What is the most powerful handgun in the world.?

Answer 1

The infamous 600 nitro. More powerful than even the 500 s&w magnum. Although, if I needed that kind of power, I would just buy a rifle and save my self the punishment of shooting those things. I work in an ER and saw someone who split the web of their hand open so bad that it required suturing after shooting one of these mega-handguns. This is a true story that I personally helped work on, not some urban myth. That won't happen evertime someone fires one, but it can (and did) definitely happen in this case. My advice is that if you do shoot one, wear shooting gloves.

Answer 2

MODEL 500 S&W MAGNUM REVOLVER

In the 1971 movie "Dirty Harry," actor Clint Eastwood introduced the world to the double-action Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44-cal. Magnum revolver--"the most powerful handgun in the world."

It was a crown S&W wore proudly, albeit briefly.

The rising popularity of handgun hunting for big game (spurred largely by the .44 Magnum itself) prompted the introduction of newer and significantly more powerful revolver cartridges. Many powerful enough that they had to be chambered in single-action handguns because existing double-action designs could not contain the recoil forces and pressures they produced.

Since S&W does not make single-action revolvers, and no double-action frame at its disposal could handle the new loads, S&W was effectively dethroned.

At the 2003 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, the manufacturer regained its crown. And, most significantly, it did it by introducing a new massive double-action revolver that is chambered for an equally new .50-cal. cartridge.

The S&W X-frame Model 500 is a brawny handgun designed to master the most rigorous hunting fields in the world. It is not a revolver one would, or likely could, tuck into a waistband. In fact, to call it massive is an understatement.

With its 8-3/8-in. barrel, the overall length of the Model 500 is 15 in. and the empty weight is 4.5 pounds. The cylinder alone is almost 2 in. in diameter and approaches 2.25 in. in length. Thumb the cylinder open and five charge holes await. Each is 1/2 in. in diameter, and the .50-cal. cartridges they hold are almost 2 in. long. Load five of them and the total weight of the handgun climbs to 5 pounds.

You don't just casually pick up a Model 500. You have to lift it.

Fire even one of those big cartridges and you'll appreciate why the weight and mass are there.

When the .44 Magnum laid claim to being the most powerful handgun in the world, its standard load produced about 900 ft.-lb. of muzzle energy. Several new loads have since eclipsed that, but the handgun most commonly used by big game hunters is the .454 Casull, which will generate about 1900 ft.-lb.

The 500 S&W Magnum will produce almost 2600 ft.-lb. with its heaviest load, and more powerful loads may well be on the way.

If Dirty Harry felt that the .44 Magnum would make his day, the new 500 S&W Magnum would certainly make his decade. It is the largest double-action revolver available, and there is no production revolver in the world--single or double action--capable of matching, or even approaching, the level of power it produces.

Harnessing that power in a double-action revolver, however, required some departures from traditional designs.

Rethinking Double-Action Design
No frame in the S&W line was capable of containing the 500 Magnum, so the new X-frame was designed specifically for the 500's .50-cal. cartridge. It is massive. But, just making a bigger double-action revolver was not the solution. A major concern was the barrel-to-frame connection. This is traditionally done by simply screwing the barrel into the front of the frame, but this design places all firing stress at that one point. To increase strength throughout the 500's barrel assembly, S&W opted for a composite barrel/shroud system.

A stainless steel barrel tube is torqued into the frame to form a solid rear attachment point. A separate, heavy stainless steel shroud is then slipped over the barrel and braced against the forward portion of the frame. The muzzle end of the barrel bears against the forward end of the shroud, and a separate compensator/muzzle brake is then rotated into place under torque at the muzzle end of the shroud.

This arrangement compresses the shroud and places the barrel tube under tension for its entire length. In effect, the barrel and shroud act as linear springs to distribute the stress of firing across the entire barrel/shroud component instead of focusing it all at the single junction of the barrel and frame.

Maintaining precise cylinder alignment was another concern. Traditional designs utilize a front- and rear-cylinder lockup, with the forward end of the ejector rod bearing against a ball-detent fixture on the barrel to provide the front lockup. Given the power of the 500 Magnum, the potential for flex in the ejector rod had to be addressed. The solution was to dispense with that design and install a massive ball-detent lock on the frame itself, directly below the barrel forcing cone. This mates with the yoke to provide a solid front lockup directly at the front of the cylinder. Combined with the traditional rear lockup, this is the strongest cylinder alignment design possible.

While the 500 S&W Magnum answers the question of "where's the beef?" the company wisely decided to incorporate the same grip dimensions found on its much smaller K-frame handguns. Experienced handgunners regard this as one of the best handgun grips ever made.

Thus, the 500 Magnum is a big revolver that's strong where it needs to be, but is comfortable to handle. That was borne out during firing tests.


On The Firing Line
Despite the power of the cartridge, the 500 S&W Magnum is surprisingly controllable. Due largely to the sheer mass of the revolver (combined with the muzzle-heavy balance and an excellent muzzle brake), the violent wrist-wrenching muzzle whip associated with single-action revolvers firing such powerful loads as the .454 Casull and the .475 Linebaugh has been tamed considerably.

In those guns, muzzle rise on recoil can reach 90� and present a hazard to the shooter. With even the heaviest 500 Magnum load tested, muzzle rise was confined to the 50� range and there was never any concern about the shooter wearing an imprint of the front sight in his forehead. That does not mean it's a pussycat. Make no mistake about it, this is not a handgun for the timid or the inexperienced. In comparison tests, the lightest 500 load--the 275-grain jacketed hollowpoint at 1665-ft.-per-second (fps) velocity--produced a modest, but noticeable, increase in recoil levels over a S&W Model 629 .44 Magnum. Anyone who is uncomfortable with the .44 Magnum will be decidedly uncomfortable with the 500 Magnum. The 440 cast-lead load at 1625 fps raised the recoil bar significantly. Muzzle rise still remained under 50� and placed little or no stress on the wrists, but the rearward thrust absorbed by the shooting hand began to become uncomfortable after 10 to 15 rounds. A shooting glove would have mitigated some of that.

Still, considering that the projectile weight and velocity of this load is virtually identical to a 1-ounce 12-ga. rifled lead shotgun slug--and that the 500 Magnum operates at over four times the pressure level of the slug--the recoil was less than expected. We'd say that Dirty Harry would certainly approve

Answer 3

500 S&W is the most powerful commercially produced.Now the 500 S&W is a handgun cartrage.Now there are pistols out there that shoot rifle rounds and wildcat rounds Im not sure if you want to include them.

Answer 4

What is the most powerful handgun in the world? Reality vs. perception. Perception: The most powerful handgun in the world is the one... pointed at your head. LOL!

Reality: Probably the .500 S & W revolver.

H

Answer 5

I have seen video of the .600 Nitro Pistol. If that is true then I would assume it to be the most powerful. Who the hell would want to shoot it though!

http://www.accuratereloading.com/recoil.html

Check this link out if you want a good opinion.

Answer 6

To Captain Mark's suggestion of wearing a shooting glove, I add the advise of wearing a helmet. I've seen lots more head injuries that needed stitches than hand injuries needing stitches.

Doc

Answer 7

production-wise, it is the .500 smith&wesson. there are a number of single shot handguns that shot rifle cartridges,however.

Answer 8

A S&W .500 I just shot one today at the range. Although they feed it weaker rounds its quite gun. Just holding it is cool. Its big heavy and just intimidating.

Answer 9

.500 s+w

Answer 10

The one in the hand of a man determined to protect his life, property and freedom.