I understand that there are several single-shot options available (H&R, Ruger No. 1, T/C), and that there was some talk about Predator Tactical with a .500 S&W that may have had some (~$1500) potential, but I have not yet come across anything in wood/composite & metal yet.  Personal experience says that I want a minimum of 3 rounds on-tap at any given time, 5 would be preferable.  This concept must stay under the $1000 mark to remain practical, and really should be the $450-$700 range.  


Here is what I have toyed with so far:

1.  Ruger recently released the 77/357 as an addition to its line of bolt-action rifles/carbines chambered in rimmed cartridges (.17, .22, .44 Mag, etc.), which tells me that there is enough public interest in pistol caliber, rotary magazine bolt guns to warrant further discussion.  The Engineering challenge on this concept is that we're talking nearly double the pressure of currently-chambered rounds (with which Ruger has plenty of experience), with a .68" increase in OAL (requiring a longer magazine design).  I sent an email through Ruger's website and was told that they have no current plans, but would pass the request on.

2. I like pump guns, and the Remington 7600 action is apparently up to the pressure task. An email to them received a similar response to the Ruger email.

3. Adding a 16" barrel and shoulder-stock to an existing revolver sounds plausible, but (1) this is well over the price point, and (2) cylinder gap flash does not leave me with warm fuzzies about the intact state of my support hand and arm.  Apparently, Taurus has found a way to work around (2) with the Circuit Judge revolving carbine, but they have not provided me with a solution to (1).

4. WSSM calibers are very close in OAL, Rim Diameter, and pressure.  I am told that rebarreling a bolt gun from one of these calibers is inadvisable due to potential feeding reliability concerns, but I would still be interested in finding a gunsmith who would work with the idea.

5. Discussion on #4 led to suggestions of rebarreling one of the older military rifles that was designed around rimmed cartridges.  I have limited personal experience with the Mosin-Nagant in 7.62x54R, and do not believe that the action would be up to the increased pressures.  Maybe something else is?


My personal action preference would be Pump, Bolt, Semi-Auto, and Lever, in that order, although at this point, I would be happy to consider something that is available, rather than desirable.  I would drop $750 this afternoon on an 870 or 835 look-alike that would chamber .460, .454, and .45 Colt ,and was equipped with aperture-style sights.  Is anybody listening?

If you made it all the way down here, I'd welcome anything you have to say on the topic.  Thanks for listening.

Rossi imports an 1892 clone in .454 Casull. That's probably the closest you'll get for a production rifle. Although, DRC Firearms makes their own lever rifle in a large number of calibers, with .460 S&W being one of them.

Due to the relatively small market for a S&W .460 chambered gun I would be pretty shocked if anything that does come to market is under the $1000 price range.

1.  While DRC's site talks about .460, but the build-a-rifle page does not list it as an option.  
2.  Are these actually in production?  The build-a-rifle page says that you're reserving one.
3.  At $2500, I'll invest in loading another caliber (.458 SOCOM or .450 Bushmaster) and buy an AR and a bolt gun to run it.  But I'm not going to - one of the purposes is to keep reloading components and stuff carried in the field down to a minimum.