Ok, let me start by saying that I do this every time I go to buy a new gun. I started off looking for a 375 jdj contender tube. Sense then iv considered several other calibers, Then a freedom arms in several calibers, then a linebaugh custom ruger, then a BFR, and now I'm stuck on a 4 inch SW 500. I'm in love with the looks of this gun. Considering the longest kill shot iv ever had a chance to make was a whopping 87 yards, with 90% being 20 yards or less, I should be able to shoot it well enough to take game at my usual ranges. I'm not particularly concerned with velocity loss as I'd b probably try to load a 400 gr or maybe a little heavier to around 1000 fps. Like catapulting a volkswagen. Can anyone convince me that it's a bad idea or should I roll with it?

You probably wouldn't have any long tracking jobs if you shot something with that. The short sight radius and recoil would probably be the two biggest issues to overcome. Of course, if you put a dot sight on it the sight radius would be a non issue.

You see a lot of those for sale used, and many come with a box of ammo with 1 round fired. But I'll not tell a man what he should or should not buy ;-)

You mean the ones with bits of blood and skin on the front sight from someone's forehead?

Lol! I'm aware there may be some recoil involved.. but I don't plan to run max loads.

I'd probably be better off with a bfr but I can't get over the ugly. Maybe the 6.5 inch version is worth looking at as well.

If you don't plan on running it hard, why not opt for perhaps a BFR in .500 JRH? It's not the long framed gun, but the "normal" sized one. X-frames are a lot of gun, but if you intend not to push hard, I don't see a reason for having a .500 Smith. However, if you really just want one, I can understand that completely.

While not as bad as the long cylinder version, I can't get used to the drop from that huge top strap to the barrel on the BFR. Maybe an octagon barrel could make it look a little better?

I would never try to convince somebody that they don't need another gun, but a bullet in the 400gr/1000 fps realm is down where the 480 Ruger and 475 Linebaugh play......with a much more packable configuration.

I completely agree, and one of those two was my first choice. But I can't find a decent looking wheel gun chambered for them that isn't a 3 thousand dollar freedom.

This custom Blackhawk in .500 JRH is for sale.....

What is something like that going for?

You know the saying "if you have to ask the price......"

I am curious as well Max.

Can't be an arm and a leg cause you're gonna need both arms to tame that beast!

Let your heart be your guide.....

Max, Is this your gun?

Never mine, I realize who's it is now. I'll send him a PM.

It's mine now.......

Yours, and up for sale, or yours now that it has been purchased?

It's rightful home is in the Carolinas, Whit

Mine as in it resides in Virginia, and it is up for sale. A number of my revolvers have been sucked into the black hole of North Carolina, never to return!

It's a rarity that they make it up here!

I had a 4" and i thought it was a blast to shoot-only reason had to sell was the govt wanted its $ for taxes that year.
I shot up to 520gr cast and I didnt think recoil was bad. My brother didnt enjoy it too much though. It is a bit heavy for a 4" but the weights good for the recoil. Definitely a great gun in my opinion. If you get it I still have a galco belt holster if your interested..just pm me

If the price is right - purchase it. The 4" model balances well and is accurate enough out to 100 yards. I had one and liked everything about it except the "muzzle blast"/"concussion" when shooting under a canopy.

You'll find the recoil in that big X-frame to be very tame at the velocities you're looking at.

I got rid of my 4" due to the "muzzle blast" and went with the Ross model (no compensator & 5" barrel) and it's just as enjoyable but the felt recoil when shooting "stupid" velocities is a tad more than I like.

I handled one for a while and it was a bit of a novelty in my opinion. It was the absolute ceiling of recoil that I could withstand. I was able to shoot it well enough to kill whatever at 20 yds but then again if the bullet missed, the muzzle blast would have probably killed it.. It was a nice gun but I was happy to return it to its owner. Loaded down I probably would have loved it!

Hey, Swampcrawler, did you decide on the handcannon yet?

Just a note. Dont know if ya like the looks or not but the smith 6.5" with the 1/2 lig barrel is a nice piece and not anymore cumbersome than anything else with a 6.5 barrel

Very true.

I bought this one used, (although it is ony a 2" bbl. not 4"), played with it for awhile, and then sold it and bought my FA 83 in .500 Wyoming Express. That .500 Wyoming is also tough in the recoil department. It is a lighter gun and shoots the same bullets, basically. Maybe I woud have kept the .500 S&W if it had the four inch bbl...

Gregg, what boolits were you firing out of that thing? They can't be that heavy, because I don't see any blood or hide on that front sight.

Also, I like the red grip. I've only ever seen them in black.

This came in a waterproof floating box as the Alaska Survival kit. This double-action revolver, chambered in .500 S&W Magnum, has a 2.75” barrel, stainless finish, adjustable rear sight, orange front blade sight, bright orange Hogue recoil reducing grip, and 5-shot cylinder. Comes with safety orange “Emergency Survival Tool Kit” packaged in a waterproof and durable matching Storm case. The kit includes a Blast Match Firestarter and WetFire tender; Saber Cut Saw with fabric sheath; Jet Scream whistle; Star Flash signal mirror; Polaris compass; two MPI Mylar Space Emergency Blankets; and a Smith & Wesson Extreme Ops liner lock folding knife with black sheath. Also included is the book, Bear Attacks of the Century - True Stories of Courage and Survival.

There was also an identical kit that came in .460 S&W. The only other difference than caliber was the .460 had bright yellow grips and front blade sight. They retailed for about $1200.

honestly the 4" isn't ungainly at all. I'm not sure how it's viewed as so huge and the single actions are considered these svelte little guns. opinions vary but that smith is nice Gregg but I too would very much want the 4" instead.

For roughly the same overall size, and less weight, you can have a revolver with a longer barrel and the subsequent longer sight radius. While you can load the big Smith down, the 4-inch X-frames I have shot with factory ammo are some of the noisiest, muzzle-blasty (I made that word up - LOL) revolvers I have shot. JMHO.

I would go with a .500 JRH BFR, I sent mine to Jack and had him work it over and I couldn't be happier. It now has 5 and half inch banded barrel and the grip frame mod with his custom grips it just made a good gun even better and it looks a whole better to, I just don't think I would enjoy being behind a 4 inch .500 Smith with all that blast and noise coming out of that break

I'm not any kind of expert, but it seems to me a gun with a 1/2" inside diameter barrel, and a barrel length of 2" to 4" would need to use some very fast burning powder not the traditional slower 296 and H110, in order to get all you can get before the bullet is out and away. I don't know,I'm sort of curious.

I understand it will still be very powerful no matter what you load it with.

That's actually a good point.

H110 and 296 are "slow" among the pistol powders, but they are still in the upper third among all powders. Faster powders do well with lighter bullets, but as you move up in weight performance improves as you move down in burn rate. Heavier bullets take longer to get going and that allows more time for the "slower" powder to build momentum. Size matters, when it comes to barrel length, so best to try as many combinations as you can.