10 Most Powerful Pistols in the World

From classic Smith & Wesson pistols too some pretty incredible handguns, here are the ten most powerful pistols in the world.

Subscribe to American Eye http://goo.gl/GBphkv

10: Thunder Pistol
Coming in at #10 on the list is something called the Thunder Pistol. This was designed by a company out of Logan, Utah, by a man named Janos Lakatos. And let me tell you, it is a destroyer. It was first revealed at the 2004 SHOT show to an incredibly enthusiastic crowd of gun lovers. It is not currently in production, but it is an impressive prototype that is one of the most powerful pistols in the world.

9: Smith & Wesson 500
Smith & Wesson goes back a long time. They have been making guns since far before you or I were born. And with that degree of expertise, it is no surprise that Smith & Wesson have a weapon on the list of the most powerful pistols in the world. The Smith & Wesson 500 is a double-action magnum revolver built on an X frame that fires .500 S&W magnum cartridges.

8: Magnum Research BFR
BFR stands for Biggest Finest Revolver. This gun is made by Magnum Research, and as you can imagine, they kind of know what they're doing when it comes to magnums. This particular gun, known primarily as the BFR, is a super powerful magnum revolver that can be chambered with a multitude of different ammunition, from .450 Marlin ammo to casual .480 Ruger ammo.

7: Freedom Arms Model 83
Not many people have heard of the Model 83. But let me tell you, this is a deadly cannon small enough to fit in your hand. The Model 83 is developed by Freedom Arms and constructed from tough stainless steel. Like many of the other pistols on the list, this is a five-shot cylinder. But unlike some of the messy cannons we’ve already talked about, the Model 83 gives you an intense amount of accuracy.

6: Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter
Here is another beast of a pistol. Thompson Center has made their Encore Pro Hunter Pistol as a break-action handgun that fires a single shot. It’s too big for a cylinder. Normally, this pistol will be chambered with either a .223 Remington or a .308 Winchester cartridge. However, it can be fitted with aftermarket barrels and it suddenly becomes capable of firing massive cartridges like the .300 Winchester Magnum or the .50 Alaskan.

5: Taurus Raging Bull
Any pistol named “Raging Bull” has got to do some damage. This is the Taurus 454 Raging Bull, which is a double-action magnum revolver chambered to take .454 Casull cartridges. This is another one of the sharpshooter favorites. It has a five-shot cylinder and only a small 6.5” ported barrel for reduced recoil and maximum precision.

4: Desert Eagle Mark IX
Everyone is familiar with the Desert Eagle. Even if you don't fire guns, you know what a Desert Eagle is. This is arguably the most infamous handgun in the universe, but there are lots of different ones to choose from. They aren’t all the same!

3: Ruger Super Redhawk
We are going to take it down a notch for the Ruger Super Redhawk. Yes, this is an incredibly powerful pistol and one of the most powerful in the world, but it is also a pretty cool gun. It is designed much more for performance than for raw stopping power. It fires a .480 Ruger cartridge from its 7.5” barrel at roughly 1,350 feet per second for 1,315 ft/lbs. of energy.

2: Smith & Wesson .460XVR
Smith & Wesson holds the title on just about every powerful pistol ever made. All of their guns are at the top when it comes to foot-pounds of force. This particular model of the Smith & Wesson is known as the 460XVR, where XVR stands for Extreme Velocity Revolver. If that doesn’t sound like one of the most powerful pistols on earth, I don't know what would.

1: Smith & Wesson Model 29 (Dirty Harry)
Still the champion, number one on the list today is the Dirty Harry, also known as the Smith & Wesson Model 29. This 44-caliber magnum revolver was undoubtedly the most powerful handgun ever designed back in its day. It became incredibly famous back in 1971 when Clint Eastwood started firing this baby off on the big screen, and it has not failed in popularity since.