S&W Registered Magnum
Smith & Wesson, Inc. · Revolver · Discontinued · 1935
Also known as: .357 Registered Magnum, S&W .357 Magnum, Registered Magnum
Overview
The S&W Registered Magnum is a large-frame double-action revolver introduced by Smith & Wesson in 1935 as the first handgun chambered for the new .357 Magnum cartridge. Built on the company's large N-frame Hand Ejector platform with a six-round swing-out cylinder, each revolver was hand-fitted and custom-ordered, with the buyer able to specify barrel length (from 3½ to 8¾ inches), front and rear sights, and a blue or nickel finish. Every gun shipped with a numbered registration certificate, giving the model its name. It established the .357 Magnum as the most powerful production handgun cartridge of its era.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1332 g (47.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 362 mm (14.25") |
| Barrel Length | 216 mm (8.50") |
| Height | 150 mm (5.91") |
| Width | 40 mm (1.57") |
| Action Type | Revolving |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Revolving Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 440 m/s (1444 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 784 J (578 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 5 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .357 Magnum · primary — also known as .357 Mag, .357 S&W Magnum, 9x33mmR
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Revolver Cylinder
- Safety mechanisms: Rebounding Hammer, Hammer Block
- Features: N Frame, Hand Ejector, Swing Out Cylinder, Adjustable Sights, Checkered Top Rib, Made To Order Barrel, Registration Certificate
Service history
Operators
- Federal Bureau of Investigation · adopted 1935
Production
Estimated total produced: 5,500 · Production years: 1935-1939
Approximately 5,500 registered examples plus an additional ~2,000 non-registered Magnums before WWII
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Douglas B. Wesson
Discontinued: 1939
Notes
Roughly 5,500 Registered Magnums were produced from 1935 until the registration program ended on 16 October 1939; an additional run of non-registered Magnums followed until production halted for World War II. The design evolved into the postwar Smith & Wesson Model 27.
Background
The very first Registered Magnum, registration No. 1, was presented to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover in 1935. The model was a hand-built status symbol, priced at about $60 (a substantial sum during the Great Depression), and was prized by lawmen, hunters, and collectors alike.