# Holy Crap! S&W introduces a .460 revolver. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 24, 2014, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641 "2014-01-24T19:47:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641/21 "2014-01-25T06:39:19Z")
The .460 originally came in a[bear defense kit](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOhblijwjmU). I think about getting one now and then when I see them at the gun show, but after watching some guy with a .500 a the range one day, it’s slipped down my wish list a bit. Not living in bear country, it’s not a great loss. ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641/22 "2014-01-25T08:06:04Z")
I met a guy at a gun range a few years ago that had a .460 S&W Magnum. Huge revolver that had a 10" (or so) ported barrel. It was not an unpleasant gun to use. Big recoil, but with all that barrel mass and the barrel ports, it was acceptable. The .460 is a fantastic cartridge. The meanest, nastiest recoiling revolver I have ever handled was a Dan Wesson .445 Supermag. Ouch. An 8" ported barrel on a frame that should be heavier. That was actually the only gun I’ve ever fired that I didn’t like. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641/23 "2014-01-25T16:26:56Z")
.44 Magnum is about as high as I ever want to go, even though, with a stout, heavy frame and long ported barrel, it’s really quite manageable. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641/24 "2014-01-25T18:35:33Z")
Trolling: v. - Attempting to sow discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion. > [@BMax](#): > > This is why you don’t pee with your 5 year old son. Some day the guy has a F-350, a REALLY LOUD Harley, and is still ashamed of his penis. And he’s buying this hand-cannon. > Come on, dude. You were only 5 years old. This served no purpose other than to try and piss off those having a conversation on a topic they enjoy. Don’t do it. ## No warning issued (and kudos to everyone for not biting). **Hal Briston** - MPSIMS Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641/25 "2014-01-25T21:15:37Z")
> [@White SIFL](#): > > I don’t. > > I like guns. I like to shoot guns. I like big guns because they are big. Heck, I wouldn’t even let the price tag be the deal breaker. But I also need a bit of aesthetics to go along with my guns. I love my [.45 Long Colt Ruger Vaquero birds head revolver](http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/vaquero_with_birds_head_grip-tfb.jpg) (for example) but sorry, that S&W is butt fugly. I would say that it was the most aesthetically pleasing weapon I have ever seen…if it were pointed at me when you asked what I thought of it. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641/26 "2014-01-25T23:21:00Z")
One of the things that astounds me is people are _still_ coming up with new, commercial cartridges more than 150 years after the development of metallic firearm cartridges. The most recent edition of _Cartridges of the World_ I saw listed more than 1500 carrtidges. If I had to hazard a guess, maybe 100 of them are what might be considered “readily available” in the sense that you could walk into a reasonably-sized gunshop in a country with civilian firearms ownership and be able to purchase that calibre because it’s something the store carries. I get you’ve got the wildcatters doing it as a hobby (and good on them), but it seems odd so many of the major arms manufacturers keep trying to reinvent the wheel by coming up with new cartridges like [.45 GAP](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.45_GAP), when there’s already the perfectly cromulent .45 ACP cartridge which has been available for over a century now. The last “new” cartridge I’m aware of being much of a success was .17 HMR, which offered some improvement (higher velocity, flatter trajectory) over .22 Magnum and has proven itself popular with fox and varmint hunters as a result. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641/27 "2014-01-25T23:42:21Z")
One of my neighbors is selling his “[Thunder 5](http://www.guns.com/2013/04/10/before-the-judge-there-was-the-thunder-5/)” revolver. Only $450.00, which is a pretty good bargain. With the right inserts it could fire a wide variety of ammo, but it’s discontinued and parts might be hard to find. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641/28 "2014-01-25T23:51:57Z")
Apropos of large guns: Years ago I saw a movie called _ **City Heat** _ starring Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood. It had a “my gun is bigger than your gun” scene with guns so preposterously large that I had presumed that they were simply studio props. Imagine my surprise years later when I discovered that they were actual guns: an “artillery” model Luger P08 and a Colt Buntline Special. [http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/City\_Heat](http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/City_Heat) ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641/29 "2014-01-25T23:59:45Z")
[.50 BMG Pistol](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNZgzMtIM7s) ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641/30 "2014-01-26T01:17:39Z")
[Another .50 BMG Pistol](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMkiDguYtGw) ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641/31 "2014-01-26T10:33:37Z")
There’s always the [.600 Nitro Express revolver](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfeifer_Zeliska_.600_Nitro_Express_revolver). At 13+ pounds, I hope it comes with a stand. On the .460 S&W snubbie, I wonder how long it’ll be before someone gets a digit in the way of the flame gap or muzzle? Or unintentionally [double-taps it?](http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2010/09/13/500-sw-double-taps/) ---
**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641/32 "2014-01-26T13:03:46Z")
I’m just waiting for someone to bring a 12 gauge semi-auto belt fed weapon. Yeah… ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641/33 "2014-01-26T13:09:40Z")
> [@Boogly](#): > > I’m just waiting for someone to bring a 12 gauge semi-auto belt fed weapon. Yeah… [Here you go.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX7vwivR6cE) Full-auto. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641/34 "2014-01-26T15:08:50Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > One of the things that astounds me is people are _still_ coming up with new, commercial cartridges more than 150 years after the development of metallic firearm cartridges. > > The most recent edition of _Cartridges of the World_ I saw listed more than 1500 carrtidges. If I had to hazard a guess, maybe 100 of them are what might be considered “readily available” in the sense that you could walk into a reasonably-sized gunshop in a country with civilian firearms ownership and be able to purchase that calibre because it’s something the store carries. > > I get you’ve got the wildcatters doing it as a hobby (and good on them), but it seems odd so many of the major arms manufacturers keep trying to reinvent the wheel by coming up with new cartridges like [.45 GAP](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.45_GAP), when there’s already the perfectly cromulent .45 ACP cartridge which has been available for over a century now. > > The last “new” cartridge I’m aware of being much of a success was .17 HMR, which offered some improvement (higher velocity, flatter trajectory) over .22 Magnum and has proven itself popular with fox and varmint hunters as a result. I can remember years ago reading about the double barrel rifles that were popular for African safaris. There were some very strange calibers listed (I believe most of the old ones were blackpowder converted to smokeless?). It seems over the years that tinkerers cobble together rounds that turn out to perform well, then become popular. I wonder how many calibers were really “designed” based on modern scientific principle and modelling? ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641/35 "2014-01-26T15:52:18Z")
> [@Gray\_Ghost](#): > > There’s always the [.600 Nitro Express revolver](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfeifer_Zeliska_.600_Nitro_Express_revolver). At 13+ pounds, I hope it comes with a stand. On the .460 S&W snubbie, I wonder how long it’ll be before someone gets a digit in the way of the flame gap or muzzle? Or unintentionally [double-taps it?](http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2010/09/13/500-sw-double-taps/) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/XZL797pOAZ0/hqdefault.jpg "600 nitro express") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZL797pOAZ0) I don’t know tons about guns but that is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641/36 "2014-01-26T16:07:49Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > [Here you go.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX7vwivR6cE) > > Full-auto. Barrel too short, jams too much. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641/37 "2014-01-26T16:19:56Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Barrel too short, jams too much. Yeah, I saw that. However, the thing is handmade so I’ll cut him some slack for just getting it that far. It proves the concept, just needs improvement ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641/38 "2014-01-26T16:39:57Z")
I am fine with what I have. I figure if .45acp isn’t enough, I probably should not shoot at it. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641/39 "2014-01-26T18:45:48Z")
> [@LH75](#): > > I am fine with what I have. I figure if .45acp isn’t enough, I probably should not shoot at it. A noble sentiment, but one with which I somewhat disagree. “Bring enough gun to get the job done” is more in line with my kind of thinking. To quote The Stranger: > [@](#): > > Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes, well, he eats you. Now I don’t ever have any intention of going out and messing with Br’er Bear, and as long as Br’er Bear returns the courtesy, I’m all good. If he don’t, well, I strongly object to becoming bear poop. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641/40 "2014-01-26T20:04:03Z")
True enough, ExTank my friend. However, everything I have read over the years leads me to believe that no handgun cartridge is really guaranteed effective against an enraged grizzly… In that case, I would forgo the handgun for a short barreled pump shotgun loaded with 12 gauge slugs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-s-w-introduces-a-460-revolver/679641.md?page=3)