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Does anyone else want a lever action 500 magnum rifle?

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GJgo

GJgo

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I fell in love with the S&W 500 mag revolver whe I shot it.

My friend has a beautiful (replica) octagon barrel lever action 44 mag rifle. It's a ton of fun to shoot!

Why haven't any of the majors picked up on this hole in the market and made a lever action 500 mag rifle? I'd buy it.
 
I would think Marlin would come out with an 1895 in .500 S&W, inasmuch as Wild West Guns chambers the 1895 in .50 Alaskan. Would seem to be plenty potent big bear medicine! :cool:
 
Wild West Guns announced a new .500 S&W levergun (not a Marlin, but an in-house design) about four years ago that looked very promising. Dunno where it got to, but I'm still waiting for a test sample.
Denis
 
That's the only one I saw as well, and to be honest, I'd prefer to see a major bring one to market for a more reasonable price.
 
Short of redesigning the entire receiver larger and stronger, Marlin, Winchester, or Browning won't be soon making any levers for the .500.

Pressure peak, and backthrust pressure is pretty tremendous, putting the fairly dainty Winnny and Browning actions at peril. AFAIK, the Marlin Guide Gun MAY be able to handle the backthrust with some minimal redesign and strengthening of the bolt and locking gear. Chambered in .500 I would love to have one of these short barreled wundergunns in my battery. It would certainly get more work and play than my GG in .45-70.
 
The big 50's have been around since Winchester 1886 model. Certain situations in North America & Africa warrant its useful appeal. But I'm not attracted to the recoil and ammo cost.
TR
 
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WWG did re-design & beef up the receiver. Along with the safety hammer & other features, the prototype I saw was a very neat little gun, just wish it were in production.
Denis
 
They don't have one in major production because they wouldn't sell enough of them. There aren't enough people to buy them with the amount of retooling required to make one. Thats why the only one making them is the custom poeple and thats why they are 1500 or something like that. I mean the 500 is a pretty specialized round, nobody I know has any interest in them.
 
Personally, I would like to see a .460 S&W lever action, which is almost what you are looking for. Puma has the .454 Casull, which will also run .45 Colts. A lever in .460S&W could operate with three cartridge sizes, for three ranges of loadings. This is more attractive to me than the .500S&W. Besides, I enjoy my FA in .454 and also like the low power, low cost .45 Colt option, yet I have hesitated on the Puma pending hope for a .460 chambering.
 
Good thought!!

I'd actually like to see Marlin extend the 1894 from 45 colt out to the .460SW mag.

Either way, they'd be nice guns.
 
If Marlin made a 500 or a 460 I take em both! I need a good lever for a match. As is my next rifle will be the 1895 Cowboy in 45/70.
 
I've owned and shot both a .500 & and .460 S&W revolver and I personally far prefer the .500. It delivers much more energy on target and is just a hoot to shoot. As for recoil, they were 8" and 14" compensated tubes respectively, and the recoil wasn't that bad. I didn't think it would be any worse coming from a long gun..

Why not a .45/70? Because it's not a half-inch. ;)
 
Personally, I would like to see a .460 S&W lever action, which is almost what you are looking for. Puma has the .454 Casull, which will also run .45 Colts. A lever in .460S&W could operate with three cartridge sizes, for three ranges of loadings. This is more attractive to me than the .500S&W. Besides, I enjoy my FA in .454 and also like the low power, low cost .45 Colt option, yet I have hesitated on the Puma pending hope for a .460 chambering.
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Puma has about maxed out the design with the 454 as it is, the 92 action was never designed for long cartridges. The Winchester 1886 might be able to handle the length, but no way it will take the pressure, even with modern steels.
 
I think you fellers might rethink your wishes if ya'll actually SHOT a long gun in either 460 or 500 magnum. I've owned an Encore in 460 and a H&R in 500 both were sold for one reason. RECOIL these two very high pressure rounds shooting some stiff charges of relitivly fast powder make HOT 45-70 loads feel like a 243 by comparison.
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i dont understand how... that thread shows 300 grain 460s&w round going abit over 2000 fps in a 20 inch barrel. Now thats not a max load, 4 more grains is max so whats that gonna give you? 2200-2300? Still not all that impressive to me considering it shoots 300 grs at near 1800ish from stock 8 inch barrel. I've heard up to 2000 with a hot handload. If you can handle that in a hand gun, then a rifle would make it that much easier since a rifle is alot heavier it shouldnt budge you that hard.

Stout 45/70 loads push 350 grains at 2000 fps and 400-420 grain loads at 1800ish, and thats guide gun barrel length testing. Those have to be pretty heavy on the shoulder. My slug gun shoots 400 grains at 1700 and 385's at 1900 and its not bad in a 10 lb gun :) I'd still shoot it in a 8 lb gun too. I think a 460s&w rifle like a guide gun about 8 lbs would be ok to shoot, but i dont think it delivers anything more that the hot handload 45/70 delivers. Plus can you get 500 grain loads for the 460?

Now the 500 could be something to offer that the .50 alaskan does but easier to get loads for and produce a rifle that shoots the load. 400 grains at just under 1700 fps from a 8 3/8 barrel. i'd be curious what it could develop in a 18-20 inch length. I'd estimate it to be similar to the 460, maybe less since its loaded to less pressure.
 
Short of redesigning the entire receiver larger and stronger, Marlin, Winchester, or Browning won't be soon making any levers for the .500.
Click to expand...

I don't know that much about the .500 but the Browning BLR is chambered for a number of high power modern cartridges. I cannot imagine that a pistol cartridge (even a super powerful one like the 500) would be that big a deal in the BLR package!
 
If you can handle that in a hand gun, then a rifle would make it that much easier since a rifle is alot heavier it shouldnt budge you that hard.
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Apparently the S&W x frames have a VERY effective brake. I have yet to shoot the handgun but after shooting the rifles I cannot fathom shooting one without a brake. Also concider that an x frame revolver weighs almost as much as a single shot rifle!

I once thought the same as you "they should be a pussycat in a long gun"! Well apparently shooting almost 50grs of H-110 just adds fuel to the recoil fire. Hell I destroyed a scope and sheared off a scope ring with the 460 Kadadin carbine.


I'VE SHOT BOTH 45-70 AND 460 MAGNUM FROM THE SAME PLATFORM, trust me 45-70 is in nowhere near the same league as 460-500 S&W in terms of recoil.
 
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