Short Bbl 460 S&W

[Old Moss]

    "He has Risen!"   <><

  Hi Gents,

I have the new S&W Alaskan Survival Pack in 460 S&W, 2 1/2" Bbl, Any experience out there with this set-up?  Any loads developed for the Short Bbl?  I was going to start with the 360gr WFNGC over Lil'Gun powder and a Win Primer.  at around 1300-1400 FPS more than enough.  I have not been able to find any factory ammo except the Hornaday 200gr stuff here in CO.

You would think with all the positive press the ammo companies would be moving to add new and better loads and get them on the shelfs.  saving up for a 5-6" Bbl model for hunting maybe an encore at 10".

How about shooting 454Cas and 45LC I'm hesitant to do any at all don't want to ring the inside of my cylinder due to shorter cases.  Anyone else out there shoot 45Cas in there I can always get those factory?

Thanks for any info and have a Blessed Easter Old Moss

[Graybeard]

A snub nosed .460 seems totally counterintuitive to me. Why would such even exist? The whole idea of it (one I find rather silly on the face of it by the way) is to push light weight ballistically inferior bullets to ridiculous velocities. So now we have a snub nose revolver for it that cannot possibly reach velocities much higher than a hot loaded .45 Colt in a normal length barrel? Sorry that just does not compute.

I doubt you'll get all that much difference in velocity with heavier bullets proper for use in self protection against dangerous game regardless of which length case you use due to the super short barrel. Talk about a gun without a logical purpose to me that is the one whose photo should be in the dictionary beside the definition.

Hope I didn't rain on your parade too heevily just calling it as I see it. Were it mine, which of course it never ever would be, I'd say use the .45 Colt case with the kinda loads recommended for the five shot conversions. At least from that shorter case you'd gain almost another useable inch of effective barrel to help get the velocity up a bit more. Or if you just won't do that the for sure use the .454 Case as it will again help a little bit over the longer case in giving the bullet more run time before the barrel ends.

[rockbilly]

GB, as the old saying goes, "there is a horse for every rider."  I handled both the 460, and a 500 with 2.75 barrels last week.  I am with you, a lot of money for something that is not much better (?) than the old .45 Colt.  But that is what keep the gun business going, Everyone thinking they have to have a bigger and badder toy than everyone else...............what was that other saying, "A fool and his money are soon parted."

[Old Moss]

  Gentlemen,

You are absolutely right on all accounts, but I believe that not trying something a little different once and awhile; one may miss out on something who knows,  I am interested in trying all the case lengths staying exclusively with heavy cast bullets and around 1100-1400 fps -- if accurate to 25yds or less and it feels good in my hand then a fair carry gun may be had.  don't know till I try.  I would agree that a perfect woods carry arm would be a 5 shot 45LC double action with a 3 - 3 1/2 " Bbl  able to handle heavy loads and accurate.  I just can't afford the custom guns.  Ruger's new 4" red-hawk in 45LC may be close,  The S&W model 25 was close (not strong enough), but they are not there yet.  I believe Mr. Keith would have at least seen what was possible with a 4" 460 S&W.  I believe anything under 300grs in bullet wgt is a waste in the 460 S&W

I lived in Alaska for 4 years and the best defense is a 12g with short Bbl, or a heavy rifle.  But when Fishing (esp. Fly fishing) a heavy handgun felt good on the hip.

God Bless Old Moss 

[rockbilly]

I can't condemn any man for trying different toys if he can afford them..............

[buck460XVR]

I can't condemn any man for trying different toys if he can afford them..............

I agree.

altho I enjoy shooting my PC .460 and have found it's accuracy and downrange power all I had hoped it would be, I can't imagine pulling the trigger on a snub-nosed uncompensated model. It's gotta be like hanging on to the hind leg of a ornery mule.  cute little buggers tho..............

[Old Moss]

   Well Gents,

The report from the range is back.    And I couldn't be more pleased.  I loaded up 15 rds in hornaday brass, 38gr of H-110, 335gr WLNGC cast perf. slug. at 1325 average vel, from a 2 1\2" Bbl,  recoil  "WOW" but no worse than some hot 44mag loads.  The best part 20yds - 3-1/2" grps off hand slow double action, very uniform 5rd groups.  I am very pleased and have a new field gun that is a blast to shoot.

Thanks Old Moss

[jro45]

I shoot the 500 with 8 3/8 " barrel  And the 400 gr bullet goes 1620 FPS. I know they make a short 500 but this 460 is new to me. I guess that the 460 would recoil as much as the 500 or close to it.

[corbanzo]

I could probably add about ten more inches to my .44 mag to get to what one of those 2.5" x-frames weighs!! 

It's a neat idea though.  Lots of boom, doesn't hang up in the bushes.  Well, besides the handle... but you know what I'm saying.

[Redhawk1]

I have shot a few S&W 460 mags, I have also owned 5 of them and still own one. My one is a 7.5 inch barreled S&W PC model 460 Mag and I use it out to 150 yards, my shorter version was a blast to shoot, I like the idea of bigger bullets that I could shoot in the S&W 460 mag, 370, 395 and some of Ranger Ricks 535 gr. pills. You cant do that with a 45 Colt or 454 Casull.

And yes I have shot 45 Colts and 454 Casull's in my 460 Mag, a good cleaning with a good brush will take care of any ring, even at the range. But I usually only shoot the S&W 460 Mags in my S&W 460.  If I want to shoot 45 Colts or 454 Casull's, I will grab one of my other guns in that caliber.

I am also a S&W 500 mag nut, I have 3 of them at present. A S&W 4 inch 500 mag, a BFR custom 6 inch 500 mag and an Encore OTT custom 8 inch 500 mag.
I love big holes in whatever I shoot, paper, animals.


Good luck with your 460 mag and just have fun with it, don't worry about people trying to question your purchase, you are the only one you have to impress and please.   

[30WCF]

Knowing what its like with a 10 inch barrel late in the evening I suppose a snub nose 460 looks like a flamethrower.