Smith & Wesson Introduces .50 cal Handgun

[YellowJacket]

TweetBy Trudy Tynan
ASSOCIATED PRESS
2:26 p.m., February 13, 2003



Associated Press
Dirty Harry is now outgunned: Smith & Wesson has introduced its biggest handgun ever, a .50-caliber Magnum.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Dirty Harry is now outgunned: Smith & Wesson has introduced its biggest handgun ever, a .50-caliber Magnum.

The five-shot revolver with an 8½-inch barrel weighs about 4½ pounds – roughly a pound more than the big black .44 Magnum wielded by Clint Eastwood in the Dirty Harry movies. It fires a new .50-caliber cartridge that the company said produces nearly three times the muzzle energy of the .44 – or enough stopping power to bring down a charging bear.

"The primary market for it is hunting" big game, spokesman Ken Jorgensen said.

Steve Comus, publications director of the Safari Club International, said he expects Smith & Wesson to sell several thousand of the weapons to sportsmen interested in hunting with handguns.

Some questioned the wisdom of producing a more powerful handgun.

"It boggles the mind," said Tom Ortiz, executive director of the Violence Policy Center. He predicted the new Magnum would create "a new order of threat to law enforcement."

Smith & Wesson first brought out the .44 Magnum in the 1950s.

The new gun, which sells for $989, is one of nine models Smith & Wesson introduced this week at a trade show in Orlando, Fla. President Roy C. Cuny said it was the largest number of new introductions in recent years.

The introduction of the big gun marks a sharp departure for the 150-year-old company, which for the past five years has concentrated on the development of lightweight revolvers using alloys of rare metals.

Among the other new guns being introduced by Smith & Wesson is the industry's lightest ever: a .44 Magnum that has a 4-inch barrel, scandium frame and titanium cylinder, and weighs in at 1 pound, 10½ ounces.

"We see this as an opportunity for backpackers," Cuny said. "A light firearm of this caliber, in fact, provides protection against bears and other big things."

Despite a spike following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, handgun sales have long been on the decline in the United States, and Smith & Wesson has struggled along with other gunmakers.

But Smith & Wesson, long the industry leader, also lost business in recent years after striking a deal with the Clinton administration in 2000 to install safety locks on all its guns and change its marketing practices. Other gunmakers decided not to follow Smith & Wesson's lead, and gun advocates accused the company of selling out.

In 2001, the ailing gunmaker was sold by its British owner to an Arizona startup company that all but abandoned the agreement with the government and adopted an aggressive and unapologetic marketing stance.

[Aragorn]

TweetOMG that is huge...I'm not a gun advocate but that would do some damage.

Aragorn

[Tedmax195]

TweetWhat about the Desert Eagle Yellowjacket? The one i handled before was 50 caliber, it weighed 10 lbs with a full clip. Am i wrong.

[YellowJacket]

TweetYes, there are .50 caliber D-Eagles. Ive actually shot one.... but this is a revolver.

[Auriflex]

TweetWhile they appear to be the same caliber, I think they are as different as a .38 to a .357 mag.

S&W supposedly has developed this round as a 'magnum'. I couldnt find any ballistics tonight, but there may be luck this coming week.

Stats for the .50 action express....

Blount-MRI
300grain JHP
10" barrel - Muzzle Velocity - 1664 fps. Muzzle Energy - 1842 ft-lbs

Seems the highest of factory loads for the .50AE...

I'll look for the S&W 500 magnum tomorrow.

[BODY]

TweetDoes anyone know how their deal worked out w/ the clinton crew when they agreed to fingerprint all weapons?

[Impossible]

Tweetwell, looks like another one to put on my 'to get' list!

[The Syndicate]

Tweetbest guns=Tommy Gun, Desert Eagle and Glock

[YellowJacket]

Tweet

Originally posted by The Syndicate
best guns=Tommy Gun, Desert Eagle and Glock

True and include .454 Raging Bull

[iamdwalrus]

TweetWow, would that be approved for competition target shooting?

[jack hust]

Tweetomg

[pudgy]

Tweetwhen you absolutely , positivly gotta kill every muthaf*cker in the room.

any one else remember that movie...

[Auriflex]

Tweet

Originally posted by BODY
Does anyone know how their deal worked out w/ the clinton crew when they agreed to fingerprint all weapons?

There is a blurb I read somewhere that when the British parent company sold S&W to an Arizona firm - the new owners all but ignored the previous arrangement, ie Clinton Deal.

I read that last night, but cannot remember where.

[Auriflex]

Tweethttps://www.glocktalk.com/showthread....hreadid=136005

2600ft-lbs ...... in a handgun.

[abstrack]

Tweet

Originally posted by The Syndicate
best guns=Tommy Gun, Desert Eagle and Glock

man you have left out a bunch!!

what about HK or colt government issues?? or SIG ARMS or SIG SAUER
I could sit here all day and name quality or better guns. tommy gun good but it locked up and jammed alot but it was full auto!! great sounding gun but jammed up to much, desert eagle is ok to but heavy as shit!! you could do away fine with a 45 and stop just about anything that moves( human wise) and probably some animals, glock is very nice gun probably the best you have listed. very consistent in grouping( alos considering the rounds that you choose also), can with stand a beating, shot under water and very rarely locks up