How to Load a .357 Six-Shooter

The .357 Magnum cartridge was invented by Smith & Wesson in 1935. At the time, and for many years thereafter, it was the world's most powerful handgun round, the gold standard for self-defense sidearms. The typical 125-grain jacketed hollow-point .357 Magnum cartridge delivers a muzzle velocity of 1,450 feet per second and a muzzle energy of 583 foot-pounds. Because of its length and the wide rim at the base of the cartridge, the .357 Magnum is considered unreliable in the feeding mechanisms of semi-automatic pistols. Consequently, use of the .357 round has been generally limited to six-shot revolvers such as the Smith & Wesson Model 686 XL.

Instructions

    • 1

      Hold the revolver in one hand and point it in a safe direction.

    • 2

      Unlock the revolver's internal lock if it is locked. Insert the safety key into the lock located just above the thumb piece on the left side of the revolver. Rotate the safety key counterclockwise to unlock the revolver.

    • 3

      Press the thumb piece on the left side of the revolver to release the cylinder.

    • 4

      Push the cylinder to the left so it swivels out of the frame, exposing the chambers.

    • 5

      Insert one round of .357 Magnum ammunition into each of the six chambers.

    • 6

      Keep your finger off the trigger and swivel the cylinder back into the frame until it locks in the closed position.