Is the Backpack Cannon the Answer?

If you want to take out a rapid bear or a hopped up home invader, the new Smith and Wesson Backpack Cannon might be the handgun for you. This is one big pistol that shoots one big round.

The official name of the revolver is the Performance Center Model .460.So let’s think about the gun a bit. It is carries five rounds with a three-inch barrel, high-visibility sights and a synthetic stock with a shock absorber on the rear of the handle. It is chambered for .460 and can also shoot .454 Casull rounds, as well as .45 Long Colt ammo.

Smith and Wesson touts the weapon as something you can carry either in your backpack or on your hip if you are in the backcountry.  The .460 gives it enough wallop to take out a bear or a wild pig.

The gun doesn’t weigh that much – only about 3 pounds so weight is a small factor for backpacking. For the great outdoors and big game this might be a good option.

There are two reasons though to think twice. First is cost. The pistol is pricey running about $1,200. Also .460 ammo will run you about $30 for a box of twenty. You can always shoot the cheaper .454 Casull or th e.45 LC, but then you are losing some of the power you paid for.

The other reason to think twice is that this is a lot of gun.  You have to have a pretty strong grip even to cock it not to mention keep it on target when firing. This is not a gun for a small man or woman.

That all being said, I would sleep better in my sleeping bag out in the mountains with something like this close at hand.

Check out the video and let us know in the comments if you have one or could see yourself getting one.