I had returned from Tanzania late October 2005, within a week or so I got a call from
@BatteryOaksBilly where he stated this "I want a 500 S&W in a lever gun"........ For some reason unknown right now, I had a 500 S&W cartridge, looked at a Winchester M94.... No, too small. Looked at a Marlin 1885, and Winchester 1886, No, too big........ I told him he just could not have one, there was no action that I knew of available that you could put it on and work properly.........
While on the phone and cruising around in the Lab, I saw a 338 WSM case on the shelf...... Hmmm... looks about like the same diameter....... I grabbed a hacksaw, cut and trimmed the WSM case to 1.650 inches and like magic a .500 caliber bullet fit perfectly..........Then I put it in the magazine of a WSM gun, and it retained, and even functioned in the gun to a point of course...... Hmmm..... But the cartridge was very short in the WSM action (I had not yet discovered a WSSM action)............. I told William that I could not give him a lever gun, but I could give him a bolt gun! And that was the birth of B&M Cartridges............ Of course things went crazy from that point forward..........
Back when Big Horn Armory was in the process of manufacturing a completely new Action to handle the 500 S&W, the owner contacted me, very interested in the 50 B&M Alaskan Lever guns, load data, bullets, rifle, cases and that sort of thing.........We communicated off and on for some time. He loved the 50 B&M AK. He had Hornady do a special run of 400 gr Flat Nose Softs for his upcoming rifle. He wanted me to test, so sure would be happy to, send a few and I will work it in the schedule. Within a few days he sent a Few.... to the tune of over a 100 of them........ I was surprised, but very pleased. I tested, and they were just as good or similar to the 500 gr Hornady FN Softs, which I really liked in .500 caliber and had hunted with them in the spring of 2006 with good success on a massive giraffe and eland as well. I still have some of the 400s left........In all my conversations and chatting, I really got the feeling that Big Horn was going for pure quality of product, it was going to be right before it hit the market. The action took about a year longer than projected, and I suspect that was Big Horn fine tuning and getting things right. I have not heard from him since that time.
Not so long ago I get a wild notion I might like to have one of the guns, I already have 1000s on top of 1000s of .500 caliber bullets, so what is not to like...... until I started seeing the prices... HEH HEH............... Then I figured I had a 50 B&M Super Short, which is a 500 S&W on steroids in a WSSM Action, 16 inch barrel, and not so limited to the shorter lever action lengths, and 50 B&M Alaskan which is a good bit more powerful than 500 S&W, and then a full assortment right up to the mighty 500 MDM, no, I don't need a 500 S&W Lever gun...... I will do with what I have.........
I have a few friends that have Big Horn guns, and they like them and seems the quality is indeed superb..............I don't care much for the "Tactical" gun shown, I would be a little more traditional preferring the wood guns................I would be sure the gun lives up to its high standards regardless..........
www.bighornarmory.com
