S&W 500 interchangeable compensator

[Kyle M.]

Has anyone here shot cast bullets out of their 500 using the regular compensator with holes in the top? I realize S&W says that version is for jacketed and the extra included compensator with no holes in the top is for lead but the issue is I just left for a trip across the state with my .500 and just realized I only brought the jacketed comp. I intend to shoot the gun when I get to my destination and I can’t turn back to get the other comp at this point.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

[memtb]

I have a similar issue with my 460, as I only have one brake! I do occasionally get some particles ejected at firing! I’m not certain if the particles are coming from the cylinder gap or the brake! Either way, I do occasionally get some particles ejected......eye protection would be highly recommended! I hope this offers a little bit of help! memtb

[reddog81]

I have both for my 460 and just leave the regular one with all the holes on all the time. I shot 90%+ cast through it. I researched it awhile back and it seemed like being harder to clean was the biggest downside.

[LeonardC]

I'm thinking my 4" only came with the one with the holes in it. I bought a solid unit from a guy in MT that made them. Never used the one with holes in it after that.

Edit: Looking over S&W site, mine must have come with 2 comps. but both had holes, one more than the other. My replacement one has no holes.

Edit 2: should have stated mine is a .500

[Kyle M.]

Well the little bit we shot it it was fine, I don’t see any leading in the comp ports. Not those 485 gr bullets are a handful, I don’t think I’ll be shooting this one all the time.

[usedtobeyoung]

My guess is cleaning is more difficult. But in the volume of shooting I don't sweat it. A friend of mine has a registered Thompson, with Cutts Comp and he said after lots of shooting cleaning the comp is a real pain. To the point he uses a razor to carefully remove the debris, but that's a huge difference in volume of bullets fired.

[JRD]

The issue with lead bullets is that lead fouling will go through the six ports on the top and fill any space between the comp and barrel with fouling. If you shoot a lot of lead bullets without removing the comp and cleaning, it essentially becomes lead soldered into the barrel.
S&W made the second cast bullet comp without the vertical holes to lessen that lead fouling buildup and make the comp easier to remove.
If you only plan to do a little cast bullet shooting through the jacketed comp it's a non-issue. Just remove the comp and clean out the locking recesses more frequently.

[Kyle M.]

The issue with lead bullets is that lead fouling will go through the six ports on the top and fill any space between the comp and barrel with fouling. If you shoot a lot of lead bullets without removing the comp and cleaning, it essentially becomes lead soldered into the barrel.
S&W made the second cast bullet comp without the vertical holes to lessen that lead fouling buildup and make the comp easier to remove.
If you only plan to do a little cast bullet shooting through the jacketed comp it's a non-issue. Just remove the comp and clean out the locking recesses more frequently.

I do remove and clean the comp each time I shoot the gun, and I haven't yet shot it more than about 20 rounds in a day. I was more concerned about it spitting lead out the top ports and back towards me but I didn't encounter that issue.

[JRD]

Kyle,
You are totally fine cleaning every 20 shots. You could get away with more. If you were to shoot several hundred cast shots in a range trip and then let the gun cool and the fouling harden for a week, it would definitely be hard to remove.
Jason

[500aquasteve]

I wish it was just a 3" without any compensators.

I thought the lead comp was to minimize fouling at on the front sight paint