500 S&W replaced by .460 S&W?
This may be a subject that’s been beaten to death, but I’m rather new here.
About 9 months ago I rented a .500 S&W Magnum w/ 6” barrel at my local range and put about 40 rounds thru it. I absolutely loved it and found it easier to handle than my S&W 629 in .44 Magnum (tho it was definitely a more powerful gun), and since then I’ve been dreaming of owning one.
A few weeks ago I went back to that range intent on renting the .500 again. The guy told me that their rental .500 had ‘grenaded itself’, and due to a design flaw the .500 will eat away at its own frame after several thousand rounds. This is why, as it was explained to me, the .500 had been discontinued by S&W and replaced with the .460, which they had. Slightly disappointed I took their rental .460 w/ an 8” barrel out for a spin.
It was a MONSTER!! The shockwave alone felt like I was being punched in the nose with every shot. According to the statistics I’ve read the two guns are relatively evenly matched, but the .460 I was firing was clearly a hotter weapon. It’s possible that I was firing weaker loads in the .500, but regrettably I didn’t pay much attention to the ammo specs. Perhaps, also, the difference in barrel lengths played into it.
My question is multi-fold:
1. Is it true what the range told me about the .500 Magnum, with the inherent design flaw and S&W halting production?
2. What are the advantages of the .460 over the .500? I understand the .460 can shoot a multitude of different rounds (.454. Casull, .45 LC, etc), but I’m not interested in that.
3. What does increasing the barrel length do to a pistol’s power and recoil?
I still kinda-sorta have my heart set on the .500, but I’m perfectly willing to settle on the .460 if someone can give me a reason to.
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