Big Bore Thursday, 460 Rowland, 500 S&W, BFR 45-70

[Paul_R]

Took some big bores to the range yesterday. I recently picked up a couple of revolvers and I built 1911 460 Rowland conversion.

The Magnum Research BFR 10" 45-70 wast the clear winner in the violent recoil contest! Really not so bad once I figured out I had to just let it roll and use a high grip. That muzzle's coming straight up and there's no stopping it! Recommend a glove with this one. The rubber grip is advertised as being soft but it's hard as rock and the backstrap is exposed regardless. Soft my butt... I have a Super Blackhawk Pachmayr Decelerator on order.

https://i.imgur.com/mI5jHfrl.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/wPR98HMl.jpg

Next up was the S&W 500 magnum. Much more pleasant to shoot then the BFR. Still a handful but it doesn't roll. Jumps up a bit but the porting/brake takes care of most of that. Just a powerful mostly straight back punch. The grip is worlds better than the BFR as well.

https://i.imgur.com/ag38qdCl.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/0LYqsuQl.jpg

Last up was the 460 Rowland conversion. The kit is from Rowland and I built it on a Springfield Armory Mil-Spec. I did a basic trigger job and installed a Harrison Design hammer and replaced the ILS mainspring housing with a Springfield non ILS MSH and installed a Wolff sear spring. Believe it or not I didn't check the extractor and it turns out there is zero tension on it and I had multiple extraction failures. Frustrating. There's a Cylinder & Slide Ultimate extractor on the way.

I have Rowland's new V2 Recoil damper and I have to say it really works. It's basically an air brake that stops the slide just before it slams open. It even uses a standard strength recoil spring and the recoil was not noticeably more than 45acp. Maybe a little snappier than 45acp but actually easier to hold on target and the ammo was fairly hot. No hammer bite at all with the Harrison hammer. I'm very happy with this.

https://i.imgur.com/CRLdntLl.jpg

[rintinglen]

My wrists hurt just looking at those! It is hell getting old.

[kayala]

I love my 500 PC (compensated). My "plinking" is 350gr Berry's and attention getters are 700gr Matt's :)

[sparkyv]

Nice. It really amazes me how that X-frame design really soaks up a significant portion of the recoil. But I dislike the negative side-effects of the comp.

[jdfoxinc]

Have you found any load data for the .460?

[Texas by God]

And I thought that my .54 Plains Pistol was big[emoji16]

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[kenton]

Hodgdon has load data for Long Shot on their website.

[Paul_R]

Have you found any load data for the .460?

Yes sir, it's on Rowland's website. I was able to extrapolate a load for Missouri Bullet's 215gr groovless express bullet. I'll be shooting a lot of those over CFE pistol powder.

https://www.460rowland.com/load-data/

[jdfoxinc]

I'm trying to not need another powder. Green dot, blue dot, unique, are my go to powders.

[white eagle]

took out my 500 Linebaugh yesterday 400 and 500 gr boolits
sure makes smack

[Paul_R]

Nothing wrong with blue dot, I just happen to have a lot of CFE pistol. Unique will work too but it's anemic.

[bosterr]

I tried a Pachmayr Super Blackhawk grip on my BFR 475 and it came up 1/8" short at the top. The BFR grip is that much longer. I needed some finger grooves to reduce rolling in my hand so I ended up with Hogue mono grip in Pau Ferro. Magnum Research is the only source for this grip so it was pricey at about $78.

[Paul_R]

I tried a Pachmayr Super Blackhawk grip on my BFR 475 and it came up 1/8" short at the top. The BFR grip is that much longer. I needed some finger grooves to reduce rolling in my hand so I ended up with Hogue mono grip in Pau Ferro. Magnum Research is the only source for this grip so it was pricey at about $78.

Well that's not the best news I ever had! I'll give it a try and see. I would expect the grip to be the same on both BFRs even though they're long and short cylinders. Mine's new generation if that makes any difference.

[jdfoxinc]

Only .460 S&W magnum data on alliant web site.

[Norske]

My and my friends' experiences with the comparatively mild SBH taught us that single-actions that are allowed to roll in recoil are much more comfortable than single-actions with checkered or rubber grips. Checkering grates your palm, rubber moves the recoil to your wrist. The double-action grip on the Smith is shaped to prevent recoil rolling. With even max 44 Magnum loads, I'll rather shoot the SBH than a M29. As for the very heavy Smith X frame, I'll carry a carbine instead.

[Paul_R]

I don't have a problem letting it roll. My issue is that my finger gets battered by the trigger guard. I need a grip that closes the gap between the guard and grip.

[onelight]

Those BFR 45/70 guns look like a joke nobody would shoot a cartridge that big in a handgun :awesome: