Topic: S&W 460 XVR revolver

[Nealio]

I'm not a revolver guy, but I've always wanted something that could be considered a "hand cannon".  I saw one of these 460 XVR's used on a site and was thinking that might be a good wheel gun for me, since you can shoot .45 LC, .454 Casull, and .460 S&W Mag out of it.  So I have 3 revolvers in one almost.
Anyone have one of these or shot one?  From what I've read they shoot awesome and the .460 Mag is ridiculous (200gr @ 2300 fps???).

[ponder]

Don't forget .45 Schofield, .45 shot shell variations and short .410 shotshells, buck and slugs.

[XDMHMMWV]

The 460 also weighs 5.5 pounds empty
Check out some of the people on Youtube firing that thing before you "pull the trigger" on buying it.
To carry it, you need to use a rifle sling attached to the grip, and front of the barrel.

At 3.5 pounds, the 454 Casull is an easier gun to pack in the woods if you don't want to carry a rifle.
But the 460 is a cool hand cannon, especially the XVR

[2big2fail]

I'm not a revolver guy, but I've always wanted something that could be considered a "hand cannon".  I saw one of these 460 XVR's used on a site and was thinking that might be a good wheel gun for me, since you can shoot .45 LC, .454 Casull, and .460 S&W Mag out of it.  So I have 3 revolvers in one almost.
Anyone have one of these or shot one?  From what I've read they shoot awesome and the .460 Mag is ridiculous (200gr @ 2300 fps???).

I had one for about a year.  got rid of it last november.  It's a baaaaaadasssssss!  For example,  if you look one up on the S&W website, you won't find it in "handguns", it's in the "Big game" section.  I still have 3 or so boxes of ammo left. 
    Here's what I know from experience:
     * You MUST have hearing protection at ALL times! Even hunting. There is no possibility of even one shot at game or whatever that won't literally blow apart your hearing canal and everything connected to it.
     * It IS the meanest handgun in the world! I remember comparing energy tables with the .500 S&W and the .460 takes it.  Mostly due to the 230 grain bullets can reach 2400 fps.  That's in the large rifle category.
     * It will turn every head at the range.  Every pull of the trigger is like a 2 litre bottle of tannerite.  It'll raise dust up off the ground in a 10 foot circle.
     * You cannot ccw this one.  It's almost 6 lbs loaded (that's nearly an m4) and i was never able to find a holster.  They just don't make 'em that big.
     * It quickly becomes a novelty weapon.  Too large, heavy, and loud for all practical purposes. (hellova lot of fun though, it will put a hole through 3/8 steel like it was drilled with oil and a sharp bit.)
     * There isn't as much recoil as you'd expect.  My first box of ammo was Hornady 200 grn ballistic tip wadcutters, they look like something that belongs under the wing of a Blackhawk.  The 1-1/4" muzzle break and the weight keep recoil surprisingly manageable.

Well if you decide to go with the .460, it's definitely a blast and makes an impression.  I will stress the novelty part however.

[Joey]

The .460 in a 7", was the heaviest recoiling handgun I have ever fired!

30-06 Encore with a 15" Bbl and 180gr factory loads, was comfortable.
Same 7" only in .500S&W, was comfortable.
454 Casull in about 7 differant verities, is my favorite for large bore handguns.
The S&W 44mag Ultralite was close to the .460, but still not as bad.

+1 on the earpro, at Impact you would have to use plugs and muffs.

Good Luck 

[2big2fail]

The .460 in a 7", was the heaviest recoiling handgun I have ever fired!

30-06 Encore with a 15" Bbl and 180gr factory loads, was comfortable.
Same 7" only in .500S&W, was comfortable.
454 Casull in about 7 differant verities, is my favorite for large bore handguns.
The S&W 44mag Ultralite was close to the .460, but still not as bad.

+1 on the earpro, at Impact you would have to use plugs and muffs.

Good Luck 

No doubt it kicks like a mule, but just not as much as one would expect.. Definatly the hardest kicking handgun I've ever shot but it didn't cause any wrist or forearm damage, no broken bones either.   Have you all been introduced to the .45-70 handguns? The cylinder is longer than that of the .460 and no muzzle break!

[Nealio]

Been thinking about this more and maybe that .460 is a little too big for what I want.  Maybe I should go with a .44 Mag or a 454 Casull?  Which would you guys choose and why?  Seems like the 454 is more "flexible" as I could load the it as hot as I want (from .45 LC loadings to full boat .454 loads), but the .44 mag definitely is more common and the "standard" by which all other revolvers are measured..   I've actually never shot anything more than a .357 mag out of a revolver, so I don't know where the .44 Mag is compared to the .454..
Plus I'm thinking I could get a nice S&W 629 for a good price..

What would you guys do?

[carharttfarmer]

45 long colt in a ruger or 454 would be best can go hotter than a 44 with the 45lc and can go from mild to wild with the 454   

[XDMHMMWV]

If you are not into reloading, want to be able to buy ammo from ChinaMart and want a chance of finding ammo if the SHTF, go with the 44mag.

If you reload and want the highest power revolver that you can get a holster for, go with the 454.

The 44mag in the Ruger actually weighs a couple ounces more than the 454.  You may like the look of the scalloped cylinder more that the smooth surface one of the 454.

One of the members on the board is thinking about selling his 454; I can pm you if you are interested

[NoviceHunter]

Awesome to carry: S&W 329PD 44 mag
Reasonable but heavy: 454
Bragging rights: 500 or 460

[adrewiske]

+1 on the hearing protection. I have the ruger 454 and made the mistake of firing it without and instantly regretted it for days! That 460 looks like a baddass gun, but carrying even the 454 in the hills or anywhere for that matter is a pain in the ass.

[Evergreen]

I just purchased a S&W 460 v (5" barrel), not long ago.  It really is a beauty and I bought the gun just because the model is being discontinued by S&W..  I am hoping by hanging on to it that it will gain some collectors value, such as the Colt Anacondas.  I've shot it and I will say it is quite a beast, but the recoil, although pounding, is not so bad overall.  After you shoot a couple rounds, you get used to it and you realize a lot of the perceived recoil , was about 50% mental.  The best thing about shooting the S&W 460v was it took away all my recoil sensitivity I previously was having with my S&W 629.  Now, I shoot that 44 mag like it is a 9mm.. Wow, the 44 seems so gentle now..     Seriously, I have improved my .44 accuracy a million miles after shooting the 460.  However, it will take a while before I can improve that 460 accuracy.  I'm by no means a trained big-bore shooter.  The one thing I like about big bore shooting, is once you can get over the recoil mind-game, you really can get a good feel of where that bullet is travelling.   I'm starting to realize I am more accurate with 44 then with a 22, because I have a harder time gauging the slight movements which put the smaller rounds off target.  This is my theory and it coudl be wrong, but I think a lot of the reason people suck at big bore shooting, is due to recoil fear.  Once you are over it, big bore guns can be easier than even smaller calibers.

Anyway, I love my S&W 460 and got a really beautiful hand carved holster from Simply RUgged. I am hoping I can carry this beast with me when I go hiking. For me, this gun will mostly be a range toy and a safe queen.  However, I am hoping one day when I reload, that I can become a proficient big bore shooter.  

The only downside is if you ever have to use this gun in a defense shooting, it can cause some hearing damage.  I am thinking of loading the gun with some hot 45LC in black bear country, but I like the extra sercurity of 460 rounds in brown bear country.  The versatility of this gun is also real nice, but there are some who complain rotating rounds can cause some extra wear on the chamber of the gun.  However, I've heard others who disputed this claim.    

+1 on the hearing protection. I have the ruger 454 and made the mistake of firing it without and instantly regretted it for days! That 460 looks like a baddass gun, but carrying even the 454 in the hills or anywhere for that matter is a pain in the ass.

Considering, how heavy my S&W 460 is, I agree that it is a pain in the ass..  But, if you get a chest holster, I think it is a lot less of a pain in the ass than carrying a shotgun or rifle on a trail.  And, if you are in a National Park, where you cannot carry rifles/shotguns, it would be the best choice available.  Some people hate chest holster, but from an orthopedic view, I think it would put the least strain on the body as the weight is even.  I would never want to have to hip carry any large frame revolver.

[NoviceHunter]

The versatility of this gun is also real nice, but there are some who complain rotating rounds can cause some extra wear on the chamber of the gun.  However, I've heard others who disputed this claim.

Has anyone claiming this ever provided any evidence?  Folks have been swapping 38 special/357 magnum and 44 special/44magnum for a damn long time with no ill effects, provided you clean the cylinder well between swaps.

[carharttfarmer]

call me crazy but i have really thought about buying this model  several times

[adrewiske]

I can't even imagine how bad the recoil would be on that thing!! Does that come in what they call their "survival pack" or something similar to that?