I may have a chance to grab one worth the money. Anyone here have one? Likes or dislikes? reflex264

I don't have one, but my advice would be....

...HOLD ON TIGHT!!!

4" anything over .44 Mag. kick like crazy and are hard to get decent groups with unless you are very much experienced in shooting the big kickers. My 6" and 10" .500s are very manageable and reasonable to shoot. The one 4" I shot was not user friendly for any extended shooting.

Well, I guess if the money is right and you could make a little on it go ahead. It's your hand and maybe forehead that might think differently.

Good luck.

I had a 4" model for awhile and just couldn't live with it. It had just too much concussion and bark to it for me when shot under a canopy.

After 60/70 rounds I always felt a little dazed, punch drunk if you will. I even double plugged and it didn't help much, so I sold it and purchased a John Ross model, which has a 5" barrel with no compensator and I can shoot that all day and not get that luppy feeling.

The recoil wasn't any problem, in fact, when shooting over the top loads, which are just a tad beyond the good book's max recommendations, I much prefer the 500 S&W to a single action 500JRH when it comes to felt recoil but each to his own there I guess.

That Ross model is a little harder on the wrist then the 4" compensated model when shooting over the top loads, so I'll shoot maybe 10/15 rounds max of the boomers at a session and then just shoot 440 to 515 grain cast at 1,000fps, which are real mild but accurate. One of these days I'll try some 350 to 400 grain cast at 1,000fps and see how they shoot.

Plain and simple, it"s sounds just painful, and talk about getting your bones rattled.

I had one, wasn't bad shooting. Its nice n heavy so recoil not terrible but all depends on shooter. My bro shot couple times and just asked "why?"
only reason sold as needed money and had other guns for its use

It comes with a compensator and makes me wonder what the owners are compensating for.

If you want one then go for it, but just remember that it's going to make everything else you're wearing look that much smaller IMHO.

Too much is in the eye of the shooter. Thats why the FBI had to give up the 45acp and go to the 40cal. Some of the agent's couldn't handle the recoil,lol. My 5'6" wife could probably handle twice the recoil some of those "tuff guys" could..

IMO it's not so much about "Ow, that 45ACP hurts so much to shoot and I can't hit anything with it!" as much as "Hey, I can get back on target faster with this 40S&W than this 45ACP and it also holds more rounds!" I could be wrong, though.

My father n law was retired law enforcement. He was the one that actually told me that they discontinued the 45's service because the agents couldn't handle the recoil. I don't think it had anything to do with their ability to stay on target...

This is actually how the .40 S&W came about. The 10mm was adopted by the FBI and slowly emasculated with lighter and lighter loadings.

Obviously, 500 S&W rounds are so powerful they can detonate missiles in flight!

Skip to about 2:00 for a good laugh from the movie "Red".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFLX7Pk1Tn4

I have always thought that the 10mm & later the 40 S&W (slow & weak) were really the children of the 41 mag. The 41 mag originally had two different loadings (one full power & a lighter load for law enforcement). However, when Smith decided to put the 41 out in the "big" frame revolver, it never really gained popularity with the law enforcement groups. It was intended to provide increased stopping power over the 357.

Fast forwarding many years --- everyone moved from revolvers to semis. Up jumps the old 41 law enforcement effectiveness in a new semi -- the 10mm. However, now we have many more ladies in law enforcement along with a higher percentage of candidates that did not grow up shooting. Thus, the 10mm was a little stout for many. Then the 40 S&W was born. That is my understanding and opinion.

Wasn’t the FBI originally a bunch of accountants that were certified as peace offers???

Something like that.....LOL!

I shot one a few times...It is a beast and while I could handle it I didn't enjoy handling it. The good thing was that after shooting it pretty good and managing the recoil I have NO intimidations about shooting other guns. I just don't see the practicality of the handgun besides a zombie grizzly bear on meth attack..

Actually the 40 has more recoil then the 45 does. That's why you see very few 40s in uspsa, ipsc matches do to the recovery time required to get back on target. I shoot 45acp, 40sw and 9mm and my scores are much higher with my 45s then my 40s.

I aint too recoil sensitive. If this works out I may have to grab it. reflex264

If you compare apples to apples, i.e. same bullet weight and velocity in same length barrel in .40 and in .45, you will notice that there is no noticeable difference.
That is the reason that there are SO MANY .40's in IPSC/USPSA, not only in Limited division where you won't find anything but .40's but more and more also in Single Stack, which is the division for nothing but the 1911. Same recoil and higher capacity of .40's is hard to beat.
Now, if, instead of comparing 180 to 180gr or 200 to 200gr you compare 155 to a 230gr, then yes, there is more recoil "lift" from the lighter, faster bullet but recovery time is super fast. Whereas the 230gr recoils slower and with more power, usually resulting in slower recovery time.

But, .40 aside, that 4" .500" boomer should be a handful. I see the 500's used and barely used for sale quite frequently, even in the longer barrel versions so most folks obviously weren't too pleasantly suprised with what they had purchased. I reckon, that 4" is a liiiiiittle bit snappier than the 8" guns. Please post on youtube when you shoot it!

Yes. I remember a group called Dornas & Dickson that really screwed up the works here. Still remember Sonny on "Miami Vice" carrying the only 10MM in existance. I had several friends who lost there butts with D&D orders. I read now, where many in our northern state, Alaska, carrying the 10MM up there, in the woods.
Steve

Actually when Hoover ran it they were all lawyers not accuountants.
Steve

LOL... couldn't remember all the details. Just remembered they were not peace officers first...