What's a "Magnum"?

[Alpo]

To you. If you heard someone say, "I just bought a Magnum", what would you think?

I'm re-reading Modesty Blaise. In one book she takes a Python off a bad guy. She mentions that it can shoot both 357 Magnum and 38 Special. And after that, every time it is mentioned, it is called a Python.

Python pops up in a couple of books (I'm on #5, so far) and every time, it's called a Python.

In one book, however, she takes a Smith 41 Magnum from a bad guy. Don't know whether a 57 or 58 - just called a "41 Magnum". And ever after, IT is called a "Magnum". Willie says, "How do you like the Magnum", or Modesty says, "The Magnum is quite a gun. I can hit with it a hundred yards away". In the next book, while practicing at their range, Modesty is using her favorite Colt .32 revolver (with the safety catch ) and Willie asked if she'd, "...like to try the Magnum". (Probably shouldn't . The Python had a safety catch, too. Must be a Colt thing. )

So, if someone said they bought a "magnum", what's your first thought? Rifle or pistol? Caliber or specific gun?

Or would you think "Champagne"?

 

[ogilvyspecial]

For me, .357 & .44 come to mind.......

 

[A10]

Big honkin' bottle of champagne......

 

[mc5aw]

I'm with Ogy on this. To me, "Magnum" immediately brings to mind Eastwood's .44 and any stout .357. With a bit of thought, I start drifting into .41 and .500 Mag territory, then further into big game rifles.

 

[Kavinsky]

.38 super, .357, 10mm, 41, 44, 454 Casull, 460 and the 500

all cartridges that go over 1200 FPS per second on average, about 150 over the speed of sound, some designed for penetration of stuff like car bodied.

hence there use by cops and agents that are on the road alot in the past.

 

[old bear]

"For me, .357 & .44 come to mind......."

See the above. ^^^

 

[Rule3]

"Trojan"

Then I woke up and wifey said it was a dream

 

[NFrameFred]

For some reason the single word 'magnum' calls to mind the .357 for me; don't know why. Enough time has passed through history to where when I hear "44" I automatically (and sometimes incorrectly) assume '44 magnum'. Product of my reading and viewing preferences, I suppose . . .

 

[DGT]

Tom Selleck...

 

[wheelgun28]

A shipping company would write information on the pallets of cargo with a Magnum magic marker.

Wheres the Magnum may have different meanings to some folks.

 

[RonJ]

Not a .22 magnum.

 

[labworm]

Big honkin' bottle of champagne......

Was wondering about the size of that bottle, I thought they were GI Q's

 

[Marshwheeling]

"Trojan"

Then I woke up and wifey said it was a dream

My answer was going to be similar enough that it doesn't bear repeating.

 

[rock doc]

Big honkin' bottle of champagne......

My first thought would me a .357, and then my thought would be replaced with this ^^^

 

[cbvanb]

For me it means .357. Back in my younger days, the first powerful handgun any of us bought was a .357, the .44 being unobtainable due to the Dirty Harry influence. So, when you told a buddy you had picked up a "magnum", it automatically meant the .357. Times have changed of course.

 

[nicky4968]

.375 Holland & Holland?

 

[DeathGrip]

I had one with a 360.

 

[jlrhiner]

I saw "Electra Glide in Blue" before "Dirty Harry". Thus, .357 first,then .44, then rifles and the new popguns.

 

[Fishslayer]

"Trojan"

Then I woke up and wifey said it was a dream

Yeah... I was gonna kind of go that way.

My wife would just laugh...

 

[snubbyfan]

My wife's 4" 66-3.