My New Zombie Gun. The Smith & Wesson Model 500

Smith and Wesson Model 500
Well I just picked up my newest addition to my arsenal. A Smith and Wesson Model 500 revolver. The Smith and Wesson Model 500 is a five-shot, double-action revolver firing the massive .500 S and W Magnum cartridge.

It is built on Smith and Wessons largest frame, the X-Frame. Smith and Wesson claims it is the "most powerful production revolver in the world today" and this is largely correct. The Model 500 can fire a bullet weighing 350 gr ( 22.7 g; 0.8 oz) at 1975 feet per second (602 m/s) generating a muzzle energy of over 3,030 foot-pounds.

Now many people believe this gun is just way too big and powerful to be of much practical use. In fact that was my first thought when I first heard about this firearm a few years back. But after having shot it I soon changed my tune. Now I will say this gun is not for the novice shooter. The recoil is quite sharp and the weight of the gun (1.59 kg to 82 oz 2.32 kg) would make it just too heavy for some. And the fact that it only holds only 5 rounds would deter some who like a lot of rounds backing them up. However I believe that for the right person this gun can be a practical and let's face it, just plain cool addition to your anti zombie arsenal.

So what good can a heavy revolver with a lot of recoil and only 5 rounds be? Well lets see. Portable, accurate, large caliber, long range fire power that you can take any place. In simple terms this gun fills a niche that many other firearms do not. It gives you the ability to reach out and hit targets at distances that you just can't with an auto pistol or small revolver but its smaller and more compact than most rifles.

So why not just carry a smaller handgun and a rifle? Well the simple answer is that most of the time in a survival situation your guns are just dead weight that you have to carry around. Most of the time you are working or walking or engaged in some other activity and your guns are just a pain in the ass.

Think about it. You are out working trying to scrounge supplies or plant crops. What are you going to do with that heavy rifle. You are going to take it off and lean it against a tree because its just way too hard to do any work with it slung on your back. Yes you may have a smaller pistol on your belt but that's only a short range weapon. Most people can't hit a target with a small handgun beyond about 30 to 50 yards. And that's at a shooting range. It's a lot harder in the real world when the bad guy is hiding behind a car or tree and shooting at you. The 500 allows you to reach out to 100 or 200 yards with precision.

Now I know that there are other firearms that might fill this role. The PDW guns of the last 20 years or so like the FN P90 give fantastic firepower in a small portable package. But the bottom line is people are all different in what works for them or what they like. Their are lots of people who just don't like fancy hi-tech semi/auto guns. People who are used to more old fashioned simple technology. Or perhaps some one who is really comfortable with their smaller revolver and would like something in a format that they are familiar with. The 500 can fill this role.