The world's most powerful handgun is the Austrian Pfeifer-Zeliska .600 Nitro Express Magnum. It is chambered to fire the British developed .600 caliber rifle bullet originally made by Holland and Holland.
Pfeifer-Zeliska .600 Nitro Express Magnum
![[image of Pfeifer-Zeliska revolver]](./0001.jpg)
But if you would like one, and I am sure that a few of you licensed rootin', tootin' gun lovers with a bit of disposable income would, then contact Pfeifer arms and they will make one for you. Priced at 13,840 Euros. This equates as $16,501 or £9,417 (exchange rate Feb 24th 2006). The Pfeifer revolver is also available chambered for the .458 Winchester Magnum and qualifies as the second world's most powerful handgun. The 600 Nitro Express Magnum revolver is a single action, five shot, old west style gun. A single action revolver is stronger in construction than a double action revolver due to the solid base frame that the cylinder sits in.
The image below shows the colossal size of the revolver in the hands of a suitably impressed gun magazine photographer!
![[image of man holding revolver]](./0002.jpg)
Because of its size this revolver would need to be fired whilst resting on a bench clamp or small sand bags as shown in the image below. The gun weighs in at 13.23 lbs and consequently is heavy enough to absorb most of the violent recoil. In fact it is on scale to firing the 50 magnum.
![[image of man firing revolver]](./0003.jpg)
The 600 Nitro Express bullet (below) was originally developed in 1899 for the big game hunters who went to Africa with the intention of killing elephants.
Even though H & H no longer manufacture these cartridges they can still be sought through the gun trade, small reloading companies or even over the Internet. One company still actually make these rounds is Kynoch at www.kynochusa.com ($180 box of five).
The image below shows the actual size of the .600 Nitro Express round, the bullet of which can go clean through a 10mm steel plate at 12 meters like a hot knife through butter.
![[image of cartridge]](./0004.jpg)
The case is 3 inches long and the cartridge overall length is 3.7 inches. The bullet is actually .620 inches in diameter, and is typically 900gr, or just over 2 oz. in weight. For comparison an M-16 bullet weight is right at 1/4 oz.
