Just how many .50 caliber handgun loads are there?

[Warren]

I'm really curious. Also if I could afford each type of gun that fired a 50 it would be cool to collect 'em all.

500 S&W

500 Special

.50 AE

.50 G.I.

500 Linebaugh

Any others?

 

[Chuck Perry]

Freedom Arms just released their own, the 50 Wyoming. Magnum Research chambers the 50 Beowulf rifle cartridge in their BFR.

 

[Tom C.]

There are a bunch of factory loads and wildcats. More than are really needed. Two or three should cover it.

 

[MachIVshooter]

You pretty much got 'em all, sans perhaps a couple wildcats. Of the .50's, only two really make sense. The .500 linebaugh is smilar in performance to the .50 AE, but if you're opting for a revolver it may as well be the .500 mag. The .500 special is not explicitly chambered in anything, but is merely a practice round for the .500 mag, so it really can't be classified as a chambering. The .50 GI is as worthlesss as tits on a bull; less power and lower capacity than .45 ACP, and chambered in a $2,500 gun. Only the .50 AE and .500 S&W are easily available as factory rounds anyway.

Though it is chambered in the BFR, the .50 Beuwolf really isn't a handgun cartridge; The BFR is chambered in .444 marlin and .45-70 as well, which certainly aren't handgun cartridges.

 

[Giolli Joker]

There are also the maximum lenght .500 Linebaugh Long and the shortened Linebaugh called .50 Special (chambered in some Hamilton Bowen's revolvers).

 

[mbartel]

You forgot the .500 JRH #2, which is factory loaded by Buffalo Bore. That is a S&W .500 mag with a 1.4" case length.

And just for the record.....the .50 GI has MORE capacity than the .45 acp. In fact, I have a MR 7 1/2" BFR with a .50 GI cylinder, and I load that case with a healthy dose of Power Pistol and a 300 gr. gold dot for just over 1250 fps. I did the math...that's 1,041 fpe. I think that will top ANY .45 acp in any repeating handgun length barrel. Of course that level can not be reached in the Model 1 1911 from G.I.

And since I have also had my Ruger SRH rechambered for the .500 special, I guess you can call it chambered in something.

 

[Giolli Joker]

And just for the record.....the .50 GI has MORE capacity than the .45 acp. In fact, I have a MR 7 1/2" BFR with a .50 GI cylinder, and I load that case with a healthy dose of Power Pistol and a 300 gr. gold dot for just over 1250 fps. I did the math...that's 1,041 fpe. I think that will top ANY .45 acp in any repeating handgun length barrel.

http://www.guncrafterindustries.com/50gi_cartridge.shtml;)

 

[Jim Watson]

Well there is the .50 Navy Rolling Block, but that came out in 1867 and might not be modern enough to interest you guys.

 

[Warren]

Jim I'm interested.

I'd like to know more about it if I may impose on you.

Also I'd like to throw in the .577 that was used in Weblys, Bland-Pryses' and other break-tops.