Safe to shoot s&w 500 / cleaning stainless steel

July 06, 2011 20:21

I bought a used s&w 500 from an online dealer. He alleged that it was like new with only 15 rounds. Picked it up from my dealer and was somewhat disappointed. The serial number on the box did not match the gun and it looks to me like it has seen a lot more than 15 rounds. The dealer that sold it to me is giving me the run around so I dont think I will be able to return it.

I know the .500 is a powerful round but would 15 rounds really leave the stains that I am seeing on this cylinder? Based on the cosmetic condition should I have any concerns about shooting it? Can those stains be removed?

Comments

10 comments

Hawk Carse

July 06, 2011 20:26
.500 S&W is a very hot round and I would not be surprised if 15 shots left that much burn mark on the cylinder face.
Lead Away Cloth will rub the black off. But it will come back if you shoot the gun. Are you really concerned that a few scorch marks would make it unsafe to shoot?
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spas12

July 06, 2011 20:49
odds are that the dealer was misleading but, I don't see it being a real problem
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rufe-snow

July 06, 2011 20:54
I shot one once. IMHO it's more a novelty then a practical handgun. A lot of folks have a tendency to buy it because they believe it's the biggest, baddest, regular production handgun they can buy. Unfortunately after shooting and paying for their first 20 round box of ammo, it dawns on them what a limited use it actually has, i.e. it ain't a fun gun to shoot, ammo is darn expensive, and hauling it around in a holster is like toting a blacksmiths anvil on your belt.

In light of the above, not doubting at all your revolver only shot 15 rounds. I imagine there are a lot of S & W 500's floating around the resale marketplace, because of their very limited usefulness.
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Laredo Lefty

July 06, 2011 20:58
The amount of "fouling" is not a direct measure of how powerful a gun is. The .22 revolvers build up fouling at the same rate. 15 rounds would amount to 3 cylinders full. I suspect the previous owner shot more than that, but there is no way to prove it. As long as the lock up and timing are good I would not worry.
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altecgb

July 07, 2011 05:09
Thanks for the input. I have never owned one before but have other revolvers. I have just never seen this level of staining on a cylinder. Just made me wonder if the pistol has seen exceptionally hot rounds or a _lot_ of standard rounds.
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beantownshootah

July 07, 2011 09:35
My teensy Smith 637 .38 snubnose will foul up that much or MORE with just one box of ammo. Small gun, but it makes a BIG flash when you fire it. I don't think the fouling you see there is particularly notable, though in general its a lot more visible on stainless guns than blued steel ones.

In general, these uber-big magnum revolvers burn a LOT of powder and consequently can leave a lot of fouling.

I don't think its possible to say for sure how many rounds were put through your particular gun, but I can definitely believe that the marks you see were caused by a relatively small number of "normal" rounds, even just a few cylinders full.

No, the staining doesn't indicate that the gun is unsafe to shoot. These guns are built like tanks. If the gun locks up tight and otherwise seems OK, it probably is OK.

Could you remove the fouling? Sure. There are a lot of ways to do so, but the simplest are going to involve using some really mild abrasive cleaner. Personally, I wouldn't bother, unless you want the the gun for display instead of shooting. If you shoot it, it will just foul up again quickly. Nothing bad will happen if you leave some of this fouling in place (I do with my carry gun).

For Rufe, I think in fact there aren't THAT many of these floating around on the used marketplace, but that's mainly because Smith has kept production relatively low. My guess is that you're probably right that like the .44 magnums from the 1970s, a lot of people have bought these because of the allure of a really big gun, fired a box or two of ammo, then stuck them in the safe never to shoot them again. Most of the used ones out there are probably in barely-fired condition.

In terms of usefulness, the way I see it, apart from novelty/psychological value, these guns have two good real-world uses:

a. If you want to hunt BIG things with a handgun, like moose or elk or bear. I don't know how many people really want to, but if you did, well, this would be your gun. Yes, you could use it on deer or smaller things, but its largely overkill.

b. As protection against grizzly bears, though IMO for this particular application you'd want the model with the short barrel for increased portability, pointability, and speed of draw.
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bambambam

July 07, 2011 12:03
Looks like someone shot the gun then cased it with no regard to cleaning.
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Riomouse911

July 07, 2011 13:16
Use Flitz on an old sock on the cylinder's face. My stainless .44's, .45 Colt and .454, .357 mags, and snub .38's all come out spotless.

If the seller's a choad and you're really into getting your $$ back, dispute it. If you're happy with it, shoot away!
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eazyrider61

July 07, 2011 20:16
I owned a model 500 and shot factory ammo. On Christmas eve day 09 it blew up on me at the range, the top strap hit me in the fore head and flew to who knows where, the cylnder split in half, one piece falling to the right the other to the left. Of course S & W denied that it was the gun and they wouldn't send it back when they refused to replace it. If your that worried have it xrayed to make sure it has no micro scopic cracks. I can't seem to download the pics to this but will email them to you if you want
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62fuelie

July 08, 2011 17:23
The place I look for telltale wear on a S&W is above the flash gap between the cylinder and the forcing cone. A lot of hot rounds, especially on the M-19 and 66, will start a flame cut in the top strap. If this one has such a cut I would be concerned that the round count had been fudged a bit.
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