BIGGEST ... To ... smallest

F

FUD

Moderator
What is the absolute biggest, most powerful HANDGUN bullet COMMERCIALLY (not something developed in somebody's basement or garage) available? Or, put another way, if T.Rex came looking for supper and was standing between you and your rifle/shotgun, what handgun round would you want to have in your hand to shoot at him?

And if that wasn't available, what be your next choice? And your next choice after that? And so on until we come to the .22 short.
 
Top 2
.454
.50 AE
goes way down from there if you want a cannon.

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Talk about the greatest pistol ever made.
www.1911Forum.com
 
Hmmm, not counting handguns shooting "rifle" calibers, and not counting the Linebaugh calibers (.475, .500, etc.) and other semi-wildcats which are commercially available in theory, but I don't think WIDELY commercially available, the biggest BULLET traditionally viewed as being for a handgun is probably the 325 gr (and up - ?) for the .50AE round. I think the biggest CARTRIDGE (girth, powder capacity) is probably the .454 Casull, or maybe the AE - don't know. The most ENERGY would be basically a tie between the .440 Corbon, and the .454 Casull (arguable whether .440 corbon is "commercially available" - it is from Corbon, but maybe not in your store. Desert Eagle offers the pistol) . The most MOMENTUM would go to the .50AE, I believe.

But liking energy over momentum, I'd choose for T-Rex: .454 Casull, then .440 Corbon, then .50AE, then .445 Supermag, .44 Rem Mag .41 Rem Mag, .40 Super, .45 Win Mag, .460 Rowland, .45 Super, .45 Colt, 10mm Auto, .400 Corbon, .45 ACP, etc., all in steel-core ball ammo for max penetration.

But those choices are ONLY if backed up against a wall. If not, I'd be right there with Fitz, running like a wild man for the caves like that family in "Land of the Lost". Actually, I'd only have to outrun Fitz - he'd make a more appealling (larger I mean) lunch to T-Rex anyway. :)

But FUD, having said all that, if this is really bout gators, I'd pick the Taurus Raging Bull in .44 Mag, not 454 casull, with an 8.375" bbl. Would do nicely, and you wouldn't even feel the recoil, what with porting, underlug, and rubber grips.

[This message has been edited by Futo Inu (edited July 13, 2000).]
 
Although I like owning a .454 Casull and would love to brag, I can't. The LARGEST commercially available handgun cartridge that I know of is the .45-70...Magnum research makes the gun. Also, you can get some mighty powerful TC Contenders.
 
FUD,

This has "gators" written all over it. ;) Again I say: Try a Mossberg 590 with a no-stock pistol grip, extended magazine and a sling, loaded with 00 Buck or, as Coinneach suggested, magnum rifled slugs. Granted, it's not subtle. But we don't want to lose you to a twelve foot long monster.

You should be able to play Frisbee and catch the ball with this on your back about as well as with a .454 strapped to your leg. Besides, it's cheapper and you get two extra shots! You'll also be deaf as a post if you're not careful, shotgun or pistol either one.

Death to the reptilian menace,

Ledbetter
 
I am going to get a lot of flame on this one but I can prove it.
A couple of years ago a local man had a bolt action single shot pistol chambered for the 50 BMG round.14 inch barrel and wieghts 14 lbs.Very good muzzel brake on it.Recoiled about 6 inches and stoped.A true better then sex gun.
Bob
PS Not commercialy avalible but!!!

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Age and deceit will overcome youth and speed.
I'm old and deceitful.

[This message has been edited by beemerb (edited July 11, 2000).]
 
Magnum Research has 45-70 in their BFR revolver line, but the combination lacks power. A .454, .475 or .500 will out gun the 45-70 from a handgun. The 50 Action Express from a FA is the King. It is the most powerful combination one can buy.

Robert
 
1. 475 Linebaugh [Hornady loads it, and Freedom Arms makes a factory gun for it...though I would far prefer a Bowen or Linebaugh coversion of Ruger Bisley, with 420 LBT bullets]
2. Ruger Redhawk hunter model--7.5" brrl and scope with Garrett's 330 grain Hammerhead bullet or failing that load Federal's 300 cast core [a LBT bullet]
3. My 4" 629 with Fed's castcore [they kick in the 4" gun but I can shoot them]
4. 4" DA 357 loaded with Federal 180 grain castcore [they seem mild after the 300 grainers in the 629]
5. Chainsaw...forget that 22 short :p
 
Probably pointless to mention that dinosaurs predate humans by several million years.

I've seen handguns chambered for .444 Marlin. That'll run 300 gr. somewhere around 2000 fps.

But like the state trooper's response to why he chose a seven shot 1911 over a high capacity Glock . . . "The sidearm is only for covering my ass until I can get to the rifle in the squad car."
 
Ledbetter, Actually I didn't do a very good job of phrasing this. I wanted to start a discussion as to rating the different calibers in terms of overall power (T.Rex was just an example).

I was interested in seeing who would rate what caliber above and below what caliber. Would a .357mag be rated as more powerful than a .45ACP? Would a .44mag be rated below a .45 Colt? Would a .22LR be rated above a .25ACP? And so forth and so on.

Anyone care to answer that and forget about the dino example?
 
Cor-Bon has some super loads.

.454 Casull 360 gr 1500 fps
.44 mag 320 gr. 1270 fps

Speer

.50 AE 325 gr. 1400 fps

.45-70 and .444 Marlin are just CRAZY
but arent those just single shot pistols?

I don't see how you can touch the .454 Casull. It is also more available.


------------------
Talk about the greatest pistol ever made.
www.1911Forum.com
 
Go to the top of the page and click on 'Firearms Photos'.

In the first bunch of photos is a very nice picture of a .50 BMG pistol.

LawDog
 
That .50 BMG pistol is manufactured by Birdman of www.Birdman.org , and it is currently for sale for $3,400 in rifle/pistol combo, transfer tax included.
There is a downloadable clip of the pistol being fired at a pumpkin.
 
FUD, take it from someone who knows, not from us, as you have no idea our level of knowledge. Go to www.sixgunner.com and go to Linebaugh's site. You'll spend about 30 minutes there reading about pressures and caliber. I don't want to start another flamefest, but an over-pressure Garrett .44 Mag will not do what a reasonably pressured .45 Colt will do with 1/2 the barrel length.

Robert, interesting note. I had not thought of how much power is developed in the BFR...I shoot my .454 as regularly as I can afford, (will be reloading it soon) and I'm very happy with the power. I can also shoot powerful Linebaugh loads in it...they approach normal .454 loads!
 
Frontsight,

It's not the BFR that is the problem. They are fine firearms. A 454 from them is a good as that caliber gets. It is their gun chambered for 45-70. Although that sounds exotic, there is no way to get a powder to do a full burn. The 454 will out gun the 45-70 from a wheel.

Robert
 
.45-70 and .50BMG are rifle calibers anyway, not "handgun" calibers. The real difference is what kind of platform the original cartridge designers had in mind, which results in powder type, etc. Yeah if we count rifle calibers the BMG has it - Lone Eagle also offers a .300 Win Mag in a handgun. I've seen photos of a .600 Nitro, I think is was, in a MagnaPorted single shot handgun. Actually, come to think of it, the "rifle" vs. "handgun" caliber distinction is not satisfactory, because rounds like the 7mm BR were designed for handguns. So the necked case is the distinction, you say. No, because rounds like .440 corbon and .40 super are necked too. Hmmm, I say "not counting cartridges designed for rifles AND not counting cartridges designed specifically for benchrest competition". Then we'd end up back to the casull, AE, linebaugh, etc.

[This message has been edited by Futo Inu (edited July 12, 2000).]
 
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