500 S&W Magnum Handi rifle

[O.S.O.K.]

I was looking at gunbroker and saw a handi rifle listed - 500 S&W. Peaked my curiosity a bit and I did a little research on it.

I have a 45-70 handi rifle already and it seems to me that the 500 and the 45-70 are very close ballistically - what you can do with one, you can do with another...

I guess the 500 would be a good companion to the giagantic S&W X frame revolver, but I decided that this was not my gig.

Anybody else have any thoughts on it?

The handi rifles are very lightweight and short, eminately portable rifles...

[Lobo]

Hello,

I wanted a Handi-Rifle in .45 Colt, but when they finally came out they were almost twice as expensive as the same rifle in .270 Win!! Handi's are nice light, accurate, user friendly rifles.....can't see how you could go wrong with one.

The Smith 500 Monster revolver.......I've always said from the first one I saw with sling swivels attached that they should be reconfigured and sold as revolving rifles. Of course, at that point, they'd probably be heavier than my Marlin 336!

[WCF3030]

.

[Pete44ru]

IIRC, the scoop on them ( the .500 S&W's), from the various Handi forums, is that they have a serious pressure problem - opening upon firing.

I bet it makes for a speedier reload, though.

.

[madman4570]

I have a 2007 Handi synthetic SB2-457(45-70)
I have put 120 rds of the 405gr@2000fps Buffalo Bore stuff through mine and even some Conley stuff.
Never in mine have I ever had a problem.It is a very nice little carry gun.But at a little over 6.5lbs she kicks some.It is very accurate and I would buy another one in an instant.But honestly if that's only what they do when way over loaded instead of blowing up and staying closed.All well and good!

I talked to H&R Service tech Mgt. last year, They said its when they go over the listed Ruger#1 loads! They might open the action up!
But talk to H&R before taking my word on what you shoot in yours!

On mine I did install a limbsaver recoil pad on it though!

[Pete44ru]

Google "H&R .500 S&W issues", and this video is right at the top:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF9zVVdLRBI

.

[madman4570]

pete,
ya, I have senn that one before.No doubt as with any models there can be issues with some.
But I still would spend the $96 for a barrel and shoot it today!

To me there is no comparison between a 45-70 and a 700gr 50cal (500S&W)even if it,s moving slower.(Punch Bullet ??)
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =147744555
50 of them babies for $19 I would try em!

just my opinion and I am no expert for sure!

[O.S.O.K.]

pete,
ya, I have senn that one before.No doubt as with any models there can be issues with some.
But I still would spend the $96 for a barrel and shoot it today!

To me there is no comparison between a 45-70 and a 700gr 50cal (500S&W)even if it,s moving slower.(Punch Bullet ??)

just my opinion and I am no expert for sure!

I just can't personally think of anything that I'd need a 500 grain .458" bullet to do going 1500 fps that a 700 grain .501" bullet could do any better going 1300...

Seriously.

I'm not dissing the 500 Handi rifle though - if I didn't have the 45-70 I might get one. 50 caliber is cool no buts about it

And the one on gunbroker was priced the same as the other calibers...

[madman4570]

I hear what your saying,it would just be so cool!
I thought I read somewhere that they were getting almost 1500fps out of the 22" barrel???????????(that seems high though)??
I will research it more! ?????????

Just look at that bullet though! That's what I call a big wide bullet.

[Mokwaw]

I would buy the .500 before the .45-70 simply because I could use the .500 to hunt deer in Indiana and I can't .45-70. But then if I were going to buy a Handi for hunting I would go with a .44 cause I'm already set up for reloading.

[JReed]

Main problem I hear about on the Handi forum is the recoil is a bit stiff for most folk. The pop open is some thing that is most attributed to the user 1 using to heavy of loads and 2 not cleaning excess oil out of the action.

[AJMD429]

I got one because I wanted something to shoot SABOTED loads out of, and it is easier to find .50 caliber sabots.

I still want to find out what kind of groups I can get with pea gravel at 50 yards...

I posted way back on mine - http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... =1&t=15646

[6pt-sika]

I got one of the H&R Handi rifles in 500 S&W when the first came out a couple years ago .

It never did win me over so some guy in Alaska has it now !

When I was sighted in dead on at 50 yards the bullet hit way way low at 100 yards ! When I was sighted in at 100 yards the bullets flew over my target at 50 yards . This thing has a super duper rainbow trajectory or atleast it did for me !

I tried both Hornady bullets and both Sierra bullets in this little rifle . Also had 3 molds for it but I never got around to cast bullets in the little rifle .

I also "had" a Handi Rifle in 444 Marlin . Of the two that was the better IMHO !

[madman4570]

I got one of the H&R Handi rifles in 500 S&W when the first came out a couple years ago .

It never did win me over so some guy in Alaska has it now !

When I was sighted in dead on at 50 yards the bullet hit way way low at 100 yards ! When I was sighted in at 100 yards the bullets flew over my target at 50 yards . This thing has a super duper rainbow trajectory or atleast it did for me !

I tried both Hornady bullets and both Sierra bullets in this little rifle . Also had 3 molds for it but I never got around to cast bullets in the little rifle .

I also "had" a Handi Rifle in 444 Marlin . Of the two that was the better IMHO !

Wow,
That is very interesting! Man it would seem they should definetly be better than that?
My 550 grainers out of my deerslayer are not close to that bad?
Anyone else have this problem on here? That's unreal/could it be a bad gun etc.?????????

It appears out of the 8" S&W they are getting very good accuracy??
With it also getting at least 1300fps with the 700grainers as well! That is one hand cannon! I want one!

[rock-steady]

In my Handi500, I've used Sierra 400gr JFP's with H110 to kill two whitetails at ranges of 80 to 100 yds. Knockdown power is phenomenal. This year, I've worked up a load using the Hornady FTX 300gr and Lil'Gun. I have not killed a deer with this load, but we still have 3 weeks of deer seasn left. I scrapped the standard weaver base and rings and put on a Game Reaper one-piece base & ring combo. I went through three scopes before I found one with enough windage adjustment. It now wears a cheap BSA CatsEye 1.5x4.I also put on a Decelerator recoil pad. That little stumpy gun kicks like a mule. The best three shot groups at 100yds I can shoot with mine average around 2 1/2". Good enough for 100yd r less, I reckon.

[O.S.O.K.]

Well the auction expired but was relisted - $265 plus shipping http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =154884676 Has 10 days on it - don't know why people list them for so long...

Anyway - thought I'd list it for anyone that's interested. Fair price IMHO.