The History of 357 Magnum: The 38/44 Revolver and Cartridge
The .357 Magnum's development originated from Smith & Wesson's .38/44 revolver, a .38 Special built on a .44 Special frame. This platform allowed for higher pressure loadings of the .38 Special, known as the .38/44 cartridge. Experimentation by Elmer Keith on this platform led to the creation of the more powerful .357 Magnum cartridge, which was then offered in the "Registered Magnum" revolver.









