What is the largest caliber handgun ever made?

Question

I have heard it is a .68 caliber

Answer 1

I believe a previous poster was right when they mentioned there was a black powder handgun that was 70+ caliber.

The largest smokeless powder handgun I am aware of is a revolver chambered in a 600 Nitro Express (shoots about a bullet between 900 grains and over 1000 grains). I'd be scared to shoot this cartridge in a rifle (and I have been shooting over 25 years)

Here is a link started by the guy who owns it. He posted some videos of people shooting it. It is quite impressive. I don't think I'd have the marbles to shoot something like that:

http://forums.nitroexpress.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=bigbores&Number=34889&page=1&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

The video links are at the end of the first post in the thread. They are quite large, but worth it.

Answer 2

Largest Caliber Handgun

Answer 3

To my knowledge, the Smith and Wesson 500, .50 cal, is the largest production handgun. There are other large caliber revolvers, chambering the 45-70 and similar calibers. I have seen a custom-built specimen chambering the .50 cal BMG, it was built on a 1911 pistol frame and had a cannon breech-like reciever. Before the 500 S&W, the 454 Casull was in the running for the largest production handgun. There are probably some blackpowder and musket variants from times past that are larger in actual diameter of the projectile, but less in the power factor. I would have to say that the custom pistol I described in 50 cal. Browning Machine Gun, is the most powerful ever built, since the 50 BMG is the end-all of power-house rounds. Hope I could help.

Answer 4

Biggest Handgun In The World

Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What is the largest caliber handgun ever made?
I have heard it is a .68 caliber

Answer 6

The largest handgun caliber ever made? Joe, that would have to be one of the ancient hand cannon arquebuses. One I've heard about was a .43mm which would be about 1.72 in American calibration. To convert from millimeters to American caliber multiple mm x 4.

Modern handguns? That would be one of the newer .50 calibers. Someone mentioned a 700 Nitro Express handgun. I've only heard of rifles in this caliber, but I suppose it is possible.

H

Answer 7

Hi Latrice. What is the biggest handgun in the world? These kinds of questions are difficult to answer but the Desert Eagle is NOT the biggest handgun in the world. The biggest commercially available handgun in world today is the .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum. Also, there are custom made handgun that fire much bigger bullets. Try googling the .600 Nitro Express pistol. That one is even bigger than the .500 S&W revolver. H

Answer 8

There are some even bigger than .68". The largest I've seen is the .73 Alex Henry howdah pistol used by British in India. A howdah is the seat on an elephant's back. This .73 is a double barrel. There were also .577 versions with four barrels. The .73 cartridge is over 2.5" long. Imagine the tremendous power and recoil of such a pistol. It's the largest caliber cartridge pistol. Some flintlocks were about as big in bore, but they lack the power of the Alex Henry, for they use black powder, and it uses cordite.

Answer 9

The most powerful handgun in the world is the S&W .500 Magnum.

Answer 10

Largest i know of is the .75 caliber smoothbore flintlock pistols.