Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns .357 Magnum during World War II ?

I always thought General Patton carried a S&W .357 Magnum. After a little research I found that his main carry was his single action Colt .45.

How much use if any did the .357 Magnum see in combat ?

You think that a small carbine such as the M-1 chambered in .357 would have been a pretty potent weapon.

Tex puts a Colt 357 to good use in 1950's Berlin.
I have an old friend named Jack that I've known all my life come over the other day, and ask if I would do a detail strip and clean of his Colt Model 357 revolver. He intends to pass it on to his grandson, and wanted it checked.
I don't mind him watching as I work, because he's been around and has some good stories, so we talked awhile, and he told me why he bought the 357.

Jack is a W.W.II vet who saw action in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and Europe. After the war he stayed on as an MP with the Berlin Constabulary until the later 50's.

He told me about a shooting involving a San Antonio businessman armed with a new Colt 357 Model revolver, and some Eastern Sector "bad guys" in the early 1950's.

The Texan businessman was really a businessman, not a "spook", and was there to see a machine tool company that was just starting back up.

One night just before he was to leave Berlin, he had dinner in a restaurant in one of the largely bombed out neighborhoods, which still comprised much of Berlin. Pretty dark, and nobody around.

Apparently SOMEBODY didn't like him.
Maybe he saw or heard something he shouldn't have, or saw somebody he shouldn't have, but somebody decided to have him killed.

The hitters were tentatively ID'd as a Russian Officer dressed in civvies, probably KGB or GRU and two former SIPO Nazi Security Police, who had basically just changed employers, after the war.
It could have been official, or maybe something "on the side".

The Russian had a PPS submachine gun, and the SIPO's had pistols. They were waiting in the shadows of the dark street when Tex came out to get in his car.

The two Nazi secret police thugs were supposed to actually make the hit, but failed to get close enough before opening fire. They missed, which was an elephantine mistake.

The Texan took cover in a pile of rubble as the two SIPO gunmen attempted to flank him.
The Russian kept him pinned down with short bursts of the SMG.

Under shouted orders from the Russian, the SIPO's moved forward to finish the job. Unfortunately, one of them got too far ahead of the other, and the Texan suddenly leaned around the pile of brick rubble and put a 158 grain slug into his chest, blowing a large hole in him and killing him on the spot.

Jack and his partner were on patrol few blocks away and heard the SMG firing, when as Jack put it, "We heard this God awful CRACK".
They zoomed the jeep around the corner, just in time to see the end.

The remaining SIPO was dancing back and forth, trying to decide what to do. The Russian was screaming at him to get on with it, but he had just seen his partner blown apart.
Jack said that they all considered the Nazi ex-secret police, scum that were really tough and brave when facing unarmed Jews, but weren't so hot when facing somebody with a gun.

As Jack got his M3 grease gun ready and got set to jump out of the jeep, he saw the Russian run his magazine out and start to reload as he backed up.
The Texan popped up again and fired two shots into the Russian's chest from about 20 yards.
Jack said he heard the loud CRACK, and saw what looked like flashbulbs flashing, since the .357 Magnum ammo of the day didn't use low flash powder.
He said "That Russian BOUNCED when he hit".

The last SIPO man turned and literally ran for his life, hunched over and arms pumping. Jack said the Texan jumped up on top of the rubble into a kneeling position and fired two more rounds. Since the SIPO man was bending over as he sprinted away, one round hit him in the small of the back, and the other hit him at the base of the skull and blew the top of his head off.

Jack said it was all over but the shouting by the time he jumped out of the jeep.
The Texan got chewed out by the MP Colonel for illegally bringing a gun into Berlin, then got a good slap on the back for dusting off the Russian and the SIPO's.

Jack examined the Texan's Colt 357, and told me: "I got home from the Army on a Monday night at 6:00 p.m. and was at the hardware store at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday morning having them order me a 4 inch blue, target hammer, target stocked Colt 357. I figured any gun that could make a man bounce when he hit was OK".

His 357 is in about 92-95% condition in spite of nearly 50 years of use. You couldn't buy it for any amount of money.
He said the next time he comes over; he will show me the second SIPO man's Mauser HSc.

General Patton's Handguns are usually on display at the Patton Museum at Ft. Knox, (Radcliff) Kentucky. Patton carried both guns in a holster belt set made by Tio Sam Myers of El Paso Texas. They are now known as El Paso saddlery and make a similar two gun rig. Patton carried his Colt SAA .45 (circa 1916) on the right and his registered 3 1/2 inch .357 Magnum (circa 1935) on the left. He referred to the latter as his killing gun.

The .357 was relatively new when WWII started and few carried it into combat. If memory serves and I would have to research it, I believe Jeff Cooper may have had one and perhaps Charles Askins JR. as well. I am sure that General Stuart will have much to add to this string being more the historian than me.

To me the coolest pistol ever produced is the original S&W .357 Magnum with 3.5 inch barrel. Look at the cut in Keith's Sixguns and I am sure you will agree.

Much of Hermann Goering's personal belongings were left intact.
During the Nuhremburg trials, FBI agent and US Army officer Melvin Purvis lodged in Goering's personal railway car, which was full of his belongings. After Goering committed suicide, Purvis saw to it that the items were given to his widow. Mrs. Goering then gave some of them to Purvis, including an 8x57 Mauser hunting rifle, Luftwaffe sword, handgun, and other items. A friend of mine now owns them, and I can post photos, but I am getting off the topic of Patton. Two of my friends also have some of Patton's calvary gear.

and I can post photos,