Big X: Review of Smith & Wesson’s X-frame line

The author covers Smith & Wesson’s X-Frame revolver series, including the new .350 Legend model.

Twenty years ago, Smith & Wesson reclaimed its position as owner of the most powerful commercially available revolver cartridge on the planet. I believe that years after Mr. Callahan’s classic line, Dirty Harry’s famous quote detailing that the .44 Magnum was the most powerful was overshadowed by the .454 Kasur in the Freedom Arms Model 83 single-action revolver. I realized that it had happened. Saying the .500 S&W bullet is powerful is like saying King Kong was just an ape.

For a revolver, the .500 S&W is incredibly powerful, capable of firing a 500-grain bullet at well over 1,400 fps. This mention of bullet weight and velocity is just one example of cartridge strength. There are several factories that produce lighter bullets at higher velocities. Currently, he has about half a dozen different loads of Buffalo Bore ammunition (375-500 grains) on his shelf, each capable of cleanly defeating the most powerful bullets. Hornady’s superior 300-grain FTX loading is no cream puff.

Smith & Wesson engineers and gunsmiths developed a new large revolver frame to take advantage of all the pressure, velocity, and recoil of a wheel gun. Following the company’s tradition of classifying revolver frames by letters (smallest to largest) such as J-frame, K-frame, L-frame, N-frame, etc., it was designed to accommodate a 1.625-inch case for the .500 S&W cartridge. This huge model is called the “X Frame.”

.460 S&W and Model 460

A few years after the .500 S&W came out, 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 powerful weapon was devised by lengthening the case of the .454 Casul to his 1.8 inches, opening the door to range for handgun hunters looking to expand their horizons with a powerful revolver.

A friend of mine purchased a .460 revolver shortly after it was released. we couldn’t wait to try it. We were surprised at how manageable the recoil of the large X-Frame super-velocity cartridge with its muzzle brake and 8.38-inch barrel was. I have a photo of my wife at the time shooting a large revolver held in both her hands while she casually broke a small rock. I won a turkey at the annual turkey shoot in Sanderson, Texas. One year I shot a .460 in a Border Patrol Polo.

For those unfamiliar, in BP Polo, each contestant is assigned an empty tin can at a distance of, say, 20 yards. He fires six shots at the can, and the shooter who shoots the can the farthest wins the bird. If you put a .45 caliber bullet at the bottom of a can at breakneck speeds of 1,500 miles per hour, I guarantee it will blow up. This mountain range is located at the base of huge limestone cliffs, so we didn’t have to worry about ricochet.

Multiple variations of Big X

With the right distance and the right bullet, there’s nothing you can’t shoot with the .500 S&W and .460 S&W. These are strong, powerful rounds. These revolvers are configured for full-size hunting, which makes them a little more difficult to carry in the field.

Sitting in a blind or in the brush on the edge of a glade is one thing… spot and stalk hunting, hiking up rugged mountains, sliding down steep-sided arroyos, or in some cases catching salmon in a river. We even team up and stand in a knee-deep stream. Okuma’s country is completely different. Whatever the handgun needs of the day, S&W has tailored his X-frame to suit a variety of needs.

In addition to the standard model, Smith & Wesson also offers a Performance Center model. Similar to the 460XVR with its easy-to-handle 3.5-inch barrel, the 500 HI VIZ is a good-looking five-shooter and weighs more easily at 58.8 ounces and 56.8 ounces compared to its adult sibling, which ranges from 71 to 99.1 ounces. Weight in ounces. This equates to a 4.4-6 pound wheel gun for the big boys.

I think these short guns are perfect for outdoorsmen who want an ultra-powerful double-action revolver in an easy-to-carry configuration. The same goes for the 4 inch gun. Even if you’re not interested in packing the biggest things in the woods (some are so big they even have sling swivels), they’ve got you covered. Barrel length has been added from his 7.5 inches to 14 inches, and features such as an optical rail, muzzle brake, and different barrel contours have been added, of which he can also mount a bipod on one. There are plenty of options for the discerning shooter.

350 legend and 350

In 2019, S&W launched the Model 350 as the new 350 Legend, specifically targeting the deer hunting market in straight-wall only cartridge country. This cartridge is constructed with a 1.71-inch rimless case and typically fires a .357 caliber bullet weighing 124 to 180 grains at approximately 2,000 fps. Phil Massaro cleverly likens the .350 Legend to the tried-and-true .35 Remington for a rough cartridge comparison.

Unlike the larger-bore X-frame family, which holds five round cartridges, the 350 has room for seven round cartridges in its beefy cylinder. With this rimless case, you either clip or pick, that is, you load the bullet through the moon clip that comes with the gun, or you remove the bullet from the chamber after firing, since there is no rim for ejection. I found that the Moonclip was very easy to load, and if I rotated the case a little as I pushed the cartridge into the clip, it was very easy to load.

Removing the empty part from the moon clip is a little tricky. I used a pocket screwdriver to flip the empty container from the “rim” side and remove it. Speaking of small screwdrivers, it’s wise to keep something similar, or perhaps a dowel rod, on hand in case you need to tap the case when you’re not using the moon clip. I’ve never had any experience with the case getting stuck in the chamber, but it can happen.

gun specifications

This is a large revolver. It weighs 71.5 ounces, has a width of 1.92 inches, a height of 6.37 inches, and a barrel of 7.5 inches. The fit and finish on this stainless steel revolver is excellent, and the single-action trigger snaps at just over 4 pounds. Moreover, the double action pull is very smooth. The front sight has a red lamp and the rear adjustable has a white outline. The long barrel of this heavy handgun provides a good balance between handling and off-hand shooting.

sending em downrange

Recoil was negligible with the 350 and two of the three different loads tested were sufficiently accurate. While waiting for Hornady’s test ammunition to arrive, I couldn’t wait to shoot this revolver, so I grabbed a few boxes of ammunition. When he fired from a Ransom Steady Rest at a distance of 25 yards, Winchester’s “Target and Practice” 145-grain FMJ load collected seven rounds in a 1.99-inch group.

This particular gun didn’t bother with Browning’s 124-grain FMJ loads and printed a cylinder full of them in groups the size of my hand. When Hornady’s 165-grain FTX load came in recently, I returned to the range and fired seven shots in 2.3-inch groups from a seated position supported by a tripod.

The only problem I had when firing this gun, and I actually mention it more often myself, was the occasional stinging sensation of something hitting my face while firing. I believe it’s from the port at the end of the barrel. Be sure to wear safety glasses when taking pictures. The occasional sting in the cheek illustrates the point.

The big X-Frame is a hunting rifle, plain and simple. Hats off to the people at S&W for remembering us handgun hunters. There are a lot of handgun hunters out there. For hunters interested in the sport of handgun hunting and obsessed with big frame Smiths, the 350 is a great model to start with. This model features a rugged double-action revolver platform within the cartridge and a full cable for capturing medium-sized game with flat shooting.

This combination of X-Frame 350 Legends is perfect for deer, pronghorn, feral hogs, and perhaps even aoudad lamb at the right range. Ax deer are all the rage in the Texas Hill Country this time of year (May), and this revolver and bullet would be good for sliding down on one of those big, beautiful spotted deer. Not only do they make great trophies, but the meat on the cobs is also delicious.

It’s easy to say that the 350 Legend will do just about any reasonable job you ask it to do, and it’s accurate enough. I still prefer open-sight revolvers, but I’m sure that with the right scope and red dot you can tighten up groups and increase distance if you’re so inclined.

To be honest, I’m not the type of person who does mass shootings. I think it’s a good place to choose ammo to show you how certain brands of ammo and ammo affect you. But for all practical purposes, what I’m looking for is a decent powerful load with a decent bullet that hits close to the intended mark on the first shot. An open-sight revolver consistently generates fist-sized clusters at 25 yards and holds a cylinder full of ammunition in a regular-sized paper plate, or better yet, a dessert plate, at 50 paces from the field position. If you often want to, then you are ready to go hunting.

Today, most guns with good ammunition can fully meet this prerequisite. The bigger requirement is on the shooter. We must practice with both blanks and live ammunition so that we don’t become bad marksmen and lose the pistol or, most importantly, the game animals.

With all that said, S&W 350 and Hornady’s 165-grain FTX loads are ready for field use.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in the August 2023 issue of the magazine. gun digest magazine.

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