Smith & Wesson Model 460

Last updated
Smith & Wesson Model 460XVR
.460 S&W customise 'wiki.jpg
Customized Smith & Wesson Model 460XVR showing factory sights and barrel detail.
Type Revolver
Place of originUnited States
Production history
Manufacturer Smith & Wesson
Produced2005 [1] [2] to present
Specifications
Barrel  length2.75–8.375 inches (69.9–212.7 mm)

Cartridge .454 Casull
.45 Colt
.45 Schofield
.460 S&W Magnum
Action Double-action/single-action
Muzzle velocity 200 grains (13 grams) at 2,330 feet per second (710 metres per second)
Feed system5-round cylinder
SightsOpen with provision for a scope

Smith & Wesson Model 460 is a large bore five-shot, single-action/double-action revolver by Smith & Wesson chambered for the .460 S&W Magnum cartridge. It was designed as a hunting and dangerous game defensive revolver for use in Africa and Alaska. The revolver is built on the company's largest and strongest frame, known as the X-Frame, and represents a joint effort among Smith & Wesson, Hornady, and Cor-Bon. [3]

Contents

Design

The basic design of the Model 460 is based on another X-frame revolver, its counterpart, the Smith & Wesson Model 500, a .50 caliber revolver. [2] [4]

Aside from the .460 S&W Magnum cartridge, the revolver can also chamber .454 Casull, .45 Colt, and .45 Schofield ammunition. [3] [5] [6] [2] Smith & Wesson states that Model 460 XVR (XVR stands for X-treme Velocity Revolver) is the highest velocity production revolver, while being the most powerful .45 caliber production revolver in the world, launching a 200-grain (13-gram) bullet at 2,330 feet per second (710 meters per second), generating 2,416 foot-pounds force (3,276 joules) of muzzle energy. [3] [2] [7] [8] [9]

This revolver uses gain-twist rifling, starting with a slow twist rate of one turn in 100  in and gradually increasing up to one turn in 20  in to accommodate the combination of a heavy bullet and high pressure and velocity typical for the round. [3]

The S&W Model 460 won the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence Handgun of the year Award when it debuted in 2005. [10]

Variants

Smith & Wesson offers several variants of this revolver. Some with short barrels like the Model 460 ES are intended for use in survival kits in small planes should they crash land in Alaskan Bear Country [11] while others with barrels as long as 14" are intended as a primary hunting arm. [12] [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Revolver</span> Firearm with a cylinder holding cartridges

A revolver is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six cartridges, before needing to be reloaded, revolvers are commonly called six shooters or sixguns. Due to their rotating cylinder mechanism, they may also be called wheel guns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wadcutter</span> Type of bullet

A wadcutter is a special-purpose flat-fronted bullet specifically designed for shooting paper targets, usually at close range and at subsonic velocities typically under approximately 270 metres per second (890 ft/s). Wadcutters have also found favor for use in self-defense guns, such as .38 caliber snubnosed revolvers, due to shorter barrel lengths, lower bullet velocities, and improved lethality. Wadcutters are often used in handgun and airgun competitions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smith & Wesson Model 29</span> Revolver

The Smith & Wesson Model 29 is a six-shot, double-action revolver chambered for the .44 Magnum cartridge and manufactured by the United States company Smith & Wesson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.45 Colt</span> Revolver cartridge designed by the U.S. Army

The .45 Colt (11.43×33mmR), is a rimmed, straight-walled, handgun cartridge dating to 1872. It was originally a black-powder revolver round developed for the Colt Single Action Army revolver. This cartridge was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1873 and served as an official US military handgun cartridge for 19 years, before being replaced by the .38 Long Colt in 1892.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colt Buntline</span> Revolver

The Colt Buntline Special was a long-barreled variant of the Colt Single Action Army revolver, which Stuart N. Lake described in his best-selling but largely fictionalized 1931 biography, Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal. According to Lake, the dime novelist Ned Buntline commissioned the production of five Buntline Specials. Lake described them as extra-long Colt Single Action Army revolvers, with a 12-inch (300 mm)-long barrel, and stated that Buntline presented them to five lawmen in thanks for their help in contributing local color to his western yarns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smith & Wesson Model 500</span> Revolver

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smith & Wesson Model 19</span> Revolver

The Smith & Wesson Model 19 is a revolver produced by Smith & Wesson that was introduced in 1957 on its K-frame. The Model 19 is chambered for .357 Magnum. The K-frame is somewhat smaller and lighter than the original N-frame .357, usually known as the Smith & Wesson Model 27. A stainless steel variant of the Model 19, the Smith & Wesson Model 66, was introduced in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smith & Wesson Model 10</span> Service revolver

The Smith & Wesson Model 10, previously known as the Smith & Wesson .38 Hand Ejector Model of 1899, the Smith & Wesson Military & Police or the Smith & Wesson Victory Model, is a K-frame revolver of worldwide popularity. In production since 1899, the Model 10 is a six-shot, .38 Special, double-action revolver with fixed sights. Over its long production run it has been available with barrel lengths of 2 in (51 mm), 3 in (76 mm), 4 in (100 mm), 5 in (130 mm), and 6 in (150 mm). Barrels of 2.5 inches (64 mm) are also known to have been made for special contracts. Some 6,000,000 of the type have been produced over the years, making it the most-produced handgun of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smith & Wesson Model 686</span> Revolver

The Smith & Wesson Model 686 is a six- or seven-shot double-action revolver manufactured by Smith & Wesson and chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge; it will also chamber and fire .38 Special cartridges. Smith & Wesson introduced the Model 686 in 1981. It is the stainless steel version of the Model 586, which featured a blued steel finish. They are available ported and unported with a choice of 6- or 7-round cylinders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pocket pistol</span> Term for a small, pocket-sized semi-automatic pistol

In American English, a pocket pistol is any small, pocket-sized semi-automatic pistol, and is suitable for concealed carry in a pocket or a similar small space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smith & Wesson Model 17</span> Revolver

The Smith & Wesson Model 17 is a six-shot double-action revolver chambered for .22 LR. It is built on Smith & Wesson's medium-sized K-frame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.460 S&W Magnum</span> Revolver cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson (S&W)

The .460 S&W Magnum round is a powerful revolver cartridge designed for long-range handgun hunting in the Smith & Wesson Model 460 revolver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snubnosed revolver</span> Type of gun

A snubnosed revolver is a small, medium, or large frame revolver with a short barrel, generally less than 4 inches in length. Smaller such revolvers are often made with "bobbed" or "shrouded" hammers and there are also "hammerless" models ; the point is to allow the gun to be drawn with little risk of it snagging on clothing. Since the external movement of the mechanism is minimal or nil, shrouded and hammerless models may be fired from within clothing. The design of these revolvers compromises range and accuracy at a distance in favor of maneuverability and ease of carry and concealment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smith & Wesson Model 64</span> Revolver

The Smith & Wesson Model 64Military and Police revolver is the stainless steel version of the Model 10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Handgun</span> Short-barreled firearm designed to be held and used with one hand

A handgun is a firearm designed to be usable with only one hand. It is distinguished from a long gun which needs to be held by both hands and braced against the shoulder. Handguns have shorter effective ranges compared to long guns, and are much harder to shoot accurately. While most early handguns are single-shot pistols, the two most common types of handguns used in modern times are revolvers and semi-automatic pistols, although other handguns such as derringers and machine pistols also see infrequent usage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taurus Judge</span> Revolver

The Taurus Judge is a five shot revolver designed and produced by Taurus International, chambered for .410 bore shot shells and the .45 Colt cartridge. Taurus promotes the Judge as a self-defense tool against carjacking and for home protection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.32 rimfire</span>

The .32 rimfire refers to a family of cartridges which were chambered in revolvers and rifles in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These rounds were made primarily in short and long lengths, but extra short, long rifle and extra long lengths were offered.

The .500 S&W Magnum or 12.7×41mmSR is a .50 caliber semi-rimmed revolver cartridge developed by Cor-Bon in partnership with the Smith & Wesson "X-Gun" engineering team for use in the Smith & Wesson Model 500 X-frame revolver and introduced in February 2003 at the SHOT Show. From its inception, it was intended to be the most powerful handgun cartridge to date, with the capacity to harvest all North American game species. While more powerful handgun cartridges, such as the .500 Bushwhacker, have emerged since, they are only available in custom firearms, and the .500 S&W remains the most powerful production handgun cartridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smith & Wesson Model 52</span> Semi-automatic pistol

The Smith & Wesson Model 52, sometimes referred to as the 38 Master, is a semi-automatic pistol developed by Smith & Wesson for Bullseye shooting. It was one of the first semiautomatic pistols chambered in .38 Special with flush-seated, full wadcutter bullets. The shape of the rimmed cartridge limited the magazine capacity to five rounds. A variant, known as the Model 952, in 9 mm Parabellum, is still produced in limited quantities by Smith & Wesson's Performance Center. The Model 52 was discontinued in 1993 when the machinery to manufacture the pistol broke down and it was deemed too costly to replace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smith & Wesson Governor</span> Revolver

The Smith & Wesson Governor is a snub-nosed single-action/double-action revolver built on the Z-frame and utilizes a K-frame grip with a lightweight scandium alloy or stainless steel frame.

References

  1. Huntington, Roy (2005). "Academy of excellence honors industry's best". Shooting Industry. FMG Publications. 20 (5): 98.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Gun Review: Smith & Wesson's 460XVR Revolver". Outdoor Life . 18 September 2007.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Supica, Jim; Nahas, Richard (20 December 2006). Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 353. ISBN   1-4402-2700-4.
  4. Ramage, Ken; Taffin, John (16 November 2006). Handguns 2007. Gun Digest Books. p. 47. ISBN   0-89689-415-0.
  5. Chumley, Cheryl K. (January 21, 2014). "Smith & Wesson unveils monster .460 caliber gun: The 'Backpack Cannon'". The Washington Times .
  6. "New Smith & Wesson 460XVR & Model 929 Performance Center Revolvers". Guns & Ammo . January 22, 2014. Archived from the original on November 10, 2014.
  7. Barnes, Frank C.; Mann, Richard A. (5 October 2012). Cartridges of the World: A Complete Illustrated Reference for More Than 1,500 Cartridges. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 362. ISBN   1-4402-3059-5.
  8. Cunningham, Grant (2012). Gun Digest Shooter's Guide to Handguns. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 84. ISBN   1-4402-3276-8.
  9. Hutchinson, Gordon. "Beauty of the beast: S&W .460 XVR". Louisiana Sportsman.
  10. Huntington, Roy (2005). "Academy of excellence honors industry's best". Shooting Industry. FMG Publications. 20 (5): 98.
  11. Radielovic, Marko; Prasac, Max (31 August 2012). "Survival Tools". Big-Bore Revolvers. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 225. ISBN   1-4402-2856-6.
  12. Schoby, Mike (8 July 2008). Do-It-Yourself Dream Hunts: Plan Like An Outfitter And Hunt For Less. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. p. 60. ISBN   0-89689-641-2.
  13. Thurman, Russ (2005). "The Battle Of The Hand Cannons". Shooting Industry. FMG Publications. 20 (2): 35.
  14. "Model 460ES 2.75" Barrel". Smith & Wesson.
  15. "Model 460XVR 3.5" Barrel". Smith & Wesson.
  16. "Model 460V 5" Barrel". Smith & Wesson.
  17. "Model 460V 5" Barrel OD Green Carry Combo". Smith & Wesson.
  18. "Model 460XVR 8.38" Barrel". Smith & Wesson.
  19. "Model 460XVR 10.5" Barrel". Smith & Wesson. Archived from the original on 2016-05-21.
  20. "Model 460XVR 12" Barrel". Smith & Wesson. Archived from the original on 2016-05-28.
  21. "Model 460XVR 14" Barrel". Smith & Wesson.