Badass 500. Ported barrel from Performance Center is balanced well assisting with reduced recoil. Packs a powerful punch!

Took me awhile to write a review for this gun because, unfortunately, the one I received had some issues. When I arrived at home and began a more thorough inspection, I noticed the chrome was peeling off the hammer, two cylinders had very loose lock up and the extractor star had such bad burrs that inserting a cartridge required force. This gun should’ve never left the factory in this condition. It was sent to smith and Wesson. They replaced the hammer, trigger, cylinder, and repaired the yoke. I took it to the range and fired 20 320gr and 20 500gr rounds, both full power factory loads. This was my first time firing a 500 magnum and I have to say the recoil was quite manageable. I’m a pretty scrawny guy but I experienced no pain or discomfort during my session. You definitely know you are firing something powerful but totally controllable. This is a gun I have wanted for a long time and chose the performance center to make sure I was getting the best, however, that was not the case. Smith and Wesson did a great job repairing the gun and the trigger is amazing, but it should have never left the factory in the condition it was in. Shame on me for not performing a much more thorough inspection at my FFL. Lesson learned, happy to have my 500 back.

great gun.best price around. would buy again

First off let me thank Buds for the wonderful service it was quick and easy.Second this gun is unbelievable ,its massive .Shooting it at the range always gets a (what the heck is that) The recoil is more of a shove (real big shove) then a snap. The pistol is so well made and the trigger is smooth .The rubber grips absorb a lot of the recoil.I mounted a leupold vx3 2.5x8 hand gun scope with the supplied mounts and hand loaded some rainer 335 gr plated bullets and starline cases ,and this pistol can shoot.Hand loading this cartridge is a must ! Shot this combo at the range ,off hand for a very lucky 3 shot group at 25 yards, of 7/8 in. Going deer hunting with it next year . After buying this one i bought the 4" model also. Buy it you wont regret it.

I love this gun! It is not for recoil shy people, most of my friends do not enjoy shooting it. The recoil is not that bad the 454 Casull has a much worse recoil. It is very accurate and a blast to shoot.

Thank you for giving me $900 trade in for the S&W 500PC 7.5" barrel. The difference made it possible to buy the S&W 500PC. This is my 3rd weapon I have bought from you. I have no complaints.

If you want to go big bore go with a S&W 500. It will shoot 1" groups at 100 yards using Hornady 500 grain bullets and a 4x Leupold scope. Plus it comes with a weaver rail for do-it-yourself optics mounting. I love this gun. The recoil is very manageable and the muzzle "flash and drama" is WAY less than a .460 S&W with the same barrel length. The trigger is buttery smooth and with the soft grips I don't even wear a shooting glove, it doesn't hurt. The recoil rocks the revolver up but not back at your face. Muzzle flash is very minimal and is no distraction even on an indoor range. It shoots the 500 grainers pretty flat out to a hundred yards. I am confident that far out shooting off sticks and I plan to use this gun on an upcoming buffalo hunt. And feral hogs of course. As always Bud's is the place to buy - this revolver was cheaper than anywhere else - period.

Can't beat S&W performance center revolvers. Smooth action and very accurate. Great shooter but it is not for the faint of heart, should be an experienced shooter if you are going to use one of these. It is a beast, lots of noise and a lot of recoil but I have 2 of them and absolutely love them both,

Oh my God! Not only is this the most beautifully designed revolver I've had the pleasure to handle (and I've owned many Performance Center revolvers), it is also the most fun to shoot. Remarkably well built with and exceptional attention to detail. For me, handgun hunting is an up-close affair so a scope with the included mounting hardware seemed overkill yet a red dot might be ideal so I tried a compact 2nd gen Bushnell Holosight. Excellent fit and fast target acquisition however I am not sure I'll keep it on as It may be unnecessary as the iron sights are bright and spot on. The gun is a real keeper. Just try to keep the smile off your face every time you pull the silky smooth trigger (FEELS like only 5-6 pounds double-action but single-action feels less than 1-2). And did I mention how beautiful it is? Fantastic balance. I've shot and owned both the 2 1/2 inch and 4 inch barreled 500's but this seems the perfect choice for this caliber. This is now my hunting firearm of choice. I have a bandolier type holster for it from Haugen that allows me to carry it comfortably across my chest for quick access. What more do I need?