It’s no surprise as to why: the company has been in the gunsmithing business for nearly 170 years. Given that amount of time, it’s no wonder that Smith & Wesson has been able to build the most powerful production revolver in the world.
Smith & Wesson Model 500: A Beast of a Gun
The revolver in question is their Model 500. According to Smith & Wesson, they set out in 2003 to build a revolver that could “deliver maximum power for serious handgun hunters,” and created the X-Frame revolver, the company’s largest ever.
The X-Frame can handle the largest of the so-called Super Magnum cartridges, including the massive .500 S&W Magnum. Despite the cartridge’s large size — it’s the same diameter as a .50 BMG cartridge — the X-Frame’s large cylinder can accommodate five .500 S&W Magnums.
The .500 S&W Magnum is also the most powerful commercial handgun cartridge. It creates 2600 ft/lb. muzzle energy when fired, and Smith & Wesson claims that when used in tandem with their Model 500, is capable of taking down “any game animal walking.”