The .460 originally came in abear defense kit. 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.
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.
.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.
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.
This served no purpose other than to try and piss off those having a conversation on a topic they enjoy. Don’t do it.
Hal Briston - MPSIMS Moderator
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.
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, 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.
One of my neighbors is selling his “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.
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.
There’s always the .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?
I’m just waiting for someone to bring a 12 gauge semi-auto belt fed weapon. Yeah…
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?
I don’t know tons about guns but that is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.
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
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:
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.
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.