357 Auto Mag
Historical Notes:
The 357 Auto Mag is an outgrowth of the 44 Auto Mag and is based on the 44 Auto
Mag necked down to 357 caliber. The 44 Auto Mag in turn is made by cutting off
30-06 Springfield or 308 Winchester brass to a length of 1.298 inches and inside
reaming to accept a .429 inch diameter bullet. The first Auto Mag Pistols were
announced in 1970 and delivered in late 1971. These were, of course, in 44
caliber. The 357 Auto Mag didn't appear until late 1973. For an extra $150 one
could purchase both the 357 and 44 barrel and slide assembly units to convert
the pistol to handle either caliber with relatively easy change of units. The
357 Auto Mag cartridge was never made commercially. However, Auto Mag ammunition
was made in Mexico for a time and also by Norma in Sweden so conversions of
these to the smaller caliber can be encountered. The Auto Mag semi-auto pistols
are no longer in production.
General Comments:
The 357 and 44 Auto Mag pistols were made of stainless steel, had a 6.5 inch
barrel, an overall length of 11.5 inches and weighed 3.4 pounds. In other words
they were quite large and heavy, much like the Desert Eagle pistols currently
available from Magnum Research. The 357 Auto Mag pushed the 185 grain jacketed
bullet at a muzzle velocity of of 1600 fps and the 110 grain bullet at over 1900
fps when loaded to maximum performance levels. This is certainly well in excess
of anything possible from the 357 Magnum revolver. Auto Mag pistols in 357 have
been used with success on everything from varmint to deer. Like many of the more
powerful handgun cartridges, the ballistics of the 357 Auto Mag are marginal for
big game, but like the others, it can do the job in the hands of a good shot and
accomplished hunter. As a self defense weapon, the Auto Mag pistols are a bit unwieldy
and overpowered. They are strictly for sporting use.
Source: Cartridges of the World
| 357 Auto Mag Reloading Data | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet (grs.) | Powder / (grs.) | MV | ME | Source |
| 110 JHP | Blue Dot / 19.0 | 1935 | 920 | N/A |
| 125 JHP | Blue Dot / 18.0 | 1810 | 915 | N/A |
| 140 JHP | Blue Dot / 17.0 | 1725 | 930 | N/A |
| 158 JSP | Blue Dot / 16.0 | 1500 | 795 | N/A |
| 158 JSP | H-110 / 22.0 | 1635 | 940 | N/A |
© www.reloadbench.com 1999 - 2005 All Rights Reserved
|
|
 |
|