I don't know Spacedone.....but that does seem logical w/o installation.

But as for quality, i have to disagree with you there....To a point.
Many places (reloading info and such) you'll read suggest "not for use in older firearms" because the question of reliability comes into factor.
Although many firearms of an older stature are reliable, many loads are being put to extremes and therefor 'some' can't handle the pressure.

In the case of a 460XVR, the pressure and all things associated with shooting a high pressure load, tend to prematurely wear the forcing cone due to flame cutting and the bullet slamming into it and the rifling. It is actually a fine revolver, with fit to finish being top notch. What i was thinking about doing before i sold it was rebarreling and cutting a cylinder to make a 44Mag, but then all the work wouldn't be very cost effective at all....But it would have made one hell of a 44 nonetheless (i have heard rumors though S&W was making a 44Mag on the X Frame).

And also speaking about quality. I have a friend that bought a Taurus RB 500 S&W (10" i believe), and while one day shooting 700gr WFNGC's out of it, i was plesently suprised on how well that thing was built, and also how sweet the trigger was. Yeah, comming from a Taurus! And believe me, i was in disbelief for quite some time.

i have 3 enfields 2 1942 and 1 1943 all went thru WW2 and have been shot for 60 years shooting tens of thousands of rounds and still shoot 2 inch groups with one shooting half inch groups at 50,000 cup amd have perfect headspace and great throats. do that with any new firearm and see what happens. im shooting handloads at 2700 fps which is hot for a enfield.

i also have a k98 mauser from ww1 which also has had 10s of thousands of rounds thru it and it also shoots sub 2 inch groups and it was made in 1916.

There is no doubt that your rifles perform that well, and like i said i do agree with you, but to a point. I have had a few (newer) rifles that i would push to it's limits with flawless performance as well..... 308, 300 WM, 338 WM, and 338 Lapua, shooting from 51000 CUP in the 308, 53000 in the 300, 52000 in the 338WM and 338Lapua. Normally i would just shoot for accuracy with these because that's what i had intended the rifles for. And in shooting them each for a few hours weekly in friendly and regular competition.

All rifles are still in original working order, all Winchesters with LW barrels and very little smithing done (trigger), all 10 y/o+ and with a positive 50,000+ rounds.

So no matter old school or new, and what ever flavor you like, there will always be something for everybody to intrust and shoot for years to come

Oh Well, Here is my two cents worth. The 45 long colt is as strong (fps) as a 44 mag when you have Buffalo Bore ammo. Both calibers have killed bear successfully over the past several years. The key is 1. Know your animal 2. Know the animals anatomy and where to hit for a quick kill. 3. Know your gun. 4. Know your gun. 5. Know your gun 6. Know your gun.

If you don't practice, a 500 S&W won't kill a bear, just make him mad.

As for my favorite, it will always be a .458 of some kind for everything from Deer to Elephant. History tells us that the 45 has already killed everything on the planet.

My revolver is a Ruger Alaskan in .454. My next revolver will be a Ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter converted to .454 by Dave Clements who will bore the cylinder from the barrel. ACCURACY and DEPENDABILITY cannot not be overstated any more than practice can.

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If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace..... May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." -- Samuel Adams

DallanC wrote:

Wow that is surprising to say the least! -DallanC

NO DOUBT. Hope my 500 does not suffer from the same stigma!

No, the 500 isn't prone to the same wear. I've shot a steady diet of 700+ grainers and not one hicup.......a few thousand rounds later

But, since my tastes have changed (again ) my 500 is going and making way for a few other revolvers.

I guess my 454 Casull isn't the badest anymore, but I'll bet it gets shot more. I cannot imagine shooting anything hand held that would be any stronger and recoil more. I can handle the 454 with one hand, but I would hate to be in a battle where I had to do it all day.

I think the 460 would be the best shooting handgun made, and it is a 458, but at what point do you say I have to get a rifle.

Just thinking out loud.

Walt

Shomebigbores, You should try a 480 Ruger, 475 Linebaugh, or even a 500 because while it's a bigger bore, the perceived recoil is less than your 454....unless it's ported?

515034s10ring wrote:

Shomebigbores, You should try a 480 Ruger, 475 Linebaugh, or even a 500 because while it's a bigger bore, the perceived recoil is less than your 454....unless it's ported?

I agree. I had a 454and I rather shoot my 500 anytime than the 454

I'm going to have to shoot a 500 then. It has a 4 inch barrel and the reason for the Alaskan is of course easy carry and quick deployment. I held a 500 once and didn't think I could deploy it accurately fast enough, but.........................I have to admit I'm the one screaming practice, practice, practice.

Thanks for the advice guys. Oring, I have to tell you that the 44 mag used to hurt my wrist but my 454 (which ussually is loaded with Buffalo Bores 325 at 1325) still doesn't hurt my wrist like the Ruger Blackhawk I had.

Just fishing for help, aid, and assistance.

Merry Christmas guys

Walt

Ahhhhh, now were getting somewhere, Shomebigbores.... You are shooting a S/A with HOT 44MAGs, which is quite a bit different than say, a double action....Or for the sake of argument, a Bisley frame.

Now, i can't shoot a S/A that doesn't have a Bisley frame worth a darn because of the way shoot. The Bisley style frames though are MUCH easier (for me) to handle because of my grip and tames recoil in a more broadened area.

I don't have a doubt in my mind you would have any problems with a 4" 500, weather it be in a S&W or Taurus (which i have shot both) plus the potential for a vast selection of loading data plus bullet weights are readily available


Happy Holidays to you as well!

10Ring

I'm a little frustrated over what I've read here about the barrel life of the 460. The gun hasn't been around long enough for anyone to pass judgement on. I purchased mine 8 months ago & put thru it 1100 rounds of the Hornady 200 grn SST loads through it (what the gun was designed around). Since then I've reloaded with Hornady 300 grn XTP/MAG bullets in front of 40grns of H110 powder & CCI LP primers. I've fired 960 of those rounds thru it now & have no complaints about the gun. I, through the internet, contacted S&W & asked them about the expected barrel life of the 460. They claim there are many factors that affect barrel life, one being the use of bullet weights greater than the 200 grn SSTs. They wouldn't put a number of rounds out there, but, said the gun will handle thousands of rounds. I'm not in agreement with what's been posted here. I can only go with what I've experienced my self. My gun isn't showing any signs of barrel wear & remains accurate to date. I live in Arizona & do a lot of shooting. I have a Bushmaster XM15 in 223. That would be the one I'd worry about as far as barrel wear goes as I have given up counting the number of rounds fired through it. Too many I'm sure! I've gotten that barrel so hot with rapid fire drills, I was afraid a chambered round would go off with out me pulling the trigger, yet the gun remains accurate & reliable. I expect nothing less from my 460.

First....Welcome to the site george20042007 .

Secondly, i am happy to hear you have a "good" 460 because since then i've heard that the barrel steel has changed.....although i've just heard and not expierenced it.

However the 460 i now used to have was the first run and with not shooting too much factory ammo, i was also shooting quite a bit of lead from 305gr to 360gr bullets. I have ho doubt that your 460 does well, and maybe it's something about very hot loads (within spec though) above the 300gr mark with shooting WFNGC & WLNGC bullets....I don't know??? But what i do know is, and i'll tell ya flat out, i'm not easy on any of my firearms at all....I expect with new technology performance as well as my Rugers have performed in the past 20+ years. I know how my 460 (owning for well over a year before selling) and others i am in contact with performed, which proof was on paper, then having a shotgun pattern.
But in any event, again, i am happy to hear your success with your 460, because while mine was fresh, it was one hell of a revolver .

Guess which revolver was Gun's & Ammo's Gun of The Year? The S&W 460 XVR! No surprise to me. One more thing about it's barrel life, it features a gain twist barrel. That's an innovation that makes its barrel less prone to wearing out. No other barrels manufactured use this concept today, though it's a concept from the past. Something to think about.

Cool, it's gun of the year but that doesn't despite the fact that first productions of this revolver had as many problems as the 500 S&W had....Which that made G&A as well.
However, gain twist rifling has been around since the 1800's and is still used in many blackpowder rifles today which incidently i just smith'd a rifle with a new Lilja (i believe that's the spelling) GTR barrel.