Hehe, I was waiting for that. :D

Pretty big...Not sure Id even want to carry to the range but interesting anyway:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cm/p...un-lg-1-de.jpg

In the 1971 movie "Dirty Harry," actor Clint Eastwood introduced the world to the double-action Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44-cal. Magnum revolver—"the most powerful handgun in the world."

It was a crown S&W wore proudly, albeit briefly.

The rising popularity of handgun hunting for big game (spurred largely by the .44 Magnum itself) prompted the introduction of newer and significantly more powerful revolver cartridges. Many powerful enough that they had to be chambered in single-action handguns because existing double-action designs could not contain the recoil forces and pressures they produced.

Since S&W does not make single-action revolvers, and no double-action frame at its disposal could handle the new loads, S&W was effectively dethroned.

At the 2003 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, the manufacturer regained its crown. And, most significantly, it did it by introducing a new massive double-action revolver that is chambered for an equally new .50-cal. cartridge.

The S&W X-frame Model 500 is a brawny handgun designed to master the most rigorous hunting fields in the world. It is not a revolver one would, or likely could, tuck into a waistband. In fact, to call it massive is an understatement.

With its 8-3/8-in. barrel, the overall length of the Model 500 is 15 in. and the empty weight is 4.5 pounds. The cylinder alone is almost 2 in. in diameter and approaches 2.25 in. in length. Thumb the cylinder open and five charge holes await. Each is 1/2 in. in diameter, and the .50-cal. cartridges they hold are almost 2 in. long. Load five of them and the total weight of the handgun climbs to 5 pounds.

You don't just casually pick up a Model 500. You have to lift it.

Fire even one of those big cartridges and you'll appreciate why the weight and mass are there.

When the .44 Magnum laid claim to being the most powerful handgun in the world, its standard load produced about 900 ft.-lb. of muzzle energy. Several new loads have since eclipsed that, but the handgun most commonly used by big game hunters is the .454 Casull, which will generate about 1900 ft.-lb.

The 500 S&W Magnum will produce almost 2600 ft.-lb. with its heaviest load, and more powerful loads may well be on the way.

If Dirty Harry felt that the .44 Magnum would make his day, the new 500 S&W Magnum would certainly make his decade. It is the largest double-action revolver available, and there is no production revolver in the world—single or double action—capable of matching, or even approaching, the level of power it produces.

Harnessing that power in a double-action revolver, however, required some departures from traditional designs.
Rethinking Double-Action Design
No frame in the S&W line was capable of containing the 500 Magnum, so the new X-frame was designed specifically for the 500's .50-cal. cartridge. It is massive. But, just making a bigger double-action revolver was not the solution. A major concern was the barrel-to-frame connection. This is traditionally done by simply screwing the barrel into the front of the frame, but this design places all firing stress at that one point. To increase strength throughout the 500's barrel assembly, S&W opted for a composite barrel/shroud system.

A stainless steel barrel tube is torqued into the frame to form a solid rear attachment point. A separate, heavy stainless steel shroud is then slipped over the barrel and braced against the forward portion of the frame. The muzzle end of the barrel bears against the forward end of the shroud, and a separate compensator/muzzle brake is then rotated into place under torque at the muzzle end of the shroud.

This arrangement compresses the shroud and places the barrel tube under tension for its entire length. In effect, the barrel and shroud act as linear springs to distribute the stress of firing across the entire barrel/shroud component instead of focusing it all at the single junction of the barrel and frame.

Maintaining precise cylinder alignment was another concern. Traditional designs utilize a front- and rear-cylinder lockup, with the forward end of the ejector rod bearing against a ball-detent fixture on the barrel to provide the front lockup. Given the power of the 500 Magnum, the potential for flex in the ejector rod had to be addressed. The solution was to dispense with that design and install a massive ball-detent lock on the frame itself, directly below the barrel forcing cone. This mates with the yoke to provide a solid front lockup directly at the front of the cylinder. Combined with the traditional rear lockup, this is the strongest cylinder alignment design possible.

While the 500 S&W Magnum answers the question of "where's the beef?" the company wisely decided to incorporate the same grip dimensions found on its much smaller K-frame handguns. Experienced handgunners regard this as one of the best handgun grips ever made.

Thus, the 500 Magnum is a big revolver that's strong where it needs to be, but is comfortable to handle. That was borne out during firing tests.

SPECIFICATIONS: 500 S&W Magnum

Caliber: .500 S&W Magnum
Barrel: 8-3/8 in.
Capacity: 5 rounds
Front Sight: Interchangeable black blade
Rear Sight: Micrometer click-adjustable black blade
Grips: Hogue rubber, energy absorbing
Weight (empty) : 72.5 ounces
Material: Stainless steel
Finish: Satin stainless
Overall length: 15 in.
Other features: Internal key lock and recoil muzzle compensator
MSRP: $987


More at the link: http://www.popularmechanics.com/outd...click=pop_more

After yesterdays OC hire, I probably shouldn't talk about guns. :evil:

Nice. I’d think 12 rounds of .45 ACP would make for a fat grip, which could be a good thing. I’ve always thought my Colt with the single stack mag felt a bit thin in my hand.
I also think you’ll like the .45 ACP round. There’s a reason the cops and military are still using it 100 years down the road.

I love my 1911. Its not a high dollar hand gun. Its a GI mil spec made in the Philippines.
Same as a Rock Island. $375.00 NIB out the door at Scheels. I could not be happier

I have a .45, I'm just don't really care for it - Beretta mini cougar with a short grip - a have an extended 8 round magazine for it, but I've pinched my hand loading it a couple times too often. And the 6 round magazine that came with sucks, and the pistol sucks with the short grip. I also want something with a rail.

I traded my Glock 26 for it about a year ago, and I may be able to get that back since the guy I traded with is one of my best friends and has several guns and doesn't seem to care. I probably got a bit hosed on that deal anyway. If I get the Glock back, I can probably sell it to the dealer and get most of the price of the Taurus in trade.

Still have the same 12 i had 15 years ago. It still goes BOOM!


edit- more of a BUMP!

And I bet right after that the booger turned around and knifed you and lowered your KDR, huh?

Its how I make cat fish bate.
& WTH does KDR stand for?

i clipped a blackbird off the sleeping porch with a 762 at about 10 paces. Damn near turned its feathers to dust.

Sorry, just a little Call of Duty humor - "kill/death ratio"

I love my Colt, and I’m really in love with the .45 ACP round, perfect self defense round IMO.
I will admit though, I was watching a on Outdoor Channel and saw a guy pull off a 100 yard shot with a 9mm, looked similar to a Ruger P90. That’s something that a .45 ACP just flat won’t do. In fact once past about 50 yards you might as well pull the bullets out of the magazine and throw them, you’ll get them just about as far, but up close few handguns can surpass its knockdown power.

Looking to go tactical?
If you just want a laser site check out Crimson Trace. Nice little laser built right into the grips so you don’t need a special holster to carry it.

I've already got a nice Veridian light/green laser for my Ruger (picture's in post 145). I need to sight that in at the range tomorrow. Not sure if I'd pick up a second one for a new .45 or just switch the laser between pistols, but I'd like to have the option.

You dont watch cat fish bate do you? Thats sick as hell.

Ah, understandable.