Best Handgun Stopping Power - Smith and Wesson 500 with the 500 S&W Mag

Sometimes you may want a handgun with the most stopping power you can possibly get. I live in Montana, and have plenty of friends from Alaska, two of the places where wildlife is the biggest in North America. Some people think that huge guns are overkill in any situation. When you have a massive Grizzly bear walking around your tent at night, and you're not sure if he's ready to maul or just curious, is there such thing as a handgun that is too big? I'm not advocating shooting any bear you come across, but in certain situations running away and pepper spray will not work, and you need to rely on whatever weapon you have. That is why we want a gun that is able to stop almost any living thing in its tracks. But what gun can claim to be the Best Handgun Stopping Power?

We have chosen the Smith and Wesson 500 (S&W 500) and its .500 S&W Magnum round as the Best Handgun Stopping Power gun system based off 3 different categories; purpose, round ballistics and barrel length.

Purpose

The original purpose of the S&W500 was to be able to hunt and take down any large game in North America. This Smith and Wesson is considered the "most powerful production revolver in the world today". The gun actually has the ability to be reliably hunted with out to 200 yards, which for a handgun is very impressive. The large "X-Gun" frame, forward balance, rubber grips and large mass help it to be accurate out to those long distances by controlling recoil and muzzle rise well. I've shot this gun, and it is a BIG gun to shoot.

Round Ballistics

The S&W 500 shoots a .500 S&W Magnum round, which is the most power production handgun round available today. The round has a velocity of up to 2, 075 ft/s and a kinetic energy of up to 3, 031 ft-lb, depending on the bullet weight and powder load. Compare that energy to a .40 S&W, which only gets a maximum of 490 ft-lb. You can't get much better stopping power than that in a production handgun.

Barrel Length

The S&W500 comes in a few different barrel lengths, ranging from 2 ¾" out to 10". A longer barrel length means that you will be able to aim the gun better, and the round will have more energy and velocity coming out of the barrel. This is the cartridge will have more time to ignite and fully explode, and pass on more energy to the bullet while it is still in the barrel, a concentrated and directed explosion. The longer barrel is also good for accuracy, because of the increased plane of sight, just like a rifle.

Bottom Line

If you are looking for a gun purely for stopping power, the S&W500 is the gun you are looking for. It has the ability to take down just about anything, as it was originally intended to hunt large game from out to 200 yards. The Smith and Wesson 500 is truly the Best Handgun Stopping Power that is mass produced today.

For more articles like this, that determine the best handgun, the best ammo, or the best holster in different categories and demands, please visit our website, Best-Handgun.com. Some of the sample articles include the Best Pistol Caliber, the Best Handgun for Women, and the Best Glock.

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