Most powerful handgun?

[Man of the Demoneye]

So we know the line from Dirty Harry about his .44 mag being the most powerful handgun. However there are others that also claim that title. So what is the most powerful handgun and what makes it so powerful? Is it a combination / equation of bullet size (mass) and powder load (force)?

The video that started this topic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lzri8dn7p0

remind me to go on the other side of the range. or home.  

[Fresnel]

It's either the Triple-Action Thunder (.50BMG) or the Pfeiffer Zeliska (.600 NE).  

[ArmasTermin]

There's also the Maadi-Griffin .50 BMG "pistol".  

[Fresnel]

ArmasTermin

There's also the Maadi-Griffin .50 BMG "pistol".

Yeah, but that's legally a short-barreled rifle. The Thunder .50 is the same caliber, and it's definitely a pistol.  

[OberFeldwebel]

I must say the most powerful handgun, without breaking your wrist, has to be the .44 Magnum.  

[Fresnel]

OberFeldwebel

I must say the most powerful handgun, without breaking your wrist, has to be the .44 Magnum.

You'd consider the .500 a wrist-breaker?  

[OberFeldwebel]

Fresnel

OberFeldwebel

I must say the most powerful handgun, without breaking your wrist, has to be the .44 Magnum.

You'd consider the .500 a wrist-breaker?

Hmm, not sure. Never saw one fired.

Ok, I watched a bunch of videos on youtube. And all except one had shown very little recoil.

... have I been corrected?


This is the one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUHeYCM5WuQ  

[Man of the Demoneye]

Ah, so the thread wasn't deleted after all. (wonder where it went?) I only saw a .50 revolver once, and it looked like it would hurt pretty good.  

[OberFeldwebel]

Man of the Demoneye

Ah, so the thread wasn't deleted after all. (wonder where it went?) I only saw a .50 revolver once, and it looked like it would hurt pretty good.

Hurt so good?  

[Requiem ex Inferni]

The S&W Model 500 is considered the most powerful commercial handgun around. Fires .500 S&W Magnum, has a 440 grain load, and produces 3.5 kJ of energy when fired.

The most powerful handgun of all is definitely that .50 BMG pistol.  

[Fresnel]

Requiem6661

The S&W Model 500 is considered the most powerful commercial handgun around. Fires .500 S&W Magnum, has a 440 grain load, and produces 3.5 kJ of energy when fired.

The most powerful handgun of all is definitely that .50 BMG pistol.

Define "commercially available"? At one time, Maadi-Griffin would sell you their chunk of bullshit, until the ATF reamed their asses with barbed wire for it. You can probably buy a Zeliska if you want, but it'd cost most of $20,000, and ammo would be about $100 a round. I'd rather have a gyrojet.

Oh yeah, Gyrojets are 13mm. Does that count?  

[Requiem ex Inferni]

Fresnel

Requiem6661

The S&W Model 500 is considered the most powerful commercial handgun around. Fires .500 S&W Magnum, has a 440 grain load, and produces 3.5 kJ of energy when fired.

The most powerful handgun of all is definitely that .50 BMG pistol.

Define "commercially available"? At one time, Maadi-Griffin would sell you their chunk of bullshit, until the ATF reamed their asses with barbed wire for it. You can probably buy a Zeliska if you want, but it'd cost most of $20,000, and ammo would be about $100 a round. I'd rather have a gyrojet.

Oh yeah, Gyrojets are 13mm. Does that count?

"Commercially available". Meaning you can walk down to the gun store and buy one, as well as the ammo for it.  

[Stoic Socialist]

Duh... redface  

[Requiem ex Inferni]

Stoic Socialist

Duh... redface

Nope. .500 Magnum and .600 Nitro both are far more powerful than .50 AE.

And gold plating does NOT make an Eagle look cool, it just makes you look like a dumbass.  

[ArmasTermin]

I watched the John Ross special on Guns & Ammo TV and Ross's handloads almost made for wrist-snapping goodness in the .500 Mag. I mean he's a pretty big guy and firing even the 6" barrel his grip jolted back pretty good. That guy knows how to make a bullet.