Picked this up last week after seeing it the previous week at a LGS. I did some research and gave it the "I'll take it". If fired, it wasn't much on this one. There were problems with erosion and flame cutting. Mfg. 1982-84.

Haven't been seeing to many vintage Rugers at gun shows or gun shops for quite sometime,at least in my neck of the woods.
That's a nice piece you captured,,,,Enjoy

A nice base for a custom chambering, if you wish to go that route. Sky's the limit!

I bought one of these many years ago(20?) intending to send it to John Linebaugh for conversion to one of his proprietary cartridges. I eventually figured out my wrists would end up needing surgery like Taffins'. I did a bit of handloading of .357 Max. and shot them in the Ruger and a 10 inch Contender barrel. Fun to shoot!

The flame cutting seems to have been caused by using light bullets with Win 296. I've had no cutting using 180 gr. JHPs.

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

There is good info on the Ruger forum about bullet weights and powder. When properly done the flame cutting is not a problem.

I have a Contender barrel in .357 Max.
Used to call shooting it "Maximizing Your Potential."
Been a while since I shot it, but I used to hunt deer with it years ago.

Nice find! I'd sure not do any customizing or rechambering on that; the guns are somewhat rare in .357 Maximum. Their saving grace, I think, is that one can still shoot .357 Magnums and .38 Specials in them - no need to hunt down the exotic extra-length cartridges. Ruger collectors prize these babies, particularly when accompanied by an original box and papers!

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

I agree John. I'm not going to change a thing. It also came with the outer shipping sleeve.

Nice gun in a hard to find caliber. I have 100 new brass that I'll sell for 100.00 shipped. Larry

A very collectible Ruger especially in that condition and with all the paperwork and box,sleeve, ect.
Nice find.
I'd probably sell it off to a Ruger collector that absolutely couldn't live with out it ,,and before I even put a round through it to damage it's pristine condition.
What ever youdo with it, don';t ever send it to Ruger for any service. They still have a recall on these and will retain your revolver and offer you a choice of a couple of different current production revolvers of 'similar features and size' to replace it.

I am thinking we should be calling you luckydog!


You have turned up some nice finds.

Thanks for sharing them with us.

I know a guy who had a .357 Max in a Thompson Center, still a caliber I want to play with. I know he shot quite a few deer with it during the fall and then silhouette during the summer. He had quite a lot of venison to that gun's credit and a few trophies too.

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Vaya con Dios