.500 special revolver?

G

gav1230

New member
If smith and wesson or Ruger came out with a revolver built around the .500 special, do you think it would be a success? The super redhawk could probably handle it, and smith and wesson could scale up their N frame (V frame has a nice ring to it).
 
The problem rests with the lack of ammunition and no one makes reloading brass.
I guess one could spend days trimming 1/2" from each standard 500 mag case.
Then you also have the arguement "Buy a 500 mag and shoot the specials out of it"
Pesonally, I like the concept. but unfortunately the lack of ammo and brass are a big problem.
 
Not a great idea

Not saying that it won't be successful, but it seems like an awfully big handgun is required for something that is too big for concealed carry and now powerful enough for hunting large/dangerous game.
I'd still like to the the .41 special released. Never gonna happen though.
 
What about a hot .44 magnum with 300 grain bullets? It's cheaper than the 500 and available. IF you're dead set on that caliber, try looking into conversions built on the SBH, etc. Most people don't want the expense of that kind of round in that size. Those that do would buy a conversion. The .45 colt in appropriate guns is as close as you really get in a production gun.
 
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I don't think it would work. The problem is the circumference of the rounds. You must have a big cylinder to house those cartridges. That makes it no more attractive to me than a real 500, (which isn't, by the way.)
 
As the great Ross Seyfried said about it, a great round with no specific purpose. So, it cannot do what a few others already do.
 
quote:
"It didn't work very well for the .475 Special* - I don't think a .500 Special would fare any better.


*.480 Ruger ;) "


Jbar4Ranch, you obviously haven't researched the 480 Ruger, because if you had, you wouldn't have made such a ignorant statement.
 
Which part is "ignorant"?

I've owned a few, and bought one of the very first SRH's so chambered to hit the shelves here. It was early enough that my first box (of 50, no less) is head stamped .475 Ruger. In a frame the size of the SRH, it wasn't a bad combination at all, but it never caught on. I think Ruger has discontinued it and brought it back twice now - obvious proof that it didn't work out very well.
I did a little research into SAAMI specs and found that the SRH will handily withstand .475 Linebaugh pressures, and have loaded the Lee 476-400-RF to the same levels as my .475 Linebaugh revolvers. This bullet has two crimp grooves and when seated out to the bottom groove, has the same case capacity as the .475 Linebaugh. There isn't much room left at the end of the cylinder, but it is sufficient. I've taken deer and elk with it and like it just fine, but sales prove the concept didn't work very well.
 
480 Ruger is a 475 "special", that is a misnomer, it technically a "magnum" class caliber, where as a 475 Linebaugh is a "super-magnum" class caliber, and the 480 Ruger case length is same as the 357, 41 and 44 mag case length, and the factory 480 Ruger performance is closer to the factory 475 Linebaugh that a 44 special is to a 44 mag, and you can "hotrod" the 480 Ruger to factory 475 Linebaugh performance, but that has caused difficult case extraction from what i have read about the "hotroding" the 480, and i do own a first run Ruger SRH in 480 Ruger, and the main reason the 480 Ruger didn't catch on IMHO as well as many well respected gun experts/testers honest opinions and research, is that the 460 S&W and 500 S&W stole the 480 Ruger thunder and that is perceived "Special" load of the 475 Linebaugh, which clearly it is not. i didn't mean to offend Jbar4Ranch, i just don't understand how those who have experience with the 480 Ruger, can give it the moniker of 475 "Special".
 
this is my 50 A.E. Super Blackhawk...

BTW... it would take a big cylinder, even for a 5 shot... using a fully rimmed case, they would be touching in my cylinder ( the 50 A.E. has a rebated rim, the same as a 44 Magnum ) cartridge headspaces on the mouth... I've talked to my builder a couple times about switching it over to the shortened 500 S&W cases, so it wouldn't have to headspace on the case mouth, & could thus take a more solid crimp

 
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