O/T: Cool 460 Fireball Pics

[CowboyTutt]

Hey guys,

Recently I was filmed with my little digital camera shooting my Smith 460 ES snubbie at night and during the day. I was able to pull out some frames from the video for some cool pics and I thought I would share them with you for "grins and giggles".

-Tutt

[Tycer]

Now that deserves a hearty Tim Allen series of grunts! Thanks for posting!

[PaperPatch]

Cool pics!

It looks like welders goggles would be necessary for safe shooting.

[TedH]

Wow!

[kimwcook]

That's about what I'd expect from a handcannon like that. Cool pics, Tutt.

[rjohns94]

[C. Cash]

Very cool Andy! That'll toast your marshmellow right there. In the first photo you can see a couple of streaks heading back towards your face. Thanks for posting those.

[Blaine]

OUT-standing, Troop

[dr walker]

Wow, nice fireworks.

[Old Savage]

Now Andy, there you go again.

[J Miller]

Yep, that's just about the size of it. I shot a 460V some time back and that's just what the fire balls look like.
The over pressures are horrendous and it's one gun that I believe could and would destroy your hearing within one cylinder full if fired without ear protection.

Joe

[Ysabel Kid]

Now that deserves a hearty Tim Allen series of grunts! Thanks for posting!

+1

Andy, if you ever need to start your campfire quick, you know what to do!

[RIHMFIRE]

ya gotta like that!

[gundownunder]

Well, hell, what can I say

[CowboyTutt]

Joe, someone told me he thought the muzzle blast was so ferocious that not only would it damage or rupture my ear drum in 1 to 2 shots, but probably would leave me stunned and unable to fire. The nice thing about the 460 is that I can put low pressure 45 Colts into it, 454 Casulls or full blown 460's. I have a number of 45 Colt +P loads that would be quite adequate for about any purpose.

Also, while it didn't bother be during the day while I shot it, the 10 rounds I shot within minutes at night ended up slightly bruising the web of my hand by the thumb and my little finger was swollen for half a day.

I hear the recoil of the 500 is even worse!

No thanks, this thing is plenty!

It is surprisingly accurate though. I hit small steel pigs at 50 and 75 yards with it much to my surprise. At 50 yards I was able to do it one time in 5 shots, at 75 I hit the chain just over the small armor plated swinging target out of 5.

The balance of the gun and its heft just works well for me.

Because of its versitality I still think its an awesome lil' camp gun.

-Tutt

[J Miller]

Tutt,

The one I fired was a blast ... literally. I fired both 454s and 460s from it and found the felt recoil was worse with the 454s, but the blast and flash worse with the 460s.
I think the 454s were like 260gr bullets while the 460s were the 200gr Hornady's with the little pointy red tip.

I fired this in an indoor range while my wife filmed it with her Canon digital camera. The pics I have are captures from the video and are using ambient light and muzzle flashes only.

Yeah, my hands are in that fire ball somewhere.

L to R: .45 Colt, 454 Casuall, 460 S&W Mag.

The over pressures were so bad they jammed my glasses back on my face and pushed my earmuffs back a bit. All this time it was also blowing cartridge boxes off the platform in front of me.

The gun belonged to a guy who had just moved to IL and had not even fired it yet. He and his son had tried .45 Colts, then a couple 454s. After the 454s they were afraid to shoot the 460s. I'm not, I'll shoot anything at least once.
I found the recoil to be surprisingly reasonable for what I was shooting. I suspect it was because of the venting or porting S&W had on the muzzle of that 4" barrel.

I said it in the original post I did on this gun over at Handloads.com, that thing was a hoot to shoot. If someone gave me one I'd sure not turn it down, but I ain't gonna pony up the bucks and buy one for myself.

Joe

[CowboyTutt]

Nice pics, Joe! I didn't know yours knocked stuff off the table. My loads were a 350 grain cast bullet over 38 grains of Win 296 and a Win LR primer. I'm not sure I even want to try a 400 grain bullet but I suspect the difference in recoil is not really that much. Now where did I put that box of "cat sneeze 45 Colt" loads at?

-Tutt

[piller]

All it needs are the wheels and crew. That is quite some artillery. The other post about getting it into some type of levergun still sounds like fun. If the levergun could be made so that it would reliably feed the .45lc, .454 Casull, and the .460 it might make for a great short to medium range whomper. That fireball looks like the pistol is losing a lot of potential performance that a rifle might make use of. Do yo think a fireball like that coming their way would make most gang bangers have a sudden need to change their underwear?

[J Miller]

Don't know about the gang bangers, but it sure would me

Joe

[O.S.O.K.]

Good Lord.

I will be sticking with my little pip squeek full-house 44 mags thank you very much

[JReed]

Dude!! That is nuts. I just felt my tinnitus get worse just looking at the pic's.

[CowboyTutt]

I think I need to go into the ammo making buisiness. Along with CorBon, Buffalo Bore and Double Tap, there would be Tutt's Fireball Ammo! Initial offerings would be in 460, 454 Casull and 45 Colt +P!

-Tutt

[CowboyTutt]

Hey Joe, wanna be my buisiness partner? We can dress in black suits and sunglasses and say "Fireball ammo, the only ammo where you need sunglasses at night!" Sorry guys, its almost Friday and I'm feeling goofy!

-Tutt

[J Miller]

I think I need to go into the ammo making buisiness. Along with CorBon, Buffalo Bore and Double Tap, there would be Tutt's Fireball Ammo! Initial offerings would be in 460, 454 Casull and 45 Colt +P!

-Tutt

Hey Joe, wanna be my buisiness partner? We can dress in black suits and sunglasses and say "Fireball ammo, the only ammo where you need sunglasses at night!" Sorry guys, its almost Friday and I'm feeling goofy!

-Tutt

Now that sounds like my kind of ammo. The only ammo you need welding goggles to shoot ..... My kind of fun.

Now for the suites, we need to get ones like they wear in the "Men In Black" movies. Suave and debonair with a hint of danger and mystery.

I like it. Whooo Hoooo!!!!!

OK, now if we're going into business how about lets start it in Nevada. Nothing personal against CA, but NV has no state income taxes and all sorts of open ground to incinerate .... ah 'er I mean develop our loads in .

Joe

[Rusty]

If you fired cat sneeze loads after those you'd have to be telling yourself over and over, "I'm not going deaf, I'm not going deaf."

[Old Skirmisher]

Tutt, In the day-time photo, and I think the 1st night-time photo you can see the smaller fireball from the barrel-cylinder gap. With all that escaping gas, makes me wonder how our 'old-timey' revolvers can still be still so effecient!

[Markbo]

My .500 S&W remains the only handgun I have ever fired that bruised my hand. It was with heavy handloads, but nonetheless it was painful.

By comparison my shorter (and thus lighter) .460 S&W is a joy to shoot, with any round! It is true that the concussion is attention gathering but it elicits an immediate and large grin every time I pull the trigger. I can't help it!

I knew that I had seen fire out in front me of, but never having fired it in the dark I had no idea it looked ANYthing like that. I will now have to try that myself... thanks for posting Tutt!

[cas]

Not a giant blast, but rings. (how well it shows up depends on your computer and your internet connection)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQhu8bWXj3M


And two where you can see (and hear) the blast whacking the targets.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O59DlD4b_o0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qnV-gWVTok

[CowboyTutt]

Markbo, your name sounds familiar to me when associated with the 500 and 460's. Have I seen you over at Handloads.com or something? Its been years since I have been over there. I agree, the 460 is a nice weapon and has become my favorite handgun. Nice to have you here!

-Tutt

[J Miller]

Tutt,

Some questions for you:

How was the action on your 460 when new? The one I tried had a hitch in the double action that needed attention so I had to use single action only.

Do you load for it? If so who's dies are you using?

Joe

[kimwcook]

Tutt, if it's the same Markbo, you might of seen him on Single-Actions.com

[Griff]

Still surprised that you didn't singe the hair on your hands.

But, fer pure unadultered FIRE, nuttin' beats plain ol' BP!

[CowboyTutt]

Tutt,

Some questions for you:

How was the action on your 460 when new? The one I tried had a hitch in the double action that needed attention so I had to use single action only.

Do you load for it? If so who's dies are you using?

Joe

Joe, I just went to check it to be sure and dry fired it a few times before responding. As I remembered, my 460 ES has the smoothest out of the box action and trigger I have ever had. As a rule of thumb, all my guns go to a gunsmith for an action/trigger job, but this one I have left alone. That's pretty high praise in my book.

I load my 460's with my Redding Competition 45 Colt/454 Casull dies. Seems to work fine (I had inquired before hand and been told they would work). The only place I have a problem is with the Redding Profile Crimp die in 454 which starts hitting the case mouth, top of the bullet or something before I can apply a good crimp. I never have been able to get it to work well except in the 454. The Lee FCD works fine for all 3 cartridges because it has much more adjustability to it but is not made as well as the Redding.

Kim, your probably correct about Markbo. I used to participate at Single Actions.com some. Markbo's enthuisiam for the 500 and 460 is hard to miss or forget!

-Tutt

[CowboyTutt]

Griff, never felt a thing. All my hairs seem intact!

Those sparks coming off the front of your BP gun are cool!

-Tutt

[Markbo]

Both my S&Ws had great triggers. Like Tutt I almost always get triggers worked on by someone knowledgable (like Alan Harton since he is local to me) or touch them up myself. But I have not touched these - they are just fine and don't need messing with.

I am not the biggest .500 S&W fan around, but I must admit... I love shooting big bore handguns. I love the boom, the recoil, the downrange energy... just all of it. As long as I can physically do it, I will be shooting them!

p.s. it was probably Single-actions.com and not handloads.com. Used to spend a lot more time at the former than the latter.

[CowboyTutt]

Markbo, it is a pleasure to have another magnum handgun enthusiest (did I tell you I can spell worth a dang!) on the board. Stick around, this is one of the best forums on the net.

-Tutt

[Saltcreek]

1. Great close-up self defense revolver. You can shoot blanks to avoid overpenetration and hitting bystanders, yet still fry the bad guy.

2. Great close-up hog gun. Kill, dehair and cook all at once!

[J Miller]

I think it would be fun to put a case full of black powder under a 350gr Keith SWC and see how it would shoot. That would make a whopper of a fire ball too.

joe

[kimwcook]

I think it would be fun to put a case full of black powder under a 350gr Keith SWC and see how it would shoot. That would make a whopper of a fire ball too.

joe

Yeah Boy! Love to see that pic.