Shortly after the 4" S&W 500 hit the shelves, I was at my LGS and I saw one in the case. There were a number of interested people looking at the revolver and just like that it was sold.

A few days later I was in the same gunshiop and noticed another 4" in the case and I asked the sales person I usually dealt with if he had received another one. He stated " no, that old boy that bought the revolver that day you were in the store brought it back. He said he fired one round and was unable to control the recoil and the rear sight hit him just above the eyebrow and it took 10 stitches to close the wound. To add insult to injury, when he saw the blood, he passed out and when he hit the ground he broke his nose. That old boy looked really bad with all the badges on him and all".

Lesson learned, get enough barrel length to help control the recoil.