Magnum vs "standard?"

[bboyin4food]

I was asked a question today by a friend, that i wasnt able to answer and actually had been wondering myself. it may seem as a "noob" question but here it goes.

What is the difference between Magnum ammunition (.357mag, 7mm mag, .44mag etc.) and i guess the "standard" or non-magnum ammunition (9mm, .40, .45ACP, etc.)?

my friend posed the question (and i also want to know): if .45 caliber is obviously bigger than .357 caliber or even .44, why is the .357 said to be "more powerful" or have more stopping power than the .45ACP?

now i did do a little research and i guess the difference is that magnum rounds are packed with slower burning powder and have a "magnum" primer which produces a hotter flame required to ignite it.

is this the only difference? does the slower burning powder give you that much more power behind a smaller caliber bullet? enough to say that a .357 is more powerful than a .45ACP?

thanks

[Jonathan Doe]

To make it very simple, compare the muzzle velocity and energy of each mentioned cartridges.

[jimrod]

Magnum loads are loaded to higher pressures, which yield higher velocities. 357 Magnum is the magnum load for the 38 Special. 44 Magnum is the magnum load for the 44 special. In both cases, the case was made longer for the magnum loads to preclude putting a magnum load into a revolver chambered for a Special. The reverse is possible, however, in that you can shoot specials in revolvers chambered for magnums...a nice perk.

[JTROKS]

454 Casull is the magnum version of the 45 Colt. While the S&W 460 is the super magnum version of the 454 Casull.

[PutTogether]

magnum |ˈmagnəm|
noun ( pl. -nums )
a thing of a type that is larger than normal


The .357 magnum is the larger(longer - more powder) version of a .38 special
The .44 magnum is the larger(longer - more powder) version of the .44 special

In each case, the "magnum" term does not relate to being more powerful to a specific cartridge other than the cartridge the caliber originated in. To say it a different way, it isn't called a "magnum" to insinuate it is more powerful than a .45 ACP or 9mm. It is only called a magnum to distinguish it as a longer, more powerful version of its original cartridge.

As others have pointed out, there are other "magnum" cartridges (defined as longer more powerful versions of pre-existing cartridge/caliber combinations) that do not use the term "magnum."