Cylinder and Caliber
The Colt Magnum Carry has a six-shot, .357 Magnum cylinder. This caliber is known for its power and is used in many other Colt revolvers, like the Python and Anaconda models. Detective Special models made by Colt in the 1920s only held five cartridges.
Ammunition and Action
The Colt Magnum Carry instruction manual states that the gun can use regular .38 Special ammunition, as well as .38 Special +P and .38 Special +P+ ammunition, which are high-velocity cartridges typically only used by law enforcement. The Colt Magnum Carry may also fire .357 Magnum cartridges. This gun is a double-action revolver, which means that pressing the trigger both cocks and releases the hammer. A user does not have to manually cock the hammer in order to fire.
Frame and Finish
What differentiates the Colt Magnum Carry most visibly from its snub nose forebears is its look. Instead of a dull black carbon finish, like the original Detective Special models, the Colt Magnum has a bright stainless steel finish with a black rubber grip and three finger mounts. It has a barrel length of 3 inches, slightly longer than the 2-inch barrel of the original Detective Special. It also carries a frame-mounted rebound firing pin and transfer bar.