"mildly popular among shooters for many years after its introduction, but did not come to the attention of the general public until 1971, when it was prominently featured in the American feature film ""Dirty Harry"" starring Clint Eastwood. In one of the classic lines in cinema, titular character Harry Callahan describes his Smith & Wesson Model 29 as ""the most powerful handgun in the world"". Although not strictly true (the more powerful wildcat .454 Casull was announced in 1959), the .44 Magnum was the most powerful then in production. Demand for the Model 29 increased so much that they were"
"pistols of the 19th century. It remained primarily the province of handgun enthusiasts, some law enforcement personnel and hunters until 1971, when Clint Eastwood made it famous as ""the most powerful handgun in the world"" in the movie ""Dirty Harry"". After the movie's release, retailers had trouble keeping the Model 29 in stock. In the late 1990s, Smith & Wesson discontinued production of many models of revolvers, including the 'basic' Model 29; since then, at various times, the model, in limited or 'custom' configurations, has been manufactured in as many as 10 evolutions. The original Model 29 was superseded by"
"of ""The 20 All Time Coolest Heroes in Pop Culture"" by ""Entertainment Weekly"". He was also ranked 42nd by ""Premiere"" magazine on their list of the ""100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time"". The character also received recognition from the American Film Institute. Callahan's trademark weapon, the Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum revolver, was named the second greatest movie weapon of all time, behind the lightsaber from ""Star Wars"". On AFI's ""100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes"", two of Dirty Harry's famous lines ranked 6th and 51st, respectively: The former phrase was borrowed by US President Ronald Reagan in"
"29 was the most powerful production handgun, although it was later overtaken by handguns chambered for the even larger .454 Casull and .50 Action Express cartridges. It was made famous worldwide by association with the fictional character ""Dirty Harry"" Callahan. The Model 29 will chamber and fire .44 Special cartridges, as the .44 Magnum was developed from the .44 Special. The Magnum case is slightly longer to prevent magnum rounds from being chambered and fired in handguns chambered for the .44 Special. Elmer Keith's achievements in maximizing the power and performance of the .44 Special was the inspiration and driving"
"bullet fired by Clint Eastwood's fictional character Dirty Harry in the eponymous movie series. Eastwood's character actually fired a .44 magnum load from his iconic Smith & Wesson Model 29 revolver, neither the same charge nor the same bullet as any .45 caliber round, including the 5.56x45mm. Still, the Ministry of Defence (MoD)'s intent was likely more about shock and awe than it was about the actual ordinance characteristics itself. The ammunition was tested in 2010 in the Future Dismounted Close Combat research program. At a later point an initial order of about a million rounds is expected to be"
"Harry movie, where the Model 29 revolver was billed as the most powerful revolver (The .454 Casull designed in 1955 was not in commercial production until 1997). With the entry of the .500 S&W Magnum and the Model 500 revolver, Smith & Wesson recaptured the title of the most powerful handgun, and with it an increase in sales. The .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum was designed from the outset to be the most powerful production handgun cartridge. S&W product manager, Herb Belin, proposed the idea of developing the revolver and cartridge to the S&W sales team. With the backing of"
"they were struggling with political correctness and pursued positive public relations to offset any possible public perception of police brutality. Although the .41 Magnum was adopted as a police departmental standard by a few cities such as Amarillo and San Antonio TX, and San Francisco CA most chose to pass. In addition, introduced in the shadow of its limelight-grabbing 'big brother' the .44 Magnum Model 29, the Model 57 struggled from its onset to garner much market share. This gap widened further when Clint Eastwood used a ""Most powerful handgun in the world"" Model 29 in the popular film Dirty"
"Pfeifer Zeliska .600 Nitro Express revolver The .600 Nitro Express Zeliska revolver is an Austrian single-action revolver produced by Pfeifer firearms. Except for the Giant 1859 28mm Remington revolver, the Zeliska may be the largest handgun in the world, weighing in at and having a length of . The cylinder section alone weighs . The Zeliska is one of the most powerful handguns in the world, producing a muzzle energy of 7,591 foot pounds. The weight of the handgun helps control the recoil, making controlled shooting possible. The capacity of a Zeliska is five .600 Nitro Express or .458 Win"
"been credited with inventing the ""loose-cannon cop"" genre. Author Eric Lichtenfeld argues that Eastwood's role as Dirty Harry established the ""first true archetype"" of the action film genre. His lines (quoted above) are regarded by firearms historians, such as Garry James and Richard Venola, as the force that catapulted the ownership of .44 Magnum revolvers to new heights in the United States; specifically the Smith & Wesson Model 29 carried by Harry Callahan. ""Dirty Harry"" achieved huge success after its release in December 1971, earning $22 million in the United States and Canada alone. It was Siegel's highest-grossing film and"
"one film, Harry's partner Frank DiGiorgio, refers to Harry's gun as a ""pocket-cannon"". One of the ""hero guns"" used on-camera in ""Magnum Force"" is in the possession of John Milius. It is presently on loan to the National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Virginia, in the ""Hollywood Guns"" exhibit in the William B. Ruger Gallery. Callahan loses control of his sidearm four times during the course of the series. First, in ""Dirty Harry"" when Scorpio tells him to take it out and throw it when he is confronted at the cross in the park. Second, in ""Magnum Force"", where Captain Briggs"
"Smith & Wesson Model 500 The Smith & Wesson Model 500 is a five-shot, double/single action large-caliber revolver produced by Smith & Wesson, firing the .500 S&W Magnum cartridge. The Model 500 was built on the entirely new X-Frame, which was developed exclusively to handle the immense muzzle velocity and pressures generated by firing of the .500 Magnum cartridge. It is among the most powerful revolvers in the world since its original release in 2003, and is marketed as ""the world's most powerful handgun"" by the manufacturer. The Model 500 can fire a bullet weighing 350 gr (22.7 g; 0.8"
"Dirty Harry round Dirty Harry is the name given to the special round chambered 5.56×45mm. The rounds are designed by BAE Systems and were safety and performance tested by QinetiQ to supplement the existing 5.56 standard NATO ammunition issued to British Forces. The necessity to use a more powerful round in place of regular 5.56mm NATO round was felt due to its unsatisfactory performance in medium-range engagements. This resulted in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) requesting the development of a special round to be used from the existing SA80 rifles resulting in Dirty Harry. The reference inaccurately refers to thoe"
"put up by the MoD. Dirty Harry round Dirty Harry is the name given to the special round chambered 5.56×45mm. The rounds are designed by BAE Systems and were safety and performance tested by QinetiQ to supplement the existing 5.56 standard NATO ammunition issued to British Forces. The necessity to use a more powerful round in place of regular 5.56mm NATO round was felt due to its unsatisfactory performance in medium-range engagements. This resulted in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) requesting the development of a special round to be used from the existing SA80 rifles resulting in Dirty Harry. The"
"totalled 69,755 and were known as the Mark II. Smith & Wesson Triple Lock The Triple lock, officially the Smith & Wesson .44 Hand Ejector 1st Model 'New Century', is a double-action revolver. It was and is considered by many, including handgun enthusiast and expert Elmer Keith, to be the finest revolver ever made. Its popular name refers to its extra (third) locking lug on the cylinder crane. This extra locking mechanism was deemed necessary due to the increased power of the .44 Special cartridge (a lengthened .44 Russian, and itself the parent of the .44 Magnum), first chambered in"
"century."" Heilongjiang hand cannon The Heilongjiang hand cannon or hand-gun is a bronze hand cannon manufactured no later than 1288 and is possibly the world's oldest confirmed surviving firearm. It weighs 3.55 kg (7.83 pounds) and is 34 centimeters (13.4 inches) long. The Heilongjiang hand cannon was excavated during the 1970s in Banlachengzi, a village in Acheng District, Heilongjiang province, China. It was found alongside other bronze artifacts made in the style of the Jurchen Jin Dynasty (12th–13th century). The hand cannon was probably used in battles fought nearby Banlachengzi in 1287 and 1288. The ""History of Yuan"" states that"
"Henry carbine The Henry Carbine is a fictional gun, probably based on the Henry repeating rifle. It was established by German writer Karl May (who wrote in his novels about Winnetou, Old Shatterhand and Kara Ben Nemsi) as a gun named the Henry Carbine (in German ""Henrystutzen"") after its design engineer Mr. Henry, a fictional gunsmith from Saint Louis, who gave it to his friend, later famous in the Wild West as Old Shatterhand and in Arabian countries as Kara Ben Nemsi. In the world of Karl May's novels this repeating rifle, was capable of firing 25 times without reloading"
"Heilongjiang hand cannon The Heilongjiang hand cannon or hand-gun is a bronze hand cannon manufactured no later than 1288 and is possibly the world's oldest confirmed surviving firearm. It weighs 3.55 kg (7.83 pounds) and is 34 centimeters (13.4 inches) long. The Heilongjiang hand cannon was excavated during the 1970s in Banlachengzi, a village in Acheng District, Heilongjiang province, China. It was found alongside other bronze artifacts made in the style of the Jurchen Jin Dynasty (12th–13th century). The hand cannon was probably used in battles fought nearby Banlachengzi in 1287 and 1288. The ""History of Yuan"" states that a"
"the two are much closer in power than are the actual ""Special"" cartridges compared with their ""magnum"" counterparts. The .475 Linebaugh remains a relatively obscure cartridge, no doubt owing in part to the introduction of Smith & Wesson's more powerful .460 S&W Magnum and .500 S&W Magnum cartridges, .500 S&W being the most powerful handgun cartridge in the world to date. .475 Linebaugh The .475 Linebaugh is an extremely potent rimmed revolver cartridge developed by John Linebaugh in the late 1980s. The cartridge is based on the .45-70 Government case cut down to 1.4 inches and loaded with bullets weighing"
"Smith & Wesson Triple Lock The Triple lock, officially the Smith & Wesson .44 Hand Ejector 1st Model 'New Century', is a double-action revolver. It was and is considered by many, including handgun enthusiast and expert Elmer Keith, to be the finest revolver ever made. Its popular name refers to its extra (third) locking lug on the cylinder crane. This extra locking mechanism was deemed necessary due to the increased power of the .44 Special cartridge (a lengthened .44 Russian, and itself the parent of the .44 Magnum), first chambered in the Triple Lock. The "".44"" is part of the"
"for law enforcement officers. The Model 27 started the ""Magnum Era"" of handguns. The high point was in 1955 when the company created the Smith & Wesson Model 29 in .44 Magnum. Two decades later the Dirty Harry movies made this gun a cultural icon. In 1965 the Wesson family sold its controlling interest in Smith and Wesson to Bangor Punta, a large American conglomerate. Over the next decade Bangor Punta diversified the company's civilian sales to include related gun products (such as holsters) as well as offering additional police equipment (such as handcuffs and breathalyzers). By the late 1970s"
"ceased all ammunition operations. .500 A-Square The .500 A-Square is a belted, bottleneck rifle cartridge, developed by Col. Arthur B. Alphin in 1976. The cartridge is based on the .460 Weatherby Magnum necked up to accept the .510 in (13.0 mm) bullet; the same as the .50 BMG cartridge. This was Col. Alphin's first commercial sporting cartridge and was designed in “response to some severe problems experienced with the .458 Winchester on safari in Mozambique.” The .500 A-Square was a proprietary cartridge and the world's most powerful commercially available “sporting” cartridge. However, the .50 BMG is the world's most powerful"
"""If he sets it off, they're all spaghetti."" Chief says, ""That's enough, Harry."" Everybody said, ""That's too much, John; we can't have Milius doing this kind of stuff."" I wanted the guy to be just totally outrageous all the time, and he is. I think Siegel restrained it enough. Director John Milius owns one of the actual Model 29s used in principal photography in ""Dirty Harry"" and ""Magnum Force"". it is on loan to the National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Virginia, and is in the Hollywood Guns display in the William B. Ruger Gallery. Glenn Wright, Eastwood's costume designer since"
"films, making it well known in popular culture. The commercial success of the pistol is due in part to its use in motion pictures, according to Magnum Research chairman and CEO John Risdall. According to a 1994 newspaper article, the company actively solicited prop houses to use the gun. By 1999 it had been used in over 40 films, including ""Eraser"", ""Red Heat"", ""Last Action Hero"", ""Rambo III"", ""Cliffhanger"", ""Demolition Man"", ""Assassins"", ""The Last Boy Scout"", ""Double Impact"", ""Snatch"", ""The Matrix"" and ""Austin Powers"". IMI Desert Eagle The MRI Desert Eagle is a semi-automatic handgun notable for chambering the largest"
".460 Weatherby Magnum The .460 Weatherby Magnum is a belted, bottlenecked rifle cartridge, developed by Roy Weatherby in 1957. The cartridge is based on the .378 Weatherby Magnum necked up to accept the bullet. The original .378 Weatherby Magnum parent case was inspired by the .416 Rigby. The .460 Weatherby Magnum was designed as an African dangerous game rifle cartridge for the hunting of heavy, thick skinned dangerous game. The .460 Weatherby Magnum was the world's most powerful commercially available sporting cartridge for 29 years until the advent of the .700 Nitro Express by Holland & Holland, London, England, in"
"was the most powerful commercially available hunting rifle cartridge in the world. Aside from W.J. Jeffery & Co, several gunmakers have and continue to offer rifles chambering this .600 Nitro Express, although in 2009 it was estimated by Holland & Holland that only around one hundred .600 Nitro Express rifles have ever been produced to that time. In 1914 and early 1915, German snipers were engaging British Army positions with impunity from behind steel plates that were impervious to .303 British ball ammunition. In an attempt to counter this threat, the British War Office purchased sixty-two large bore sporting rifles"
"jammed by excessive dirt or debris. Over the long period of development of the revolver, many calibers have been used. Some of these have proved more durable during periods of standardization and some have entered general public awareness. Among these are the .22 rimfire, a caliber popular for target shooting and teaching novice shooters; .38 Special and .357 Magnum, known for police use; the .44 Magnum, famous from Clint Eastwood's ""Dirty Harry"" films; and the .45 Colt, used in the Colt revolver of the Wild West. Introduced in 2003, the Smith & Wesson Model 500 is one of the most"
"rapid succession and very quickly became a popular defensive weapon, giving rise to the saying ""God created men, but Colt made them equal."" Today, in most of the world, handguns are generally considered self-defense weapons used primarily by police and military officers. However, in the United States, handguns are also widely available to civilians and commonly carried for self-defense. Firearms first appeared in China where gunpowder was first developed. The oldest known bronze barrel handgun is the Heilongjiang hand cannon, dated to 1288. It is 34 centimeters (13.4 inches) long without a handle and weighs 3.55 kg (7.83 pounds). The"
"modern replicas firing modern FFFg black powder producing energy levels in excess of muzzle-energy with both picket bullets and , round ball bullets. The black powder Colt Walker is often regarded as the most powerful commercially manufactured repeating handgun from 1847 until the introduction of the .357 Magnum in 1935, having a muzzle energy nearly exactly the same as a handgun firing a .357 Magnum. The Colt Walker has long maintained a unique position and mystique among handgun users, and its name is often used as a common expression of any overly large generic handgun example. In the 1968 book"
"Damme. Voiced by Jon St. John since the third game, Duke's voice is based on that of Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry. Duke is best known for his trademark jet pack, his golden IMI Desert Eagle pistol or golden Colt M1911, and Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses, which completely conceal his eyes and which he has been seen wearing even at night since ""Duke Nukem 3D."" His other trademark is a blond military-style flattop haircut which has existed since the first game, and the radioactive trefoil symbol, which is found on his belt-buckle, the side of his signature pistol, and numerous other"
"special double-based cooler burning propellant (""powder"") not available to the public for handloading. This innovative loading allows the .458 Winchester Magnum to attain of muzzle energy. Federal Cartridge is now loading a Barnes X bullet with a sectional density and ballistic coefficient that allows it to maintain approximately of energy at and a flatter trajectory than has ever before been attained with this cartridge and bullet weight. Numerous companies offer rifles in this caliber, including the Winchester Model 70, which was used by Clint Eastwood in ""Dirty Harry"". The rounds for the .458 Win mag are more expensive than cartridges"
"Ian Fleming, his countryman, that James Bond's side arm should be a Walther PPK chambered in .32 ACP. A significant factor in recommending this round was its near universal availability throughout the world in the 1950s. The .32 ACP has been chambered in more handguns than any other cartridge. Between 1899 and 1909, Fabrique Nationale produced 500,000 guns chambered for .32 ACP. Adolf Hitler was believed to have committed suicide with his personal .32 ACP Walther PPK, by aiming it at his right temple and pulling the trigger while simultaneously biting down on a cyanide capsule. Heckler & Koch produced"
"Hand cannon The hand cannon (Chinese: 手銃), also known as the gonne or handgonne, is the first true firearm and the successor of the fire lance. It is the oldest type of small arms as well as the most mechanically simplistic form of metal barrel firearms. Unlike matchlock firearms it requires direct manual external ignition through a touch hole without any form of firing mechanism. It may also be considered a forerunner of the handgun. The hand cannon was widely used in China from the 13th century onward and later throughout Europe in the 14th century until at least the"
"barrel length was extremely popular with FBI agents from the 1940s through the 1960s. Skeeter Skelton considered the Model 27 with a 5-inch barrel as the best all-around handgun. General George Patton carried an ivory-handled Registered Magnum with a 3-inch barrel (along with his ivory-handled Colt Peacemaker); Patton called the Model 27 his ""killing gun."" The stainless steel Model 627 was introduced in 1989 as the ""Model of 1989"". It featured a -inch barrel, a 6-shot unfluted cylinder, and had a round butt with S&W Combat stocks. In 1996 the Smith & Wesson Performance Center began production of an 8-shot"