Proposed New Caliber.

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I guess some folks may be interested but we have a 460 S&W and I can't think of anything that I would need more power in a revolver. Smith must have done some serious testing or were incredibly lucky because of how accurate they are. One of the big selling points of the 460 is its accuracy and any competition would be held against that standard. I mean how many production line revolvers will group under 2 inches at 100 yards? The 460 will.

It would be nice to see Ruger chamber a revolver in 460 and that may get some interest. The other issue with new calibers is how support (ammo, brass, etc) often falls away after a few years. Look at rounds like the 375 Win, 7mm WSM, etc where ammo soon dried up. YMMV
 
That's because they found a twist rate and rifling cut that works with the available commercial ammo. If you tried some 450gr subsonics it might change slightly. My intended design would chamber 460 as well. At this point just matching what everyone else is doing isn't accomplishing anything. If they showed up at SHOT with this it would probably be Gun of the Year!!! The ease of producing it even on a small scale would make it silly not to. Ruger could be on top of the Power Wars after a few decades. The 480 was too little too late. Who knows you could still stuff a 410 shell in it as well 😂🤣😂🤣
 
Our revolver has never had a commercial round shot from it. I do think it was designed to work best in the 200-250 grain range.

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Our revolver has never had a commercial round shot from it. I do think it was designed to work best in the 200-250 grain range.

54112802991_9efe4bb4aa_k.jpg
Well like most hand loaders you dialed the load in to the gun. It's easy to get accuracy like that when everything is dialed in. I frequently found myself doing the opposite I would decide what my desired load would be and started ordering custom barrels till I found one that worked with my loads😂🤣😂🤣
 
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... Much like racing there's no such thing as Too Much Power!!! Just how the crap am I going to hook it all up!!!

Hooking it up can be a problem. Was acquainted with a gentleman years ago, who had worked in the aerospace industry. When he retired from that, one of the things he spent time on was building tractors for 'tractor pull' events. He showed me one of his vehicles when I was out at his ranch: twin V-8 engines, each with twin turbo chargers (providing maximum boost in different RPM ranges). He had everything connected to the drive wheels through an automatic transmission; he said he consistently won events, IF his transmission held together.

That gent I mentioned with the .500 X-frame also had a single shot .30-06 handgun; the company that made it apparently also advertized the same model as being available in .257 Weatherby Magnum (hows that for a "flagship" handgun? ;^). I doubt the company sold very many in either chambering, since they're no longer in business - apparently there weren't enough gun owners interested in that kind of power in a handgun, even when they could afford the firearm and ammunition. Definitely a niche market, like 'tractor pull' tractors, and I would be very surprised if Ruger started producing either one...
:)
 
Why did Honda make the Rune??? They lost tens of thousands on each one sold but to date it's one of the most fabulous examples of moto art. So Ruger could march into SHOT Show and whip it out, look around and say definitively that Mines Bigger!!! It would be on every magazine cover and every YouTube channel. Bill never would have stood for S&W making a more powerful revolver than he could. He's probably rolling in his grave every time a 460 or 500 is fired.
 
45/70 is an old black powder cartridge. I don't have the specs handy, is it even as powerful as the S&W .460 magnum currently? Bigger case doesn't always mean more power.
In it's default loading, no. It's way down on power.

However, there are many Lever Action and "Ruger only" loadings for it that may eclipse the .460 XVR.
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And for the 45/70 in a "Modern Rifle":



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Yeah, there is a huge difference in barrel length, but the 45/70 has so many more bullet choices going for it.
 

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I would love something in 475 linebaugh, 500 Linebaugh or even 500 JRH. They all use a shorter cylinder.
From what I found, not too many 475 revolvers are built lately. Majority are custom guns with one of those .500 that fit Ruger NM SA frame.

As for 500 JRH, I would be more than happy to see some sort of 500 Ruger Magnum with case length same as standard revolver magnum cartridges. As for pressure, standard magnum ones will be more than enough. And, of course, cylinder same length as on Redhawk. Even "moderate load" with 400-450 grains bullet is still very formidable, with recoil that goes with it, and I would like to have long cylinder in case bullet moves forward.
 
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From what I found, not too many 475 revolvers are built lately. Majority are custom guns with one of those .500 that fit Ruger NM SA frame.

As for 500 JRH, I would be more than happy to see some sort of 500 Ruger Magnum with case length same as standard revolver magnum cartridges. As for pressure, standard magnum ones will be more than enough. And, of course, cylinder same length as on Redhawk. Even with "moderate loads" with 400-450 grains bullet is still very formidable, with recoil that goes with it, and I would like to have long cylinder in case bullet moves forward.
Again nothing but eclipsed also rans. Lead, Follow or Die under everyone else's wheels. Rugers latest only accomplishment was making a Glock Copy that normal people can use. If Ruger put that effort into a solid DA/SA set of modules and stuck with and developed them like Glock did with their designs Ruger could be a more dominant force. The Super Redhawk after all these years like most Ruger Revolvers is a Tank. That's it's significance. Unfortunately it's been left in the dust because it's considered a Minor Caliber by today's standards.
 
Well they could build a stretch frame Redhawk and chamber it for 500 Bushwhacker. It'll be a safe queen supreme like the BFR version I have, but they would definitely be able to beat S&W. As part of the marketing they could even include a Ruger logo helmet and band-aids.
 
Well they could build a stretch frame Redhawk and chamber it for 500 Bushwhacker. It'll be a safe queen supreme like the BFR version I have, but they would definitely be able to beat S&W. As part of the marketing they could even include a Ruger logo helmet and band-aids.
If you could chamber the 500S&W as the wimp option it would be perfect. I chose 45/70ish because I want it to have plenty of wimp options like the 460, 454 and 45 colt. You wouldn't always have to go full power and you would be able to stuff 410 shotgun shells in it as well!!!
I think that making the S&W rounds one of the wimp options would really make a STATEMENT!!! Like well aren't those cute??? Hold my beer. If Bill was still alive if he hadn't already done this he would have All Hands working to get this to SHOT Show!!! Does anyone even remember why the Super Redhawk Exists??? Because IHMSA shooters were getting flame cut frames on the regular Redhawks. Bill said F that and beefed the crap out of the Redhawk. It did turn out to be a simple metallurgical problem but screw it. Back in the 80's The Super Redhawk and Dan Wesson's were the only guns that could handle hurling 330gr "44 magnums" because they made the cylinders longer and heavied up the cylinder locking mechanism just to put S&W over his knee and spank them. Until the X frame S&W couldn't touch a Ruger!!! So making the S&W one of the Lightweight options would absolutely make a STATEMENT. Being able to chamber Lever actions and bolt actions for this would be awesome as well. The actual power factor would have to exceed even modern only 45/70 somewhat but freaking hey. If you want to hang with the Big Boys you have to be able to up their game.
 
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Ammo mfg. seems to be either one-upsmanship (mine's bigger) or just filling in the gaps. Seldom do they create a new round because it's better, or needed.
I agree. I shot silhouette back in the 80s-90s and that sport really is an acid test for handgun performance. You are shooting out to 200 meters (accuracy) and needed to knock over a 50+ lb steel ram (power). I started out with my Ruger SB 44 mag which had enough power but not real flat shooting. When the 357 Max came out, it quickly went to the top of the heap in revolver class. A lot of Ruger 357 max revolvers at first but they were overtaken by Dan Wessons when Ruger stopped production.

Later an odd caliber started to make its presence felt and that was the 375 Super Mag. While my 357 max was doing fine, I had to get a 375 SM. That revolver was the perfect balance of flat shooting, power, light recoil, and accuracy. I still have it and would never consider selling it but, on point of this thread, it was never popular no matter how good it was. Because you can make brass from 30-30 Win cases you will always have ammo but I would be shocked if any company started producing 375 SMs no matter how good it is. The drive behind new calibers is hard to pin down and not necessarily based on logic.
 
I have fired the S&W 500 owned by a guy who has to have the biggest, bad assed and bragging fodder of everything. If S&W came up with a revolver firing a 5" cannon round he would buy the first one in town. If a new huge gun and ammo come out there will be a sector of people who will buy it.
 
I agree. I shot silhouette back in the 80s-90s and that sport really is an acid test for handgun performance. You are shooting out to 200 meters (accuracy) and needed to knock over a 50+ lb steel ram (power). I started out with my Ruger SB 44 mag which had enough power but not real flat shooting. When the 357 Max came out, it quickly went to the top of the heap in revolver class. A lot of Ruger 357 max revolvers at first but they were overtaken by Dan Wessons when Ruger stopped production.

Later an odd caliber started to make its presence felt and that was the 375 Super Mag. While my 357 max was doing fine, I had to get a 375 SM. That revolver was the perfect balance of flat shooting, power, light recoil, and accuracy. I still have it and would never consider selling it but, on point of this thread, it was never popular no matter how good it was. Because you can make brass from 30-30 Win cases you will always have ammo but I would be shocked if any company started producing 375 SMs no matter how good it is. The drive behind new calibers is hard to pin down and not necessarily based on logic.
Remember the power wars in the early 80's? Dan Wesson and Super Redhawkers were pushing "44 magnums" to the point that Dick Cassul had to raise the anty. Then that started a whole nother level of power wars. Now S&W who was always the lightweight of the heavies has taken charge. Bill Rugers Super Redhawk held it's crown for Decades until the X frame. Now I believe S&W needs to be put back in their place.
Once 40 some years ago I was heading back to the shop after a job on my CB 750 Superbike punched out to 836 and I noticed a Porsche was pulling away from me. I thought there was something wrong with the bike and I kept giving it gas trying to keep up with what I thought was traffic. When I noticed that we were doing 130 I decided to punch it and leave him behind. Evidently my boss saw the encounter and asked me what that was all about. I told him that I was putting him in his place. My boss asked where that was. I said behind me. That's why I ride a KLR 650 instead of a ZG1400 Concourse now. It wasn't don't lead me into temptation it was pry me off it's back!!!
 

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