.500 Special Load Data

The .500 S&W Special (12.7×32mmSR) is a .50 caliber revolver cartridge developed by Cor-Bon/Glaser at Smith & Wesson's request in 2004. It is a shorter version of the .500 S&W Magnum, with a drastically reduced load, much as the .38 Special is to the .357 Magnum — though unlike that relationship, the Special was designed after the more powerful Magnum rather than before it.

Developed as a lower-recoil alternative to the .500 S&W Magnum, the Special achieves this through a shorter case of 1.274 inches versus the Magnum's 1.625 inches, while sharing the same rim diameter and bullet specifications. This allows it to be fired safely in Magnum-chambered firearms like the X-Frame Model 500, though it may leave unburned powder residue in the longer chambers.

The cartridge delivers typical muzzle velocities of around 1,350 fps with 275 to 350-grain projectiles, producing energies in the range of 1,100 to 1,400 ft·lbf — bringing performance closer to that of the .44 Magnum rather than the punishing full-power .500 S&W Magnum loads.

The purpose of the .500 Special is to allow shooters to fire less punishing loads in firearms chambered for the .500 S&W Magnum, making the large-frame X-Frame revolvers more practical for a wider range of shooters and hunting applications. Factory ammunition is primarily offered for shorter-range applications, where the cartridge's relatively flat trajectory out to 50 yards supports accurate shot placement on medium game.