Smith & Wesson has assembled an "Emergency Survival Tool Kit" that revolves around their 460PD or 500PD revolvers, it is available with either. S&W's Herb Belin, who developed this kit, emphasizes the short and very powerful .460 S&W and .500 S&W Magnum handguns as defense against bears. The idea of the snub nose is that it allows easy use even if attacked while in your sleeping bag in a tent, according the Herb. A longer barrel would make it more difficult to use in such a confined place and at point blank range, accuracy isn't that much of an issue. That's not an unheard of occurance, so he has a point.

The revolvers is equipped with a 2.75 inch unported barrel and a bright yellow Hogue Recoil Reducing Grip. Unless they are truly magic, best be prepared for a very sore hand after firing this one on the range. Anyone with a wweak grip need not apply.

http://www.equipped.com/pp/GR/sw_emergency_tool_kit_600w.jpg

The remainder of the kit includes: an Ultimate Survival Blastmatch firestarter and four packages of WetFire tinder, Ultimate Survival Saber Saw, Jet Scream whistle and 2 x 3 StarFlash signal mirror, a Silva Polaris baseplate compass, two MPI Mylar Space Emergency Blankets (Note to Herb, see above article) and a Smith & Wesson Extreme Ops liner lock folding knife. Also included is the book, "Bear Attacks of the Century - True Stories of Courage and Survival" by Larry Mueller and Marguerite Reiss; just in case you weren't paranoid enough about bears. All this is packed into a fitted bright yellow Harddig Storm Case. A ballistic nylon holster for the revolver is included. MSRP is $1150

http://www.equipped.com/pp/GR/sw_emergency_tool_kit_case_600w.jpg

How practical is this kit? Well, individually, the componets are generally very good and ought to be carried on your person for use if needed. If you are traveling into bear country, a powerful firearm is advisable. While a rifle or shotgun with slugs is preferred, most of those we know that travel in such areas also carry a powerful handgun and you'd be hard pressed to find one more powerful than these two.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/wcsstore/SmWesson/upload/images/firearms/163463_case_lg.jpg

Did they include some bandages for patching up the front sight dents in the user's forehead.....

LOL

:p

I guess they are serious? A big ole yeller box with a big ole yeller handled gun in it. My biggest fear would not be bears.... afraid of the ribbing I would take for showing up at camp with a rig like that. Nothing wrong with some of that stuff. I always carry a compass, first aid kit and a sidearm. That chain thingy might cut a small limb but I'd want to see the salesman demo one before I invested the family fortune. I do carry one though but mine has a motor on it and it may be important to note that it is in a big ole yeller box...it says Stihl on it. But then again, the kit does come with a whistle....hmmm.....keep the bandaids handy MikeG, I'm gonna ask the wife if I can have one.

I've got to admit that there would be more than a few chuckles if someone pulled that out at my hunting camp. Only thing I see missing is the fur covored chaps and the ten gallon cowboy hat.

*scene the first morning in hunting camp in Alaska*

New-guy-Dave is unpacking his duffel bag while two other guys make coffee and repack gear.

Dave removes his bright yellow Smith and Wesson Emergency Survival Tool Kit 'tm' from his duffel bag. The other two guys stop and turn to look in awe.
"Whatcha got there Dave?"

"My new Smith and Wesson Emergency Survival Tool Kit with my brand new Smith and Wesson 500". Dave opens the case and removes his brand new Yellow Rubber Stocked revolver beaming proudly.

The older of the two other guys leans over to the younger and asks, "He's new here isn't he?"

The above is fictional. Purely, completely and totally fictional.

I can see it happening in reality. ;)

wheres the yellow rifle to go along with it ?

they got to get some black or blue grips on those

id stick with the 4" if i wanted to get a self defense gun in 460 or 500.

that saw is a fancy one

Im not sure if I like it. It might be a good thing to keep in a plane if you were some kind of guide pilot that flew into bear country. You could always use the pages from the little book to start a fire! I would buy one, though. It might be a novelty now, but later it will be a collectors item for sure.

I'm wondering if the marketing folks at S & W have been sniffing Wite-Out! Yellow is okay for the case, but the GRIPS? They could have at least made them red. But now that I think about it, if you wore the gun outside a lot and the grips faded, they might turn pink, and that would be even more unacceptable! I bet it achieves collectable status pretty quick, I doubt they sell many to anyone but collectors!

Papajohn

Handled one of these in a Wasilla, Alaska shop just the other day, it being newly arrived in town. The shop owner was showing it to a perspective purchaser. After handling it, and I must admit, it does balance well in the hand. My first thought was: if you're in your sleeping bag, and into the tent comes something requiring the use of this short barrled iron, there'd be a good chance the muzzle blast/flame would quite likely set fire to your nylon tent in the process of dispatching an unwelcome guest? But if such an iron is needed, then it's needed right now, and at that point, who cares if the tent goes up in flames!
Moreso on the serious side, S&W should be given MUCH credit for the engineering excellence of the X frame, for they are some punkin' in quality and performance/accurracy...

http://www.equipped.com/pp/GR/sw_emergency_tool_kit_600w.jpg



http://www.equipped.com/pp/GR/sw_emergency_tool_kit_case_600w.jpg



http://www.smith-wesson.com/wcsstore/SmWesson/upload/images/firearms/163463_case_lg.jpg


Hi, I need one!. 2weeks ago I shoot a traffic hit mosse. I leaved (?) the shot mosse in the forrest. Yesterday I was out with my mosse dog (jämthund). Next morning I get the dog back, with a bear mark on one of the backlegs.. to the vet.doc.
I was to the shot mosse to day and it was only bones left. I look for tracks and one tracks from the bear was 18cm (7,087inch).

I've actually thought about getting the 500. More for novelty purposes than anything, but jeez, the recoil has got to be horrible.