Hello. I do not know a great about guns but I am aware of what grain, energy footpounds, caliber, etc is.

Can anyone tell me what the most powerful revolver is?

Is it the 500 S&W or the BFR 45/70? Or somthing else?

Wouldn't a 45/70 be by far the strongest? While it seems like it, that isn't the impresssion I get when I read what Magnum Research says about it. Any insight?

45/70 ammo is normally loaded with rifle powder, which is designed to be shot in rifle length barrels. This would be one reason why the 45/70 might be weaker than the .500 S&W, which is intended as a pistol cartridge and uses powder more in accord with pistol length barrels.

Looking at the size of these two handguns, I hardly consider them "handguns" in that sense; more like the old Colt Dragoons that were sized more for carrying on a horse.

NOTE-Yes folks, I KNOW they're handguns, but I see them as being no more "handy" than a rifle. JMHO

Drifter

I'd put my money on the .454 Casull or one of the Linebaugh cartridges, .475 or .500. These all come in five shot SA revolvers, with 4 1/2" or 71/2" barrels, and are not at all unwieldy to carry or shoot. They are brutally punishing in recoil though, and not for the uninitiated. Don't know what the .45-70 does out of a handgun length barrel, but the .454 gives 1600 -1700 f/s with a 300 gr bullet out of a 71/2" barrel, which is darn close to what the .45-70 gives out of an 18" barrel with the same bullet weight. Using the .45-70 out of my 1895 Marlin and my Ruger #1, I get 1790 to 1850 f/s in the Marlin, and 2080 f/s in the Ruger. The Ruger has a 24" barrel. Can't speak to the .500 S&W, as I have no experience with it.

Anyone remember the Woods White Horse revolver? It used shortened .460 Weatherby magnum brass for full-house loads, and shortened .458 Winchester magnum brass for "plinking"...his reason for building it was essentially "I got tired of seeing all this about the world's most powerful revolver. Here IS the world's most powerful revolver", or words to that effect.

I've seen pictures of a revolver that was chambered in .600 NE and I posted a link to it a year or so ago. That must take the prize.
If you get into custom made guns then there is no way to tell, but if you only look at factory chambering then it would be a very close toss-up between .454 (355 @ 1700 & 2279 ft-lbs) .45-70 some loads (300 X @ 1900 & 2400 ft-lb), .500 S&W (325 @ 2000 & 2887 ft-lbs), and .475 Linebaugh (385 @ 1600 & 2189 ft-lbs), and 500 Linegbaugh (400 @ 1600 & 2274 ft-lbs). Even though ft-lbs seems to give the edge to the .500, one must remember that ft-lbs puts a premium on velocity in the formula, by squaring the velocity. All these rounds IMO they are more than adequate for just about anything you will encounter and I doubt one could tell a lick of difference on game. I know how quickly the .45-70-300 puts game down and how it penetrates, so just how much more dead than dead and complete end to end penetration can one get?

Anyone remember the Woods White Horse revolver? It used shortened .460 Weatherby magnum brass for full-house loads, and shortened .458 Winchester magnum brass for "plinking"...his reason for building it was essentially "I got tired of seeing all this about the world's most powerful revolver. Here IS the world's most powerful revolver", or words to that effect.


.460 Weatherby and .458 Win Mag have different head sizes - don't think those would be interchangeable in the same chamber.

Well, as soon as I can figure out how to lengthen a 500 S&W to accept a 50 BMG cartridge...I'm sure it would sell.

Well, as soon as I can figure out how to lengthen a 500 S&W to accept a 50 BMG cartridge...I'm sure it would sell.

As would the sale of products that you could use after you break your wrists. . .