S&W thoughts

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Dropyourweapon

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I am no expert but the S&W 500 4" I just bought looks like a pretty well built solid chunk of gun. After all the not so flattering stuff I have read about current S&W revolvers I was a little hesitant. I will see how it holds up.
 
At $3 bucks a pop for factory ammo, it would hold up a very long time if I had to feed it.

rc
 
Well yeah I would hope the thing would be built well enough to stay together for at least a few rounds. I played with a Ruger .480 7" barrel and the S&W does not feel any less well built than that. Once again all this is very unscientific and just based on what I think.
 
I will be shooting very little factory ammo through it. I am in the process of getting setup for making my own.
 
Dropyourweapon said:
I am no expert but the S&W 500 4" I just bought looks like a pretty well built solid chunk of gun. After all the not so flattering stuff I have read about current S&W revolvers I was a little hesitant. I will see how it holds up.
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Once one gets past .454 or .460 there is simply too much handgun to heft and carry.
 
I have to edit and be nicer. I do understand it is a large gun. I did handle .460's and 454's and they were somewhat lighter and smaller. I have a range of handguns from small to now pretty large. If my sole purpose was packing it I might very well have chosen something else. However I also very well may get a nice holster and give it a try. I will report how carrying it around is at a later time.
 
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My starting post was more of a comment than a question but yes that is good to know its not going to ware out on me. If it looked like a gun that was going to fall apart right away I probably would not have bought it.
 
I gotta admit part of the reason I bought this gun over others is that its just a giant handgun that shoots very big bullets. And it does seem well built which also makes me happy.
 
I have both the 460 and 500 in 8 3/8". I'm always looking for a deal. Two years at this very time is when I got the 500 for $700. He was trying to sell it for $1000. Christmas time was around the corner and he needed the cash. He had tears in his eyes when we made the deal.

I handload the 500. The wife has relatives staying thru the New Year, so I will be in my loading room staying out of the mix. I have 250 cases, primed and belled, waiting for the charges of H110 powder under 350gr. JHP's.

The 460 is scoped and once fired brass is hard to come by. I will let it rest in the safe until availability of brass increases.

Capt. Hank
 
I hear you on trying to find a good deal and it sounds like you did. I was looking for a used one and just got tired of it and went with new. I am kinda impatient that way sometimes. I am looking forward to reloading the 500. I have 100 Sierra Sports Master JSP 400 grainers on the way. Thats all they had in stock at the moment. I also ordered a Lee die set and Redding crimp die for my Lee turret press. I do need more brass, primers, and need to pick a powder. Hodgdon Lil'Gun or H-4227 maybe. Unless I am convinced otherwise. And yes good luck with the relatives. I would hide in my shop probably making ammo also in the same situation.
 
It's going to be a long 10 days. The wife is already sick of them. She can't get anything done waiting on them. She just asked me if I needed any help weighing the charges. Bless her heart.

Thank goodness my loading room can only fit two people.
 
Ah man. Hang in there!! I am having family over for Christmas dinner but hopefully they will promptly leave after. I do feel like a puppet on a string with family and friend obligations my wife has me doing. I am protesting and going to my brothers to drink beers tonight and talk about guns and stuff. A mans gotta put his foot down every once in a while.
 
PabloJ said:
Once one gets past .454 or .460 there is simply too much handgun to heft and carry.
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The .460 S&W mag is a X-Frame, the same size as the .500. There is no significant difference in size and weight. The X-Frames are not meant to be a everyday carry weapon, they are meant to be a big game hunting revolver. They are not meant to be shot "Dirty Harry" style, they are best shot from sticks or a rest. They are not for everybody, especially those faint of heart, but they are incredibly accurate and a blast to shoot. Not only are they very expensive to feed if you do not reload, one never realizes their maximum potential with only factory fodder. Altho they can be a challenge to reload for, it is very satisfying when you find their candy. They are also very well made firearms.......

Congrats on your new toy Dropyourweapon, enjoy. Don't let the nay-sayers get you down, they are just jealous.:D
 
Thanks buck460XVR. I did not buy the 500 thinking it was something else. I pretty much knew what I was getting. Good point about the other big guns like the .460 being similar in weight and size. Like I said I did handle some of the others and maybe just knowing it was the 500 in my mind made it seem heavier and bigger. But still size and weight was not a deciding factor in my new firearm purchase.
 
You folks are made of stouter stuff than I am. If I want that much power I'll buy a rifle.
 
I saw an H&R single shot rifle the other day in .500 S&W... I'm thinking it probably wore the shooter out too.
 
I have three .500s: a 6 ½” PC Hunter, 5” JRS and a 4”. The 4” was the only one that wasn’t as tight as I wanted. I replaced the hand and tightened it up the way I wanted it. All are very accurate, but I never put factory ammo through any of them. My handloads tend to be fairly mild. I really enjoy shooting them with mild stuff and don’t feel I need to beat myself up with full power loads.
 
rcmodel said:
At $3 bucks a pop for factory ammo, it would hold up a very long time if I had to feed it.

rc
Click to expand...


One reason I went .460 instead of .500. Being able to use .45 caliber bullets and Hornady factory ammo that is still around a $1 a pop. Using recycled brass and Hornady XTP-MAG bullets, I can reload for about $6-$7 for a box of 20.....or $15-$18 for a box of 50. Less than most cheap .357 factory fodder. Still not cheap, but $.30 a pop is a lot better than $3 a pop.
 
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