Many men have a passion for weapons, be it firearms or bladed weapons. But you must agree that a weapon is not a toy, it must be used for its intended purpose, and you should not joke about it. Today we will share with you our ranking of the 10 most powerful guns in the world.
Before we begin the assessment, it is worth saying a few words about the weapon. When you decide to buy a pistol for personal use, you are unlikely to buy the simplest thing. You may want to choose a high quality status pistol; You most likely don’t pay attention to the price. Many people buy guns not even to use them, but simply to have them. Even if it's collecting dust in a safe or on a shelf, it doesn't matter why you have it.
Getting a gun is not so easy; we have a lot of documents ahead of us. It is worth remembering that having a weapon is a big responsibility. Firearms must be stored unloaded and in a safe place, otherwise they can fall into ignorant hands and the consequences can be disastrous. In any case, even if you don’t have a gun at home, you will probably be interested in our ranking of the deadliest weapons in the world. Perhaps you will learn something new for yourself, and that’s already a lot.
RSh-12
The most powerful military revolver in the world. The model was produced in 2000 for the FSB and chambered for a large caliber cartridge - 12.7x55 mm. The device was intended as a devastating personal weapon to storm buildings.
Ammunition included with double-bullet and armor-piercing rounds. The RSh-12 has an unusual assembly; shooting occurs from the lower chamber of the drum, and not from the upper chamber, like other revolvers. The developers intended this to reduce the level of toss and recoil.
Pocket artillery Top 7 most powerful revolvers and pistols according to Lenta.ru
Action movie directors love big “guns” - a hefty nickel-plated Smith & Wesson 44 caliber stainless steel or Desert Eagle is a plus 10 to the hero’s lethality and a plus 100 to his charisma. Fascinated by the magic of “Hollywood,” the average person also begins to believe in the wonderful capabilities of overgrown pistols. After the release of the movie “Dirty Harry” in the early 70s, Americans swept S&W .44 Magnum revolvers off the shelves, and stores bombarded the company with requests for new supplies.
However, Americans have been partial to large revolvers since the days of the “Wild West” and the triumphant march of the “Colt Peacemaker.” And from the first quarter of the twentieth century, hunting with a revolver even became fashionable in the United States - it is believed that, primarily for its sake, powerful cartridges .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum and revolvers for them were created.
As for military use, increasing the firepower of pistols by increasing the caliber and power of ammunition has long been recognized as a dead end. If the power of a 9 mm pistol is not enough, it is better to switch to another class of weapon - a submachine gun or a compact machine gun. Their combat effectiveness is in any case higher than that of an oversized pistol.
In the ranking of the largest revolvers and pistols, we took into account the factors of weapon power, originality of design, its prevalence and popularity. Working models of weapons are excluded from the list, so, for example, the revolver of the Pole Ryszard Tobis, who in his workshop made a copy of the Remington 1858 on a scale of 3:1, was left out. Today it is considered the largest shooting revolver in the world: weight 45 kilograms, caliber 28 millimeters, bullet weight - almost 140 grams. During testing, this monster hit a target from a distance of 50 meters.
The army and police do not like pistols that are too large and powerful, but almost every rule has exceptions. One of them is the Russian assault revolver RSh-12 chambered for a powerful 12.7x55 mm cartridge. An unusual weapon was developed in 2000 by the Tula TsKIB SOO for special forces of the Federal Security Service. The creators of the RSh-12 positioned it as a powerful individual weapon for storming premises. Along with it, the FSB special forces were offered the ASh-12 assault rifle chambered for the same cartridge. The range of ammunition for both types includes two-bullet and armor-piercing cartridges.
Revolver RSh-12
Photo: “War diary of Igor Korotchenko”
In addition to its size, the RSh-12 is distinguished by its futuristic design and unusual layout. The shot is fired not from the upper chamber of the drum, as in most other revolvers, but from the lower one. According to the developers, this should reduce the noticeable recoil and tossing of the weapon. For greater convenience, the revolver can be equipped with a butt.
Above the RSh-12 barrel there is a reinforced casing with ventilation holes; at the top and bottom of the barrel there are Picatinny rails for installing sights, flashlights and other attachments. It was not possible to find any information about the testing of the revolver, its introduction into service and use, and therefore only seventh place.
In sixth place is the Freedom Arms .454 Casull revolver, which appeared in the USA in 1959 and for more than half a century was the most powerful serial revolver in the world. When creating the cartridge, the elongated cartridge case of the .45 Colt cartridge was taken as the basis. Some samples of .454 Casull are capable of accelerating a 16-gram bullet to a speed of 600 meters per second, giving it a muzzle energy of up to 2.7 thousand joules - more than that of an AK-47. The revolver was produced in a design reminiscent of the 1873 Colt Army (“Peacemaker”), its main purpose was as an expensive (several thousand dollars) toy for wealthy shooting enthusiasts. Revolvers were made in small batches to order.
Fifth place is the heavy-duty AMP pistol (Auto Mag Pistol), created as a competitor to hunting revolvers of .44 Magnum caliber. For a long time it was believed that automatic pistols are, in principle, unable to “hold” large calibers like the same “magnums” - they say, this is the lot of large revolvers. Designers Harry Stanford and Max Gera decided to refute this postulate, and in the 60s they began work on their own powerful .357AMP and .44AMP cartridges (the latter was based on the .308 Win rifle cartridge) and weapons for it. Ten years later, the first prototypes appeared, and soon serial production of the new seven-shot AMP pistol began.
Auto Mag Pistol
Photo: imfdb.org
Experts noted the excellent quality and high accuracy of the weapon - when shooting hand-held at a distance of 25 meters, the bullets could be placed in a circle with a diameter of 3.5 centimeters. The power output is 1,375 joules - almost 400 joules more than Dirty Harry's Magnum. But the AMP was very expensive, and it was not easy to get cartridges for it. As a result, AutoMag Corp. itself first went bankrupt, and by 1982 its successors curtailed weapons production, having produced about 10 thousand pistols in ten years.
Like many big and bad guns, the AMR managed to appear in Hollywood action films - in particular, in the film Death Wish 3 with Charles Bronson.
In fourth place is perhaps the most powerful serial revolver: the five-shot Smith & Wesson chambered for .500 SW Magnum. First introduced in 2003. It was developed for hunting large game, including grizzly bears. Muzzle energy is up to 3.5 thousand joules (some sources indicate up to 4.1 thousand joules), approximately the same as the 7.62x51 cartridge, which is used in NATO rifles and machine guns. For comparison: one of the most powerful hunting cartridges - 9.3x64 Brenneke, created specifically for hunting the African “Big Five” (elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo, lion, leopard), has an energy of 4.8-5.8 thousand joules.
The Smith & Wesson barrel is equipped with a muzzle brake-compensator - strong recoil can easily knock out the hand of an inexperienced shooter. On weapon forums it is said that powder gases breaking into the gap between the barrel and the cylinder can tear off a shooter’s finger, and such cases allegedly happened. The authors of the “MythBusters” program even conducted a corresponding experiment, making a dummy finger from a chicken bone and meat. Experience confirmed: the finger was torn off. Despite this, there are videos on the YouTube channel in which ladies fire Smith & Wesson .500 SW Magnum with one hand, and they do it very confidently.
In third place is the Desert Eagle pistol. Its considerable power and extremely brutal design have made the Eagle a darling of Hollywood and computer shooter manufacturers, and all gun channels are sure to devote at least one review to this pistol. Because of such popularity, the development company does not even need to spend money on advertising.
Desert Eagle Mark XIX .50 Action Express Pistol
Photo:
The Eagle is often called an Israeli pistol, but it was developed by the Americans. In 1970, three Minnesota enthusiasts decided to create an automatic pistol that could reliably fire the powerful .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum revolver cartridges. They opened a small company, Magnum Research, for the project, in the early 80s they received the first patents and produced samples, but the final development and mass production of the Desert Eagle was carried out in Israel, on the basis of the IMI (Israel Military Industries) company.
When mass production began in 1985, the Desert Eagle was the largest and most powerful semi-automatic pistol in the world and was positioned as a weapon for hunting large and medium game, as well as for protection against wild animals. Its automation scheme (powder gas removal) is more typical of machine guns than pistols.
Since 1996, the mark XIX model appeared chambered for the .50 Action Express (12.7x33 RB) “drag” cartridge, developed specifically for the Desert Eagle. Its muzzle energy reaches 2.1 thousand joules - not bad, but almost half that of the Smith & Wesson .500 SW Magnum, so going against a bear or rhinoceros with the Desert Eagle is unsafe.
Video: Platon Zvonkov / YouTube
Weapons experts say they know of no cases of the Eagle being used by the army or intelligence services. The weapon is too bulky and heavy, the magazine capacity is small, and the recoil, on the contrary, is too high. The sound of a shot in a closed room can deafen the shooter. In addition, the pistol is sensitive to contamination - army reliability was not required from a hunting weapon. The price in the basic configuration exceeds 2-2.5 thousand dollars.
By the way, despite the strong recoil, the famous American shooter Jerry Miculek fired a series of five shots from the Desert Eagle mark XIX in 0.84 seconds, accompanying his experiment with the comment “kicks like a horse.”
The Pfeifer Zeliska can be considered the absolute leader in power among revolvers. It was manufactured by the small company Pfeifer in 1955 according to the order and sketches of the Austrian gun enthusiast Adolf Zeliska (Zeliska) and chambered for the powerful .600 Nitro Express cartridge. The ammunition appeared in Britain at the end of the 19th century for hunting elephants and rhinoceroses, hence the nickname - “elephant cartridge”. For almost a century, the .600 Nitro Express has remained the most powerful hunting ammunition, with muzzle energy exceeding 10 thousand joules.
Pfeifer Zeliska .600 Nitro Express revolver
Photo: guns.com
The reference books claim that one shot is enough to knock down an elephant or easily stop an attacking lion. True, the shooters themselves sometimes get concussed - after a shot, bleeding from the ears or nose may begin.
Typically, expensive single- and double-barreled cartridges are loaded with such cartridges, and firing is carried out from a distance of up to 100 meters. The price of one cartridge is about $100.
The first Zeliska revolvers did not have any recoil reduction features. It is almost impossible to shoot from it handheld - the arrow is thrown back by recoil. It is known that a number of such revolvers were produced for individual orders. This is second place.
Now the leader of the rating. In 2004, gunsmith Janos Lakatos from Utah, at the Shot Show, presented a single-shot hunting pistol Thunder .50 BMG ("Thunder") chambered for 12.7x99 millimeters NATO - such ammunition is used in heavy sniper rifles like the Barret M82A1 and heavy machine guns like the Browning M2 . The muzzle energy of the bullet is up to 20 thousand joules. Now there is a pistol for it.
Thunder .50 BMG pistol
Photo: IMGUR
The Thunder .50 BMG is produced by Triple Action LCC. The weapon resembles a small space cannon mounted on a pistol grip. "Thunder" could be called not only the most powerful, but also the most useless pistol: there are no practical areas of application for it. The true goal of the designer was supposedly to draw attention to the recoil compensation system of his own invention. The pistol is equipped with a muzzle brake and a hydraulic barrel recoil system, like an artillery gun. It is also loaded like a cannon: the bolt in the breech of the barrel is tilted to the side, a cartridge is inserted into the chamber, and the bolt is closed.
Video: Daniel Abrantes / YouTube
There is a story floating around gun forums about a shooter who had both arms broken by the recoil of a Thunder .50 BMG. It was not possible to find confirmation of this fact. American gun enthusiasts buy it as the most powerful pistol.
It is noteworthy that in the early 2000s, Time magazine named the small five-shot Smith & Wesson Model 60 (38-caliber) the deadliest pistol in America. According to the American Armed Forces Bureau (ATF), the largest number of crimes are committed with it, and more people have died from it than from any other short-barreled weapon.
Taurus Raging Bull 454
According to its characteristics, it is included in the rating of popular devices. It is possible that many people do not understand the reason why the developers created such weapons. It's all about the American tradition of hunters who like to kill prey not with a gun, but with a revolver, because such a caliber can replace any gun in hunting.
The 454 Casull cartridge is lethal even for an elephant, and the drum holds 7-8 of them (depending on the caliber). Bullets, shot and buckshot are used as ammunition.
Desert Eagle .50 Action Express
— Patron:. 50 Express action - Barrel energy: 2000-2500 J
In ninth place in the ranking of the most powerful guns in the world is one of the most famous guns in the world. Although this "gun" has an improved recoil mechanism that is significantly lower than other short-barreled weapons of this caliber, insufficient grip when firing will inevitably lead to a shot from the gun in the face. Considering the numerous attempts by armies around the world to adopt this model, it has remained a hunting weapon, since optimal shooting requires long training and adaptation to the shooter’s hand.
Magnum Research BFR.450 Marlin
The model has a large caliber - 450 and a frame. The revolver fires long-range cartridges, the accuracy is high, and the recoil is acceptable. Barrel energy 3500 J.
Magnum Research was developed for self-defense against large animals and for firing at metal targets. The penetration level is high, 410 caliber cartridges are also suitable, the shot force remains the same.
Freedom Arms Model 555
— Cartridge: .50 Action Express — Barrel energy: 2000-2500 J
The manufacturing company specializes in revolvers and other single-shot pistols. This model is designed for hunting large animals such as wild boars or wolves. It is worth noting that the Freedom Arms Model 555 does not have recoil reduction devices, so accurate shooting is only possible for those with strong hands.
INTERESTING TOP 10 Architectural Wonders of the Ancient World
Smith and Wesson Magnum-500
Five-shot revolver from a famous American arms company. The model was developed at the beginning of the 21st century. It was first introduced in 2003, but is still popular in the civilian market today.
It is the leader among revolvers of the revolver system due to its pleasant design and technical characteristics. Fits 500 S&W Magnum. It has an amazing range of destruction - 100 m and sight - 50 m. Muzzle energy 4100 J.
The speed of the bullet during departure develops up to 620 m/s.
When using the device, you should be careful: increased recoil can damage the hand of novice shooters. The danger of powder gases that break out at the barrel and drum, as a result of which a person can lose a finger, was also discussed.
Revolver Lefoshe
These revolver samples are named after their inventor, Casimir Lefoshe. The first model of firearms appeared in France in 1853. The sample, created in 1858, had an octagonal barrel, a drum with protrusions, a sight, and a hand-built trigger. Weapons of this model became widespread in Russia; they were used in the Officer Shooting School. At that time, this revolver model was considered one of the best, as it was easy to use.
Pfeifer Zeliska
It occupies a leading position in the category of hunting revolvers. The weapon manufacturer, Pfeifer, introduced the model to the world in 1955. The device is in demand by hunters, the blast energy is as much as 6230 J.
Disadvantages: expensive cartridges, costing about $100. In addition, the early models did not reduce recoil, it was difficult to shoot - a person was thrown back.
A shot from a Pfeifer Zeliska can cause injury; shooters often experience nosebleeds or ear bleeds.
SR-1
The Serdyukov self-loading pistol was developed for special forces in 1996. The most powerful Russian pistol and the most penetrating.
Double-action trigger mechanism SR-1.
A distinctive feature of 9x21 mm bullets, the charges are lethal and this allows precise fire at a distance of up to 100 m, flight speed is 410 m/s. Despite its serious characteristics, it looks elegant, fits well in the hand, is reliable and easy to use.
A-112
Pneumatic representative of the modern Russian market. Makes a model. The device has a self-cocking system. The “moving barrel” scheme was used in the development.
The pistol magazine contains 15 spherical steel bullets, 4.5 mm caliber. The canister is designed for 50 shots, the ball flies from the barrel at a speed of 150 m/s.
When manufacturing the A-112, they used Browning from Belgium High Power as a basis.
FN Five-seveN
Created by a Belgian gun manufacturer. In addition to increased power, the pistol is equipped with 5.7 mm ammunition. The bullet speed develops up to 650 m/s. Strong power easily penetrates body armor. The most popular pistol among European countries.
The model is interesting to different segments of society. FN Five-seveN is chosen by both military structures and ordinary citizens.
!['Domestic small arms [studio "Wings of Russia"] (2011)'](https://knifesburg.ru/wp-content/uploads/otechestvennoe-strelkovoe-oruzhie-studiya-krylya-rossii-2011-330x140.jpg)
