Casing stick after firing shorter cartridges?

[NMRevolverGuy]

Hello all,

I have various S&W's, including several .44 and .357, and I am considering buying a 460v (because why not ). One of the things I love about these revolvers is that they have the ability to fire multiple cartridges. I especially love shooting .44 special out of my model 29, and I would really like to shoot 45 lc and 454 out of the 460, were I to buy it. So my questions are does shooting the shorter cartridges out of these longer cylinder-ed guns eventually cause serious problems with case sticking? Is this something than can be avoided with a good scrubbin'? And are there peremptory measures that can be taken before a range day to prevent such issues? Because if not, it really would kill my hopes for that 460 :/

Thanks in advance for any advice!

P.S I know that ultra high pressure rounds will usually stick a little no matter what you do, but I am referring to the worse-than-usual kind of sticking that I'm sure most have experienced on occasion.

 

[rcmodel]

Just take a cleaning rod and a bore brush with you, and clean the chambers when you move up in case length.

rc

 

[Longhorn 76]

I have seen revolvers where there was chamber pitting, but I suspect it was the user not cleaning their guns, and thus allowing rust to form, rather than effects from the cartridge.

 

[MEHavey]

Common carbon solvent & a brass brush solve
any carbon ring that might build ever up.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I own a 460V. It's a great gun, and the second handgun I ever bought.

In answer to your questions. The regular Hornady 200 gr loads extract with ease. Buffalo Bore will be a bit sticky.

Shooting 454 still kicks pretty good but is a potent alternative if you don't have any 460 mags sitting around. Standard pressure 45's feel like shooting really expensive 22's in this gun and are fun for punching paper.

As far as sticking after shooting shorter cartridges, if you use Hoppe's #9 or another good solvent, and scrub the chambers out after each range session, you won't have a problem. And perhaps fire the longer cartridges first. I typically shoot 100-150 rounds in a session and never have an issue.

I have shot this gun one handed. It is doable, though the gun will be at 50 degrees north of horizontal after you squeeze one off. Fast shooting can also be achieved, but you will likely have a headache after emptying the gun. 100 yard shots are a breeze.

The DA trigger pull is very nice on mine and relatively light. The SA trigger pull on mine is pretty much a hair trigger. It helps me avoid flinching, but can surprise you if you aren't careful.

S&W sells a Desantes holster for it. It's nice, but you really need suspenders to carry it comfortably. There are some other options out there.

If you have any specific questions about the handling characteristics of the 460V, ask away man.

IMO, the 5" barrel 460 is the perfect X frame size. It balances just right for me, but the trade off is a loss of a bit of velocity.

 

[NMRevolverGuy]

Thanks for all the replies! It's all exactly what I wanted to hear, as I clean my big bores religiously after shooting anyway.

460Kodiak, you touched on my next question about 460's; Barrel length. I love a 5" barrel on any Smith, and really like the look on the Xframes. Have you ever shot the 8" barreled model before? To hear which is more comfortable in terms of ergonomics, noise, and recoil (yea, I know it's a handheld Howitzer so there's only so much to ask for there )

 

[gotboostvr]

I've shot an 8" M460 more than a few times with 460 & 454 factory ammo and own a 4" M500.

I really like the 4" barrel (well, 3" with a 1" muzzle break)
it is a heavy gun, but still handles well, and comes up much more naturally onto target than the longer barrel for me.

I have it mainly as a toy, as I need a 5" Barrel to hunt with in Ohio, and there's nothing big and scary enough to really justify carrying the weight over my 4" 29-2, or 4" 19-3 when in the woods.

I just like 4" smith's I guess!

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Thanks for all the replies! It's all exactly what I wanted to hear, as I clean my big bores religiously after shooting anyway.

460Kodiak, you touched on my next question about 460's; Barrel length. I love a 5" barrel on any Smith, and really like the look on the Xframes. Have you ever shot the 8" barreled model before? To hear which is more comfortable in terms of ergonomics, noise, and recoil (yea, I know it's a handheld Howitzer so there's only so much to ask for there )

I have not shot an 8" model. The longer barrel will help dampen recoil a bit, and the extra weight of the gun will too. But keep in mind the longer barrel means more time to accelerate the bullet and will increase the torque as well. My guess is the recoil feels the same on both models as a result, but the longer barrel will get you some extra velocity, a flatter trajectory, and a longer sight radius. That's what I'd choose for a hunting model if I wanted range and or hunting from a hide or tree stand.

The 460V really shines when you are looking for a all purpose revolver. Brush hunting would work with it, as well as angry critter defense. I'd have no qualms about trying to take an elk with it from 50 yards. The fire ball generated by using a short barrel is about the size of a basket ball, and is visible in full sun. Not that that is a benefit, but is is entertaining I guess.

If you hit a milk jug, it explodes like you hit it with a rifle.

Speaking of rifles, last summer I picked up a Ruger No. 1 chambered for 460 magnum. You wouldn't believe the recoil you get from it. The lack of pressure loss from a barrel cylinder gap combined with a 22 inch barrel is extremely impressive. The first time I shot it I was crouched on one knee thinking the 7.5 lb rifle would absorb the recoil. Wrong. I'm a 200lb guy and it flat out knocked me over. I went stumbling backwards and almost slammed the gun into the grill of my truck. Couldn't believe it. I was really glad no one saw that happen.

The power of the 460 mag is impressive and a lot of fun to shoot. Just pay attention to what your doing and don't let it surprise you.

 

[Tallball]

I just clean the chambers thoroughly and never have any problems.

 

[moxie]

Don't forget the even shorter .44 Russian and.45 Schofield!

 

[MI2600]

Yes, my indoor range doesn't allow magnums, so I shoot .44 Russian, .44 Colt, and .44 Spl in my .44 Magnum.