The Hand Cannon
When talking with some friends recently, the subject of the .44 magnum came up for discussion. We all felt it would be a great gun to own, handsdown powerful, fun to shoot, dare I say Dirty Harry! Then I started to think about the next step, I did a Tim Allen, I wanted more power. So my quest began to learn about these large calibers and who is making these hand cannons.
First off, the .44 Magnum is not the most powerful handgun in the world. In today's big bore environment, you have .45 Colt Long, .454 Casull, .460 S&W, Ruger .480, and the .500 S&W calibers to name a few! Once you hit the .500 caliber range, you have basically reached the outer limits of power combined with practicality and portability.
.45 Colt
The .45 Colt, sometimes called the .45 Long Colt to distinguish it from the short .45 cartridge, as well as the .45 ACP, is the oldest service cartridge still in use today. It was introduced in 1873 for the then new Colt Single Action Army (SAA) revolver, the famous Peacemaker. The .45 Colt and the SAA revolver quickly became legends in their own time, and the most popular handgun/cartridge combination on the Western frontier.
The most common factory loads for the .45 Colt give a 225-grain lead HP bullet a muzzle velocity of 960 fps and an energy of 460 ft. lbs. Or a 250-255 grain lead bullet a MV of 860 fps and a ME of 410 ft. lbs. The mid-range trajectory of this load shows a rise of 3.2" over 75 yards.
The .45 Colt is the basis for the more powerful .454 Casull cartridge, with the .454 Casull having a slightly longer and stronger case. A .454 Casull gun will also chamber and fire .45 Colt.
The .45 ACP round produces inferior game killing ability, as it cannot use heavyweight bullets. It uses a much shorter overall cartridge length, with faster burning powders and higher chamber pressures.
.480 Ruger
The Ruger .480 cartridge was developed by Hornady and Ruger came up with a revolver to fire it. The .480 is essentially the short version of the Linebaugh .475. Ruger changed the name from .475 Ruger to .480 Ruger to give the cartridge a unique identity, but the actual bullet diameter is .475 inches, and .480 Ruger cartridges can be chambered and fired in .475 Linebaugh revolvers. It's power lies between the .44 magnum and the .454 Casull so don't let the numbers fool you.
.454 Casull
Developed in 1957, the .454 Casull can deliver a 250 grain (16 g) bullet with a muzzle velocity of over 1900 feet per second (580 m/s), developing more than 2000 ft lbs (2,700 J) of energy, although energy levels from common .454 revolvers with 7-8 inch barrels are typically somewhat lower (1,600-1,700 ft/lb). The round is primarily intended for hunting medium or large game and metallic silhouette shooting.
.460 S&W
Introduced in 2005, the .460 Smith and Wesson cartridge has the same diameter as a .45 Colt or .454 Casull, and therefore revolvers chambered for it will also chamber the .454 Casull and .45 Colt.
(left to right) .45 Colt, .454 Casull, and .460 S&W Magnum ammunition.
The .460 is the highest velocity revolver cartridge in the world, firing bullets at 2330 ft/s (710 m/s) and muzzle energy at ~2400 lbs.. While the .460 is not quite as powerful as its big brother the .500, the .460 is said to be more accurate at long distances due to the bullet's straighter trajectory, thereby making the round more suitable for hunting slightly smaller game at longer ranges.
.475 Linebaugh
John Linebaugh brought forth his big .475 revolver cartridge in 1988. Today, the .475 Linebaugh has been legitimized as a factory load, and Freedom Arms, who chambers their deluxe single action Model 83 5-shot revolver for the cartridge.
The .475 Linebaugh is, for now at least, probably the best chambering available for the most power in such a compact package. It is an excellent compromise between the velocity of the .454 Casull and the bullet weight and diameter of the .500 Linebaugh. The .475 Linebaugh also seems to be an inherently accurate cartridge. Unfortunately, the guns that fire this round are limited to a few makers and the costs to obtain these are very high.
The factory load uses a 400-grain bullet at a MV of 1300 fps and ME of 1501 ft. lbs.
_______________________________________________________________
Now we enter the .50 caliber range. The are quite a few different makes of the .50 such as S&W, Beowulf, Linebaugh, Wyoming Express, and the Action Express. Who knew there were so many choices!
Cartridge comparison (left to right): .44 Magnum, .50 Beowulf, .500 Linebaugh, .500 S&W.
.50 Action Express
Was developed in 1988 by Evan Whilden of Action Arms. Among the few commercial handgun cartridges designed that exceed its ballistic performance are the .454 Casull, 460 XVR and the .500 S&W.
.500 Wyoming Express
Developed in 2005, the cartridge is comparable in size to the .50 Action Express, but has higher powder loads and normally a lower velocity. Though not as powerful as the .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum, the .500 Wyoming Express is one of the most powerful handgun calibers available.
.50 Beowulf
It was originally designed to be used in a modified AR-15 .223 semiautomatic rifle, but is now offered for other guns, including Magnum Research's BFR revolver. The .50 Beowulf is approximately the same size as the .500 Smith and Wesson Magnum, though not as powerful.
.500 Linebaugh
The 500 Linebaugh has proved to be a very successful round pushing 500 grain bullets over 1200 fps. Accuracy is outstanding, but recoil can only be described as severe. This cartridge could prove to be an excellent heavy game handgun cartridge and possibly the revolver cartridge suitable for taking African game. These bullets have been found to be excellent performers both in terms of accuracy and penetration.
Like the .475 Linebaugh, the guns that fire this round are limited to a few makers and the costs to obtain these are very high.
.500 S&W Magnum
Introduced in 2003, currently only a handful of models have been introduced that fire this massive caliber, including the X-Frame Model 500 revolver from Smith & Wesson, researchesearch's "BFR" (Biggest, finest revolver), the Taurus Raging Bull and German Janz JTL-E 500. Each holds only five rounds to allow for thicker cylinder walls to accommodate the pressure generated by such a large and powerful cartridge.
The .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum can develop over 2,600 foot-pounds (3.5 kJ) of muzzle energy, nearly three times as much as the 900 ft·lb (1.2 kJ) generated by the .44 Magnum. This is a difference of over 600 foot-pounds (0.8 kJ) of energy more than the .454 Casull, the previous commercial record holder.
Despite initial concerns about recoil, professionals who have tested the caliber have stated its recoil to be less than the Ruger Redhawk chamber in .454 Casull. This is achieved through design features of the Smith & Wesson Model 500, including a muzzle brake, recoil reducing rubber grips, and considerable weight.
Other pistol rounds include: .50 Remington 12.90 (.508), .50 Alaskan. There are larger modern rounds as well, including .577 Tyrannosaur, .600 Nitro Express, .700 Nitro Express.
Conclusion
Overall, I was a little overwhelmed by the firepower that can be generated from a handgun. When taking all the numbers into account, I would select the S&W .460 magnum for performance and that fact that it can fire .45 Colt or .454 Casull rounds. So far, only S&W makes a handgun that can fire this round, but I would expect others to follow suit.
The S&W 460 comes in nine variations. The one shown the Model 460 XVR Revolver - 8 3/8" .
The Linebaugh cartridges (.475 and the .500), Action Express and Wyoming Express - along with the specialty handguns made for these rounds are excellent choices, if you have a deep pocket. The S&W .500 fills in this gap of big bore firepower, with a good selection of firearms like S&W, Taurus, and Magnum Research.
Below are some hand cannon reviews that I was able to locate on the web, enjoy!
Reviews
S&W XVR 460
Guns & Ammo
GunBlast
Louisianasportsman
American Handgunner
S&W 500
Guns & Ammo
GunBlast
Shooting Times
Taurus Raging Bull (S&W .500)
GunBlast
Freedom Arms Model 83 (.475 Linebaugh)
GunBlast
Custom Ruger Bisley revolver (.500 Linbaugh)
GunBlast
Freedom Arms' Model 83 (.500 Wyoming Express)
GunBlast
GunBlast (second article)
First off, the .44 Magnum is not the most powerful handgun in the world. In today's big bore environment, you have .45 Colt Long, .454 Casull, .460 S&W, Ruger .480, and the .500 S&W calibers to name a few! Once you hit the .500 caliber range, you have basically reached the outer limits of power combined with practicality and portability.
.45 Colt
The .45 Colt, sometimes called the .45 Long Colt to distinguish it from the short .45 cartridge, as well as the .45 ACP, is the oldest service cartridge still in use today. It was introduced in 1873 for the then new Colt Single Action Army (SAA) revolver, the famous Peacemaker. The .45 Colt and the SAA revolver quickly became legends in their own time, and the most popular handgun/cartridge combination on the Western frontier.
The most common factory loads for the .45 Colt give a 225-grain lead HP bullet a muzzle velocity of 960 fps and an energy of 460 ft. lbs. Or a 250-255 grain lead bullet a MV of 860 fps and a ME of 410 ft. lbs. The mid-range trajectory of this load shows a rise of 3.2" over 75 yards.
The .45 Colt is the basis for the more powerful .454 Casull cartridge, with the .454 Casull having a slightly longer and stronger case. A .454 Casull gun will also chamber and fire .45 Colt.
The .45 ACP round produces inferior game killing ability, as it cannot use heavyweight bullets. It uses a much shorter overall cartridge length, with faster burning powders and higher chamber pressures.
.480 Ruger
The Ruger .480 cartridge was developed by Hornady and Ruger came up with a revolver to fire it. The .480 is essentially the short version of the Linebaugh .475. Ruger changed the name from .475 Ruger to .480 Ruger to give the cartridge a unique identity, but the actual bullet diameter is .475 inches, and .480 Ruger cartridges can be chambered and fired in .475 Linebaugh revolvers. It's power lies between the .44 magnum and the .454 Casull so don't let the numbers fool you.
.454 Casull
Developed in 1957, the .454 Casull can deliver a 250 grain (16 g) bullet with a muzzle velocity of over 1900 feet per second (580 m/s), developing more than 2000 ft lbs (2,700 J) of energy, although energy levels from common .454 revolvers with 7-8 inch barrels are typically somewhat lower (1,600-1,700 ft/lb). The round is primarily intended for hunting medium or large game and metallic silhouette shooting.
.460 S&W
Introduced in 2005, the .460 Smith and Wesson cartridge has the same diameter as a .45 Colt or .454 Casull, and therefore revolvers chambered for it will also chamber the .454 Casull and .45 Colt.
(left to right) .45 Colt, .454 Casull, and .460 S&W Magnum ammunition.
The .460 is the highest velocity revolver cartridge in the world, firing bullets at 2330 ft/s (710 m/s) and muzzle energy at ~2400 lbs.. While the .460 is not quite as powerful as its big brother the .500, the .460 is said to be more accurate at long distances due to the bullet's straighter trajectory, thereby making the round more suitable for hunting slightly smaller game at longer ranges.
.475 Linebaugh
John Linebaugh brought forth his big .475 revolver cartridge in 1988. Today, the .475 Linebaugh has been legitimized as a factory load, and Freedom Arms, who chambers their deluxe single action Model 83 5-shot revolver for the cartridge.
The .475 Linebaugh is, for now at least, probably the best chambering available for the most power in such a compact package. It is an excellent compromise between the velocity of the .454 Casull and the bullet weight and diameter of the .500 Linebaugh. The .475 Linebaugh also seems to be an inherently accurate cartridge. Unfortunately, the guns that fire this round are limited to a few makers and the costs to obtain these are very high.
The factory load uses a 400-grain bullet at a MV of 1300 fps and ME of 1501 ft. lbs.
_______________________________________________________________
Now we enter the .50 caliber range. The are quite a few different makes of the .50 such as S&W, Beowulf, Linebaugh, Wyoming Express, and the Action Express. Who knew there were so many choices!
Cartridge comparison (left to right): .44 Magnum, .50 Beowulf, .500 Linebaugh, .500 S&W.
.50 Action Express
Was developed in 1988 by Evan Whilden of Action Arms. Among the few commercial handgun cartridges designed that exceed its ballistic performance are the .454 Casull, 460 XVR and the .500 S&W.
.500 Wyoming Express
Developed in 2005, the cartridge is comparable in size to the .50 Action Express, but has higher powder loads and normally a lower velocity. Though not as powerful as the .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum, the .500 Wyoming Express is one of the most powerful handgun calibers available.
.50 Beowulf
It was originally designed to be used in a modified AR-15 .223 semiautomatic rifle, but is now offered for other guns, including Magnum Research's BFR revolver. The .50 Beowulf is approximately the same size as the .500 Smith and Wesson Magnum, though not as powerful.
.500 Linebaugh
The 500 Linebaugh has proved to be a very successful round pushing 500 grain bullets over 1200 fps. Accuracy is outstanding, but recoil can only be described as severe. This cartridge could prove to be an excellent heavy game handgun cartridge and possibly the revolver cartridge suitable for taking African game. These bullets have been found to be excellent performers both in terms of accuracy and penetration.
Like the .475 Linebaugh, the guns that fire this round are limited to a few makers and the costs to obtain these are very high.
.500 S&W Magnum
Introduced in 2003, currently only a handful of models have been introduced that fire this massive caliber, including the X-Frame Model 500 revolver from Smith & Wesson, researchesearch's "BFR" (Biggest, finest revolver), the Taurus Raging Bull and German Janz JTL-E 500. Each holds only five rounds to allow for thicker cylinder walls to accommodate the pressure generated by such a large and powerful cartridge.
The .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum can develop over 2,600 foot-pounds (3.5 kJ) of muzzle energy, nearly three times as much as the 900 ft·lb (1.2 kJ) generated by the .44 Magnum. This is a difference of over 600 foot-pounds (0.8 kJ) of energy more than the .454 Casull, the previous commercial record holder.
Despite initial concerns about recoil, professionals who have tested the caliber have stated its recoil to be less than the Ruger Redhawk chamber in .454 Casull. This is achieved through design features of the Smith & Wesson Model 500, including a muzzle brake, recoil reducing rubber grips, and considerable weight.
Other pistol rounds include: .50 Remington 12.90 (.508), .50 Alaskan. There are larger modern rounds as well, including .577 Tyrannosaur, .600 Nitro Express, .700 Nitro Express.
Conclusion
Overall, I was a little overwhelmed by the firepower that can be generated from a handgun. When taking all the numbers into account, I would select the S&W .460 magnum for performance and that fact that it can fire .45 Colt or .454 Casull rounds. So far, only S&W makes a handgun that can fire this round, but I would expect others to follow suit.
The S&W 460 comes in nine variations. The one shown the Model 460 XVR Revolver - 8 3/8" .
The Linebaugh cartridges (.475 and the .500), Action Express and Wyoming Express - along with the specialty handguns made for these rounds are excellent choices, if you have a deep pocket. The S&W .500 fills in this gap of big bore firepower, with a good selection of firearms like S&W, Taurus, and Magnum Research.
Below are some hand cannon reviews that I was able to locate on the web, enjoy!
Reviews
S&W XVR 460
Guns & Ammo
GunBlast
Louisianasportsman
American Handgunner
S&W 500
Guns & Ammo
GunBlast
Shooting Times
Taurus Raging Bull (S&W .500)
GunBlast
Freedom Arms Model 83 (.475 Linebaugh)
GunBlast
Custom Ruger Bisley revolver (.500 Linbaugh)
GunBlast
Freedom Arms' Model 83 (.500 Wyoming Express)
GunBlast
GunBlast (second article)
posted by Ron at
8:56 AM
6 Comments:
The .50 Beowulf has a slight edge on the .500 S&W in case capacity. The difference is that the Beowulf is designed to function through an AR-15 platform and is therefor loaded to lower pressures. If you're running Beowulfs through a revolver or bolt rifle, it can give performance just the same as the .500 Smith.
By
Unknown, at 12:51 AM
How about the Pfiefer-Zeliska Revolver in .600 Nitro Express? It is .60 Caliber, 5 shot, super hand cannon. It is a special order gun made by Pfiefer for Mr. Zeliska in Switzerland.
By
Anonymous, at 11:51 AM
How about the Pfiefer-Zeliska Revolver in .600 Nitro Express? It is .60 Caliber, 5 shot, super hand cannon. It is a special order gun made by Pfiefer for Mr. Zeliska in Switzerland.
By
Anonymous, at 11:55 AM
the pfiefer revolver in 600 nitro express does not count. it is a rifle cartridge and not a handgun/revolver cartridge like the 500 s&w and at 20 pounds it does not qualify as a true handgun as it weighs twice as much as many african rifes creating a revolver for 600 nitro is as rediculus as if they made one in 460 weatherby or 50bmg
By
Anonymous, at 7:36 PM
HI, The Pfiefer-Zeliska would be nice if you did not have to carry it into the field while hunting. I own three powerful hand cannons. I bought my first one in 1994. The SSK 600 nitro express ENCORE would be a better choice to carry in the field. With an experienced and skillful hand cannon operator firing the hand gun it would be far the greatest hand cannon ever made.
By
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