.357 Magnum

The .357 Magnum is a Caliber of cartridge primarily employed for the Revolver S, of rare times in Pistolet S and more frequently in rifles. Its metric designation is 9x33mmR , it is equipped with a case with pad which makes it difficult to confine in a weapon with automatic recharging.

It is about a general-purpose ammunition adapted to the self-defense, the entertaining shooting, hunting and the shooting on target. Created by Elmer Keith and the manufacturer of firearms Smith & Wesson, it is extrapolated starting from the Special .38.

The .357 Magnum was introduced in 1934 and knew an increasingly broad diffusion. Its name is inspired by the format of the bottles, it acts indeed of one .38 Special whose case was lengthened.

Technique

Whereas the .38 Special one has a pressure of a maximum of 16.500 c.u.p, the .357 Magnum develops as for him a pressure of 35 000 c.u.p. the objective was to create a cartridge of Handgun offering a good penetration, a trajectory punt and a long range. In order to avoid disastrous consecutive accidents with the use of cartridge of .357 in the old ones and fragile revolvers intended for .38 Special, the case is lengthened of 3,429mm.

Elmer Keith is the principal creator of this ammunition. It thus created one .38 Special functioning with a higher pressure made possible by the availability of heavier revolvers intended for the shooting on target like Smith&Wesson 38/44 " Heavy Duty" and " Outdoorsman" which was revolvers designed for cartridges of .44 but which were confined into .38.

The revolvers which confine the .357 Magnum have the advantage of also being able to draw the .38 Special which presents a retreat, a detonation, a flame with the mouth inferiors.

Uses

Drive out

The .357 Magnum was designed for hunting. It is about equivalent for hunting to the .45 Long Colt but profits from a trajectory more punt which improves the chances of success, in particular for hunting for small game until a distance of approximately 70 meters. It makes it possible to drive out to the maximum of the animals of the size of a stag but it then requires to draw with short range and with precision.

The .44 Magnum, .454 Casull or the .41 Magnum are adapted for hunting to big game, such as the ongulés or the Ours which have a constitution much stronger than that of the man.

The .357 Magnum was also success as ammunition of Carabine such as the lever weapons of under guard which one knows under the name of Winchester in the Western S. Thanks to the length of gun of these weapons of shoulders, the speed of the ball to the mouth reaches the 550m/s, which makes it more general-purpose than the .30 Carbine or the 32-20 Winchester.

Defense

The .357 Magnum is regarded as an excellent cartridge of self-defense and always enjoys the reputation to have best the Stopping power among the ammunition of handgun. Although conceived for hunting, it was quickly adopted by the police force like by the private individuals for applications of self-defense.

In the Years 1930, the .357 Magnum was particularly adapted to transpierce the body of the cars and the steel bullet-proof jackets of the time. The version equipped with a ball specifically intended to bore metal knew a great success with the the United States near the highway patrols and other organizations of the police force.

The .357 Magnum, as a ammunition of revolver was very largely replaced by semi-automatic Pistolet S with great capacity in the units of police force but it remains very snuffed among the people living in contact with wild nature, like by the vigils and other civilians.

The .357 Magnum is a direct competitor of the .38 Super which was conceived for the semi-automatic guns. Although the .38 Super one is a frightening competitor in weapons equipped with guns of similar size, the .357 Magnum remains more powerful, in particular because it can be employed in revolvers equipped with a long gun which would make a gun particularly cumbersome.

Characteristics

real Diameter of the projectile: 9,06 mm
Length of the case: 33 mm
Mass of the Ball: 8,13g/10,27g/10,6g/11,7g
initial Speed with a gun of 6.6cm: 331m/s
initial Speed with a gun of 10,2cm: 368m/s
initial Speed with a gun of 15,3cm: 387m/s
Energy intiale: 646-793 G

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