A .50 caliber handgun is a handgun firing a bullet measuring approximately .5 inches in diameter. Historically, many black powder pistols fire rounds with diameters well above ½ inch. However, following the development of smokeless powder

Smokeless powder

Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of propellants used in firearms and artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older gunpowder which they replaced...

, the focus shifted to smaller-diameter bullets propelled at higher velocities, and the development of .50 and larger calibers in handguns became uncommon.

In the twentieth century, several new cartridges of half-inch diameter were developed, with the .50 Action Express

.50 Action Express

The .50 Action Express is a large caliber handgun cartridge. It was developed in 1988 by Evan Whildin of Action Arms. The .50 AE is one of the most powerful pistol cartridges in production.-Overview:...

 (1988) being the first to achieve wide popularity. The diameter was further popularized by the development of the .500 S&W Magnum

.500 S&W Magnum

The .500 S&W Magnum is a fifty-caliber semi-rimmed handgun cartridge developed by Cor-Bon in partnership with the Smith & Wesson "X-Gun" engineering team for use in the Smith & Wesson Model 500 X-frame revolver and introduced in February 2003 at the SHOT trade show...

 in 2003.

There are automatic

Automatic firearm

An automatic firearm is a firearm that loads another round mechanically after the first round has been fired.The term can be used to refer to semi-automatic firearms, which fire one shot per single pull of the trigger , or fully automatic firearms, which will continue to load and fire ammunition...

, revolver

Revolver

A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...

, single-shot

Single-shot

Single-shot firearms are firearms that hold only a single round of ammunition, and must be reloaded after each shot. The history of firearms began with single-shot designs, and many centuries passed before multi-shot designs became commonplace...

, and bolt-action .50 caliber handgun designs. Handguns of this caliber tend to be larger and heavier than most others of their type, for both structural integrity and absorbing the recoil

Recoil

Recoil is the backward momentum of a gun when it is discharged. In technical terms, the recoil caused by the gun exactly balances the forward momentum of the projectile and exhaust gasses, according to Newton's third law...

 associated with firing these rounds.

Despite being featured in many video games and action film

Action film

Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...

s as the weapon of choice for some members of elite military and law enforcement units, these guns are used primarily for hunting

Hunting

Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...

, target shooting, and silhouette shooting

Metallic silhouette

Metallic silhouette shooting is a group of target shooting disciplines that involves shooting at metal cutouts representing game animals at varying distances. Metallic silhouette shooting can be done with airguns, black powder firearms, modern handguns, or modern rifles...

.

Partial list

.50 GI

• Guncrafter Industries Model No. 1
• Guncrafter Industries Model No. 2
• Guncrafter Industries Model No. 3

.50 Action Express

• Desert Eagle .50 AE
  Desert Eagle
  The Desert Eagle is a large-framed gas-operated semi-automatic pistol designed by Magnum Research in the U.S. and by IMI in Israel; the pistol is manufactured primarily in Israel by IMI...
  
  
• Automag V
  AMT AutoMag V
  The AMT Automag V is a large single action semi-automatic pistol made by Arcadia Machine and Tool . The weapon was created by Harry Sanford, who also invented the original .44 AutoMag pistol...
  
  
• Freedom Arms M555
  Freedom Arms
  Freedom Arms is a Freedom, Wyoming-based firearm manufacturing company, known for producing powerful single-action revolvers. The company was founded in 1978 by Wayne Baker and Dick Casull to produce the Mini revolver then later a revolver chambered in Casull's powerful .454 Casull chambering. ...
  
  
• Grizzly Mark V
  LAR Grizzly Win Mag
  The Grizzly Win Mag pistols were conceived, invented, designed, engineered and developed in the 1980s by the sole inventor, Perry Arnett, who licensed the patented technology to L.A.R. Manufacturing Inc...
  
  

.500 S&W Magnum

• Ultimate 500
  Ultimate 500
  Ultimate 500 is a 5-shot single action revolver chambered for the 500 S&W cartridge, manufactured by Gary Reeder Custom Guns.The revolver has an 8.5" barrel....
  
  
• BFR .500 S&W Magnum
  Magnum Research BFR
  The Magnum Research BFR is a single-action revolver manufactured by Magnum Research. It is made from stainless steel and is manufactured in a variety of heavy calibers, such as .500 S&W Magnum, including some traditional rifle cartridges, such as the .30-30 and .45-70/.450 Marlin. The name "BFR"...
  
  
• John Ross/Performance Center 5" .500 S&W Magnum
  John Ross/Performance Center 5" .500 S&W Magnum
  John Ross/Performance Center 5" .500 S&W Magnum is a 5-shot double action revolver chambered for the .500 S&W Magnum cartridge, designed by John Ross and manufactured by Smith & Wesson Performance Center....
  
  
• Raging Bull Model 500
  Taurus Raging Bull
  The Raging Bull is a revolver manufactured by the Brazilian Taurus International firearm company.In its larger calibers it is marketed as a hunter's sidearm because it is a potent weapon with plenty of stopping power...
  
  
• Smith & Wesson Model 500
• JTL-E .500 S&W Magnum 12"
  JTL-E .500 S&W Magnum 12"
  JTL-E .500 S&W Magnum 12" is a German 5-shot double action revolver chambered for the .500 S&W Magnum cartridge, developed by Janz-Präzisionstechnik GmbH....
  
  

Other

• BFR .50 Beowulf
• Model 83 .500 WE
• Ruger Bisley .500 Linebaugh
• Thunder .50BMG Handgun