Out of all the books I’ve edited since I started with F&W Media and Gun Digest just about a year ago, Big-Bore Revolvers by Max Prasac probably ranks as my favorite so far. What got me hooked, even at the first chapter, was Max’s unabashed and outright passion for anything and everything that’s bigger than a .44 Magnum and goes in a wheel gun.
While I’ve long kept a double-stack Kimber 1911 .45 in my nightstand, my last handgun purchased back when I was shooting IPSC, I’ve never forgotten that it replaced a Smith & Wesson 686 snubnose revolver. I loved that gun, almost craved its comfortable heft in my hand, the way it tamed recoil from stouter loads. It’s one of the few guns I’ve ever sold and a sale I’ve often sorely regretted—but no more so than after reading Big-Bore Revolvers (and even though my gentle giant 686 snubby was only a “mere” .357 Magnum and doesn’t qualify for big-bore status by Max’s definition.)
After reading Max’s words and weaving his wonderful array of photographs into this fabulous book, I have to tell you I was inches from calling up wheelgun genius Gary Reader and asking for one of his Black Widow single-actions, or Freedom Arms’ Bob Baker and asking for a .454 Casull, or … my shopping list went on and on.
It takes much intelligence, insight, sincerity, and skill for a writer to move an audience like Max moved me—heck, especially someone like me who’s been in the firearms business now more than 20 years. I’ve seen a few guns in my time, love many of them, even most of them, but I don’t get the “wow” factor much anymore. But Big-Bore Revolvers? Oh, yea, this one gets a wow. Wow.
Wow factor is the truth! I like to call it the little kid thrill, big smiles and WOW. Everytime I shoot my S&W 460V with the Casull or 460 rounds, I smile from ear to ear! I also have a Model 629 Talo Edition 3″ barrel, that’s a little wow, but still a Wow. I cannot imagine what it must be like to shoot a 500 loaded with 500 grain ammo!! The 335 grain Casulls or 200 grain 460’s certainly pack a memorable punch, both different of course. I’d rather shoot the 460 with the 200’s than the 3″ 629 with 200’s! The 460 weighs considerably more and also has Hogue rubber grips that absorb alot, the 629 has wood combat style grips.
I carry a 44 special and If my Redhawk 44 mag wont take it down I dont need to be shooting at it. My redhawk handles 16 grains of unique powder which will blow up a Smith 29. But standard 44 mag loads will eventually destroy a model 29. Buy a Redhawk mine is 20 years old and still shoots extremely well.