The recommended twist rate is 1 in 18.75 in (476 mm). A barrel with a bore diameter of 0.4880 in (12.40 mm) and a groove diameter of 0.4983 in (12.66 mm) is also recommended. SAAMI recommends a 6 groove barrel with each groove being 0.130 in (3.3 mm) wide. Regular proof-load testing is performed at 20% over pressure. The cylinders of the S&W Model 500 revolver are engineered to be capable of withstanding 50% over pressure. However, most factory ammunition is limited to 50,000 psi (3,400 bar) to help ease extraction of fired cases. 500 S&W Magnum has a maximum working pressure of 60,000 psi (4,100 bar). 500 S&W Magnum cartridge schematic: All dimensions in inches (millimeters). 50 AE cartridge, which at first was designed to fire a 0.510 in (12.9 mm) but had to be redesigned to fire a 0.500 in (12.7 mm) instead. This was done so as not to run afoul of the National Firearms Act and be considered a destructive device as had happened to Whildin's. 500 Linebaugh, which fires a 0.510 in (12.9 mm) bullet. 500 S&W Magnum was designed to fire a bullet with a diameter (⌀) of 0.500 in (12.7 mm) unlike the. The rim tends to lock in the extractor groove. However, the cartridge does not cycle well through box magazines. 44 Magnum and other cartridges designed for use in revolvers, the cartridge can be cycled more smoothly and more reliably in tubular magazines, due to the semi-rimmed design.
However, unlike rimmed cartridges such as the. The cartridge is designed to headspace on its rim. 500 S&W Magnum is a semi-rimmed, straight cartridge optimized for use in revolvers. 500 S&W Special cartridge.Ĭartridge design and specifications According to Belin, the cartridge was designed from its inception to be substantially more powerful than any other production handgun cartridge before it. Eleven months later, on 9 January 2003, the team unveiled the Smith & Wesson Model 500 revolver and the. The ammunition was developed by Cor-Bon and Peter Pi in partnership with the S&W X-Gun engineering team of Brett Curry lead design engineer, Rich Mikuta, and Tom Oakley. With the backing of the sales team, the project was approved by S&W president Bob Scott. S&W product manager, Herb Belin, proposed the idea of developing the revolver and cartridge to the S&W sales team. 500 Smith & Wesson Magnum was designed from the outset to be the most powerful production handgun cartridge. 500 S&W Magnum and the Model 500 revolver, Smith & Wesson recaptured the title of the most powerful handgun, and with it an increase in sales. 454 Casull, designed in 1955, was not in commercial production until 1997).
This surge in demand was due to the 1971 film Dirty Harry, where the Model 29 revolver was billed as the most powerful revolver (The. Available Model 29 revolvers were being sold for two to three times the suggested retail price, because of the low supply and high demand for the revolver. 44 Magnum cartridge with which S&W production was not able to keep up. In 1971, Smith & Wesson had experienced a dramatic surge in orders for their Model 29 revolver in the. Since then, several other more powerful cartridges had been developed by Action Arms, Linebaugh, Ruger, Wildey, and Winchester for repeating handguns. 44 Remington Magnum, which it had developed in partnership with Remington, was eclipsed by the. Smith & Wesson had been at the forefront when developing powerful handgun cartridges such as the.
500 S&W bullet fired from a typical commercial loading of the round is roughly equivalent to that of a 16 pound bowling ball traveling at a speed of over 70 mph. To put the cartridge’s extreme level of power into perspective the muzzle energy of a. It has two primary design purposes: as a hunting handgun cartridge capable of taking all North American game species, and to be the most powerful production handgun cartridge to date. 50 caliber semi-rimmed revolver cartridge developed by Cor-Bon in partnership with the Smith & Wesson "X-Gun" engineering team for use in the Smith & Wesson Model 500 X-frame revolver and introduced in February 2003 at the SHOT Show. Source(s): Hornady (300 gr), Winchester (400 gr), Double Tap, and Ballistic Supply,