The History of Magnum Cartridges 

From the first time it appeared on the market, the .357 Magnum was in constant competition with the .38 Colt cartridge created for pistols. Officials from Colt were busting with pride, stating that the .38 Super Automatic was the only cartridge capable of passing through automobiles and steel body armors. Smith & Wesson knew it was high time for them to regain their number one position; thus, they came up with the .357 Magnum, using the previous .38 Special cartridge. The new cartridge had two major advantages: one of having a different power load and second an expanded case for enhanced safety. Elmer Keith worked long and hard for the development of the .357 Magnum, setting clear goals and dreaming that he would create a cartridge that could penetrate profoundly, with a straight trajectory and capable of shooting at a long range.

As for performance, the .357 Magnum is regarded with great favor, especially for self-defense. From all the handgun cartridges ever invented, this particular cartridge is seen as the standard even if it is considered unsuitable for big game hunting. Specialists consider that for hunting big game such as bears and other large mammals the .44 or .41 Magnum are much more fitted. Nevertheless, the .357 Magnum is perfect for pursuing small or medium game, being especially preferred by those who enjoy deer hunting. The cartridge is considered as versatile, being used for self-defense, hunting and even target shooting competitions. The advantage of using .357 caliber guns relies mainly of firing ammunition that is both efficient and affordable.

If in the 1930s, the .357 Magnum was regarded as highly effective and extremely accurate, today it has been replaced with calibers suitable for semi-automatic pistols. The .357 revolvers are still being used mostly by security guards and civilians for protection or hunting purposes. As for comparing the .357 Magnum with its main rival, the .38 Colt made for semi-automatic pistols, there are many things to say. When it comes to ballistic performance, their skills are similar but it seems that the .357 Magnum does a little better. Despite their being similar, the .357 Magnum is more accurate and extremely powerful, using affordable ammunition. It is believed to be one of the best Magnum cartridges ever designed, given its incredible versatility.

Another excellent cartridge wearing the Magnum name was introduced by Remington Arms in 1964. Both the .357 and the .44 Magnums were considered outdated and the need for something new was felt. The .357 Magnum had its own shortcomings and the .44 was disliked because of the long recoil. There were many manufactures that took part to the development of the .41 Magnum cartridges, including the same Elmer Keith, Smith & Wesson and Remington. The cartridge was issued with two loads available, the full-power and the police load, the second being not so well received amongst law enforcement agencies. At that time, they were still using .38 Special revolvers and somehow they were not confident at the skills offered by the new .41 Magnum. Given its incredible velocity, the .41 Magnum managed to attract the attention of police offers and hunting enthusiasts. Regardless of its skills, the popularity of the .41 Magnum had never reached the same levels of the .357 Magnum or the .44 Magnum cartridges.

As one can observe from most history records, Elmer Keith played a very important role in the development of Magnum cartridges. He had enough imagination and dedication to improve existing models, urging important firearm manufacturers to go ahead with his innovations. The 44 Magnum is one of the best examples that can illustrate the end results of Keith’s experiments. He started the whole project from the .44 Special cartridges and managed to create a large bore cartridge, one that was going to be used in revolvers and rifles. It was during the 1950s when the .44 Magnum cartridge was born and it was certainly one of the best cartridges of its times. The competition was stringent back then and firearms producers were constantly competing for overall supremacy. As it was expected, the .44 Magnum was extremely well received and as it incredible as it may seem, .44 Magnum revolvers are still in use today. 2006 was the year when the .44 Magnum revolvers celebrated 50 years of existence and for this reason a new original model (limited edition) was released. The performance of the 44 Magnum cannot be denied keeping in mind the high velocity offered by the heavy bullet and incredible shooting style.

The qualities of the .44 Magnum have made it a very popular cartridge amongst hunters, preferably for short ranges and game such as deer and bears. As for other types of prey, such as elks or moose, the cartridge is not recommended lacking the necessary skills. The powerful recoil is probably one of the things that have kept the .44 Magnum from becoming even more popular. It has managed to compensate with the simple reloading and incredible accuracy. The cartridge is suitable for both single action revolvers (Blackhawk) and also for auto-loading handguns. The gun is accurate for short-ranges, being widely used for big games hunting especially in deep forested areas. The .44 Magnum has also been made famous by Clint Eastwood, while playing Dirty Harry.

From all the guns that fired these cartridges, the Colt Python revolver was by far the most notorious. It was introduced in 1955 and was especially chambered for the powerful .357 Magnum cartridge. Even today this revolver is considered as a superior firearm, an incredible double-action handgun, accurate and highly efficient. The adjustable sights, the unbelievably trigger guard and firm structure represent just few of the features that make the Colt Python so appealing. There are many versions of these revolvers, including the Royal Blue and the Bright Nickel. The gun was widely used by American law enforcement agencies until it was replaced with groundbreaking semi-automatic pistols. Despite that fact, the Colt Python has remained a favorite of many gun collectors and enthusiasts, being widely used in hunting and sporting shooting competitions. And just like other inventions standing under the Magnum name, it has proved its quality and superiority beyond any possible doubt!

Useful Link for Cartridge Collectors: International Ammunition Association - The IAA was founded over 50 years ago to serve cartridge collectors and professionals in the areas of ammunition research and forensics. IAA membership includes a subscription to The International Ammunition Journal, a bimonthly magazine wherein you will find: Industry News- reports on the ammunition industry, new products and announcements. Company Histories- a historical look at some of the more obscure ammunition manufacturers. Questions and Answers- where readers pose their queries to the staff and membership. Featured articles- on a broad spectrum of cartridges and cartridge history, frequently the result of previously unpublished research by IAA members. Schedules- for cartridge shows and the meetings of cartridge associations. And more- book reviews, summary of other cartridge association publications, announcements, and information from the leading experts in the field. The Journal is 60 pages in length with color cover and a color insert in each issue and typically includes 10 or more featured articles, essentially all with photos and illustrations. Lots of material on new cartridges and previously unknown old cartridges, head-stamp information, box labels and information available nowhere else.

The International Ammunition Journal is essential reading for any serious student of ammunition, whether researcher or collector!