.500 S&W Magnum
Encyclopedia
The .500 S&W Magnum is a fifty-caliber (12.7 mm) semi-rimmed handgun cartridge developed by Cor-Bon
in partnership with the Smith & Wesson "X-Gun" engineering team for use in the Smith & Wesson Model 500 X-frame
revolver
and introduced in February 2003 at the SHOT trade show. Its primary design purpose was as a hunting handgun cartridge capable of taking all North American game species.
. Since then, several other more powerful cartridges had been developed by Action Arms, Linebaugh, Ruger, Wildey
and Winchester
for repeating handguns.
In 1971 Smith & Wesson had experienced a dramatic surge in orders for their Model 29 revolver in the .44 Magnum cartridge with which S&W production was not able to keep up. Available Model 29 revolvers were being sold for two to three times the suggested retail price, due to the low supply and high demand for the revolver. This surge in demand was due to the Dirty Harry
movie, where the Model 29 revolver was billed, incorrectly, as the most powerful revolver. With the entry of the .500 S&W Magnum and the Model 500 revolver, Smith & Wesson recaptured the title of the most powerful handgun, and with it an increase in sales.
The .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum was designed from the outset to be the most powerful production handgun cartridge. S&W product manager Herb Belin proposed the idea of developing the revolver and cartridge to the S&W sales team. With the backing of the sales team, the project was approved by S&W President Bob Scott. The ammunition would be developed by Cor-Bon and Peter Pi in partnership with the S&W X-Gun engineering team of Brett Curry, Bret Mikuta and Tom Oakley. Eleven months later on January 9, 2003 the team unveiled the S&W Model 500 revolver and the .500 S&W Magnum cartridge. According to Belin, the cartridge was designed from its inception to be substantially more powerful than any other production handgun cartridge before it. Cor-Bon would later go on to develop the .500 S&W Special
cartridge.
The .500 S&W Magnum was designed to fire a bullet with a diameter of 0.5 in (12.7 mm) unlike the .500 Linebaugh
. This was done so as not to run afoul of the National Firearms Act
and be considered a Destructive Device
as had happened to Whildin’s .50 AE cartridge, which was at first was designed to fire a 0.51 in (13 mm) but had to be redesigned to fire a 0.5 in (12.7 mm) instead.
The .500 S&W Magnum has a maximum working pressure of 60000 psi (4,136.9 bar). However, most factory ammunition is limited to 50000 psi (3,447.4 bar) to help ease extraction of fired cases. The cylinders of the S&W Model 500 revolver are engineered to be capable of withstanding 50% over pressure without much distortion. Regular proof-load testing is performed at 20% over pressure.
Cylinder bore ∅ is given as 0.5 in (12.7 mm). SAAMI recommends a 6 groove barrel with each groove being 0.13 in (3.3 mm) wide. A barrel with a bore ∅ of 0.488 in (12.4 mm) and a groove ∅ of 0.4983 in (12.7 mm) is also recommended. The recommended twist rate is 1 in 18.75 in (476.3 mm). While the bore diameter of 0.488 in (12.4 mm) is consistent with other firearms which fire a 0.5 in (12.7 mm) diameter bullet, the groove diameter of 0.4983 in (12.7 mm) is an oddity as most firearms which fire a 0.5 in (12.7 mm) will have a groove diameter of equal to the diameter of the bullet. For this reason regular cast lead bullets should not be fired in the revolver as excessive leading of the forcing cone and barrel will occur, leading to excessive pressures or the deposited lead acting as an obstruction in the barrel or forcing cone.
While the overall length is given as 2.3 inches (58.4 mm) by many sources, some revolvers will not be able to accept cartridges with bullets seated to this overall length. This is because the cylinders of the revolvers are too short to accommodate such cartridges. The now-discontinued Taurus Raging Bull 500 is an example of one such revolver. It has a cylinder which is about 0.2 inches (5.1 mm) shorter than that of the S&W Model 500.
Several manufacturers currently produce the Smith & Wesson 500 cartridge, with some of the top-performing rounds delivering 3031 ft·lbf (4,109.5 J) of energy with a 350 gr bullet traveling at 1975 feet per second (602 m/s). It is claimed to be the most powerful handgun
cartridge manufactured and provides power similar to long-established wildcat cartridge
s such as the .375 JDJ (J. D. Jones) and pistol loadings of the .45-70 Government. Indeed, some rounds use bullets weighting almost 1 oz. (28 g ~ 440 gr.), which are sent at about 1500 ft/s (457.2 m/s) – essentially the same performance of a 12 gauge
shotgun slug
.
Bullet weights available for this cartridge range from a 265 gr jacketed hollow point to a 700 gr hardcast lead bullet. Moderate velocity, heavy bullet loads for the .500 S&W Magnum are similar in performance to the black powder .50-70 Government
.
Low recoil or reduced recoil ammunition is manufactured by the Grizzly Cartridge Company and Winchester. The low recoiling ammunition reduces the recoil by lowering the velocity of the projectile and the mass of the projectile or both. Winchester's reduced recoil X500SW ammunition propels a 350 gr bullet at 1400 ft/s (426.7 m/s). Although such ammunition is considered low recoiling, due to having about one-third of the recoil energy of full-power .500 S&W ammunition, even these are a significant step up from most of the .44 Magnums, as they produce twice the recoil energy of a latter cartridge.
Cor-Bon introduced the .500 S&W Special in 2004 as a lower energy and lower recoiling alternative to the .500 S&W Magnum cartridge. This cartridge is compatible with handguns chambered for the .500 S&W Magnum and fires a 350 gr bullet at 1250 feet per second (381 m/s). These low recoiling alternatives to the full-power 500 S&W Magnum, significantly reduce the felt recoil in the shorter 4 inches (101.6 mm) handguns. At present, only Dakota Ammunition, the parent company of Cor-Bon, manufactures ammunition for the .500 S&W Special in three load configurations.
The .500 S&W Magnum has a very high recoil
energy and recoil velocity. The high energy and velocity of the recoil will cause the muzzle to rise when shooting the cartridge. Smith & Wesson incorporated design features to help mitigate both the perceived and actual recoil of their Model 500 Smith & Wesson revolver chambered for the .500 S&W Magnum. The revolver is equipped with a compensator and Hogue Absorbathane grips. The revolver's considerable weight of 56–82 oz (1,587.6–2,324.7 ) plays a major role in moderating the recoil of the cartridge.
A double-discharge effect is sometimes observed with the cartridge. The heavy recoil causes some shooters to inadvertently squeeze the trigger as a reflexive action to hold on to the revolver soon after the discharge of the previous round. Furthermore, some shooters have experienced the cylinder unlocking and rotating after the firing of cartridge which is a partial manifestation of the same phenomenon.
The .500 S&W Magnum’s success with large dangerous game is in part due the availability of heavier bullets with exceptional sectional densities. Bullets above 500 gr have the sectional densities required for hunting heavier African dangerous game. As a hunting cartridge the .500 S&W Magnum has been found to be effective against elephant and African buffalo as long as ranges are kept within reasonable limits. Bullet selection is extremely important when hunting thick-skinned dangerous game. Smith & Wesson bills the Model 500 revolver as "A Hunting Handgun For Any Game Animal Walking".
In North America, it serves the purpose of hunting all North American big game species. The cartridge has had success in harvesting of Alaskan brown bear, American bison, moose, and elk. It is also used to hunt black bear, whitetail deer, wild boar, and feral hogs. The cartridge gained some notoriety as being the cartridge which was used to hunt the supposed Monster Pig
.
Bullets ranging from 275 gr can be used for light CXP2 game species. Bullets heavier than 350 gr, including Winchester’s reduced-load ammunition, are appropriate for use with CXP3 game species. Bullets over 500 gr can be used for dangerous game. Hornady’s 500 gr. SP load is rated for CXP4 class dangerous game by Hornady out to 200 yd (182.9 m) against dangerous game, based on Hornady Index of Terminal Standards (H.I.T.S.)calculations.
The .500 S&W Magnum is available in firearms more convenient to carry than a full-sized rifle. This lends to its use as a defensive carry firearm in areas where dangerous predatory species may be encountered. The .500 S&W Magnum cartridge has found use in survival guns such as the NEF
Handi Rifle and the S&W Survival Kit. It is carried in Alaska for defense against the bears. Smith & Wesson manufactures a 4 inches (101.6 mm) version of the Model 500 revolver which is included in the S&W Survival Kit. This shorter-barreled revolver is handier, weighing 56 oz (1.6 kg) and coming with a larger and more efficient muzzle brake than the more common Model 500 8.375 in (212.7 mm) revolvers.
The .500 S&W Magnum is a niche cartridge, in that it has little purpose outside its primary design purpose. The power, energy and recoil generated by the cartridge, as well as its relative cost, makes it a poor choice as a defensive handgun cartridge or for target shooting or general plinking. For a large part its popularity is owed to the cartridge being the most powerful handgun cartridge and the curiosity that inevitably follows any such moniker or claim.
Each holds only five rounds to allow for thicker cylinder
walls to accommodate the pressure generated by the large and powerful cartridge. The single shot Thompson-Center
Encore, NEF
Handi Rifle, and Towner pump rifle are also chambered for this round. It is currently the most powerful production handgun cartridge available.
Ammunition for the .500 S&W Magnum is available from many mainstream ammunition manufacturers. Recently many of these manufacturers have expanded their .500 S&W offerings, which speaks to the popularity of the cartridge.
In addition to these manufacturers, smaller ammunition manufacturers such as Double Tap Ammunition, Garrett Cartridge Company and Magtech Ammunition offer ammunition for firearms chambered for this cartridge.
released two advocacy papers, titled "Big Boomers" and "Vest Busters" which called for legislation banning the .500 S&W Magnum. The VPC made the following allegations regarding the .500 S&W Magnum which it classified as a "Big Boomer":
The powerful .500 S&W round demands large, very heavy handguns, making them unsuitable for concealed-carry purposes. Additionally, recoil is so stiff many people find the .500 S&W unpleasant to shoot and extremely difficult to manage quick and accurate follow-up shots. Cylinder capacity is necessarily very low, therefore making .500 S&W handguns a poor choice for shootouts. Finally, at a cost of $3–$5 per round, ammunition is up to 800% more expensive than traditional handgun rounds. Consequently, revolvers chambered for the .500 S&W cartridge are poorly suited for typical gang-related crimes.
Cor-Bon
Cor-Bon is a brand of small arms ammunition produced by Dakota Ammo Incorporated. The company, based in Sturgis, South Dakota, was founded in 1982 by Peter Pi....
in partnership with the Smith & Wesson "X-Gun" engineering team for use in the Smith & Wesson Model 500 X-frame
X-frame
X-Frame may also refer to:* Saint Andrew's Cross * A type of vehicle frame* a Smith & Wesson revolver frame size...
revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
and introduced in February 2003 at the SHOT trade show. Its primary design purpose was as a hunting handgun cartridge capable of taking all North American game species.
Cartridge history
Smith & Wesson had been at the forefront when developing powerful handgun cartridges such as the .357 S&W Magnum and the .44 Remington Magnum. However, since 1960 the company’s .44 Remington Magnum which it had developed in partnership with Remington, was eclipsed by the .454 Casull.454 Casull
The .454 Casull is a firearm cartridge, developed in 1957 by Dick Casull and Jack Fulmer. It was first announced in November 1959 by Guns & Ammo magazine. The basic design was a lengthened and structurally improved .45 Colt case...
. Since then, several other more powerful cartridges had been developed by Action Arms, Linebaugh, Ruger, Wildey
Wildey
The Wildey is a gas operated, double action/single action, selective fire pistol designed by Wildey J. Moore. The pistol was designed to fire several high pressure proprietary cartridges including the .45 Wildey Magnum and the .475 Wildey Magnum.-Action:...
and Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
for repeating handguns.
In 1971 Smith & Wesson had experienced a dramatic surge in orders for their Model 29 revolver in the .44 Magnum cartridge with which S&W production was not able to keep up. Available Model 29 revolvers were being sold for two to three times the suggested retail price, due to the low supply and high demand for the revolver. This surge in demand was due to the Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....
movie, where the Model 29 revolver was billed, incorrectly, as the most powerful revolver. With the entry of the .500 S&W Magnum and the Model 500 revolver, Smith & Wesson recaptured the title of the most powerful handgun, and with it an increase in sales.
The .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum was designed from the outset to be the most powerful production handgun cartridge. S&W product manager Herb Belin proposed the idea of developing the revolver and cartridge to the S&W sales team. With the backing of the sales team, the project was approved by S&W President Bob Scott. The ammunition would be developed by Cor-Bon and Peter Pi in partnership with the S&W X-Gun engineering team of Brett Curry, Bret Mikuta and Tom Oakley. Eleven months later on January 9, 2003 the team unveiled the S&W Model 500 revolver and the .500 S&W Magnum cartridge. According to Belin, the cartridge was designed from its inception to be substantially more powerful than any other production handgun cartridge before it. Cor-Bon would later go on to develop the .500 S&W Special
.500 S&W Special
The .500 S&W Special is a cartridge made by Smith & Wesson for use in handguns. It was designed by Cor-Bon/Glaser in 2004. It is a shorter version of the .500 S&W Magnum with a drastically reduced load, much as the .38 Special is to the .357 Magnum...
cartridge.
Cartridge design and specifications
The .500 S&W Magnum is a semi-rimmed, straight cartridge optimized for use in revolvers. The cartridge is designed to headspace on its rim. However, unlike rimmed cartridges such as the .44 Magnum and other cartridges designed for use in revolvers, the cartridge can be cycled more smoothly and more reliably in tubular or magazine rifles, due to the semi-rimmed design.The .500 S&W Magnum was designed to fire a bullet with a diameter of 0.5 in (12.7 mm) unlike the .500 Linebaugh
.500 Linebaugh
The .500 Linebaugh is a .50 caliber handgun cartridge designed for use in revolvers. It is considered to be one of the most powerful handgun cartridges designed in terms of energy and throw weight.-History:...
. This was done so as not to run afoul of the National Firearms Act
National Firearms Act
The National Firearms Act , 73rd Congress, Sess. 2, ch. 757, , enacted on June 26, 1934, currently codified as amended as , is an Act of Congress that, in general, imposes a statutory excise tax on the manufacture and transfer of certain firearms and mandates the registration of those firearms. The...
and be considered a Destructive Device
Destructive device
In the United States, a destructive device is a firearm or explosive device regulated by the National Firearms Act of 1934.Examples of destructive devices include grenades, and firearms with a bore over one half of an inch, including some semi-automatic shotguns. While current federal laws allow...
as had happened to Whildin’s .50 AE cartridge, which was at first was designed to fire a 0.51 in (13 mm) but had to be redesigned to fire a 0.5 in (12.7 mm) instead.
-
- SAAMI compliant .500 S&W Magnum cartridge schematic: All dimensions in inches [millimeters].
The .500 S&W Magnum has a maximum working pressure of 60000 psi (4,136.9 bar). However, most factory ammunition is limited to 50000 psi (3,447.4 bar) to help ease extraction of fired cases. The cylinders of the S&W Model 500 revolver are engineered to be capable of withstanding 50% over pressure without much distortion. Regular proof-load testing is performed at 20% over pressure.
Cylinder bore ∅ is given as 0.5 in (12.7 mm). SAAMI recommends a 6 groove barrel with each groove being 0.13 in (3.3 mm) wide. A barrel with a bore ∅ of 0.488 in (12.4 mm) and a groove ∅ of 0.4983 in (12.7 mm) is also recommended. The recommended twist rate is 1 in 18.75 in (476.3 mm). While the bore diameter of 0.488 in (12.4 mm) is consistent with other firearms which fire a 0.5 in (12.7 mm) diameter bullet, the groove diameter of 0.4983 in (12.7 mm) is an oddity as most firearms which fire a 0.5 in (12.7 mm) will have a groove diameter of equal to the diameter of the bullet. For this reason regular cast lead bullets should not be fired in the revolver as excessive leading of the forcing cone and barrel will occur, leading to excessive pressures or the deposited lead acting as an obstruction in the barrel or forcing cone.
While the overall length is given as 2.3 inches (58.4 mm) by many sources, some revolvers will not be able to accept cartridges with bullets seated to this overall length. This is because the cylinders of the revolvers are too short to accommodate such cartridges. The now-discontinued Taurus Raging Bull 500 is an example of one such revolver. It has a cylinder which is about 0.2 inches (5.1 mm) shorter than that of the S&W Model 500.
Performance
The .500 S&W Magnum is considered the most powerful commercial sporting handgun cartridge by virtue of the muzzle energy it can generate. Cor-Bon (now a Dakota Ammo brand) who together with Smith & Wesson developed the .500 S&W Magnum cartridge, offers several loads which include a 325 gr at 1800 ft/s (548.6 m/s), a 400 gr at 1625 ft/s (495.3 m/s) and a 440 gr at 1625 ft/s (495.3 m/s). Compared to the next most powerful commercial sporting handgun cartridge, the .460 S&W Magnum, which can launch a 325 gr at 1650 ft/s (502.9 m/s) or a 395 gr at 1525 ft/s (464.8 m/s), the .500 S&W Magnum produces about 15% to 40% more muzzle energy than the .460 S&W. The .500 S&W Magnum comes into its own when used with heavier bullets, particularly those with weights of 500 gr or greater. When possible these bullets should be seated as far out as possible to take advantage of the complete cylinder length, so as to maximize the powder capacity which the case can provide.Several manufacturers currently produce the Smith & Wesson 500 cartridge, with some of the top-performing rounds delivering 3031 ft·lbf (4,109.5 J) of energy with a 350 gr bullet traveling at 1975 feet per second (602 m/s). It is claimed to be the most powerful handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
cartridge manufactured and provides power similar to long-established wildcat cartridge
Wildcat cartridge
A wildcat cartridge, or wildcat, is a custom cartridge for which ammunition and firearms are not mass produced. These cartridges are often created in order to optimize a certain performance characteristic of an existing commercial cartridge.Developing and using wildcat cartridges does not...
s such as the .375 JDJ (J. D. Jones) and pistol loadings of the .45-70 Government. Indeed, some rounds use bullets weighting almost 1 oz. (28 g ~ 440 gr.), which are sent at about 1500 ft/s (457.2 m/s) – essentially the same performance of a 12 gauge
Gauge (bore diameter)
The gauge of a firearm is a unit of measurement used to express the diameter of the barrel. Gauge is determined from the weight of a solid sphere of lead that will fit the bore of the firearm, and is expressed as the multiplicative inverse of the sphere's weight as a fraction of a pound . Thus...
shotgun slug
Shotgun slug
A shotgun slug is a heavy lead projectile, that may have pre-cut rifling, intended for use in a shotgun and often used for hunting large game. The first effective shotgun slug was introduced by Wilhelm Brenneke in 1898, and his design remains in use today...
.
Bullet weights available for this cartridge range from a 265 gr jacketed hollow point to a 700 gr hardcast lead bullet. Moderate velocity, heavy bullet loads for the .500 S&W Magnum are similar in performance to the black powder .50-70 Government
.50-70 Government
The .50-70 Government cartridge was a black powder round adopted in 1866 for the Springfield Model 1866 Trapdoor Rifle. The cartridge was developed after the unsatisfactory results of the .58 rimfire cartridge for the Springfield Model 1865 Trapdoor Rifle....
.
Low recoil or reduced recoil ammunition is manufactured by the Grizzly Cartridge Company and Winchester. The low recoiling ammunition reduces the recoil by lowering the velocity of the projectile and the mass of the projectile or both. Winchester's reduced recoil X500SW ammunition propels a 350 gr bullet at 1400 ft/s (426.7 m/s). Although such ammunition is considered low recoiling, due to having about one-third of the recoil energy of full-power .500 S&W ammunition, even these are a significant step up from most of the .44 Magnums, as they produce twice the recoil energy of a latter cartridge.
Cor-Bon introduced the .500 S&W Special in 2004 as a lower energy and lower recoiling alternative to the .500 S&W Magnum cartridge. This cartridge is compatible with handguns chambered for the .500 S&W Magnum and fires a 350 gr bullet at 1250 feet per second (381 m/s). These low recoiling alternatives to the full-power 500 S&W Magnum, significantly reduce the felt recoil in the shorter 4 inches (101.6 mm) handguns. At present, only Dakota Ammunition, the parent company of Cor-Bon, manufactures ammunition for the .500 S&W Special in three load configurations.
The .500 S&W Magnum has a very high recoil
Recoil
Recoil is the backward momentum of a gun when it is discharged. In technical terms, the recoil caused by the gun exactly balances the forward momentum of the projectile and exhaust gasses, according to Newton's third law...
energy and recoil velocity. The high energy and velocity of the recoil will cause the muzzle to rise when shooting the cartridge. Smith & Wesson incorporated design features to help mitigate both the perceived and actual recoil of their Model 500 Smith & Wesson revolver chambered for the .500 S&W Magnum. The revolver is equipped with a compensator and Hogue Absorbathane grips. The revolver's considerable weight of 56–82 oz (1,587.6–2,324.7 ) plays a major role in moderating the recoil of the cartridge.
A double-discharge effect is sometimes observed with the cartridge. The heavy recoil causes some shooters to inadvertently squeeze the trigger as a reflexive action to hold on to the revolver soon after the discharge of the previous round. Furthermore, some shooters have experienced the cylinder unlocking and rotating after the firing of cartridge which is a partial manifestation of the same phenomenon.
Sporting applications
The .500 S&W Magnum was designed to be primarily a handgun hunting cartridge. It also serves a secondary purpose as a back-up survival handgun cartridge as a defense against the large bears of North America. Due to its power, recoil, and size; the 500 S&W Magnum is a poor self-defense or concealed-carry weapon especially in an urban environment.The .500 S&W Magnum’s success with large dangerous game is in part due the availability of heavier bullets with exceptional sectional densities. Bullets above 500 gr have the sectional densities required for hunting heavier African dangerous game. As a hunting cartridge the .500 S&W Magnum has been found to be effective against elephant and African buffalo as long as ranges are kept within reasonable limits. Bullet selection is extremely important when hunting thick-skinned dangerous game. Smith & Wesson bills the Model 500 revolver as "A Hunting Handgun For Any Game Animal Walking".
In North America, it serves the purpose of hunting all North American big game species. The cartridge has had success in harvesting of Alaskan brown bear, American bison, moose, and elk. It is also used to hunt black bear, whitetail deer, wild boar, and feral hogs. The cartridge gained some notoriety as being the cartridge which was used to hunt the supposed Monster Pig
Monster Pig
Monster Pig was a controversial 2007 story that initially ran in the news media as a report of an eleven-year-old boy shooting a giant feral pig. The pig was claimed to have been shot during a hunt on May 3, 2007 by an eleven-year-old boy named Jamison Stone...
.
Bullets ranging from 275 gr can be used for light CXP2 game species. Bullets heavier than 350 gr, including Winchester’s reduced-load ammunition, are appropriate for use with CXP3 game species. Bullets over 500 gr can be used for dangerous game. Hornady’s 500 gr. SP load is rated for CXP4 class dangerous game by Hornady out to 200 yd (182.9 m) against dangerous game, based on Hornady Index of Terminal Standards (H.I.T.S.)calculations.
The .500 S&W Magnum is available in firearms more convenient to carry than a full-sized rifle. This lends to its use as a defensive carry firearm in areas where dangerous predatory species may be encountered. The .500 S&W Magnum cartridge has found use in survival guns such as the NEF
H & R Firearms
H & R 1871, LLC is a manufacturer of firearms under the Harrington & Richardson and New England Firearms trademarks...
Handi Rifle and the S&W Survival Kit. It is carried in Alaska for defense against the bears. Smith & Wesson manufactures a 4 inches (101.6 mm) version of the Model 500 revolver which is included in the S&W Survival Kit. This shorter-barreled revolver is handier, weighing 56 oz (1.6 kg) and coming with a larger and more efficient muzzle brake than the more common Model 500 8.375 in (212.7 mm) revolvers.
The .500 S&W Magnum is a niche cartridge, in that it has little purpose outside its primary design purpose. The power, energy and recoil generated by the cartridge, as well as its relative cost, makes it a poor choice as a defensive handgun cartridge or for target shooting or general plinking. For a large part its popularity is owed to the cartridge being the most powerful handgun cartridge and the curiosity that inevitably follows any such moniker or claim.
Firearms and ammunition
Currently there are a few revolvers which are capable of firing the .500 S&W Magnum:- Gary Reeder Custom Ultimate 500Ultimate 500Ultimate 500 is a 5-shot single action revolver chambered for the 500 S&W cartridge, manufactured by Gary Reeder Custom Guns.The revolver has an 8.5" barrel....
- Magnum Research BFRMagnum Research BFRThe Magnum Research BFR is a single-action revolver manufactured by Magnum Research. It is made from stainless steel and is manufactured in a variety of heavy calibers, such as .500 S&W Magnum, including some traditional rifle cartridges, such as the .30-30 and .45-70/.450 Marlin. The name "BFR"...
- John Ross/Smith & Wesson Performance Model 500John Ross/Performance Center 5" .500 S&W MagnumJohn Ross/Performance Center 5" .500 S&W Magnum is a 5-shot double action revolver chambered for the .500 S&W Magnum cartridge, designed by John Ross and manufactured by Smith & Wesson Performance Center....
- Taurus Raging Bull Model 500Taurus Raging BullThe Raging Bull is a revolver manufactured by the Brazilian Taurus International firearm company.In its larger calibers it is marketed as a hunter's sidearm because it is a potent weapon with plenty of stopping power...
- Smith & Wesson Model 500
- Janz Prazisionstechnik JTL-E RevolverJTL-E .500 S&W Magnum 12"JTL-E .500 S&W Magnum 12" is a German 5-shot double action revolver chambered for the .500 S&W Magnum cartridge, developed by Janz-Präzisionstechnik GmbH....
Each holds only five rounds to allow for thicker cylinder
Cylinder (firearms)
In firearms terminology, the Cylinder refers to the cylindrical, rotating part of a revolver containing multiple cartridge chambers. The cylinder revolves around a central axis in the revolver to bring each individual chamber into alignment with the barrel for firing...
walls to accommodate the pressure generated by the large and powerful cartridge. The single shot Thompson-Center
Thompson Center Arms
Thompson/Center Arms Company is an American firearms company based in Rochester, New Hampshire. The company is best known for its line of interchangeable barrel single-shot pistols and rifles. Thompson Center manufactures muzzleloading rifles and is credited with creating the resurgence of their...
Encore, NEF
H & R Firearms
H & R 1871, LLC is a manufacturer of firearms under the Harrington & Richardson and New England Firearms trademarks...
Handi Rifle, and Towner pump rifle are also chambered for this round. It is currently the most powerful production handgun cartridge available.
Ammunition for the .500 S&W Magnum is available from many mainstream ammunition manufacturers. Recently many of these manufacturers have expanded their .500 S&W offerings, which speaks to the popularity of the cartridge.
| Ammunition | Bullet | Muzzle Velocity | Muzzle Energy |
| Cor-Bon HT500SW275-12 | 275 gr Hunter DPX | 1665 ft/s (507.5 m/s) | 1688 ft·lbf (2,288.6 J) |
| Cor-Bon HT500SW325-12 | 325 gr Hunter DPX | 1800 ft/s (548.6 m/s) | 2338 ft·lbf (3,169.9 J) |
| Cor-Bon HT500SW350-12 | 350 gr Hunter JHP | 1600 ft/s (487.7 m/s) | 1990 ft·lbf (2,698.1 J) |
| Cor-Bon HT500SW385-12 | 385 gr Hunter BC | 1700 ft/s (518.2 m/s) | 2471 ft·lbf (3,350.2 J) |
| Cor-Bon HT500SW400SP-12 | 400 gr Hunter SP | 1625 ft/s (495.3 m/s) | 2346 ft·lbf (3,180.7 J) |
| Cor-Bon HT500SW440HC-12 | 440 gr Hunter HC | 1625 ft/s (495.3 m/s) | 2580 ft·lbf (3,498 J) |
| Cor-Bon HT500SW500HC-12 | 500 gr Hunter HC | 1500 ft/s (457.2 m/s) | 2499 ft·lbf (3,388.2 J) |
| Federal P500XB1 | 275 gr Barnes XPB | 1840 ft/s (560.8 m/s) | 2067 ft·lbf (2,802.5 J) |
| Federal P500SA | 325 gr Swift AF | 1800 ft/s (548.6 m/s) | 2338 ft·lbf (3,169.9 J) |
| Hornady 9249 | 300 gr FTX | 2075 ft/s (632.5 m/s) | 2868 ft·lbf (3,888.5 J) |
| Hornady 9250 | 350 gr XTP MAG | 1700 ft/s (518.2 m/s) | 2246 ft·lbf (3,045.2 J) |
| Hornady 9252 | 500 gr FP XTP | 1425 ft/s (434.3 m/s) | 2254 ft·lbf (3,056 J) |
| Winchester X500SW | 350 gr JHP | 1400 ft/s (426.7 m/s) | 1416 ft·lbf (1,919.8 J) |
| Winchester S500SWDB | 375 gr Dual Bond | 1725 ft/s (525.8 m/s) | 2477 ft·lbf (3,358.4 J) |
| Winchester S500PTHP | 400 gr PTHP | 1675 ft/s (510.5 m/s) | 2491 ft·lbf (3,377.3 J) |
| Values courtesy of the respectve ammunition manufacturer | |||
In addition to these manufacturers, smaller ammunition manufacturers such as Double Tap Ammunition, Garrett Cartridge Company and Magtech Ammunition offer ammunition for firearms chambered for this cartridge.
Controversies
In 2001 the Violence Policy CenterViolence Policy Center
The Violence Policy Center is a national 501 organization working to prohibit gun ownership in the United States, especially in relation to gun politics...
released two advocacy papers, titled "Big Boomers" and "Vest Busters" which called for legislation banning the .500 S&W Magnum. The VPC made the following allegations regarding the .500 S&W Magnum which it classified as a "Big Boomer":
- Big Boomers are rifle power designed into handguns
- Big Boomers are a serious threat to law enforcement officers
- Big boomers are vest busters
- Big boomers are used in common criminal activity
- Smith & Wesson has "recklessly" developed the 500 S&W Magnum for profit
The powerful .500 S&W round demands large, very heavy handguns, making them unsuitable for concealed-carry purposes. Additionally, recoil is so stiff many people find the .500 S&W unpleasant to shoot and extremely difficult to manage quick and accurate follow-up shots. Cylinder capacity is necessarily very low, therefore making .500 S&W handguns a poor choice for shootouts. Finally, at a cost of $3–$5 per round, ammunition is up to 800% more expensive than traditional handgun rounds. Consequently, revolvers chambered for the .500 S&W cartridge are poorly suited for typical gang-related crimes.
See also
- .50 caliber handguns.50 caliber handgunsA .50 caliber handgun is a handgun firing a bullet measuring approximately .5 inches in diameter. Historically, many black powder pistols fire rounds with diameters well above ½ inch...
- S&W Model 500S&W Model 500The Smith & Wesson Model 500 is a five-shot, double-action revolver produced by Smith & Wesson, firing the .500 S&W Magnum cartridge.It is built on S&W's largest frame, the X-Frame, which was developed because none of S&W's existing double-action frame designs could handle the muzzle energy and...
- List of handgun cartridges
- 12 mm caliber12 mm caliberThis article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the to caliber range.*Length refers to the cartridge case length.*OAL refers to the overall length of the cartridge.*Bullet refers to the diameter of the bullet....