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Shane Jahn

The Big X: Reviewing Smith & Wesson’s X-Frame Line

The author takes a look at Smith & Wesson’s X-Frame revolver line, including the new .350 Legend model.

Twenty years ago, Smith & Wesson regained its place as the proprietor of the most powerful commercial revolver cartridge on earth. I say regained to note that Dirty Harry’s famous words detailing the .44 Magnum as the most powerful had been overshadowed by the .454 Casull in the Freedom Arms Model 83 single-action revolver a few years after Mr. Callahan’s classic line. Stating the .500 S&W cartridge is powerful is akin to mentioning King Kong was just an ape.

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The 460 XVR 14-inch with bipod mount. XVR stands for “X-Treme Velocity Revolver,” and this wheelgun offers plenty of it while remaining very manageable.

In a revolver, the .500 S&W is an awesome handful of force capable of pushing 500-grain bullets well over 1,400 fps. This mention of bullet weight and velocity is merely one example of the cartridge’s strength: There are several factory offerings of lighter bullets at even higher velocities. I currently have a half-dozen different loads from Buffalo Bore Ammunition (375 to 500 grains) sitting on my shelf, each capable of cleanly dispatching the toughest of the tough, and Hornady’s good 300-grain FTX load is no cream puff.

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The S&W 500 4-inch is truly a big-bore packing gun, ideal for protection in big-bear country.

Smith & Wesson’s engineers and gunsmiths developed a new, larger revolver frame to harness all of this pressure, velocity and recoil in a wheelgun. Following the company’s tradition of categorizing their revolver frames with letters (small to large), like J-, K-, L- and N-frames, the behemoth engineered to house the 1.625-inch case of the .500 S&W cartridge was christened the “X-frame.”

.460 S&W And The Model 460

A couple years after the .500 S&W saw light, S&W teamed up with Hornady to add the smoking .460 S&W cartridge to the X-frame line. The .460 became the fastest production revolver cartridge, pushing a 200-grain bullet to 2,200 fps. This powerhouse, contrived of lengthening the .454 Casull case to 1.8 inches, opened the distance door to handgun hunters looking to extend their horizons with a powerful revolver.

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The 460 XVR can print exceptional groups, but the gun can be picky with ammo. Try a couple different brands to determine what your particular gun prefers to eat.

A buddy of mine bought one of the .460 revolvers right after they came out, and we couldn’t wait to try it. We were surprised to find the recoil of the super-fast cartridge in the big X-frame, with its muzzle brake and 8.38-inch barrel, was quite manageable. I have a photo of my wife from that time period shooting the big revolver with a two-handed hold while she casually busted small boulders. I won a turkey at the annual turkey shoot in Sanderson, Texas, one year shooting the .460 for a round of Border Patrol Polo.

For those unfamiliar with it, BP Polo entails each contestant being assigned an empty tin can at a distance, say 20 yards. You get six shots at your can, and the shooter whose can travels farthest wins the bird. Placing a .45-caliber slug at a blistering 1,500 mph at the base of the can will send it flying, I can assure you. There was no worry of ricochets at this particular range, as it sits at the base of a huge limestone bluff.

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The PC 460 XVR 3.5-inch—perhaps one of the most ultimate and powerful short-barreled revolvers.

Multiple Variations Of The Big X

At the appropriate distance, with the correct bullet, there’s nothing that cannot be taken with the .500 S&W and .460 S&W. These are hard-hitting, powerful rounds. The full-sized hunting configurations of these revolvers add a bit of a challenge to carrying them in the field.

Sitting in a blind or a brush pile at the edge of a clearing is one thing … spot-and-stalk hunting, hiking through rugged mountains, sliding down steep-sided arroyos or maybe even standing knee deep in a stream teaming with salmon in the land of the great bears is altogether different. Whatever the handgun necessity of the day is, S&W has tailored the X-frames to fit your various needs.

SW X-Frame 460 XVR PC
The Performance Center 460 XVR is a sight to behold, and perhaps surprisingly, an easy gun to hold and shoot as well.

Along with standard models, Smith & Wesson also offer Performance Center Models. Their handy, 3.5-inch barreled 460XVR, and the similar 500 HI VIZ, are good-looking five-shooters that weigh 58.8 and 56.8 ounces in easier-to-carry sizes compared to their full-grown siblings, which range from 71 to 99.1 ounces in weight. That’s 4.4 to 6 pounds of wheelgun for the big boys.

I see these short guns as perfect for the outdoorsman wanting a super powerful double-action revolver in an easy-to-carry configuration. The same goes for the 4-inch gun. For those who don’t bat an eye at packing the biggest of the big into the woods—some so large they have sling swivels—they have you covered as well. With additional barrel lengths ranging from 7.5 to 14 inches, and added features like optic rails, muzzle brakes, various barrel contours and heck, you can even mount a bipod on one of them—options abound for the discerning shooter.

The 350 Legend And The 350

In 2019, S&W brought out their Model 350 in the new 350 Legend, aimed specifically at the deer hunting market in straight-walled-only cartridge country. The cartridge is compiled of a 1.71-inch rimless case, launching .357-caliber bullets generally weighing from 124 to 180 grains around 2,000 fps, give or take. Phil Massaro expertly likens the .350 Legend to the proven .35 Remington for a ballpark cartridge comparison.

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S&W’s 350 and Hornady’s 350 Legend ammunition make a great team for medium-sized game.

Unlike the big-bore clan of the X-frames that chamber five cartridges, the 350 has room to chamber seven in the beefy cylinder. For this rimless case, you either clip it or pick it, meaning you load your rounds via the moon clips provided with the gun … or pick them out of the chambers after firing, as there’s no rim for extraction. The moon clips are easy enough to load, and I found giving the case a slight turn when pressing the cartridge into the clip enabled pretty simple loading.

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Ease of unloading is offered by using a moon clip for the 350 Legend.

Removing the empties from the moon clip can be a bit of a pain. I used a pocket screwdriver to flip the empties out from the “rim” side. On the topic of a small screwdriver, it’d be wise to keep something similar, or maybe a dowel rod, handy in case you need to tap out a case when not using a moon clip. I didn’t experience a case sticking in a chamber, but it could happen.

Gun Specs

No two ways about it: This is a big revolver. It weighs in at 71.5 ounces, is 1.92 inches wide, 6.37 inches tall and has a 7.5-inch barrel. Fit and finish of this stainless-steel revolver are excellent, and the single-action trigger breaks crisp at just over 4 pounds. Plus, the double-action pull is very smooth. The front sight is a red ramp, and the rear adjustable has a white outline. The long barrel on this hefty handgun lends itself to being well balanced for handling and off-hand shooting.

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A size comparison of S&W’s N-frame .44 Magnum and X-frame 350 Legend.

Sending ’Em Downrange

Recoil is marginal in the 350, and two of the three different loadings tested were plenty accurate. While waiting on Hornady test ammo to arrive, I picked up a couple boxes of ammo because I couldn’t wait to shoot this revolver. Shooting from my Ransom Steady Rest at 25 yards, Winchester’s “Target and Practice” 145-grain FMJ load clustered seven rounds into a 1.99-inch group.

This particular gun didn’t care for Browning’s 124-grain FMJ load, printing a cylinder full of them in a group the size of my hand. When Hornady’s 165-grain FTX load recently came in, I returned to the range and fired seven rounds in a 2.3-inch group from a seated, tripod-supported rest.

The only problem I experienced firing this gun, and it’s really more of a mention on my part, was occasional stinging of something hitting my face during firing. I assume it was from the port at the end of the barrel. Always wear protective glasses when shooting—an occasional sting to the cheek really drives that point home.

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The PC Model S&W 500 with a 7.5-inch barrel. Sorry, Harry: This is the most powerful handgun in the world.

The big X-frames are hunting guns, plain and simple, and I tip my hat to the folks at S&W for remembering us handgun hunters—there are many. For hunters interested in taking up the sport of handgun hunting and are smitten with the big-framed Smith, the 350 is a good place to start. This model offers a heavy-duty double-action revolver platform in a cartridge that’s flat-shooting and fully cable of taking medium-sized game.

This combo of the X-framed 350 Legend would be great for deer, pronghorn, feral hogs and maybe even an aoudad ram at the proper range. The axis stags are in roar this time of year (May) in the Texas Hill Country, and this revolver and round would be a good candidate to slip up on one of those big, beautiful spotted deer. They not only make a great trophy, but axis meat is delicious as well.

It’s easy for me to say that the 350 Legend will do most any reasonable job it’s asked, and it’s plenty accurate. I still prefer my revolvers with open sights, but I’m certain one could tighten groups and increase some distance with a good scope or red-dot, if so inclined.

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The muzzle is ported, which greatly reduces recoil and provides a pleasant shooting experience.

Truthfully, I’m not a group shooter. I think they’re fine for choosing a load, showing what a particular brand or load of ammunition will do. But for all practical purposes, an appropriately powerful load with the proper bullet that will hit nearest the intended mark on the first shot is what I’m looking for. If an open-sight revolver will produce consistent fist-sized groups at 25 yards and will more often than not keep a cylinder full of ammo in a normal-sized paper plate or, better yet, a dessert plate at 50 long steps from field positions, I’m ready to go hunting.

Most guns today with good ammo will group well enough for this prerequisite. The bigger requirement lies with the shooter. We have to practice, both dry and live fire, to ensure we don’t let our handgun or, most importantly, the game animal down with poor shooting on our part.

Having said all this, the S&W 350 and Hornady’s 165-grain FTX load are ready for the field.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the August 2023 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


More On Hunting Revolvers

The Historical Firearms Of U.S. Border Patrol

A look at the U.S.-Mexico border, the historical firearms that helped shape America and the men who carried them.

Firearms have been carried out of necessity along our southwest border with Old Mexico long before the Rio Grande River and the (once imaginary) surveyed line that runs west from it, all the way to the Pacific Ocean, even existed.  In 1519, Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca waltzed into Texas, armor clanging, near present day Presidio, so the first records of gun bearers to the region dawn with expeditions by the Spanish Conquistadores who armed themselves with early muskets, lances and swords in the 1500s and 1600s. It stands to reason that the existence of firearms grew as European colonization increased over time.

Historical-firearms-Spanish
Remnants of a Spanish wall canon that found its way to Lajitas, Texas, on the Rio Grande. These guns were mounted on fort walls for defense … and even used as punt guns for shooting ducks. It’s believed this gun could’ve come from the Alamo. (Photo: Courtesy of Museum of the Big Bend)

Many years ago, an old mountain lion hunter I know was running his hounds along the rugged Sierra Vieja Rim southwest of Valentine, Texas, when he saw what he thought was an old piece of metal pipe sticking out of some rocks. This got his curiosity up, so he dug around and eventually found it was actually the remnants of a 1700s French Trade Gun, along with the remains of its owner, buried under a rock overhang. The rifle barrel was badly bent, and the assumption is that the man’s comrades buried him with his belongings and made the rifle inoperable so anyone finding it couldn’t use it.

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Fast-forwarding to the 1800s, when “The River” (as West Texans refer to the Rio Grande) became an international boundary, the region saw the continued and growing need for guns as tools for survival. Early settlers needed their weaponry not only to provide wild meat for their family’s hungry bellies, but for protection from Mexican bandits and marauding, and hostile natives—who were a constant threat to the livelihood and safety of those pioneers who dared to venture into the great Southwestern United States.

The first folks to cross the briny Pecos River and forge a living in the harsh Trans-Pecos region and Big Bend country of far West Texas had to be stout, or they wouldn’t last long. The remote, arid region breeds tough, resolute people. These determined souls, many whose relatives still live and ranch here, brought with them whatever firearms they had at the time, and bought or traded for the best as soon as they could.

Historical-Firearms-range

Old blackpowder muzzleloaders were replaced by cartridge-firing rifles, preferably Winchester repeaters. Cap-and-ball six-shooters were stowed in grandma’s cedar chest, replaced by Colt’s Single Action Army, Remington’s 1875 and the Smith & Wesson revolvers. Old photographs show an array of Winchester lever actions representing popular long arms of the times. The Colt SAA wasn’t the only sixgun carried by any means, but it was the most prolific.

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The Natives

Native peoples have lived in this region for thousands of years. To the trained eye, their ancient cooking middens are found at cave mouths and along canyon rims and dry arroyos that obviously once ran with cool, life-giving water.  The more “modern” tribes, whose names we recognize as Apache and Comanche, came along long after these prehistoric groups. As soon as the Spaniards brought steel into the scene, the natives began using it for the tips of their arrows.

It’s a safe assumption that they incorporated the firearm with equal enthusiasm, beginning with the front-stuffers and continuing into the cartridge-firing weapons as soon as they became available. As time progressed, the native tribes accumulated, by various means, the same guns as the settlers, ofttimes adding unique design in the form of stock carvings, brass tacks and other unique decorations.

The Mexicans, the Revolutionaries and the Bandits

The hard-fought Mexican Revolution from 1910 to 1920 saw the use of any gun that could be gleaned by the determined fighters. Everything from muzzleloaders to machine guns were used in those bloody battles. Period photos depict a wide representation of rifles, such as Remington rolling blocks, Mauser bolt actions, lever guns from Savage and Winchester, and anything else the fighters could get their hands on. Handguns followed the same unscripted assortment from Colt, Remington, and Smith & Wesson.

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Smuggling on the Border

There’s a certain type of criminal who capitalizes on our border with Mexico to practice their evil trade: the smuggler. What’s outlawed or restricted in one country is trafficked into the other. History shows this has been everything from merchandise and candelilla wax, to livestock, liquor, weapons, illegal drugs and humanity. While conducting their smuggling business, these contrabandistas run back and forth to the assumed, even though unfounded, security of the country from which they reside. 

When the United States enacted the 18th Amendment—prohibiting alcohol manufacturing, distribution and sales in 1919—the Southern region saw continued violence along the border. Many of the Mexican liquor smugglers (tequileros) were former soldiers of the Mexican Revolution. They were a salty lot that didn’t hesitate to fill the air with hot lead when confronted by our equally dangerous U.S. lawmen.

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My grandpa knew Tom Heard, a Texas Ranger who worked the South Texas brush country during that era. When Ranger Heard periodically visited the ranch where my granddad and his father cowboyed, he would tell him tales of gunfights along the river. An old photograph shows Ranger Heard with a Winchester Model 94 Trapper Carbine in his hands and a Colt SAA on his hip.

The Cavalry

The mounted cavalry troops stationed along the border to keep the bandits at bay in that era were armed with the Springfield 1903 bolt-action in 30-06. The Colt 1911 .45 ACP was the sidearm carried by many of those who wore handguns, although I’ve also seen photographs of soldiers wearing revolvers, including one of Captain Leonard Matlack with what appears to be a Colt SAA in his gun belt.

US-Border-Patrol-Calvary

Cowboys and Lawmen: Colts, Winchesters, a Whitney and a Few Stories

I am intrigued by historical firearms with stories. There’s just something different about holding a blue-worn, wood-chipped rifle, or an old single-action with stocks worn slick from constant use in your hand and knowing where it came from, who owned it … and the history that goes with it. Some of these tales are written—some are not—but they’re all special in their own way.

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A Sharps “Old Reliable” .45-caliber rifle. (Photo: Courtesy of Museum of the Big Bend)

Winchester 1866

Winchester’s first lever-action rifle, the Model 1866, was tremendously popular. Firing the .44 Henry Rimfire, called the “Yellow Boy” because of the brass receiver, was even ordered by foreign governments to arm their soldiers. The one I examined came out of Mexico long ago. Too bad historical firearms can’t talk.

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Top, a Winchester “Yellow Boy” model 1866 in 44 Henry Rimfire from Ojinaga, Chihuahua, Mexico, and an 1894 Short Rifle in 30 WCF from far west Texas. (Photo: Courtesy of Colby Brandon)

Winchester Model 1894

The Model 94 in .30 WCF (.30-30 Winchester) is a classic lever-action. This is another rifle favored by lawmen, outlaws, cowboys and hunters. It’s still a viable candidate for hunting and personal defense.

Winchester 1873

Texas Ranger James B. Gillette’s M73 carbine was carried by him during his time in the Texas Rangers. He purchased it in 1875, and it’s estimated that he traveled 10,000 miles on horseback during his six years as a Ranger (1875 to 1881). He used the carbine to kill a train-load of game for sustenance on patrol, and in every engagement with Native Americans and “desperados.”

Winchester 1876

After Gillette’s successful law enforcement career, he turned to raising cattle in the high-desert country west of Marfa, Texas. At some point, he acquired a Winchester 1876 King Improvement model in .45-60 Winchester with a 28-inch barrel. From the looks of it, this rifle was well used.

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This Winchester Model 1876 Kings Improvement in .45-60 Winchester with a 28-inch barrel belonged to Texas Ranger Jim Gillette, who, later in his life, ranched west of Marfa, Texas, on the Barrel Springs Ranch. (Photo: Courtesy of Museum of the Big Bend)

Winchester 1886

Texas Ranger James Putman closed the Murder Steer Case in the Glass Mountains north of Marathon, Texas, with his Winchester ’86 in .45-70 when he head-shot Fine Gilliland after a rancher had been killed and a deputy sheriff wounded by Gilliland.

Winchester 1892

The M92 is probably one of the most recognizable to the general public, due to its use in Western movies. A Model ’92 carbine is still one of the slickest long guns around and a great defensive weapon. I have mildly customized Browning 1892 designated as my go-to defense rifle.

Winchester 1895

Winchester’s solid ’95 was very popular during the Bandit Wars along the border. Chambered in .30-06, these rifles were favorites among the old-time Texas Rangers. The one I examined in .30-03 Government was developed to replace the .30-40 Krag and was the predecessor of the .30-06.

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Two classic Winchesters, top to bottom: 1895 30 Govt. ’03 and 1894 Saddle Ring Carbine made in 1898. (Photo: Courtesy of Colby Brandon)

Savage Model’s 1895 and 1899

The Savage M95 and M99 were also popular rifles of the day. One of the rarer lever-actions I was able to photograph was the Whitney Arms Model 1886 in .44 caliber. Its history is unknown, only that it found its way to West Texas and into the museum on the Sul Ross campus.

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Whitney Arms Company’s .44-caliber lever-action that found its way into west Texas. (Photo: Courtesy of Museum of the Big Bend)

Colt Single-Action Army

Colt’s SAA is a perfect handgun in my eye, and old photographs show I’m not alone in that assessment. The SAA was a popular sidearm along the border by those who violated and those who enforced the law, as well as cowboys and ranchers.

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A classic Colt SAA revolver. (Photo: Courtesy of Museum of the Big Bend)

Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson owns a unique old Colt SAA 45 with a 4¾-inch barrel that was shipped to Del Rio, Texas, around 1918. It was purchased by a rancher south of Dryden who bought it for protection against bandits … and to protect his livestock from the thieves as well as predators. The Colt was his sole firearm, and the honest wear shows he carried it often.

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Not all revolvers along the border were Colts. Here is an 1875 Remington in .44 caliber … although it has seen better days! (Photo: Courtesy of Museum of the Big Bend)

Modern-Day Guns of the Mexican Border

These days, the revolver and lever-action have mostly been abandoned by law enforcement—but not entirely. Jeff Davis County Sheriff Bill Kitts keeps a stainless Marlin 1895SBL in .45-70 handy in his work truck and wears a SIG P220 Elite in 10mm on his hip.

Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson usually wears a Kimber 1911 in .45 ACP and keeps a couple Winchester Model 94s, in .30-30 Winchester and .357 Magnum handy for long gun situations.

Today, the battle-proven 1911 can still be found holstered in leather on the gun belts of deputy sheriffs and Texas Rangers who work tirelessly along the border.

It hasn’t been all that long ago that gun writer Jim Wilson used a slick, short-barreled Browning 1892 in .44 Remington Magnum as his long arm during his tenure as a West Texas Sheriff, all the while with an engraved Colt .45 Government Model stuffed in the waistband of his starched Wranglers.

Winchester-1892
A Winchester model 1892 Saddle Ring Carbine in .44 WCF, a gun with West Texas lineage. The cartridge belt came out of Old Mexico. (Photo: Courtesy of Colby Brandon)

Texas Ranger Joaquin Jackson carried his handy, brushed-chrome-finish Model ’94 Winchester in .30-30 most of his long career, usually accompanied by a Colt Light Weight Commander in .45 ACP with engraved silver and gold grips, or a good Smith & Wesson revolver. Jackson also wore a Colt SAA at times as well.

Another old border patrol inspector I once knew patrolled The River below Sanderson, Texas, decades ago with his custom Winchester ’92 in .357 Magnum. I don’t know if he ever used it on bandits, but I’m confident a decent amount of javelina fell to the little carbine.

The U.S. Border Patrol recently transitioned to Glock’s Models 47 and 19 for uniformed carry. Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens have been wearing Glocks for many years and now issue the Model 17. Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers are issued the SIG Sauer P320. All of these pistols are chambered in 9mm. Various AR platform rifles are very popular and are carried by most law enforcement and chambered in 223 Remington.

Even though some of the guns found along the southwest border have changed dramatically in design and composition in recent decades, one basic fact remains the same: You still need one!

Author’s Note: A special thanks to Museum of the Big Bend’s Curator of Collections, Matt Walter, for his assistance in gathering information on guns from the museum archives and for allowing me to photograph them. And to the Archives of the Big Bend, located in the Bryan Wildenthal Memorial Library at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas, for allowing me to copy a few photographs from their treasure trove of history. And to my amigo, Colby Brandon, who not only makes top-shelf 1911s, but who owns some of the neatest old lever-actions in Big Bend country.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2021 USA special issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


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