Tips · will it fit?
Revolvers: Shooting Down
Many magnum revolvers can safely fire their shorter, milder parent rounds, which makes cheaper, softer practice ammo. Find the caliber stamped on your revolver's barrel to see what else it can shoot. It never works the other way.
★Pro tip: clean before you go back upShooting a lot of the shorter rounds leaves a ring of carbon and lead in the front of each chamber. Scrub it out before loading magnums again, or the longer cases can stick, chamber hard or build extra pressure.
8 revolver calibers, most common first
Revolver stamped.357 Magnum
Can also fire✔ .38 Special✔ .38 Special +P
The classic. .38 Special is cheaper, softer and quieter, so it's the go-to practice and plinking round.
Revolver stamped.44 Magnum
Can also fire✔ .44 Special✔ .44 Russian
.44 Special turns a hard-kicking .44 Mag into a pleasant range gun.
Revolver stamped.327 Federal Magnum
Can also fire✔ .32 H&R Magnum✔ .32 S&W Long✔ .32 S&W
One revolver, four .32 rounds, from a hot magnum down to a mild short round.
Revolver stamped.32 H&R Magnum
Can also fire✔ .32 S&W Long✔ .32 S&W
Light-recoil .32s for small hands, small game and practice.
Revolver stamped.41 Remington Magnum
Can also fire✔ .41 Special
.41 Special exists but is hard to find. Mostly a handloader's option.
Revolver stamped.454 Casull
Can also fire✔ .45 Colt
.45 Colt gives you a big-bore range round without the .454's punishing recoil.
Revolver stamped.460 S&W Magnum
Can also fire✔ .454 Casull✔ .45 Colt
Shoots all three, from mild .45 Colt up to the full .460.
Revolver stamped.500 S&W Magnum
Can also fire✔ .500 S&W Special
The shorter Special is far easier to shoot for practice.
⚠Never do these
- Never fire a longer, stronger round in a gun stamped for the shorter oneA .357 Magnum in a .38 Special revolver, or a .44 Magnum in a .44 Special, can blow the cylinder apart. The longer case is there on purpose to stop it fitting.
- .454 Casull or .460 in a .45 Colt revolverTheir longer cases are meant to keep them out, so never force one. They run at several times the pressure of .45 Colt.
- .38 Special +P in an old or light .38Only shoot +P if the revolver's maker says it's rated for it.
- .22 LR in a .22 Magnum (WMR) cylinderThe thinner .22 LR case can split or bulge. Convertible revolvers ship with a separate .22 LR cylinder: swap cylinders, don't mix.
- Rimless pistol rounds in a revolver without the matching cylinder9mm in a .357, or .45 ACP in a .45 Colt, only works with the maker's dedicated cylinder (and often moon clips). Without it, don't.
Check your revolver's manual. If the maker doesn't list a round, don't shoot it.
This applies to revolvers. Lever-action rifles chambered in .357 or .44 Magnum often fire the Special too, but feeding varies by rifle, so check the manual. General guidance, not load data.