500 S&W 4" Barrel Anyone have one? How do you like it? Need info before I buy it used

[.460V & XVR Magnum Man]

500 S&W 4" Barrel Anyone have one? How do you like it? Need info before I buy it used

I have an opportunity to get a 4" 500. How are these on recoil? Being such a short barrel. I found one someone has NIB with everything. $800.00 never fired by the owner. Sound like an ok deal??

 

[460v LAC du FLAMBEAU]

I have owned my 4" 500 since 2007. I only shoot 300 grain Hornady SST's and the recoil is about 30% more than my 5" 460v.

Good price @ $800 especially if the are discontinued.

KABOOM!

 

[TREYM]

I love mine. At $800 it is a good buy. I love the recoil(makes me
feel like a man).It is quite heavy buy a blast to shoot. It will
definately wake everyone up where ever you shoot.

 

[jack the toad]

The longer barrels may be better for shooting and all out ballistic performance but I have the 4" and think it's an ideal barrel length for shooting and holster carry.
And would be even better without the comp.

 

[DonD]

I'm a ballistics junkie and want all the power I can get out of the gun. Longer sight radiuses improve my shooting performance.

Having said that, the 4" Model 500 balances very nicely in the hand and is certainly a better belt gun by far than those with 7.5 & 8.375" barrels. Don

 

[ladder13]

Craig, 800 is a very good price, buy it. In the meanwhile, here's mine for you to look at.

 

[MWAG]

i got lucky and got mine for $750 in march 09. i think $800, NIB is a heck of a deal. here in georgia most dealers have them priced for $1087!! recoil is significant but a lot less than i anticipated and i like to heat up my reloads a little too. wish i had a solid comp. just cause i never pass up a chance to post a pic of mine, here are 2...........

with an uncle mikes belt slide...............

and with a ross belt slide.............

and nekkid.........

 

[500 Magnum Nut]

The 4" rocks! I shoot the 4" gun much more than the longer one. The longer one is more accurate, because of the sight radius but I only make noise, plinking noise.
Here are several pictures that I found on photobucket of mine.

 

[n121br]

I have two with 4 inch barrels. Just hang on and feel the power. Extremely accurate in single action. Buy it. You won't regret it.

 

[DonD]

AACCKK!!! 500 Magnum Nut, the first picture looks like the poor gun is on life support! Just kidding. Don

 

[.460V & XVR Magnum Man]

Thanks everyone.......Looks like I am getting another one!!!

Thanks for your feedback everyone! Looks like I will be getting another Smith & Wesson. Sounds like a really fun gun and can't wait to get it now..... Thanks for all the pictures, almost shorted out my keyboard from the drool. You guys are great!!!!!

 

[500 Magnum Nut]

AACCKK!!! 500 Magnum Nut, the first picture looks like the poor gun is on life support!

Some IM me questions so I try and help out by taking them apart, if necessary. I take pictures to make it easier to explain. Sometimes I put them in that FAQ sticky.

This picture was when I showed someone how to fill the lock hole. I recommended a screw and then they wanted more info, so I done the job with pictures. I tapped my frame and put a screw. (It's completely reversible so it can go back to original if needed). I haven't been threatened yet, anyway....

Taking the pictures is the hard part as I don't have 3 hands. The camera needs at least two.

Most of the time I get them working again....

 

[Nard]

I wish I had one of thoes solid end caps for my 4 inch 500! I want to make some shotshells for it, should be great on snakes.

J.B.

 

[500 Magnum Nut]

I wish I had one of thoes solid end caps for my 4 inch 500! I want to make some shotshells for it, should be great on snakes.

J.B.

A snake load with a 500 would be so darn cool. I never thought of it. Man it would clean sweep a field with one blast!

I wonder if we write to a ammo co they would consider making a snake load for one, providing the factory makes solid end caps.

Time for a letter writing session........

 

[Winger]

Who makes those solid end caps/compensators and are they still available?



.460V & XVR Magnum Man,

Now that you decided to buy the 4", I started a thread here a couple of weeks ago asking for carry advise. I got a lot of helpful information from these guys. Let's see if I can attach a link below.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/126073-500-4-how-you-carrying-yours.html

 

[bluetopper]

I'm a Smith man to the core, but the only 500 I have is a 500 Handi-Rifle. For that cartridge, it's juuust right.

My shooting buddies like to bring junk iron to the range and see it destroyed. The power of 350gr at 2100+fps is awesome.

 

[DonD]

Some IM me questions so I try and help out by taking them apart, if necessary. I take pictures to make it easier to explain. Sometimes I put them in that FAQ sticky.

I've seen your breakdown/reinstall work and I appreciate them, xeroxes are in my reference file. I've learned from them and have done some things with my Smiths but I try to be cautious, I don't want to appear at my gunsmiths' counter with a bag of parts, very embarrassing.

Re the shotshells, CCI could make an awesome shotshell for the .500, pretty much replicate a .410 at close range. I've made some but they aren't as good as the factory stuff would be.

Forum members who like the idea ought to ping on Federal/CCI to make them. I did that when the .500s came out, they said that they didn't think they could ever recoup tooling/startup costs. Now that the .500 has proven to be more than a flash in the pan, perhaps they might reconsider. Don

 

[5kwkdw3]

The 4" rocks! I shoot the 4" gun much more than the longer one. The longer one is more accurate, because of the sight radius but I only make noise, plinking noise.
Here are several pictures that I found on photobucket of mine.

OK then. I'm getting one of these puppies next on my ! per 30 day allotment in CA gun purchase plan. Don't normally buy twelve handguns in any one year, but the state says I have to, right? Anyway, mine showed up at my dealer today and I went in to visit it for a bit. Love at first sight for sure. I have a few questions (not to hijack the thread, but maybe answer questions the OP author had as well) First, go get one. If looks are it, then this model has it. Quite impressive and a handful, but an easy one at that. Smith chose wisely in equipping the X Frame with a K Frame grip profile. Fits most adult hands pretty darn good.

Now for the repeated quote's author: I see in your pictures a few things that I didn't know existed. First I see that you have a comp eliminator in place of the normal compensators? Where did you get it, how much, and what does that do recoil wise, and finally, why go that way (Ie. what advantages were you after?) Next you have a gun in pieces picture and there's a tool located on the frame next to the thumb latch. Could you please explain that and it's use? And finally while at the thumb latch. I'd absolutely love to get a widend thumb latch that doesn't stick out per se, but has a larger footprint. Large enough to cover that darn safety in all it's glory. That way, the safety could be set in the "fire" position and then the thumb latch installed to cover that dumb legalistic item. Coming from the ranks of SASS guys, we actually have classes (just kidding) instructing us on how to remove, cover, or otherwise defeat any and all non period safeties. I think that's the one ugly part of this new beast and I'd love to have it covered without stripping the gun, removing the offending parts and dropping a bit of weldment in the hole to polish flat and be done with it. I've done the latter on a number of cowboy lever actions as well as modern reproductions of period shotguns. Makes it quicker and easier to use, looks correct and generally speeds one's stage times.

Anyway, in hopes that that picture was the beginning of thumb latch replacement with one as I describe, I ask if you know of such an item (or anyone else for that matter?) Smithy

 

[F75gunslinger]

I'm not sure how well a shotshell would do out of a 460 or 500 with the compensators on them. The compensators aren't flush with the end of the barrel, even the non-ported one still has the same cuts inside of it. I would think that would raise hell with any shot trying to come out. You'd get it out, but accuracy would suffer.

 

[ruggyh]

I have a few questions (not to hijack the thread, but maybe answer questions the OP author had as well) I see in your pictures a few things that I didn't know existed. First I see that you have a comp eliminator in place of the normal compensators? Where did you get it, how much, and what does that do recoil wise, and finally, why go that way (Ie. what advantages were you after?) Smithy

The insert pictured is a modified 460 insert no longer available.

The comps are not interchangeable between the 2 modules without modification.

The internal step of the 460 solid blank needs to lengthened and the interface end shortened and the bore diameter increased.

Others have machined stepped inserts that fit inside the factory comp.

PM me if you want specific deminsions for modifing the 460 comp to 500

be safe
Ruggy