.357 Magnum


 * For the similar weapon featured in Call of Duty: Black Ops, see Python.

The .357 Magnum is a magnum revolver featured in the Multiplayer and Zombies mode of Call of Duty: World at War.

Multiplayer
In multiplayer, the .357 Magnum is unlocked at Level 49. It's a powerful side arm for those who want to take down the enemy in the least amount of shots. Like all revolvers in the series, it holds only 6 rounds. The Magnum is capable of a high rate of fire. Compared to the Desert Eagle in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the .357 seems to have more accuracy and not as high recoil, however the recoil from each round pushes the nose of the gun up quite a bit before resting back into position; when firing rounds as rapidly as possible, each shot is pushed up into a distinct straight, vertical line. In a burst of six aimed directly to the head, it is possible that five will completely miss. Because the gun is so powerful, aiming down to the chest or gut will produce a kill in two (from short distance) to three (from long distance) shots while using Stopping Power. In Hardcore Modes it kills in one shot kill at any range. This makes it statistically the same as the .44 Magnum Revolver from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Overall, this gun is ideal for many classes, but it is a fine sidearm, no matter how the player plays. Those with sniper rifles will find that the .357 can easily take out anyone that's in the players way while traveling to a location, while SMG/LMG users will find that the .357 is a trusty sidearm when the players magazine is empty, and the player still needs to engage a target.

Reloading this weapon is, however, slow; it takes approximately 3 seconds. It should also be noted that this sidearm only holds 6 shots in its cylinder, and therefore the player will be forced to reload often. Thus, it is best to pair it with another weapon with slow reloads and use Sleight of Hand.

Nazi Zombies
In Nazi Zombies, it is a powerful weapon, being able to kill up to 3 zombies in one shot. The recoil is reduced compared to multiplayer and the reload time remains unchanged. It is an ideal backup gun for fighting Hellhounds. The only drawbacks are that it reloads every six shots, possibly costing the player their life. The .357's one-shot kill ability is lost around Round 15.

The .357 is also a good weapon for covering windows while camping. In multiplayer the player can fire the .357 Magnum Revolver with very short delays (5ms per shot), but in Nazi Zombies the fire rate is lower, though this can be changed using Double Tap Root Beer.

When upgraded via the Pack-a-Punch Machine in Der Riese this weapon becomes ".357 Plus 1 Kil-u," receiving an increase in damage. Overall it is a good weapon for early rounds, but it would be ideal to trade this weapon after Round 15. It is not necessarily a good idea to upgrade this weapon, because its capacity and maximum amount of ammo given doesn't increase at all; the only thing that is gained from upgrading it is its slight increase in the firepower. However, it will be used instead of the M1911 if the user is downed, meaning the downed player can provide more useful cover fire while/until they are revived. However, compared to the upgraded M1911 or the Ray Gun, the .357 Plus 1 Kil-u is pretty dismal.

Videos
thumb|300px|left|.357 Magnum guide

Trivia

 * In Nacht der Untoten, the .357 Magnum can cause the transport truck near one of the starting barriers to explode in one shot.
 * There is a dot barely visible on the Magnum's iron sights, much like the orange line on the Springfield.
 * The iron sights on the Wii version of Call of Duty: World at War are slightly unclear, thus creating some problems when aiming.
 * The reload animation shows the player dumping all of the cartridges (which are always shown as empty casings) onto the ground and inserting a speedloader, even if there are still unfired cartridges in the cylinder.
 * This is the only handgun in the Call of Duty: World at War multiplayer that does more damage compared to the other pistols, as the TT-33, Nambu, M1911 and P-38 all are very similar, with only reload speed being different.
 * This is the second revolver of four to appear in the Call of Duty series. The others are the Webley seen in Call of Duty: United Offensive and Call of Duty 2, the .44 Magnum in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and the Python in Call of Duty: Black Ops.
 * If watching in a third person view, reloading this gun shows the reloading animation of a regular pistol such as the M1911.
 * .357 Magnum was originally the name of the Python before Call of Duty: Black Ops was released.
 * All of the pistols in Call of Duty: World at War for the Wii have the Magnum's firing sound.
 * The Multiplayer and pickup icon show the hammer cocked, or in single action mode, yet when it's fired, it is always in double action mode, with the hammer down.
 * The letters and numbers in the Pack-A-Punched version of the .357 Magnum seems to spell out "I Kill You"
 * The .357 Magnum could be based off of the Smith & Wesson Model 27, as the console codename is "sw357", sw being a common abbreviation of Smith & Wesson