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It has been over three years since Smith
&Wesson introduced the big S&W
.500 Magnum, and the guns have been selling very well
for them. As noted in my article, some of the early guns had a
problem of the cylinder unlocking and rotating upon firing of
the heaviest loads. S&W says that shooters were holding the
guns improperly, but I corrected the problem on mine with a
slightly stronger cylinder bolt spring. However,
apparently shooters are holding them properly now, for I have
heard of none in the last couple of years doing so. It was
a minor glitch with an easy fix, and the big .500 has become a
success.
Taurus has now entered the biggest,
baddest revolver arena by chambering the .500 S&W Magnum
cartridge in their Raging Bull revolver. The gun reviewed here
is the ten inch barreled version, and there will be others to
follow. Like the Smith & Wesson, the Raging Bull is a big
handgun. The heavy ten inch barrel is somewhat ovate in shape,
having both an integral underlug and rib, making for a
noticeably muzzle-heavy balance, which is conducive to accurate
shooting, and helps to reduce muzzle rise upon firing. The
barrel has a built-in expansion chamber near the muzzle with
eight exhaust ports at the top; four on each side of the front
sight. The front sight is a black blade pinned atop the integral
stainless ramp that offers an excellent sight picture coupled
with the flat-faced adjustable rear. The rib of the barrel wears
five vented slots which serve to look good, dissipate
heat, and to attach a scope mount.
The cylinder of the Raging 500 is the same size
as found on the Smith & Wesson, being just over two and
one-quarter inches in length, and one and seven-eighths inches
in diameter. The barrel/cylinder gap measures a tight, even two
one-thousandths (.002) of an inch. To unlatch the
five-shot cylinder for loading and unloading, two latches must
be pressed, one at the rear of the cylinder like on most
revolvers, and another at the front, like on Dan Wesson
revolvers. The hammer of the Raging 500 contains the Taurus
Security System key-activated lock, which when activated
prevents the weapon from firing, but is not bothersome to those
who choose to ignore it.
The Raging 500 wears a black synthetic rubber
grip which has a contrasting red insert down the backstrap. It
is very hand filling, and those with small hands will most
likely choose to change them for another style. The grip worked
very well in my hand, proving to offer good weapon control and a
reasonable amount of comfort, considering the cartridge that
this big handgun fires. The Raging 500 has a smooth-faced
trigger that is three-eighths of an inch wide. The double action
pull weight measured just under eleven pounds, and the single
action pull weight measured four and three-quarters pounds. The
trigger pull was very smooth and even in both modes of
operation, exhibiting no signs of grittiness. Considering
the size and weight of the weapon, the trigger pulls are about
right for me.
The finish on the stainless steel is a satin,
bead-blasted texture, and was very well done on this
revolver. There were no visible flaws in the finish of the
weapon. It is a good-looking handgun.
I fired the Raging 500 with five different
factory loads, all from Cor-Bon. Cor-Bon also loads .500
S&W Special ammunition, which is the Magnum case cut down in
length a bit, with reduced velocity. These loads were included
in my chronograph testing of the Raging 500. The air temperature
during testing was just under seventy degrees, with the
chronograph screens set at twelve feet from the muzzle. All
velocities are listed in feet-per-second (fps). JHP is jacketed
hollowpoint. DPX is the Barnes solid copper hollowpoint.
HC is a hard-cast LBT style lead bullet. Bullet weights are
listed in grains. FMJ is full metal jacket.
LOAD |
VELOCITY |
Cor-Bon 350 Grain JHP Magnum |
1768 |
Cor-Bon 275 DPX Magnum |
1736 |
Cor-Bon 440 HC Magnum |
1662 |
Cor-Bon 350 FMJ Special |
1304 |
Cor-Bon 275 Barnes X Special |
1280 |
It is interesting to note that the 440 grain
hard-cast load produced the exact same velocity average from the
Raging 500 as it did from the S&W handgun three years ago:
1662 fps.
Firing the big Taurus, recoil is noticeable with
the magnum loads, but not at all painful. Apparently the
combination of gun weight, compensator, and grip design tame the
recoil pretty well. As can be seen in the video, the weapon is
controllable even firing the Magnum 350 grain load double
action. The Raging 500 functioned perfectly with all loads
tested, except that extraction became sticky with the 350 grain
Magnum load. However, this only occurred after firing
several of the shorter .500 Special cartridges without
thoroughly cleaning the cylinder, which apparently raised
chamber pressures somewhat. It is always a good idea to clean
the chambers after firing shorter cartridges, before firing high
pressure Magnums in the same chamber. Earlier firing of the same
350 grain loads extracted easily, so this little glitch was my
fault, and is easily corrected. The Taurus never showed any
signs of unwanted cylinder unlocking or rotation.
For accuracy testing, I mounted a Bausch
& Lomb 2 to 6 power scope atop the Taurus using a Taurus
mount and B-Square rings. The Raging Bull .500 magnum
exhibited excellent accuracy from the bench, producing
tight groups with each load tested at twenty-five yards.
It would hold five shots inside of three-quarters of an inch
when I did my part.
Weighing in at just over seventy-six ounces,
with an overall length of sixteen and one-half inches, the
Raging 500 is no pocket gun. It does not even qualify as a trail
gun or packin’ pistol. It is, however, a very good revolver
for use as a primary hunting weapon. Carried in an
across-the-chest holster, it carries well, leaving both hands
free for other things, but is readily available when needed. It
has enough power to take any game animal that walks the Earth.
It is well-built, and reasonably priced. Current suggested
retail (May of 2006) is listed as $899, which is almost 300
bucks less than the Smith & Wesson. Before the emails start
rolling in, I cannot recommend one over the other. I like them
both. It comes down to personal choice. I will most likely not
be found carrying either one afield, as I prefer a lighter
handgun on my hip. However, for a primary hunting handgun, I
like the big .500 Magnum revolvers much better than a single
shot pistol for that purpose. Taurus also includes a one-year NRA
membership with each handgun purchased, which is a nice little
extra.
Check out the Taurus revolvers, rifles, and
pistols online at: www.taurususa.com.
For the location of a Taurus dealer near you,
click on the DEALER LOCATOR icon at: www.lipseys.com.
For high performance hunting and personal
defense ammunition, go to: www.cor-bon.com.
Jeff Quinn
To locate a dealer where you can
buy this gun, Click on the DEALER FINDER icon at: |

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Click pictures for a larger version.


Taurus Raging Bull Model 500, .500 S&W Magnum
Revolver.


Iron sights are pinned front blade and fully-adjustable
rear.

Vent rib allows for easy scope mounting.


Factory grips are very well-designed and help tame the
big .500 Magnum.


Cylinder locks at front and rear for extra strength.

Hammer features the Taurus Security System key locking
mechanism.




Cor-Bon offers several factory loadings, including one
featuring Barnes' excellent 275-grain XPB bullet.

The Taurus Raging Bull proved to be very accurate with
all loads tested.

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