thumb|300px|S&W Model 500 being fired at night

The Smith & Wesson Model 500 is a five-shot, double/single action large-caliber revolver produced by Smith & Wesson, firing the .500 S&W Magnum cartridge.

Design

The Model 500 was built on the entirely new X-Frame, which was developed exclusively to handle the immense muzzle velocity and pressures generated by firing of the .500 Magnum cartridge. It is among the most powerful revolvers in the world since its original release in 2003, and is marketed as "the world's most powerful handgun" by the manufacturer.

The Model 500 can fire a bullet weighing at generating a muzzle energy of over , roughly twice that of the .50 AE Desert Eagle, and a momentum of 13.7 Newton seconds. Commercial loadings are available in bullet weights ranging from . The Model 500 is capable of firing the shorter .500 S&W Special cartridge.

Instead of a traditional barrel, the S&W 500 uses a rifled tube inside a barrel shroud that is secured by tension from the front. This tensioning leads to stability, making barrels less expensive to produce and resulting in a more accurate revolver.

The advanced design of the firearm helps in counteracting the recoil felt by the shooter. This includes the sheer weight of the firearm, including a full-length underlug contributing to a forward balance; use of rubber grips; and the use of a compensator. The compensator offers modest recoil reduction, but also increases muzzle blast. On certain S&W Performance Center models the compensator is replaced with a muzzle brake. The high energy of these rounds makes it possible to hunt extremely large African game successfully.

Variants

  • Model 500ES: 2.75″ barrel, stainless steel Emergency Survival snubnosed revolver with blaze orange Hogue grips (no longer manufactured as of December 2009).

<gallery>

Image:S&W500.jpg

Image:Flingues-p1030121.jpg

Image:Smith & Wesson Model 500 flickr szuppo.jpg

Image:Offhandgroup25.jpg

Image:.500S&W004.jpg

Image:.500S&WMunition2.jpg

Image:S&W 500, 6.5 Inch Variant, Wikipedia -EN.jpg|S&W Model 500, 6.5" barrel variant

File:Flickr - ~Steve Z~ - S^W 500 ^ NAA Mini.jpg|S&W 500 next to a NAA Mini-revolver

File:Flickr - ~Steve Z~ - S^W 500 Magnum (3).jpg

File:SW500 variousTypes PP noBG.jpg

</gallery>

See also

  • .50 caliber handguns
  • List of handgun cartridges
  • Smith & Wesson Model 460

References

  • Model 500ES: 2.75" barrel, stainless steel
  • Model 500: 3.5" barrel HI VIZ® Fiber Optic sight, stainless steel
  • Model 500: 4" barrel, stainless steel with 2 compensators
  • Model 500: 6.5" barrel, half lug, stainless steel with compensator
  • Model 500: 7.5" barrel, stainless steel with muzzle brake
  • Model 500: 8.38" barrel, stainless steel with compensator
  • Model 500: 8.38" barrel HI VIZ® Fiber Optic sight, stainless steel with interchangeable compensators
  • Model 500: 10.5" Lothar-Walther custom German rifle barrel, matte finish stainless steel with muzzle brake