Learn me on .50cal handguns.

With the acquisition of a .475cal revolver, I have now neared the end of my handgun journey.

What I lack is a .50cal (not BMG) handgun of some flavor. And.......I want one.

So, learn me as to their strengths, weakness, options, and attributes.

I don't "NEED" one. I will never go to Africa. I will likely never hunt legit dangerous game requiring such a gun. I just simply want one.

Custom, is not an option. I just choose not to spend more than 1k-ish for another handgun. Done it twice. Got it out of my system. And the slush fund isn't what it once was.

So, as I see it, my available options are .50 AE / .500 JRH / .500 S&W.

Platforms in that price range seem to be the BFR / S&W / Encore.

Teach me, oh wise Enablers!

I'm not so wise, but I have been accused of enabling!

Great minds think alike. Or at least, disturbed ones.

I was kinda leaning that way as well. But, wanted the voice of reason. Or experience.

Id agree with the 50jrh. I have that and the smith and had a 500 linebaugh. The 500l is a very limited gun imho and expensive to get brass and buy bullets for. The smith is large and to take advantage of the extra case capacity you need at least the 8 3/8" barrell imho. With my 6.5" smith 500 i cannot really beat a jrh in velocity out of my sons bfr 7.5" barrel but the bfr has better tolerances as well and my bfr 460 7.5" barrel beats my smith 460 8 3/8" barrel by almost 100 fps. So that have something to do with it. The bfr is a little cheaper. Also the brass can be made from cut down 500 smith brass which no other 50 cal can claim and the bullet selection is by far better and the same as the smith but unlike the other single action platforms you have a slightly bigger cylinder and can use the big bullets. Thats what id do, in fact im gonna do it soon

Practical, the right size, long cylinder, tough, and very accurate. Also, pretty much readily available. No doubt in my mind 500 JRH BFR!

Yup!

I owned a Freedom Arms Model 83 in .500 Wyoming Express. It was a real beaut; and for sure the recoil got your attention!
http://www.handgunhunt.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=2058&ppuser=872

I killed a doe antelope and also a muley buck with it; I finally sold it to one of my hunters so I could get some cash flow to have Rod build me my .475 Linebaugh custom.
http://www.handgunhunt.com/promo/membership/features/readNewArticle.php?oid=28

But alas! This gun breaks the One K limit by two times!

I killed this water buffalo with a .500 JRH. As I said before, it isn't lacking even remotely in terminal effectiveness!

Zee
I acquired my 454 BFR last spring, then Santa delivered Max?s latest book for Christmas. That was the seed for the following. I wanted a BFR 475 Linebaugh, I called BFR to ask the process to order one as it was listed as a custom offering. I learned from that call that BFR was moving the 475-LB & 500-JRH from custom to production. I was able to locate both within weeks apart. The triplets [454\475\500] are a dream to shoot and accuracy is top notch if I do my part. I started wearing glasses at the age of 8 so? with age I have scoped all three of them with Burris 2x7x32.
The 500 JRH ? I use Starline 500 S&W brass and cut it down, RCBS dies are listed as (500 S&W M \ Short) they work just fine for the JRH. My pet load that I plan to hunt with (deer) is A#9 Swift 325 AF\HP @ 1535fs.



You mentioned the Encore platform so I will add in this 50 caliber. The 50 B&M Alaskan, which is the standard 50 Alaskan necked down to .500 taking advantage of the many .500 caliber bullets Vs the original .510. Pictured below ? SSK 14? full bull barrel 1-12? twist - Tsob with a 60 caliber fishgill brake. I use Starline 50 AK brass and a simple trip tough the B&M die has them sized and ready to shoot. This will equal and exceed the 500 S&W with less pressure.
Ballistics to date for this canon:
Hornady 300 FTX ? 2300fs
Barnes 325 XPB ? 2240fs
Swift 325 AF/HP ? 2192fs
Hornady 350 XTP ? 2190fs
Hornady 500 FP ? 1800fs (This is a handful & max load!)



B..

Thanks, guys.

If I went with an Encore barrel from MGM, it would be in .500 S&W.

That would be the most cost effective route to go. A barrel is cheaper than a gun.

If I can save my pennies, I'd rather go with the shorter barreled (5.5in.?) BFR in .500 JRH.

Do they come with scope base? Or, is that ordered separately?

Either way, it will likely be closer to fall or the end of the year.

Zee, it comes with the scope base.

Perfect! I have a 2x Burris scope that needs a home.

One penny, two pennies, three pennies, four pennies,??

Dang it, now you guys are making me want a 50 cal something or other.

I just went with through the same thing, I ended up getting a S&W 500 just for the ease of getting brass and ammo.

I have to say if you want a 500, go with the Magnum!

$1000 bucks--your're there

Good looks--got it. (well maybe?) haha

Packability--somewhat. lol

Accurate--Very!!..unless you got both eyes shut and your head out of the way.(which isn't a bad idea!!). lol

Loud--DEAFinitely

Impressive to shoot--seriously??

Power--Penty!!
It's a little ridiculous actually..hahaha

She shoots a 300gr ftx at over 1900fps and a 440wfn at 1480, with a 3" inch tube!! If you run Berry's 350's you can even afford to shoot it. If you go with the 8 3/8" barrel she'll push the 450cast to over 1800fps!

When the 50 bug bites, I don't know if going with the "special" really quenches that thirst!...with wood grips this beast sure will!! hahaha

At that point, I should just go all out.





:-)

500JRH was my choice, and I don't regret it one bit. With that, and a 45 Colt, what more does a man need???!!!

.50 Special? At 50,000 psi, there is nothing subdued about the .500 JRH. The .500 Smith was an answer to a question nobody asked. Too much blast, noise, and heft, for little gain over the shorter .50 Caliber cartridges. That is why I am not a fan, and frankly I prefer single-actions to double-actions, and the 1.6-inch .500 S&W doesn't fit in a normal-sized SA frame, and if you have to go with the Maximum frame, might as well chamber it in the .500 Smith & Wesson's daddy, the .500 Maximum. No Wes, you can keep that snub-nosed X-frame!

Just for inspiration:

.500 JRH BFR (my first one):



My latest .500 JRH BFR:




One of my custom .500 JRHs -- compact, lightweight, packable, and a lot easier to look at then an X-frame.

Something just came up.

I wrestled with this for about five minutes. I went with the JRH because the WE has that goofy and unnecessary belt, the Linebaugh is much more difficult to feed and the S&W is about as handy as a mountain howitzer. An X-frame in a belt holster is about like John Holmes in a speedo.

Haha,,I'm laughing so hard I can barely type!! Hellboy is actually stamped on the back of that holster!..lol Since the pictures she has been up-graded? to the round butt Badger grip, and she really kicks your ass now!!

I'll take it Craig, you caught me doing well...so I'll just go ahead and send you the $1000 bucks to the address I have on file for you, And please don't delay and getting that fine JRH headed my way. I' be sure to post a few pics of me marking up some steel plates and flesh with her, as I have time!!.

Max, Craig, those are awesome guns!!..But I doubt if any of them can be had for less than the S&W??.. And yes, you folks that know me know that I'm a single action guy...Especially if I want to hit anything!

But you have to admit that the little HellBoy is quite impressive and it really fits the bill for pack-able power..Overkill for sure! If there was such a thing!!! LOL and it doesn't cost much... until you feed her!! LOL

All depends on what you want and what you'll use it on. If you decide on a single shot, there is NO load made or can be loaded for the JRH that can push a 400 gr bullet to 1,900 fps like I can in my 12" 500 S&W SSK Encore Barrel. Just depends on what platform you want to use.

Recoil is a NON issue with the arresstor brake on my barrel....like shooting a heavily loaded 44 Mag.....literally a cap gun

David, my buddy (who shall remain nameless) got 1,650 out of a 440 grain bullet and a 6 1/2-inch barrel -- with a barrel gap, and it fits on your belt. For a revolver, a packable, useable revolver, the .500 S&W isn't a great option in my humble opinion. When I determine I need more velocity, I'll move up to a rifle. The whole premise behind "handgun" hunting -- at least for me -- is working within the design parameters (actually limitations). I accept the fact that I will not be able to achieve rifle-like velocities with my chosen tool, and attempts to do that compromise its effectiveness. With that, I have bullet diameter and bullet weight. If my penetration is adequate, the only issue is placement.....

Again, JMHO.

Hey you dads out there, Happy Father's Day!

Wes, I'll drop it off at UPS first thing in the morning. Promise.

Craig, im always stunned how beautiful that revolver is

I don't know Zee personally, but he may be a man like myself that likes to push limitations. Thank god as handgun hunters that we decided to push limitations. If we hadn't done that we'd never have the 454 Casull or any other the other high performance handgun hunting rounds. It's all about preference, and if Zee likes single shots....why not shoot a 500 S&W....or better yet, a 50 B&M Alaskan???

An Encore barrel would assuredly be the more economical route to take. Less than half the price of a BFR.

If I was just looking for performance and not aesthetics with performance, I'd be all in for the Encore. And I'm not saying I ain't. But, while I have several Encore barrels, they are tools without much love. Albeit, very effective tools.

I may yet go the Encore .500 S&W route. But, it would be a 9" + Baffle Brake.

I wouldn't have to trim cases. Load data is readily available. My 2x Burris scope would easily mount............

I'll have a better idea after I get my .480 Ruger SBH. That might scratch my big bore revolver itch and I can go with the Encore barrel in S&W. Like you said, let it be what the case will let it be.

I don't know........

Well, I just did the math. To build an Encore barrel the way I would want it would cost about $550 when all was said and done.

So, not quite the less than half I had originally thought. But still, about half the price of a BFR.

There ya go...Get the 50 and still have money to go for the next itch that needs scratching.

The cost of a barrel is cheap vs a whole gun. A fifty has really good potential as a big dangerous game backup and for that id want a few more shots but id bet u could run that encore at a higher velocity outta that 12" barrel. Double tap lists loads out of a smith for 400gr at over 1800 fps. I bet u should be able to run over 2000 outta that barrel?!?! Id love to see what u could do

No dangerous game in my parts, so it's more about the want than a need.

I just like guns. I like cartridges. I like collecting and playing with both. Whether the target or game require it is trivial to the joy of having and shooting as many different gun/carrridge combinations as possible.

Which is the allure of the BFR.

I have Encores. I've never owned a BFR.

What 480 are u getting

Ruger.



She is in Purgatory (Layaway).

Oh cool! My son has that gun. He likes it alot

Zee, I think you should go with the BFR and if it turns out you don't like it I will give you $550.00 for it and you can get the encore barrel. PROBLEM SOLVED. LOL

Get the BFR, Zee. You won't regret it. They are so accurate out of the box that they are a joy to work with.

Why stop at 50 cal? Y'all know there's a .620 JDJ, right?





Who wouldn't want to fire a 1050 grain cast bullet out of a handgun?

I think I'm good at .50cal.

Unless.........a 12ga pistol............

BFR's are great guns for the money, but there big and chunky to me compared to a Ruger Bisley or Freedom 83. I wasn't happy when I got mine so I had some custom stuff done to make it look and handle better. Those front plastic sights just don't work for me on a gun that cost a grand

The sights are metal. Not really chunky. Beefed up and strong but not huge.

Beefed up and ugly kinda like a super redhawk

Not so ugly, in my estimation. They're not Freedom Arms pretty, but they aren't Freedom Arms four-shots either, and they tend to be accurate in the extreme. At that price-point, I'll take it!

Oh, and for those who don't know, Magnum Research is no longer equipping their revolvers with Ruger rear sights. They're using LPA-sourced sights now and they are outstanding.

Yeah. Double action and just the same as a srh?!?! Just like it.

The bfr is quite simple the strongest and most appropriate single action platform for a 50 cal revolver in existence. Im not sure how many buy them and expect them to be as small and light as a new model vaquero in 357. The short cylinder bfrs arent appreciably larger than a standard blackhawk. Pictures prove this.

Excuse the lousy photo, but here is one of my .500 JRH BFRs next to my FA 83 (.454). When the sight base is removed, it's really not much bigger, but a little extra bulk is your friend with top-end .500 JRH loads.

hell I thought a srh was double action guess I'm wrong again

No genius, i was implying the bfr wasnt double action and the srh is. I guess sometimes sarcasm must be felt even when its obvious.

God I love this site!

All in good fun. Variety is the soice of life

To make .500 JRH cases from .500 S&W brass, what do I have to do?

Just shorten the case length? I read somewhere that the case head had to be reduced to fit in a BFR cylinder or something.

What say ye?

Just shorten it. The BFR is set up for the bigger rim.

Dammit. Why you gotta make it that easy?

Haha! Because misery loves company!

Hi Zee

Having a high speed arrow cutting saw, I made a simple jig that holds the 500 Mag brass. This makes quick work for shorting them. I cut them a little long and finish them up on the case trimmer. Buzzed though a box of 100 in no time.

Good luck
B..

That's a good idea!!

Zee, have you made a decision yet?

The cartridge will be either a .500 JRH or S&W.

I have the brass and dies.

The platform is still undecided.

.500 S&W = MGM Encore Barrel
.500 JRH = BFR

Do you want another gun or another barrel?
Do you want short and compact or long and heavy?
Do you want a single shot or a repeater?
Short and packable BFR in 500 JRH gets my vote

To me it's more about the actual round...kinda like 38 Special or 357 Mag, 44 Special or 44 Mag, 480 or 475 Linebaugh. The JRH, while powerful, cannot equal the full length version (500 S&W)

Well, just get both and quit yer bellyaching...worsethanateengirlonpromnight

I?m pacing myself. Not rushing into a decision.

:buildingthe.308gasgunfirst:

Boiling down to........how much am I willing to spend.

Kinda my thinking as well. Plus.....less case prep with the S&W.

ZEE: AT A YO HANDGUNNER HUNT YEARS AGO, WHEN THE S&W 500 WAS STILL NEW, ONE OF PETER PI's SONS TOLD ME THAT SCOPES WOULD ONLY LAST A FEW ROUNDS ON THE S&W 500's (I DO NOT RECALL THE # BUT IT WAS SMALL. LIKE UNDER 20), SO I WROTE THE S&W 500 OFF MY WISH LIST.

It would be a 1 inch bull barrel about 8 inches long plus a good brake. Should tame it enough so as a scope might survive.

At least.............I?d hope.

The scopes hold up pretty good on the 500. As long as you run a quality one

It's all academic. It boils down to what you want. Do you want something that can be comfortably carried or something that weighs five pounds and requires a bipod, a muzzle brake and a crew to fire? That's a rhetorical question. I feel the .50 cals (excluding the .50 AE) have a higher function than most other handgun rounds and that is really big and dangerous game. In that vein, I prefer handguns and quite frankly the game will never know the difference. Basically, if it can't be shot offhand, it's functionally of no use to me especially if dangerous game is on the menu. Otherwise, you might as well carry a rifle because it can be pressed into action without a rest. I am focusing more on dangerous game with my comments here. This is not an indictment of specialty pistols or long barreled, scope wearing revolvers, it's just that their spectrum of use is different from that of a short barreled revolver. It again boils down to what you expect from your chosen firearm.

A good compromise as far as the .500 Smith & Wesson is concerned is the BFR with the 7 1/2-inch barrel. For some reason that you might not think judging by the size of the long frame, they balance remarkably well and can be shot offhand.

I'm not following the logic here. The cartridge either does what you need it to or it doesn't.

Zee, did u give up on the bfr 7.5" 500? I think that fits the. Ill for what u were talking about though u can get jrh brass and not need to prep it, but i agree with ernie! Get both

The brass from Buffalo Bore ain't cheap but it beats the heck out of trimming S&W cases.

Craig, it's simple logic. I understand everyone's point about what size and style of gun to choose. If you look solely at the two final rounds and choices, the 500 JRH or 500 S&W. The 500 S&W is the Magnum version, the JRH is more similar to the Special.....

Actually, there is a .500 Special (see photo below -- Special left, JRH right) that was intended to be just that, a mellow, soft-hitting alternative to the .500 S&W. The JRH from the outset was meant to be a maximum effort hunting cartridge for a "normal-sized" revolver. At the 50,000 or so PSI I load it to, there is nothing soft or "Special-esque" about it. That's not how I would characterize it, but maybe that's not what you meant.

The JRH was conceptualized long before the S&W. It was designed as a rimmed cartridge that would fit the FA 83 platform and could be easily adapted to those guns already chambered in .50AE. The S&W simply makes brass easier. So this idea that the JRH is a "Special" version of the S&W has no merit. The .500Spl is a special version of the S&W.

I'm not following your logic on this at all. So there's no reason to own a .500Linebaugh because the Long version exists? Or neither because there is a .50Alaskan? No .50Alaskan because there is the .50-110? No reason to own a .38 or .44Spl because there are longer versions? So no .357Mag or .44Mag because there is the .357Max and .445Supermag? You pick the cartridge that does what you want it to and all the rest of this is just mental masturbation? Or is there something else at work here? Is this just an obsession with velocity? All that extra velocity is fine if you want or need it. If I was shooting a single shot out to 200yds, I'd probably want the long version too but I'm not. So again, you choose the cartridge that does what you want/need it to.

After contemplating the lint in my belly button, I concluded that the .500 S&W BFR is bulkier than I want in a handgun. Similar to the X-Frames.

It?ll either be a short cylinder revolver or a short barrel and roughly same OAL Encore.

That makes sense. An encore with a barrel even with a compensator will be a lighter shorter and inwould guess gun that is shootable offhand. With the right brake itll be comfortable to shoot and likely a good option.

I want a .50cal handgun. So.............

-I have .500 S&W dies that would work for either of my two choices.
-I have .500 S&W brass. Do I want to trim it or use it as is.
-Either cartridge will kill anything I am likely to EVER hunt. That, is not the question.
-Building a .500 S&W barrel is half the cost of buying a .500 JRH Revolver. How much I?m willing to spend must be decided by me.

I am not in a rush to make these decisions. It kind of boils down to, when I have the money and that project is at bat..........availability will likely win.

I could build the Smith barrel right now. But, I?m working on another project. When I?m done, if I have enough for a BFR, I?ll probably do the JRH. If I don?t, I?ll probably do the Smith.

I photoshopped my .358 Win barrel to conceptualize my idea for the .500 Smith barrel. This is kinda what I?d like it to look like with a ?brake?.

8 inch barrel + brake should put it about 9-9.5 inch total barrel length.

Like u said either will kill anything u are likely to hunt but both will kill anything you can hunt and i totally get the brass trimming thing. I hate doing that. The smith gets ya into a velocity range that id suspect could be fun at extended distances and if ya play with 50 cal there is an appeal to having the top of the heap imho. I look forward to seeing what ya get or build and seeing what results u getnon game!

I understand your dilemma. Whatever you decide I am interested in hearing your reports.

Just saw the pic. Thats a nice setup imho

Zee, I think you need something like this;

TC Encore 500 1

TC Encore 500 2

And the how not to crew;

TC Encore 500 3

Just make sure it has iron sights.

I?ve see all of those. Contemplated building one like the first two videos. But, I can get a 4 Port Baffle Brake from Harrel for half the price of the JP and it should be just as effective while being more streamlined.

The last video are a bunch of ass clowns.

Totally. I made it up to the point where the guy loaded his .44 Mag with 180 Hornady loads for recoil comparison.....and then just walked away. It pains me.

The ass clown video would've been more entertaining had it not been so sad.

Definately shows the "how not to" in firearms handling. The muzzle brake didn't seem to be to efficient either.

I feel so much comfort knowing "Combat Wombat" gave us a "recoil baseline".

Lordy!

That was painful to watch.

The barrel has been ordered.

Excellent! What are the specs? Or do you want to save that information for the grand unveiling once you get it?

.500 S&W
Stainless Steel
Full Bull (1 inch)
8 inches
Threaded 3/4-24 inch
Harrel 4-Port Tactical or Side Port Brake Shipped to them for installation & timing.
DT for 6-Hole, 5 inch Pic Base
DT for Pistol Forend

Gonna be short and stout.

Sounds awesome! Look forward to seeing it.

Looking forward to your testing!

I don't know that Thunder Stick would do it justice. Might have to go with Thunder Log for a name

Who is DT?

Ern, I think that's "Drill and Tap".

Roger that. Thanks!

You will definitely have a stick of dynamite by the handle. Sounds really cool...the brake will honestly make the recoil of even max loads a non issue.

I?m hoping it won?t be too unpleasant.

The blast is worse than the recoil...she will throw one hell of a fireball

I have never fired a .500 S&W.

Will be an experience.

I wouldn't mind a small 50 cal... Something to buck a great big bullet around a 1000 fps..... Should kill anything im likely to kill. Sounds like a fun gun now if only I can afford one lol I don't want one of the huge x-frames though. Something average size 5 shots punch a half inch hole through 3 deer end to end.... You know something little lmao

Sounds awesome Zee, looking forward to the pics and report. Maybe you could put up a video of the recoil for us too. Don't forget to use a recoil baseline! Ha!

Any updates Zee? Are you still waiting for the barrel?

It arrived a week and a half ago, or so. Just been busy.

Turned out beautifully! Except......for one minor flaw.





I ordered the 4 port baffle brake from Harrel Precision and had them ship it straight to MGM for instalation. Called MGM and they confirmed it's arrival. Guess I should have asked what it looked like. Because Harrel shipped them the wrong brake. They sent a radial brake. MGM not knowing any better because it wasn't their fault.........beautifully mounted the wrong brake and sent it to me. I didn't realize the error until I opened the package.



Called Harrel Precision and they were apologetic. Sent me the correct one free of charge. Just have to get it finished and installed.



At least I will get to compare the two brakes as to effectiveness. SCIENCE!!!

Took it to the range and played with some reduced Trail Boss loads.









Gonna wait until I get the other brake finished before I go full bore on the ammo.

It's a right handy firearm.

Cool Beans.
Looks great!!!
Looking forward to shooting it.

.500 GNR
380 gr LWN
16 gr of HS6
1160 fps

That's a fine looking handgun.

ZEE that is a really nice looking TC
The mz brake looks wicked

Wow. Nice piece u have there. Looks great. Appears to shoot even better!

Can't argue with that!

that is a wicked TC

Very nice Zee. Looking forward to seeing what it will do with stouter loads, though the load you tested would take any critter I hunt for.

I?m kind of excited. My buddy has already timed and installed the baffle brake. I told him not to worry about turning the brake down to the diameter of the barrel. Just index and spin a finish on the brake.

He doesn?t have a bead blast machine. So, it won?t look like the MGM installed brake, but should be functional. That?s all I really need it to be.

I?ll pick it up from him after Christmas.

I actually laughed when I fired the first test load with TB. It was such a mouse fart that I couldn?t believe how enjoyable it was to shoot.

Honestly, I think I can get this to be my boy?s first hunting handgun. The round will kill any deer we shoot and the recoil is so minimal, I think he could pull it off at 11 years old. Only problem is reaching the trigger.

Yup. Hand size is my sons limiting factor right now.

I?m a Carney. And my boy, at his age, is even more challenged in the mandible aspect. So, finding a handgun that fits his hand is damn near impossible.

Anxiously awaiting your thorough autopsy results...a 440 even at that speed is gonna keep on trucking through anything it encounters.

My friend has the baffle brake mounted already. Just gotta pick it up and work up a full bore load with the 440s now.

Should be quite a different experience from the mouse fart loads.

Any pics of the Baffle Brake?

Haven?t picked it up from him yet.