What makes a Magnum Handgun Cartridge a Magnum Cartridge?

[LostintheOzone]

The 357 Sig died because the 357 Magnum and 357 Maximum cartridges already existed. They should have given it another name. Maybe 357 Ultimate, Supreme or Super.

Nobody knew it wasn't just another 38 cartridge. You've got to dress it up a little for people to understand it was Special.

 

[Neumann]

A magnum revolver cartridge has a higher velocity and up to twice the pressure of a standard cartridge. The cylinder and barrel are made stronger to withstand this pressure. The cartridge cases are 0.1" longer so they can't be chambered in a non-magnum revolver.

I use the term "revolver" deliberately. There are a few pistols which use rimmed .44 Magnum ammunition. On the other hand, the .357 SIG is touted as "Magnum", but falls short. The SIG round achieves high velocity by using a light weight, 125 gr bullet. A .357 revolver gets the same velocity with a 148 gr bullet, and can put a 125 gr bullet into low earth orbit.

 

[44wheelman]

re: pistol cartridges

9mm winmag aka (9x29) and look at all the variants in between
10mm mag
45 winmag

and what's bigger than magnum...super mag
445 supermag
357 supermag

what's interesting to me, is that the 357 maximum is .005" longer than the original 357 supermag

 

[glenwolde]

A magnum revolver cartridge has a higher velocity and up to twice the pressure of a standard cartridge. The cylinder and barrel are made stronger to withstand this pressure. The cartridge cases are 0.1" longer so they can't be chambered in a non-magnum revolver.

I use the term "revolver" deliberately. There are a few pistols which use rimmed .44 Magnum ammunition. On the other hand, the .357 SIG is touted as "Magnum", but falls short. The SIG round achieves high velocity by using a light weight, 125 gr bullet. A .357 revolver gets the same velocity with a 148 gr bullet, and can put a 125 gr bullet into low earth orbit.

Except the .41 Magnum doesn't meet that criteria. But it is a magnum. Because that's what marketing named it. It certainly qualifies on a power level.

Also the .32 S&W Long should be a magnum as it has 25% more pressure than the .32 S&W.

Consider the .22 Magnum. It can't accept the shorter .22's.

It's mostly marketing.

 

[rockquarry]

You'd think in four years we would have settled this . . .

Good point, but as you know, few topics are ever settled here; four years or twenty doesn't make much difference...

 

[Michaelp57]

re: pistol cartridges

9mm winmag aka (9x29) and look at all the variants in between
10mm mag
45 winmag

and what's bigger than magnum...super mag
445 supermag
357 supermag

what's interesting to me, is that the 357 maximum is .005" longer than the original 357 supermag

I am amazed that it took this long for the 45 win mag to be brought up. This is just a short list of calibers I would consider magnum in a semiauto:

9×25 dillon
45 win mag
429de
50ae
10mm(as other have said, not the downloaded .40s&w that they label as 10mm)
Im sure that there are some im just not thinking of right now, but those are generally what i think of when I hear magnum semiauto handgun cartridges.

 

[44wheelman]

I also have one of those 44amp…auto mag pistol guns. there is also a .357amp… it goes on & on.

a generalized term based on marketing.

 

[STORMINORMAN]

I'm just glad they didn't call it the 357 Jeroboam!

Cheers!

 

[Oldsalt66]

Plenty of room for further growth:

 

[gym cat]

Double shot of brandy versus a single

 

[unspellable]

re: pistol cartridges

9mm winmag aka (9x29) and look at all the variants in between
10mm mag
45 winmag

and what's bigger than magnum...super mag
445 supermag
357 supermag

what's interesting to me, is that the 357 maximum is .005" longer than the original 357 supermag

Backwards. Maximum case length for the Maximum is 1.605, nominal case length for the SuperMag is 1.610. The SuperMag has a maximum OAL 0.125 more than the Maximum. Also rated for higher pressure.
As for which came first that's up for debate. There are counter claims.

 

[Echo40]

Yikes, now here's a blast from the past!

To think there was a time when I didn't know what the definition of a Magnum Cartridge... I still remember it, along with my confusion/disappointment over it being so mundane as "Longer case = magnum, m'hmm..." when I thought it was something way more complicated that had to do with power factor, velocity, kinetic energy, or powder charge.