X-frame in .44mag?

[HDS]

I am not sure if this is a good idea or not, it was just something that popped into my mind when thinking about how Rugers are said to be the revolvers you want when shooting heavy loads in say silhouette shooting, not a 629 as it will not stand up to a regular diet of +300gr hard loads, the cylinder is also shorter so it makes it difficult to load for such bullets.

So I was thinking what if you took that giant X-frame and made a 6 round cylinder in .44mag for it? Wouldn't you then have an S&W answer to the Blackhawks and redhawks, wouldn't that be one heckuva overbuilt gun able to take almost any .44mag load you could imagine?

Or maybe I am wrong, maybe the x-frame would be too large and the gun would be too clumsy for this? Maybe it would be better to go and make a new frame, like when they made the L-frame, a size inbetween the K and N frame, only this time something between an N and X frame, for shooting heavy .44mag loads.

What do you think?

 

[hastings]

HDS

I like your idea of a frame size between N and X that would match Ruger's strength and durability with regards to heavy magnum ammo. I'd love to have a heavy duty 45colt Smith revolver that could match my brother's Redhawk with the heavy 335 grain bullets at higher velocities. I don't shoot them often, but I have to resort to my Ruger Vaquero to shoot these beasts and it galls me that S&W doesn't offer something as robust as Ruger.

I don't personally like the X-frame. They feel to large and the proportions are off in my opinion. They are great for what they are meant for, but to put a 44mag or 45colt in that frame would be like putting a 380 in an N-frame.

 

[retiredsquid]

I believe the "Enhanced" 629s are danged close to as strong as the Redhawk/Blackhawk for strength. I am not the least bit afraid of my 629-5.

 

[K1500]

Actually, I have heard from folks on this forum that the enhancements were not of the strengthening variety; rather they were to prevent the gun from 'shooting loose' (and having the cylinder rotate backwards during firing). The old ones are as strong as the new ones, which are not as strong as the Ruger.

How about an X frame 7 or 8 shot 44 Mag, kind of like the 357 N frames? I wouldn't buy one, but it would be neat to see.

 

[44Steve]

Hi Steve here. I have the 500 & 460, and just love them. I still shoot my 44's but the X-Frames are just awesome .I would be one of the first in line to get one. Can you picture the devil horns comming out of my head working uy loads for an ultimate 44 X-Frame.Call S&W to put a bug in there ear.

 

[k22fan]

Just a thought.

Dan Wesson used to sell extra long cylindered revolvers for their extra long “.44mag.” They would fire the shorter rounds down to .44 Russian. How about an X-frame with increased cylinder capacity for Dan Wesson’s longer .44?

Gil

 

[kscardsfan]

I like the new frame size idea myself. We could call it the M frame and sell it specifically for those ideas. The other idea I had is make a super .44, along the lines of the .357 maximum, to chamber in the X frame

 

[Bendutro]

This was brought up years ago but nothing has come of it. Yet.


Read all about it HERE

 

[kscardsfan]

Seems like a lot of pent up demand that nobody at the top is willing or smart enough to recognize.

 

[petemacmahon]

Might make sense using the Dan Wesson 445 Super mag

Yes, Dan Wesson used to make what they called the 445 Super Magnum, but it never really took off. It was longer than the 44 mag and so such guns could fire 44 spl, 44 mag and the 445 Super mag. That might make sense on the X-frame. Kinda like the 460 is nothing more than a longer 454 casull which is just a longer 45 colt.

 

[DCWilson]

Historically, some of the best-received S&W models have involved offering a particular caliber in the next larger frame. The .22 rimfire came into its own when it was offered as the .22/32 target model on the .32 caliber I-frame. The .32 Long was a dream to shoot in its K-frame Masterpiece incarnation (essentially a .32/38 model), though that gun was not successful in light of the mass migration to the .22 and .38 rounds for competition. The .38 Special won a major following when it was offered on the N-frame platform as the .38/44 Heavy Duty, and the subsequent adjustable-sight versions of the .38/44 (Outdoorsman and Model 23) were some of the best .38 target revolvers ever made.

I think there is potential for what, by analogy, we should call a .44/460 or .44/500 revolver. I would be interested in seeing S&W explore production of such a model.