Modern revolvers have come a long way since a young Samuel Colt envisioned a handgun that synced a rotating cylinder to a fixed barrel.

His idea, coalesced as he kept watch aboard the brig Corvo observing the ratchet-and-pawl capstans and windlasses, inspired a company and brought bountiful wealth before his untimely death in 1862. Colt’s vision piloted the Colt Walker, Dragoon, 1851 Navy, 1860 Army and others from drawing table to the factory floor to soldiers, cowboys, rapscallions and lawmen.

As technology and manufacturing processes improved, so did wheelguns that used bored-through cylinders and metallic cartridges. Standing on the shoulders of a giant, gun designers and dreamers found new ways to improve the revolver and make it fire bigger, hotter rounds. The wheelgun is alive and well, so check out these modern revolvers.

Modern Revolvers: Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 500

Bigger is better with modern revolvers, and when we say that we talk about cartridges. Introduced in 2003, the Smith & Wesson Model 500 was built on the company’s X-frame to handle what was intended to be the biggest and baddest round on the market, .500 S&W Magnum. Smith & Wesson specifically developed the X-frame for the Model 500 and the .500 Magnum cartridge.

The gun, with five rounds in its cylinder, can serve as a backup bear gun or for handgun hunting, since the cartridge was designed for taking any size North American game and even African game. Smith & Wesson offers seven barrel lengths from 2.75 inches to 10.5 inches and can be chambered in .500 S&W Magnum and.500 S&W Special.

This modern revolver, the Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 500 chambered in .500 S&W Magnum with a five-inch barrel sold with its original box and S&W Performance Center soft case in 2025.

Modern Revolvers: Magnum Research BFR

This enormous single action revolver comes from Magnum Research, the company that brought the .50 AE-firing Desert Eagle to market, so big thumping cartridges are in the DNA of this wheelgun. While some may interpret it differently, BFR is for “Biggest Finest Revolver” – or so says the company. Its short cylinder can take traditional Magnum cartridge rounds while the long cylinder can take rifle rounds like .30-30, .45-70 Government and even .410 shotgun shells.

These brushed stainless steel modern revolvers come with six-shot cylinders though larger cartridges like the 500 Linebaugh brings it down to five shots in the cylinder. The guns have ventilated rib barrels of 10 and 7.5 inches so they weigh in at 4-5 lbs. to help deal with the recoil of these thunderous cartridges.

This Magnum Research single action BFR in .454 Casull with a 7 1/8-inch barrel was sold by Rock Island Auction in 2025 with its factory box, tool and scope rail.

Modern Revolvers: Chiappa Rhino 30 DS with Nebula Finish

Of all the modern revolvers, the Chiappa Rhino, unveiled in the early 2000s, might offer the most futuristic design. The Rhino is the brain child of architect Antonio Cudazzo and Emilio Ghisoni, who designed the Mateba Autorevolver. In the forward-thinking design, the barrel aligns with the bottommost part of the cylinder giving it a lower bore axis that is meant to reduce muzzle lift and felt recoil, The recoil drives into the wrist rather than the top of the hand. The gun makes the shooter rethink their grip since the lower barrel location can allow escaping gas to burn improperly placed fingers.

The frame is made of machined aluminum alloy and cocking indicator since an external cocking spur for the hammer is a linkage handle to the internal hammer. The hexagonal cylinder makes the gun slimmer so the gun has a thinner profile.

Chiappa offers the Rhino in what it calls a “Nebula” finish that gives it a bit of an other-worldly appearance with vibrant colors splashed across the gun through physical vapor deposition that offers more corrosion resistance than electroplated coatings. The Nebula finish was first offered in 2019 while a “Stormhunter” variant with a Mystikote ceramic finish and black walnut grips, first available in 2024, gives the gun an ethereal appearance.

A Chiappa Rhino 30DS with a Nebula finish, left, and a Chiappa Rhino 60DS with a Stormhunter finish, right, are two modern revolvers that look almost futuristic.

Modern Revolvers: Taurus 357H Raging Hunter

Among modern revolvers, Taurus calls its revolver downright futuristic, describing it as a next generation big bore revolver that offers seven shots in .357 Magnum. It is offered in either matte black or two-tone finishes across a production line of 31 models in five calibers. A welcome feature is dual cylinder releases, to provide additional locking strength. A Raging Hunter can also be chambered for .44 Magnum holding six rounds or five rounds of .454 Casull. The gun also has factory-tuned porting and a gas expansion chamber to reduce muzzle flip to reduce felt recoil.

First offered in 2019, the gun has received rave reviews, including the NRA’s “American Hunter Handgun of the Year Bullseye Award” the year it was introduced. Field Ethos called it “the ideal wheelgun for the modern big game hunter.” Gun writer John Taffin recounting his experience with .357 Magnum pistols and rifles in “Guns” magazine described it as “the most accurate double action .357 Magnum I have ever experienced.”

This Taurus Model 357H Raging Hunter double action revolver with a 5-inch ported solid rib barrel was sold by Rock Island Auction in 2025 with its matching factory box, manual and lock.

Modern Revolvers: Ruger GP100

The Ruger GP100 straddles old and modern revolvers. Introduced in 1985, it serves as an update to the company’s Security Six .357 Magnum. With a triple-locking cylinder, stronger steel and a beefier frame, this well-made wheelgun offers heft and reliability in the face of rough handling.

While many of these modern revolvers are made only for hard-thumping rounds, the GP100 is chambered for a wide range of calibers, from .22 Long Rifle (10-shot cylinder), .327 Federal Magnum and .357 Magnum in a seven-shot cylinder, .38 Special and 10mm auto in a six-shot cylinder and .44 Special in a five-shot cylinder.

This Ruger GP 100, offered in .357 Magnum and a 3-inch solid rib barrel and stainless steel finish, was sold by Rock Island Auction in 2023. This Wiley Clapp Talo Edition has Novak fixed sights and wooden grip inserts with Clapp’s “fingerprint” checkering.

Modern Revolvers: Kimber K6s

Kimber is best known for manufacturing its M1911A1-style pistols and bolt action rifles so it was a bit of a surprise when the company introduced its K6s into the pantheon of modern revolvers in 2016. The company wanted to compete with other six-round wheel guns in the everyday carry market. Kimber’s revolver has a transfer bar for safety and a hidden hammer, slender profile and smooth edges for concealed carry.

This Kimber K6s double action revolver has a 2-inch barrel and is chambered in .357 Magnum. It was sold by Rock Island Auction Company in 2025 with its first edition display case.

Modern Revolvers: Smith & Wesson Model 296 Airlite Ti

Unveiled in 1999, this alloy and titanium revolver is built on an L-frame and had an enclosed hammer. It could be chambered in 7-shot .38 Special or 5-shot .44 Special cylinders. The cylinder was made of titanium and a two-piece barrel with the outer barrel serving as an alloy shroud secured to the rifled steel insert. Alas, production ended after the 2001 model year.

This Smith & Wesson Model 296 Airlite Ti with a 5-shot .44 Special cylinder and 2-inch round barrel was sold by Rock Island Auction Company in 2025.

Modern Revolvers: Korth Mongoose

Among the most revered and well-built revolvers in the world, Korth’s wheelguns are among the most coveted of modern revolvers. Manufactured in Germany, Korth’s guns are made from the ground up by a single gunsmith that hand-fits machined parts. This extra bit of attention and fine detail shows in the Mongoose’s prohibitive price.

This line of precision-made modern revolvers is available in the U.S. through Korth’s partnership with Nighthawk Custom. The Mongoose offer’s Korth’s most traditional look, but the internals are fantastic, with a smooth trigger pull and short reset for quick-firing follow-up shots because of the coil mainspring and roller trigger. The cylinders on this handsome revolver can be swapped out for 9mm Luger or a .357 Magnum that holds eight cartridges.

This Korth Mongoose has 2023 German proofmarks and an Oct. 5, 2023 dated test target. It sold in Rock Island Auction’s May Premier.

Modern Revolvers: Ruger New Vaquero Single Action

The Ruger New Vaquero revolver offers old school vibes among the field of modern revolvers, drawing comparisons to the legendary Colt Single Action Army. The looks, weight, balance and even barrel lengths – 7 1/2, 5 1/2 and 4 5/8 inches – are similar to the Colt. The hammer does have a slightly longer spur for easier cocking.

The original Vaquero, made from 1993 to 2005 was slightly larger than the SAA, but this revolver is closer in size to the legendary Colt wheelgun. Ruger’s six-gun shows its modernity through its transfer bar for safety. The Vaquero, a reasonably priced cowboy gun, is available in .357 Magnum or .45 Colt.

This Ruger New Vaquero was produced in 2006 and has the checkered black plastic grips matching the look of the checkered rubber grips of the Single Action Army.

Modern Revolvers: Freedom Arms Model 83

The Freedom Arms Model 83 offers a nod to the 19^thcentury wheelgun but catapults the revolver into the world of hot and heavy cartridge loads, particularly the .454 Casull, one of the most powerful handgun rounds made. It was first created by Dick Casull, Duane Marsh and Jack Fullmer as a hand-loaded round in the 1950s but didn’t go into commercial production until the 1980s.

Casull and Wayne Baker founded Freedom Arms in 1978 to make a gun that could handle hot rounds like the .454 Casull, .44 Magnum and .475 Linebaugh cartridges. The company experimented with ways to make the steel stronger, like double heat treating it to be capable of firing these heavy hitting cartridges. The result was the large frame, five-shot Model 83. Handgun hunters can take just about any North American game with it and the 10 1/2-inch barrel model has become popular with shooters.

(pic) This Freedom Arms Model 83 chambered in .44 Magnum with a 7 1/2-inch barrel was sold by Rock Island Auction in 2025.

Modern Revolvers: Manurhin MR73

This French double action revolver’s development dates back to 1973, making it the elder statesman of these modern revolvers. France’s violent criminal element had military weapons from the country’s occupation and liberation during World War 2 so the gendarmerie needed something powerful and surprisingly turned to a wheelgun.

The Manurhin MR73 can be hard to find in the United States and often come with a hefty MSRP since only 400 are reportedly made each year. This revolver, chambered in .357 Magnum with a 6-inch solid rib barrel was sold by Rock Island Auction in May 2021.

Manurhin was making licensed Walther pistols after that company’s factory was destroyed in the war and located in the Soviet occupation zone when the call went out from the elite Groupe d-intervention Gendarmerie Nationale (GIGN) for a double action revolver. Manurhin submitted a medium frame design with a swing-out cylinder and full underlug barrel. It had a Smith & Wesson-style action and a similar hammer block safety. The gun showed its durability in trials. The GIGN asked for a rounded butt for concealment and a 5.25-inch barrel for accuracy and the MR73 was born. Manurhin got out of firearms manufacturing and production was licensed to Beretta in 2019.

Modern Revolvers for Sale

Modern Revolvers take what Samuel Colt did with the synchronized rotating cylinder and make it bigger and better, able to fire heavier powder loads and do it more accurately than the revolvers of a century and more ago. These often unconventional-looking pistols are a fascinating evolution to the historic revolver platform and can be found at Rock Island Auction Company.