At the January 2005 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Smith & Wesson unveiled a number of new products for shooters, but none more powerful than the revolver shown above.

The day before the SHOT Show opened I was fortunate to be among a group of outdoor writers who had the privilege to put both hands around the handgrips of this pistol and experience the power of the 460XVR.

I knew in advance I was in for a treat when I first stepped into the indoor shooting range. I heard the sound and saw the lightning-like flash coming out of the shooting-lane stand at the far end of the range each time a round from the 460XVR was ignited.

Each of the five shots I took at the target let me feel a bit of the blow back on my face coming from the one-inch compensator mounted on the end of the barrel. While I believe the recoil from this 460XVR may be less than that of the Smith & Wesson 500 that I shot earlier in the day, the indoor surroundings added to the awe of shooting the most powerful .45 caliber revolver in the world.

The 460XVR has an 8 3/8-inch barrel, including the one-inch compensator. The compensator is removable and interchangeable. Total weight of the revolver is 73 ounces.

The 460XVR has a 5-shot capacity like the S&W 500 and pushes a 200-grain bullet at 2,330 feet per second. Its accuracy comes from the gain-twist rifled barrel. In addition, it will fire lighter loads, including the .45 Colt and .454 Casull.

Suggested retail cost is $1,253.

Now, there is still the question of a field test… Mr. California Wild Boar meet Mr. S&W 460XVR.


Jerry Springer
Editor/Publisher
WesternHunter.com