When did .357 Magnum become “common”

stansdds said:
I'm going to say that the 357 Magnum craze started in the late 1960's. The late 60's and early 70's was a time of social unrest and increasing drug trafficking. I think it was about this time that many law enforcement agencies were looking for something more powerful than the old standard in law enforcement, the 38 Special. The 357 Magnum was an obvious choice as a 4 or 6 inch K-frame 357 would fit in duty holsters that were carrying 4 or 6 inch K-frame 38's and armorers would not need to be retrained as the lockwork was the same.
Click to expand...
The Baton Rouge police department went from it's fixed sighted model 64's in 38 special to the adjustable sighted K-frame 357 magnum stainless steel - I think it was model 66 about 1975 ... maybe 1976 ... Prior to mid 1970's you didn't find many 357 mag. cases left at the local range ... I picked up buckets of 38 special cases but very few 357 Mag.
I reloaded and shot 38 special brass in my 357 revolvers untill Starline started making plenty of affordable 357 Mag. brass ...
I bought 100 brand new ... and still have them .

I bought my first handgun in 1970 , a ruger Blackhawk in 357 magnum. At one time the Blackhawk was only chambered in 357 mag.
Gary
 
Last edited:
THE PILGRIM said:
I’m going with after WWII.
The caliber was available in more Smith Models and more Brands- Colts, Rugers, etc.
Click to expand...

I agree, post WWII. Right after the war production number were relatively low but they ramped up big time through the 60's. Of course the 70's went to the 44mag, thanks to Inspector Callahan.
 
I bought my first handgun in 1970 , a ruger Blackhawk in 357 magnum. At one time the Blackhawk was only chambered in 357 mag.
Gary

Blackhawk Revolver (manufactured from 1956 to 1962) Caliber: 44 Magnum
Beginning Serial Number: Years of Production:
741 1957
5996 1958
14258 1959
 
fiasconva said:
Wasn't it touted as the "car killer" at some time? I seem to remember reading that it was the powerful way to disable a car because it could destroy an engine block.
Click to expand...

I always heard that when I was growing up. "A 357 mag will crack and engine block" is what my uncle always told me.
 
KFW said:
I always heard that when I was growing up. "A 357 mag will crack and engine block" is what my uncle always told me.
Click to expand...

I know it will punch straight through the quarter inch thick + bottom of a cast iron bathtub like it isn't even there.
 
The Highway Patrolman and K-frame S&W "Combat Magnum" ( later the Model 19) made the .357 a everyman's and every cops gun.....................
so the nod goes to 1954-56..... as they say; the rest is history!!

Pre WWII the .357 was a rich guy's toy.... $60. Ya some Dept.'s had them but even today we talk/write about them as the exception to the rule. After the war it took awhile to sort the new normal out..............................

On the other hand my Dad had a 6 inch .357 Colt New Service tricked out by King's of Calf. in 1939........ why the Colt? Even after a trip to Calf for a makeover it was $8-10 cheaper than a S&W REG. magnum at $60 retail !!!!
 
I agree with BLACKHAWKNJ and BAM BAM, before mid 50s the .357 was a big$ deal: RMs followed by pre 27 nonregistered magnums. Then in just 2 years there were Combat Magnums and the Highway Patrolman. Those pre19s and pre28s were priced toward customers drawing LEO pay. I think that's when the .357 started to become THE magnum.

The 38/44 Heavy Duty and Outdoorsman went out of production in 1966, because by that time the .357 market had caught up with demand. If you wanted more than your .38 you could get a .357. If you chose a K frame you didn't even need a new holster...

When I started shooting in the late 70s the .357 RULED, 28s, 19s, all the Ruger S Sixes and Colt Troopers. Some 27s and Pythons around but not many. I remember them all under glass at the LGS, nib take your pick...
Prices back then sound low now but $s were just scarcer!
 
Last edited:
mtgianni said:
Skeeter Skelton wrote about wanting one post WW2 and finding them very scarce. They were popular in the sense that many wanted one or more, just not to be found until the introduction of the Model 19.
Click to expand...

IIRC, Skeeter lucked into his first one in 1951 from another Border Patrolman who needed money for an airplane, and wrote that they were very scarce at that time.
 
Greyman50 said:
Read Elmer Keith, “ Hell, I was there” and “ Sixguns”.
Click to expand...
Another good read is Elmer Keith's " Sixgun Cartridges & Loads "
published in 1936 ... still contains some useful info , especially the chapters on Casting Bullets .
It has been re-printed , I picked up a hardbound copy for $12.00 and softbound goes for $9.99 ...from Amazon .
Well worth the few dollars if you cast and reload . And you get the first hand story on the development of the Keith SWC bullet / moulds ... so much mis/dis info floating around ... interesting to read the story ...from the horses mouth .
Gary
 
Last edited:
I'd have to agree with The Pilgrim.

Back in the '50s, I remember reading a Dick Tracy Sunday comic strip that showed him stopping a car from a helo with a .357, taking out the engine.

Chester Gould took literary license with that.
 
Last edited:
Homie said:
Good reads for sure, but if you want more than heavy reloads/reloading data try "MAGNUM" by Timothy J. Mullin.
Click to expand...

Mr. Keith did Way More Practial Shooting in both books. He had a part in developing the .357 and more in the 44 Mag. His book on shotguns is not bad either.
 
To talk about magnums cracking engine blocks . I will relate a story that a seller of a 41 magnum told me . He was working at a mall in sales . Down a couple of stores a couple of young men stole some electronic equipment , they grabbed and ran out . He said they had armed security working there . One of the security men , a man of huge stature ran out the mall , saw these thieves jumped in an old caddie and start roaring off . He pulled out his S&W 57 (41 magnum), 6" barrel and fired one round . The cadillac came to an abrupt halt . The young thieves got out and looked under the car . The engine was laying on the pavement . The look on the thieves face was " memorable " as their mouths almost dropped to the road seeing their motor , shot out of the car lying on the ground underneath . He told me that story several times , word for word . He also sold me my first 41 , a model 57 S&W , nickel plated years ago . True or not I can't say , but makes an interesting story . Regards Paul
 
1935 with the depression followed by WWII ... a few years for life to normalize and start families, use the new GI Bill, etc. I would say 1955 before it became a day at the range gun.

Considering the number of WWII vets I encountered that insisted if it had come out in 35, they would have used it in the war ... seems to support my theory. That generation knew what they knew. If they didn't see it, it didn't happen.
 
cowboy4evr said:
To talk about magnums cracking engine blocks . I will relate a story that a seller of a 41 magnum told me . He was working at a mall in sales . Down a couple of stores a couple of young men stole some electronic equipment , they grabbed and ran out . He said they had armed security working there . One of the security men , a man of huge stature ran out the mall , saw these thieves jumped in an old caddie and start roaring off . He pulled out his S&W 57 (41 magnum), 6" barrel and fired one round . The cadillac came to an abrupt halt . The young thieves got out and looked under the car . The engine was laying on the pavement . The look on the thieves face was " memorable " as their mouths almost dropped to the road seeing their motor , shot out of the car lying on the ground underneath . He told me that story several times , word for word . He also sold me my first 41 , a model 57 S&W , nickel plated years ago . True or not I can't say , but makes an interesting story . Regards Paul
Click to expand...


Could be that one lucky shot hit the block at the motor mount, which could break the block and the engine flopped over. That would likely break the driveshaft and bring the vehicle to an abrupt stop.
 
Last edited:
edjack said:
Back in the '50s, I remember reading a Dick Tracy Sunday comic strip that showed him stopping a car from a helo with a .357, taking out the engine.
Click to expand...


I confirm this memory. I was in my early teens then, and I am pretty sure Chester Gould is the man who informed me that the caliber existed.
 
My Department went from personally owned revolvers (anything you wanted as long as it chambered the Remington .38 plus P 125 gr JHP issued round - 95 grain for 2 inch) to city purchased model 65s with .357 125 gr Remington JHP around 1982. We had the city revolvers for about 5 or 6 years then went to Sig p226. We were allowed to buy our model 65s for $100. We had no incidences of cracked forcing cones I was aware of but we qualified with reloads after initially shooting our 18 round duty load out of magnum rounds. After qual we were issued 18 new magnum loads.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Doc44
.357 Combat Magnum, K260001
2
Replies
21
Views
2K
dobegrant
dobegrant
The Gila Bender
Gap in my collection: Pre-war or transitional .357 Magnum.
Replies
7
Views
947
handejector
handejector
DARE
The First Four Magnums
Replies
4
Views
591
Rigmover
Rigmover
Gun Relics
First Year Combat Magnum, finally...
Replies
6
Views
632
DARE
DARE
DARE
The .357 Magnum Turns 90
2
Replies
26
Views
2K
BLACKHAWKNJ
B

Latest posts

Back
Top