Another Handcannon

[stubshaft]

Just added another Hand Cannon to the herd.

It is an Encore with 16 3/8" barrel in 50 Alaskan SS made by MGM with Georgia Jim wood.

[dk17hmr]

Thats cute.

Stumble into a deal or did you have it built?

[stubshaft]

Had it built. MGM is one of the last true custom barrel makers for T/C's. You call them and tell them what you want and you get it. All in a reasonable time frame (3 to 6 weeks). This is the sixth barrel that I have from them and they are all exceptionally accurate.

[dk17hmr]

I dont know anyrthing about the 50 Alaskan. How does it compare to a 500 S&W?

[pdawg_shooter]

Isnt the 50 Alaskan a 348 winchester necked up? That would be a handfull!

[Porterhouse]

What is the twist rate? What boolits/loads are you intend to shoot?

[Frozone]

I dont know anyrthing about the 50 Alaskan. How does it compare to a 500 S&W?

http://www.wildwestguns.com/ammunition.html

[Heavy lead]

stuff that in a small of the back holster

[stubshaft]

What is the twist rate? What boolits/loads are you intend to shoot?


The twist is 1 in 20 and I plan to shoot boolits from 390gr - 700gr. The 500 S&W is an efficient cartridge (I own 3 of them) but operates at high pressure and has a .501"bore. With it I can push a 460gr boolit at 2000fps. I built the Alaskan (AK) to shoot heavier boolits at much lower pressures. I am looking at driving a 580gr .512LFN to 1800fps with only 22,000CUP. Because it is chambered in an Encore I can load it up to pressures well above those that will damage an 1895 and make the 500 Smith and also ran. It can easily be loaded to over 4000ftlbs. and it is a handful!

[Glen]

"A handful" -- I bet it is!

I am not averse to handguns chambered in powerful cartridges (I have Contenders in .405 Winchester, .444 Marlin and .45-70), but I see that gun and my wrists just start to hurt!

You enjoy it for me....

[9.3X62AL]

One beautifully-made machine--but more beast than I care to herd. Those lower-pressure loads sound like a fairly reasonable hunting tool, but will still let you know the primers functioned most assuredly.

Have fun with it!

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

It's pretty much a 50-110 isn't it? They necked that case down to make the 348.

Rich

[Bucks Owin]

Dang! I thought the .500 WE's 525 gr boolit @ 1300+ had enough "flinch factor" to drop a hammer on! What does that fire breather weigh stubshaft? .......Dennis http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/BucksOwin/357and500WE.jpg

[stubshaft]

Total weight is 6lbs.even. It looks heavy but that big hole in the barrel removes alot of weight.

[45nut]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/45nut/pistols/IMG_1164.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/45nut/pistols/45nut.jpg

Had my 50AK for a few years now,, and a 458Win Mag for a matching setup.

Both are by OTT.

[Lloyd Smale]

couldnt imagine shooting my 50 alaskan rifle one handed with full power loads let alone that little thing!!!!! OUCH!

[softpoint]

A couple years ago I helped a friend work up some loads for an Encore in .375 H&H mag Ackley improved. It was a 15 inch pistol with a brake as well.I was impressed, as we got almost the same ballistics out of that pistol barrel in the Ackley version as the standard .375 H&H does out of a rifle. 270 gr bullets at 2650 fps.
I have thought several times about getting one of those for myself, maybe MGM would make me one. I think maybe SSK made his. I remember it was pretty costly for an Encore barrel.:redneck:

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

There's a guy on the AR forum that just bought one chambered for the 416 Rigby! Now, that's a friggin cannon for you.

Rich

[Lloyd Smale]

i did shoot kelly brosts encore in 458 lott. I shot two rounds and handed it back. The second was just to prove i wasnt a girl but secretly i felt like one!

[Whitworth]

Dang! I thought the .500 WE's 525 gr boolit @ 1300+ had enough "flinch factor" to drop a hammer on! What does that fire breather weigh stubshaft? .......Dennis http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/BucksOwin/357and500WE.jpg


Check your load data -- you'll never get 1,300 plus with a 525. A .500 Maximum will, but it has a 1.6-inch long case.

[44MAG#1]

stubshaft:
I don't know your ability with load data or if you have even looked at any for the 50 Alaskan but I think you have been misled.
Hodgdon shows data for the 50 alaskan in a 22 inch barrel:

525 GR. LFN W/GC Hodgdon Benchmark .510" 2.520" 59.0 1694 25,800 CUP 63.0 1820 34,300 CUP
525 GR. LFN W/GC Hodgdon H322 .510" 2.520" 56.0 1691 27,100 CUP 60.0 1823 34,200 CUP
525 GR. LFN W/GC Hodgdon H4198 .510" 2.520" 51.0 1724 27,300 CUP 55.0 1852 34,800 CUP

I don't see anyway in the world you will push a 580 at 1800 with 22000 cups with 16 inches
You need to back up and punt in my opinion just to be safe.
Remember an Encore isn't a bolt action.
Just try to be safe.

[44man]

I feel nothing but PAIN looking at them things. I can't imagine what that lever on the trigger guard would do to my knuckle! [smilie=l:
I have seen cars with a tree that fell across them, don't want my head to look like that either! :bigsmyl2:
I am not recoil sensitive either, shooting over 100 .475's in a day but I don't think I like those things. :holysheep

[Bucks Owin]

Check your load data -- you'll never get 1,300 plus with a 525. A .500 Maximum will, but it has a 1.6-inch long case. From "Gunblast" test by Jeff Quinn: Load data for the .500 Wyoming Express is available online at the Freedom Arms website. This data has been pressure tested at Hodgdon Powder Company, and covers very thoroughly bullets from 350 to 440 grains, which is the optimum bullet weight range for the cartridge. I tried several of the bullets and loads listed and they proved to be very reliable as to velocities obtained from the sample seven and one-half inch gun. In addition to the Hornady XTP hollowpoint and Cast Performance LBT-style bullets tested by Hodgdon and Freedom Arms, I wanted to try some other fine bullets as well. The bullets tried in the .500 WE were the 420 grain Belt Mountain Punch, the Dry Creek 400 Keith, the Mt. Baldy 450 Keith gas check, and the Cast Performance 370, 400, 440, and 525 grain LBT type bullets, all with gas checks. While I tried many load combinations in addition to those available on the Freedom Arms’ website, some of the better ones are listed below. None of the following data has been pressure tested, and I am not recommending these loads to anyone. However, they did prove to be accurate, consistent, and reliable in the gun tested. All loads used Federal Gold Medal Match Large Rifle primers, and all bullets (except the Dry Creek Keith bullets) were seated to the crimp groove, and then heavily roll-crimped in a separate die. For a single stage press, a number 41 RCBS shell holder is correct. I loaded all ammo tested on my Dillon 550B using a letter "B" shell plate, which worked perfectly. All ammo functioned flawlessly, with easy ejection from the chambers, and no excessive pressure signs noted, which was somewhat surprising with the velocity achieved with the 525 grain bullets. Again, this is not recommended data, just a brief synopsis of my experience. All testing was done with an air temperature of between seventy and seventy-nine degrees, low humidity, and about 640 feet elevation. All velocity reading were taken at ten feet from the muzzle, and are listed in feet-per-second. The results were as indicated:

Bullet Powder Charge Weight Velocity (fps) Extreme Spread Average Deviation
Mt. Baldy 450 Keith Trail Boss 10 grains 768 20.1 5.9
Mt. Baldy 450 Keith Trail Boss 11 grains 882.3 18.2 5.3
Mt. Baldy 450 Keith Trail Boss 11.9 grains 898.1 24.2 7.6
Mt. Baldy 450 Keith Lil’Gun 25.7 grains 1327 24.2 6.1
Belt Mtn. 420 Punch Lil’Gun 27.2 grains 1369 31.5 10.2
Cast Performance 525 Lil’Gun 25.1 grains 1347 NA NA
Dry Creek 400 Keith Titegroup 10.5 grains 1066 18.6 4.7

These are a few of the more interesting loads tested, in addition to the ones replicated from the Freedom Arms data. Of particular interest is the 525 grain Cast Performance bullet. I had thought that it would prove to be too heavy for the .500 WE case, but the velocity achieved with Lil’Gun is amazing. I stopped at the load listed, as the cases were just beginning to show sticky extraction, and are most likely over pressure, even though no other signs of high pressure were noted. If you decide to try this bullet, approach the load from well below, and proceed with caution. And yes, recoil is severe, but controllable, with this load. This bullet should also prove very useful throttled back to about 950 fps, and much more pleasant to shoot. Case life seems to be very good so far. I have experienced no case failures, and all still chamber and extract easily.

[Bucks Owin]

Check your load data -- you'll never get 1,300 plus with a 525. A .500 Maximum will, but it has a 1.6-inch long case. These velocity figures are from Freedon Arms site and were taken with a 7.5" barrel: 350 gr/1629 fps, 370 gr/1603 fps, 400 gr/ 1589 fps, 440 gr/1416 fps. With these numbers, I believe Jeff Quinn got 1347 fps just as he claimed with the 525 gr bullet. Even in a 1.370" long case! However, firing these in a 3 pound "fivegun" will churn up some formidable recoil, likely on par with stubshaft's howitzer! :bigsmyl2: FWIW, Dennis (Who didn't mean to turn the topic to the .500 WE...:oops:)

[Whitworth]

These velocity figures are from Freedon Arms site and were taken with a 7.5" barrel: 350 gr/1629 fps, 370 gr/1603 fps, 400 gr/ 1589 fps, 440 gr/1416 fps. With these numbers, I believe Jeff Quinn got 1347 fps just as he claimed with the 525 gr bullet. Even in a 1.370" long case! However, firing these in a 3 pound "fivegun" will churn up some formidable recoil, likely on par with stubshaft's howitzer! :bigsmyl2: FWIW, Dennis (Who didn't mean to turn the topic to the .500 WE...:oops:)

That Cast Performance 525 grain bullet is for a .500 Linebaugh or .50 Alaskan at .511 diameter, and not for the various .500s. You could probably load to close to that level but you would exceed any safe level of pressure. The short FA cylinder (1.790 usable cartridge overall length -- and that is loaded to the very end of the cylinder) will preclude reaching said speeds due to minimized powder capacity. A custom Ruger or BFR has 1.87 length. We've gotten the .500 Linebaugh up to 1,250 with a 525, but at the expense of shootability and longevity.

[Porterhouse]

Actually, when I read about the article by Gunblast.com, I called up Cast Performance and asked about their 525gr bullets. They told me they had no idea about the test/article and yes, they assured the 525grs are .511 and they had no 525gr bullets in .500, at least, at the time. ???
I long time figured out just because the sauce is trustable, that doesn't mean there is no typo or mistakes in what they put in public. And this perticuler case, it is hard to beleive that 500WE can acheive 525gr@1350fps, based on my own experience of 500S&W experiment. I also think Hodgedon loading data is one of the most unreliable PRINTED, MANUFACTURS loading data and I think Dan from Mountainmolds shares this opionion.