Usually, when people mention the AR family, they refer to the versatility – a range of weapons that can be adapted to different tasks and conditions. The AR-10 and AR-15 have been the main characters of that story for over 40 years, stable, known, and user-friendly. However, the needs are changing. Sometimes there are moments when you want something that oversteps the normal limits: heavier game, bigger predators, or cases where the killing power is the only thing that matters. In such a case, the Big Horn Armory AR500 will be the answer, er departing with the mighty .500 Auto Max cartridge to extend what an AR could do.
The .500 Auto Max concept was just one simple and daring thing: make a rimless version of the classic .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum that keeps all the power but will feed and work smoothly in a semi-automatic rifle. The idea is simple in theory, but to see it come true in a working, lasting cartridge and rifle that can handle it, a very careful engineering job is needed.
That is the exact attitude Big Horn Armory took with the concept. They made the cartridge that they chamber the AR500 for a real big-bore one – theoretically, the bullet weights can go from about 275 up to 700 grains, while the majority of factory loads lie approximately in the 350–600 grain range. In other words, what it really means is a round that unlocks the full potential of the hard-hitting platform that people are already familiar with.
However, Auto Max does not only talk about force. It is unexpectedly flexible. For instance, you can load hardcast bullets and use them for penetration and stopping of the game, or you can choose expanding ones for defense. Reloader gets a lot of freedom to turn a load to a purpose – from predator control in rural areas, heavy hunting, and even some improbable cases, such as a vehicle emergency stop.
The construction of a rifle that can survive such pressures is by no means an easy task. The AR500, although it is built on an AR-10 style base, is far from a simple parts swap. The bolt face has been made bigger to insert around the .520-inch rim of the cartridge, and the extractor and ejector have been redesigned so that the system can cycle dependably. Usually, the barrel choices are 10-inch and 18-inch stainless, with a heavy 1:24 twist and treatments aimed at longevity. With all the reinforcements, the rifle is still surprisingly manageable, le, and it generally weighs under 10 pounds depending on the configuration.
Comfort and usability, as well, are far from being neglected. The AR500 is well equipped with a free-floating, M-LOK handguard, ambidextrous controls, and a crisp, match-style trigger around 3.5 pounds. The recoil is big, for sure, but the muzzle device and the rifle design help it – most of the time, you experience a recoil impulse that is more like a heavy shotgun than an unmanageable shoulder breaker. The way it is fed is also interesting: single-stack, modified AR-15 magazines are used to feed the wide, straight-walled cartridges in a reliable way.
The performance figures are really impressive. For example, a 440-grain projectile leaving the muzzle at about 1,650 feet per second makes over 2,600 foot-pounds of energy, which is significantly more than classic handgun magnums. Heavier, +P+ style loads can increase these numbers further; certain loadings come close to the multiple-thousand foot-pound class, and this is the reason why this package is talked about for the heaviest work.
Without disregarding the importance of accuracy, the AR500 also does not neglect it. The rifle is said to be able to shoot approximately 2-inch groups at 100 yards with practical testing, and with the right optics, such as a low-magnification variable for rapid target acquisition, in the hands of a skilled shooter. For many loads, the trajectory is still good at 150yards, and when built in the compact, pistol-style 10-inch format with a stabilizing brace, the rifle becomes a handy tool for confined spaces or vehicle carry.
Adaptability is one of the main recurring themes. With the help of an adjustable gas block, you could calibrate the system for a variety of loads – from hotter supersonic rounds to softer subsonic ones – and thus the rifle becomes more suppressor-friendly. As a result, this flexibility increases the roles that the rifle can take, for example, among others, breaching tasks, remote survival, and anti-material uses where heavy bullets and blunt energy are required.
When looked at in comparison, the AR500 doesn’t try to replace common service calibers like 5.56 NATO or .308 Winchester. On the contrary, it unveils a specialized niche: a familiar platform that is already known to mosshooterste, r,s but when a lot more punch is required. It is one of those incremental leaps, similar to the past steps in firearm evolution, that do not compete with every role but rather broaden the AR family’s capabilities.
Big Horn Armory hasn’t been reluctant to put real effort behind the product. They expanded their production facility in Cody, Wyoming, which was a business decision aimed at increasing capacity, lowering wait times, and supporting local jobs – a practical move for a company that is scaling a niche, specialized product. The AR500 is the product of bold cartridge thinking paired with careful rifle engineering.
Ultimately, the AR500 is about capability in a familiar package. It is neither for everyday carry nor routine duty, but for those who require extraordinary stopping power yet do not want to give up on the ergonomics and modularity of the AR platform. The AR500 is a great competitor for those who wish to have maximum impact from a platform they already understand.