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S&W Model 500 being fired at night

The Smith & Wesson Model 500 is a five-shot, double/single action large-caliber revolver produced by Smith & Wesson, firing the .500 S&W Magnum cartridge.

Design

The Model 500 was built on the entirely new X-Frame,[2] which was developed exclusively to handle the immense muzzle velocity and pressures generated by firing of the .500 Magnum cartridge.[3] It is among the most powerful revolvers in the world since its original release in 2003, and is marketed as "the world's most powerful handgun" by the manufacturer.[4]

The Model 500 can fire a bullet weighing 350 gr (22.7 g; 0.8 oz) at 1,975 feet per second (602 m/s) generating a muzzle energy of over 3,030 foot-pounds force (4.1 kJ), roughly twice that of the .50 AE Desert Eagle, and a momentum of 13.7 Newton seconds. Commercial loadings are available in bullet weights ranging from 275 gr to 700 gr.[5] The Model 500 is capable of firing the shorter .500 S&W Special cartridge.

Instead of a traditional barrel, the S&W 500 uses a rifled tube inside a barrel shroud that is secured by tension from the front. This tensioning leads to stability, making barrels less expensive to produce and resulting in a more accurate revolver.[4]

Lockup is accomplished by a center-pin in the rear of the cylinder and a ball detent in the frame.[4][6]

The advanced design of the firearm helps in counteracting the recoil felt by the shooter. This includes the sheer weight of the firearm, including a full-length underlug contributing to a forward balance; use of rubber grips; and the use of a compensator. The compensator offers modest recoil reduction, but also increases muzzle blast.[7] On certain S&W Performance Center models the compensator is replaced with a muzzle brake.[4]

Like most large caliber handguns, the Model 500 is suitable for sport and hunting applications. Any of the available bullet weights can be relied on to take game at a range in excess of 200 yards (183 m), a feat matched by only a handful of other handguns.[8] The high energy of these rounds makes it possible to hunt extremely large African game successfully.[9]

Variants

  • Model 500ES: 2.75″ barrel, stainless steel Emergency Survival snubnosed revolver with blaze orange Hogue grips (no longer manufactured as of December 2009).[6]
  • Model 500: 3.5″ barrel, stainless steel with HI VIZ® fiber optic sight.[6]
  • Model 500: 4″ barrel, stainless steel with two compensators.[6]
  • Model 500: 6.5″ barrel, half lug, stainless steel with compensator (discontinued in 2020).[6]
  • Model 500: 7.5″ barrel, stainless steel with muzzle brake.[6]
  • Model 500: 8.38″ barrel, stainless steel with compensator.[6]
  • Model 500 HI VIZ®: 8.38″ barrel, stainless steel with interchangeable compensators.[6]
  • Model 500: 10.5″ Lothar-Walther custom German rifle barrel, matte finish stainless steel with muzzle brake.[6]

Other variants are available through the Smith & Wesson's Performance Center. Like all Smith & Wesson revolvers, "custom" variants are available on special production runs with a minimum order of 500 units. An example is the John Ross Performance Center 5″ .500 S&W Magnum, which features a 5-inch barrel with an external muzzle nut instead of a muzzle brake or compensator and a Millet dovetail front sight.[10]

Gallery

  • S&W Model 500, 6.5" barrel variant
    S&W Model 500, 6.5" barrel variant
  • S&W 500 next to a NAA Mini-revolver
    S&W 500 next to a NAA Mini-revolver

See also

References

  1. ^ "Model 500 S&W500™ 4" barrel". Smith & Wesson.
  2. ^ 'The .500 S&W Magnum: Most Powerful Handgun Round In The World, NRA American Rifleman, June 24, 2020 noting role of Herb Belin in developing the concept of the SW 500 Magnum
  3. ^ "Smith & Wesson Model 500 .50-Cal. Magnum Is The King Of Handguns". Popular Mechanics. 16 September 2003.
  4. ^ a b c d Sweeney, Patrick (10 December 2004). "The Biggest Magnum". The Gun Digest Book of Smith & Wesson. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. pp. 154–162. ISBN 1-4402-2487-0. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Ammo". Underwood Ammo. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Supica, Jim; Nahas, Richard (3 June 2016). Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson (4 ed.). Iola, Wisconsin: F+W Media, Inc. pp. 292–293. ISBN 978-1-4402-4563-3. Archived from the original on 8 June 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  7. ^ Mullin, Timothy J. (2015). Serious Smith & Wessons: The N- and X-Frame Revolvers (The S&W Phenomenon Volume III). Cobourg, Ontario, Canada: Collector Grade Publications. pp. 1046–1048. ISBN 0-88935-579-7.
  8. ^ Thurman, Russ (2005). "The Battle Of The Hand Cannons". Shooting Industry. 20 (2). FMG Publications: 35.
  9. ^ Hampton, Mark (February 2004). "To Africa with a .500 S&W". American Handgunner. Archived from the original on 15 August 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  10. ^ Thompson, Leroy. "The John Ross S&W Performance Center 5" .500 Magnum". GunBlast.com. Retrieved 22 October 2010.

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