Smith and Wesson Model 500

[seamusalaska]

I watched the History Channel and saw a show on the Alaska Troopers. The troopers also act as Fish and Game. One of the troopers was checking on fishermen in the bear country of Kenai and one of the fishermen had a pistol nearby for bears. Apparently, the fisher used to carry a .44 magnum but had had a 'close encounter' with a bear and now had a Smith and Wesson 500. It was new to me? I looked it up. Lordy, lordy. I'd be afraid to shoot it (but then I used to be afraid of .44's, too). Has anyone reading ever fired one of these beasts? What was is like? Do you still have your hearing, etc. I think they come ported.

 

[barber613]

My dad bought one when the only ammo you could find was on line. At the time Corbon ammo was all we could find. It must have been loaded to the max, as after three shots my hand had had enough. I like shooting, but I put it away until a friend loaded some lighter loads.

 

[danmdevries]

I fired 2 rounds (paid the guy $5) from a "snub" S&W 500. I don't know if it's a 3, 4" barrel but it's definitely not long enough for that gun.

It's an intense experience. The gun weighs a ton but the kick is not unlike a super lightweight .357. I guess the difference is with the .357s in a lightweight the shock hits and is gone. The .500s are like getting hit with a train. There's the initial shock but it's so great it carries momentum through your arm and into your shoulder. The guy that owned the gun warned me "think about it like this, you're holding a 2x4 in the palm of your hand. Now someone takes a sledge hammer to the end of that wood. Don't drop my gun"

They serve a purpose and the guys in Alaska have found that purpose.

I would love to have a long barreled .500 some day. Don't know what I'd do with it, probably just show it off every chance I got and that's about it.

 

[PX4 Storm]

I have one and absolutely love it. If you shoot sensible loads out of it, they're very easy to shoot and the recoil isn't hard to handle at all. And a LOT of fun. Hearing protection is an absolute must, though. Even the light loads I shoot are louder than 12 gauge birdshot, and the muzzle and cylinder blast is impressive.

I generally shoot a pretty light load in mine, 325 gr. at 1380 FPS, which has something like 1371 ft. lbs of muzzle energy. These kick about the same as a 44 mag, at least in my 4 incher, yet have at least 30% more muzzle energy than the 44 mag. The recoil is "gentler" than the recoil from my Redhawk though. It's hard to describe, but it's less snappy and more of a push.

There are lighter handloads out there that kick like a 38 special and still deliver about 800-900 ft. lbs. of muzzle energy. Of course, there are also some pretty stout loads out there too, like the 400 gr. loads that deliver 2900-3000 ft. lbs of muzzle energy and the infamous 600 and 700 gr loads.

The great thing about the 500 S&W, is that it allows the shooter to choose from very light loads to very heavy loads. Personally, the 400 gr. loads that develop about 2300 ft. lbs of muzzle energy are about the heaviest loads I'd want to shoot out of mine, but others love to shoot the 500 gr. and 600gr. loads.

If you do a little research before you shoot one, you can pick out a load that suits your sensibilities, from light plinking loads to the very heavy hunting rounds that can pretty much drop anything on Earth.

Here's a pic of the S&W 500 magnum and Ruger Redhawk. It's hard to see it because of foreshortening in the image, but the Smith and Wesson is substantially larger than the Ruger.

 

[seamusalaska]

Thanks for the info! Looks like it's a 'bear' to shoot. (pun intended...groan)

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

I've shot my uncle's 6" 500Mag exactly 4 times. Two were light loads, two were moderate loads.

My hand ached for a week.

But I'd do it again in a heart beat if I could!!

-J-

 

[Disposable Heart]

I have fired the .460 and .500 "Alaskan" (read: snub) models. Terrible weapons, IMHO. It literally rattles your tooth base and scares the crap out of everyone at the range. While some folks think that's fun, it isn't. One round, okay, everyone laughs. 2-10, people begin to pack up to leave. It borderlines too intense. Even the .500 "Special" loads are too much for anything of reason.

In my opinion: If you can't do the job (bear, elk, anti-material) with a .44, then get some practice instead of one of these weapons. Admittedly, they are a handloader's delight: Lots of data, can't really do wrong with them: they are literally tanks in construction.

One of our ROs at Eagle Creek shoots the .480 Ruger: NOW THAT! is a cartridge. Very business like, .44 mag lite bang, heavy lead, should mangle up a deer or bear anyday of the week but without the horrendous weight of the .500 (not to mention the horrible blast).

 

[PX4 Storm]

I have fired the .460 and .500 "Alaskan" (read: snub) models. Terrible weapons, IMHO. It literally rattles your tooth base and scares the crap out of everyone at the range. While some folks think that's fun, it isn't. One round, okay, everyone laughs. 2-10, people begin to pack up to leave. It borderlines too intense. Even the .500 "Special" loads are too much for anything of reason.

In my opinion: If you can't do the job (bear, elk, anti-material) with a .44, then get some practice instead of one of these weapons. Admittedly, they are a handloader's delight: Lots of data, can't really do wrong with them: they are literally tanks in construction.

One of our ROs at Eagle Creek shoots the .480 Ruger: NOW THAT! is a cartridge. Very business like, .44 mag lite bang, heavy lead, should mangle up a deer or bear anyday of the week but without the horrendous weight of the .500 (not to mention the horrible blast).

The 2 1/2 inch models aren't designed to take to the range, they're designed to take into the Alaskan woods, or anywhere else you might run into something big and bad. Terrible weapon? Hardly.

What load were you shooting that rattled your tooth base? If a loud gun "scares the crap" out of someone at the gun range, maybe they need to get a different hobby. In an indoor range, I can understand the 500 making someone uncomfortable, at an outdoor range, how?

I've shot my uncle's 6" 500Mag exactly 4 times. Two were light loads, two were moderate loads.

My hand ached for a week.

But I'd do it again in a heart beat if I could!!
-J-

This kind of comment really intrigues me. How could a light load out of a heavy gun make your hand ache for a week? Do you have arthritis?

Do you remember what loads you were shooting?

 

[cce1302]

My dad has had a 8 3/4" .500 since '04 or so. He got one of the early ones, but it had to be replaced due to flame cutting of the top strap. Wierd, huh?
Anyway, we enjoy shooting it when I go visit him. He bought some of the Cor-bon loads when they first came out, 350 grain, 400, and 440. From what I remember, the 440s hurt less than the 350s. Now we mostly handload 400 grain bullets; I think they're hornady XTPs or something.
Most consider me to be a recoil junky. Yes, it hurts. It feels like someone using a 4 pound sledge on your hand. I figure my lightweight .357 is more like a 22 oz framing hammer. Still hurts, but still fun.

One thing I noticed was that with 400 grain bullets moving close to 2000 fps, You're awful close to the ballistics of a 400 grain .50 caliber sabot round moving 2000 fps out of your 12 guage slug gun. Pretty neat.

 

[jefferico13]

thats a big gun

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I can not attest the the 500, but my Dad at one time had a .454 and it was insane. I told him he was better off sellling it. He does not hunt, so I did not see a need for him to have it honestly!

 

[PX4 Storm]

Since your Dad doesn't hunt, he shouldn't own a 454? You are using the same logic anti-gunners use for deciding which weapons we should be able to own. Which activity or profession makes one eligible to own a semi-auto handgun? What about semi-auto rifle?

The 454 is a very versatile gun, with commercial loads ranging from soft shooting 45 Colt cowboy loads to bone crunching high velocity 454 T-Rex killer loads. Some are easy to shoot, some are very unpleasant to shoot.

As with the 500 magnum, the max loads might be unpleasant to some, a hell of a lot of fun to others, but the lighter loadings are pleasant to shoot. Which is why it'd be hard for me to classify either as "insane."

I don't hunt either, but if I ever decide to, I don't have to limit my choices due to not having enough gun to do the job.

My Dad would tell me to get stuffed if I told him he'd be better off selling one of his guns. And rightly so, since it's not my job to decide that for him, unless he gets mentally or physically infirm.

I can not attest the the 500, but my Dad at one time had a .454 and it was insane. I told him he was better off selling it. He does not hunt, so I did not see a need for him to have it honestly!