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s&W 460 and ruger 480
- Thread starter chuckee
- Start date
Mr.RevolverGuy
New member
S&W 460 is still being produced the ruger 480 is not.
I suspect ruger did not sell enough of them.
I suspect ruger did not sell enough of them.
Lost Sheep
New member
Beats the heck out of me.
I suppose the 460 was just overshadowed by the 500 (undeniably can throw a larger bullet, but the 460, being able to shoot the less expensive and more available 45 Colt and 454 Casull seems to me like a natural, and gives up almost nothing in power until you get to the really heavy bullets).
The 480 Ruger was just overshadowed by the 475 Linebaugh and had bad press on account of 1) sticky extraction 2) rim interference, both of which would have been cured by the 5-shot cylinder (which I would jump on with both feet if there was one in 7.5" barrel). Availability of brass and bullets makes it a handloader's gun. If you go that way, the Linebaugh is more flexible. So, the 480 was destined to be a gun with only a small fan base.
A lot of that fan base was sopped up by the 500 S&W, 475 and 500 Linebaugh (and similarly powerful single actions) and the 454 Casull.
Too bad, the 480 is an excellent cartridge in a terrific gun, if only it had that 5-shot cylinder.
The above is almost 100% speculation and opinion.
Lost Sheep
I suppose the 460 was just overshadowed by the 500 (undeniably can throw a larger bullet, but the 460, being able to shoot the less expensive and more available 45 Colt and 454 Casull seems to me like a natural, and gives up almost nothing in power until you get to the really heavy bullets).
The 480 Ruger was just overshadowed by the 475 Linebaugh and had bad press on account of 1) sticky extraction 2) rim interference, both of which would have been cured by the 5-shot cylinder (which I would jump on with both feet if there was one in 7.5" barrel). Availability of brass and bullets makes it a handloader's gun. If you go that way, the Linebaugh is more flexible. So, the 480 was destined to be a gun with only a small fan base.
A lot of that fan base was sopped up by the 500 S&W, 475 and 500 Linebaugh (and similarly powerful single actions) and the 454 Casull.
Too bad, the 480 is an excellent cartridge in a terrific gun, if only it had that 5-shot cylinder.
The above is almost 100% speculation and opinion.
Lost Sheep
S&W still makes the 460. Ruger discontinued the 480 SRH due the lack of sales.
Jim
They did, about 25 Alaskans. I've seen two of them sell on Gunbroker.Too bad, the 480 is an excellent cartridge in a terrific gun, if only it had that 5-shot cylinder.
Jim
My 460 is an Encore pistol with a 15" barrel. There is an up side and a down side to it.
The down side is that the Encore is lighter than an X frame. The lack of mass makes recoil fierce. In fact, it damaged my wrist. I have to get a muzzle brake cut into the barrel to make it controllable. Heavy aftermarket barrels are easier to handle.
I WOULD NOT put a factory 20" Encore barrel in 460 against my shoulder. That thing would have to be muzzle braked and I'd probably want some industrial grade recoil dampening in the stock.
The up side is the massive velocity increase. The Hornady 200 gr factory loads are rated at 2200 fps in an 8" revolver. In my 15" barrel with no cylinder gap the velocity jumps to 2900 fps. To put that in perspective, I run 208 grain A-maxes out of my 26" 300 WM at 3000 fps. The fat 451 won't have the range that a sleek 30 cal enjoys but it will get waaaay on out there before it drops much. A 200 yd hold doesn't require much elevation change. I don't hunt but I enjoy shooting things farther than most people expect.
I really feel that the 460 belongs in a lever gun. It would get up and leave a 45-70 until you started approaching 400 grain bullets.
The down side is that the Encore is lighter than an X frame. The lack of mass makes recoil fierce. In fact, it damaged my wrist. I have to get a muzzle brake cut into the barrel to make it controllable. Heavy aftermarket barrels are easier to handle.
I WOULD NOT put a factory 20" Encore barrel in 460 against my shoulder. That thing would have to be muzzle braked and I'd probably want some industrial grade recoil dampening in the stock.
The up side is the massive velocity increase. The Hornady 200 gr factory loads are rated at 2200 fps in an 8" revolver. In my 15" barrel with no cylinder gap the velocity jumps to 2900 fps. To put that in perspective, I run 208 grain A-maxes out of my 26" 300 WM at 3000 fps. The fat 451 won't have the range that a sleek 30 cal enjoys but it will get waaaay on out there before it drops much. A 200 yd hold doesn't require much elevation change. I don't hunt but I enjoy shooting things farther than most people expect.
I really feel that the 460 belongs in a lever gun. It would get up and leave a 45-70 until you started approaching 400 grain bullets.
22-rimfire
New member
At this point, if I found a 7.5" SRH in 480 Ruger, I'd buy it even though I have the 9.5" set up as my hunting revolver. It is a great caliber and one that deserved better marketing by Ruger.
I'm not so caught up with the 460 S&W. I personally would be more interested in the 500 S&W. But I have all the revolver I need. I have entertained buying a BFR in 475 Linebaugh.
I'm not so caught up with the 460 S&W. I personally would be more interested in the 500 S&W. But I have all the revolver I need. I have entertained buying a BFR in 475 Linebaugh.
Ruger discontinued the 480 SRH due the lack of sales.
Ruger doesn't seem to understand that a 5-shot Redhawk would sell better than that boat anchor of a Super Redhawk.