Best Home Defense Rifle?

[RobJ]

I don't think the Marlin Camp Carbine came in .44 mag., did it? Ruger had a .44 mag carbine called "The Deerslayer" for an all too brief amount of time. I should have picked one of those up.

I think you are right, they both looked sort of the same.

 

[RobertN]

I don't think the Marlin Camp Carbine came in .44 mag., did it? Ruger had a .44 mag carbine called "The Deerslayer" for an all too brief amount of time. I should have picked one of those up.

Ruger had a really nice .44M carbine in the late 60's/early 70's. Looked like an 10/22. I saw one about 10 years ago; wish now I would have bought it! It just seems like a little rifle that would have done well, but it never seemed to gain popularity.

 

[Ridgewalker]

I don't think the Marlin Camp Carbine came in .44 mag., did it? Ruger had a .44 mag carbine called "The Deerslayer" for an all too brief amount of time. I should have picked one of those up.

It came in 9mm and 45 cal if my memory serves correct.

 

[AMP762]

Ruger had a really nice .44M carbine in the late 60's/early 70's. Looked like an 10/22. I saw one about 10 years ago; wish now I would have bought it! It just seems like a little rifle that would have done well, but it never seemed to gain popularity.

The little Ruger 44 was bad about cracking the stock from recoil.

 

[MossRoad]

The little Ruger 44 was bad about cracking the stock from recoil.

I've read that about the 45 Marlin camp carbine, too. But the folks that said it cracked also said they took it to gunsmiths that sanded it down, filled it with epoxy, repaired it and then they worked well ever since.

 

[Soundguy]

Npt to kick too far off the subject. but anyone here shot the s&w 500m? did you use the reg 300-350g Hp's.. or the blistic tips.. which do you prefer.. and why? what difference did you notice? at almost 3$ a cartridge.. I'd like to hear some comments before plinking!

soundguy

 

[Dargo]

Npt to kick too far off the subject. but anyone here shot the s&w 500m? did you use the reg 300-350g Hp's.. or the blistic tips.. which do you prefer.. and why? what difference did you notice? at almost 3$ a cartridge.. I'd like to hear some comments before plinking!

soundguy

I have 3 S&W Model 500 pistols with barrel lengths of 2 3/4" (unported), 4" ported and 8 3/8" ported. I usually shoot cartridges with 400 to 500 grain bullets. A 500 grain full power cartridge in the little 2 3/4" pistol is a bit of a handful. It's not too bad in the other pistols. In case you're wondering, no, I don't use the little one for home defense. Although a potent round, it's not my first choice for firing inside a home.

Some +P loads in the S&W .460 XVR (Extreme Velocity Revolver) seem to pop more. Regular 360 grain loads in the .460 with an 8 3/8" barrel come out of the tube at over 1900 fps and deliver around 2900 ft. lbs. of energy. I don't have a chrono now (long story, it sprouted legs and walked off from a range), but one box of .460 cartridges stated that they exited that same length barrel over 2300 fps. That's pretty well smokin' for a pistol and 360 grain loads. I'm not into reloading and never have been, but some guys tell me that the S&W .460 is sort of like the .454 Casull on steroids.

As some know, I collect a few firearms. I try to collect some odd sizes and reasonably rare (I can't afford to collect the really rare stuff) firearms and some big ones. I do have a Barrett M107 that shoots the .50 BMG. That's my most powerful rifle. I don't own a Pfeifer-Zeliska .600 Nitro Express (I think it's considered the most powerful - and uncontrollable - pistol made; but not production made) but I do have a six shooter in 45-70. It's a Century MFG Model 100 in 45-70 and it's a six shooter. What attracted me to it about 15 years ago when I bought it was that it was developed and made right in my own hometown. I don't know how many of those were ever made, but I don't think it was very many. It's a huge pistol and I've never shot it and never will. That makes the S&W Model 500 .50 Magnum the most powerful pistol I own and the most powerful I've shot.

 

[Soundguy]

I fully expect my 500 s&w m to be more gun than my 50AE.. but just wondering how much more. I'll do a range report after some testing.

may try to recover some slugs and see what kind of expansion I can get vs FMJ, HP, and HPbalistic tip.

soundguy

 

[Dargo]

I fully expect my 500 s&w m to be more gun than my 50AE.. but just wondering how much more. I'll do a range report after some testing.

may try to recover some slugs and see what kind of expansion I can get vs FMJ, HP, and HPbalistic tip.

soundguy

Oh man, I have a Desert Eagle .50AE. I think it weighs 7 pounds or something like that! Anyway, the .50AE vs the .50 Magnum is about like comparing a .22lr to a .357 Magnum. There's no comparison. I think, based on reading the ammo boxes, the .50AE cartridges compare closely to the .44 Magnum cartridges ballistic wise. I'm thinking the .50AE has about 1900 ft. lbs. of energy with hot rounds and the .50 Magnum hot loads put out about 2700 ft. lbs. or so. It's not a very close comparison.

Is your Desert Eagle Chrome or blued? I wish I had the bright chromed version but mine is blued. I may actually trade it to a friend this weekend. I always wish I hadn't sold the Arsenal Bulgarian made AK style rifle I had, but I did. A buddy of mine has an Arsenal SA-93 that he had some company out of Tennessee make a beautiful looking walnut stock and forearm for. I'm trying to get him to trade even up, but I don't think he will. Those versions of the AK style rifle have really gone up lately. I just wish I hadn't sold mine.

 

[Soundguy]

I thought about the desert eagle.. but i already had an anvil in the workshop. ( man those things are heavy.. ) My 50AE is an AMT Automag V.. much less weight.. holds a bit more ammo. Has a gasport 3 on it for compensation. it's a brushed stainless finish.

the 500mag is a brushed stainless as well, and also has a gasport comp on the front... now.. it's the long barrell.. so I finally got the anvil!

soundguy

Oh man, I have a Desert Eagle .50AE. I think it weighs 7 pounds or something like that! Anyway, the .50AE vs the .50 Magnum is about like comparing a .22lr to a .357 Magnum. There's no comparison. I think, based on reading the ammo boxes, the .50AE cartridges compare closely to the .44 Magnum cartridges ballistic wise. I'm thinking the .50AE has about 1900 ft. lbs. of energy with hot rounds and the .50 Magnum hot loads put out about 2700 ft. lbs. or so. It's not a very close comparison.

Is your Desert Eagle Chrome or blued? I wish I had the bright chromed version but mine is blued. I may actually trade it to a friend this weekend. I always wish I hadn't sold the Arsenal Bulgarian made AK style rifle I had, but I did. A buddy of mine has an Arsenal SA-93 that he had some company out of Tennessee make a beautiful looking walnut stock and forearm for. I'm trying to get him to trade even up, but I don't think he will. Those versions of the AK style rifle have really gone up lately. I just wish I hadn't sold mine.