about personal protection and what it takes to achieve it.



- Mike

 

[Boomer II]

What Tim said.

 

[dresslered]

Yeah, I'll have to agree with Tim as well. That is why I also have a Beretta P, 9mm, semi-automatic pistol, with a 5. 00" barrel.

 

[d906670]

I carry the D. E. in 50AE, have no proublem with CCW. Have over 30,000 rounds down range and can keep a double tap at 25 yards in less than 2 inches.

 

[GSaltzman]

It will be hard to pick one gun or caliber for protection against two legged and four legged vermin. What's going to work well for one will fail on the other. If you especially need protection from bears while camping you need the biggest caliber you can handle and shoot accurately. A Ruger Blackhawk in 45 colt with proper loads will do anything a 44 mag will do and then some. Any handgun for protection against an animal that may want you for breakfast should be loaded with the largest heaviest cast bullet you can find. You will need penetration on large beast. If you can pack a rifle, a Marlin 1895 Guide gun in 45-70 with heavy cast loads is a powerhouse. I know a pilot that was working up in Alaska a few years ago and that is what he packed. Whatever you decide, become familiar with your weapon and practice.

 

[d90boy]

As far as I'm concerned the best thing going for multiple defensive roles is the 10mm. I would go get a Glock 20 and some ammo from www.doubletapammo.com and feel well protected under any situation. For home defense use the 135 grain JHP @1600fps. At that velocity it will fragment and not overpenetrate. For large game the hard cast or jacketed bullets should do well. 15+1 rounds in the gun is comforting as well and I'd stake my life on the reliability of a Glock with no problem. I'd much rather have that than a huge 5 shot revolver.

 

[Hohn]

Good input guys. I'm pretty handy with the USAF issued weapons (M-16, M-9), but I've never owned my own gun, and I want to. I've shot a lot of different things from SKS and 338s to smaller handguns.



But I've never shot a handcannon.



Tim, good advice. I think a shotgun is probably your best weapon for CQB.



jlh

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

If your looking for a handcannon skip the wussy revolvers and go for the big stuff



#ad

 

[GHinton]

Same as d90 boy except the model 21 in . 45 ACP. There's a reason the gov't. hotshots went from . 45 to 9 and 10mm, then back to . 45.



-Jay

 

[GSaltzman]

Hey Steve!

Would that be a . 375 JDJ? I've been thinking of having my . 35 Remington rechambered for the . 358 JDJ. Give me some gory details!

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

It's a . 338 jdj #2. I like the flatter trajectory with the . 338 and it's got enough wallop for anything I'll ever be hunting. It's loaded in a . 444 marlin case just like the . 375. I load it with a 200 grain Nosler ballistic tip bullets over 53 grains of IMR 4064 and federal match primers. They come out the barrel (14" barrel with a 1. 9" muzzle brake) at 2400 fps. A muzzle brake is mandatory - when I bought the gun it didn't have a brake and it was ludicrous - I only put 8 rounds through it before I sent the barrel to SSK to have the brake added. I sight it in for 200 yards and at 400 I have about 20 inches of drop. When I'm in practice with it I can shoot 1" groups at 200 yards and I've taken woodchucks with it out to 450 yards with a 4x scope. Unforetunately I haven't been able to shoot it for the past 3 years because of 2 shoulder surgeries and a neck surgery (none of those related to this gun, btw - old road racing injuries coming back to haunt me). Great gun and it gets a LOT of attention at the range .