.357 Maximum?

[Bell Charter Oak Holsters]

Has anyone heard of the .357 Maximum cartridge? A client of mine mentioned it in passing, but I haven't heard of it before. Is it a wildcat cartridge? Thanks!

Lefty

 

[OKFC05]

Yes, it was designed as a longer version of the .357 magnum and has been around for decades. Only gun I saw chambered for it was the Contender. I was not impressed since I shoot revolvers, not single shots. The Ruger and
Dan Wesson revolvers reportedly had lots of problems with gas cutting and short life in .357 max.

 

[Roadranger]

As stated, it's been around for a while. It's not a wildcat though, since Remington loaded factory ammo for it. It's usually loaded with 180gr. or heavier bullets. I have a 10" Contender/barrel for it. It uses very fast rifle powder like AA1680 and 180gr Hornady XTP bullets. It is a lengthed 357 and made making rounds like the 357 Herrett(a wildcat) not worth the effort. It did not work as well as expected in the mentioned revolvers, with flame cutting an issue. Bob!

 

[snakeman32]

I have an H&R single shot .357 mag that I reamed out for .357 max. I love shooting the thing. There is no factory ammo that I know of so you have to roll your own for it.


snakeman

 

[cp1969]

As I remember it, the .357 Maximum was created specifically for silhouette shooters as the .357 Mag didn't quite have enough power to reliably knock down the rams.

It wasn't long before the gas cutting problem surfaced and the cartridge kind of faded into oblivion. It should still work fine in anything that doesn't have a gap. I'd think it would make a pretty good deer cartridge in a Marlin 1894.

 

[rck281]

I know that flame cutting was an issue on the Ruger but I thought that the Dan Wesson revolvers had solved the problem with an insert in the top of the frame. Also, wasn't most of the problems caused by using bullets lighter than the recommended 180gr? I have only heard good things about the Dan Wesson and Contender 357 Maximums.

 

[38-44HD45]

I just recently sold a Contender barrel chambered for .357 Max. It is a stellar deer cartridge, which is why the fellow to whom I sold it wanted the barrel. There were some serious flame cutting problems in revolvers, but in a single-shot, that is not an issue. Very flat shooter, and top-notch with 180-187 grain bullets.

 

[Doc44]

In 1983/84 or so, Ruger brought out its Blackhawk revolver chambered in .357 Maximum caliber. Remington made the first commercial rounds (and maybe the only ones). The cartridge case is about .25 inch longer than that of a .357 Magnum (I didn't measure a cartridge, but estimated) and was supposed to deliver a muzzle velocity of over 1500 fps with a 180 grain JSP bullet. A problem with flame cutting of the top strap (described above) developed and Ruger discontinued production of this gun.

Thompson Center, Dan Wesson Arms and maybe a few others also made guns in this caliber.

I have shot my Ruger, and I can say the muzzle blast is spectacular!!!!

Bill

 

[Roadranger]

Alas, the Maximum is too long to work in the 1894 Marlin, but would make a great levergun round. It's not far behind the 35 Remington. I would think it would be fine in a Handi rifle. Bob!

 

[Titegroups]

You can find a few on GB most of the time.

 

[Buckey08]

It will turn a Michigan Whitetail inside out, Best handgun round that I've found that balances recoil and killing power for a guy that just doesn't enjoy a over powered hand cannon.

 

[Bell Charter Oak Holsters]

Thanks to each of you for your informative replies. Sometime ago I acquired a custom made double rifle made from an Ithaca damascus barrel side by side shotgun. The fellow that sold it to me said it was chambered for .357, and I assumed he was referring to .357 Magnum. The gun is beautiful (IMHO) and incredibly accurate with both .38 Special and any type .357 Mag it fires at about 50 to 60 yards. I have not shot at targets beyond that distance, so I don't know how it may perform beyond that.

After talking with a client, which is what prompted my initial question about .357 Maximum....I am now wondering if this rifle is chambered for that cartridge?

If it is, how do I acquire some ammunition for it.....no longer produced commercially? I don't reload.

Cheers;
Lefty

 

[n4zov]

A lot of the comments mention flame cutting in the Ruger revolver chambered for the .357 Maximum, and since I owned one of the Rugers I want to address those comments. I bought the 10" Ruger new and used it extensively in IHMSA competition exclusively with 180 grain bullets and WW-296 powder. After thousands of rounds, there was very little flame cutting of the top strap and certainly not enough to cause any concern. I would compare it to that sometimes seen in S&W magnum revolvers. It was simply no big deal! Reportedly most of the so-called problems came from using very light (125 grain) bullets with slow burning powders. I can't address that since I never used light bullets. The Maximum is a great revolver cartridge and it is a shame that it is so seldom seen these days.

 

[SMSgt]

As stated, it's been around for a while. It's not a wildcat though, since Remington loaded factory ammo for it. It's usually loaded with 180gr. or heavier bullets. I have a 10" Contender/barrel for it. It uses very fast rifle powder like AA1680 and 180gr Hornady XTP bullets. It is a lengthed 357 and made making rounds like the 357 Herrett(a wildcat) not worth the effort. It did not work as well as expected in the mentioned revolvers, with flame cutting an issue. Bob!

I had a .30 Herrett and didn't think making the cases was difficult at all. It (as well as the .35 Herrett) turned the inefficient .30-30 Contenders into a very potent pistol. Unfortunately, the Contender was stolen. I bet the guy is wondering where to buy ammo!

 

[Doc44]

Photo of a .357 Magnum and a .357 Maximum (Remington, 180 grain JHP).

Bill

 

[cp1969]

Getting into .38-55 territory.

 

[S&WIowegan]

.357 Max.

I own both a Contender barrel and a Ruger in .357 Max. They are fun to shoot in the revolver because of the BLAST. I recommend not doing this round at an indoor range unless you are alone!

Finding ammo is a chore since demand is low but the internet is your friend. I load my own with 296/H110, 2400 or 4227 and heavy bullets. You can go way heavier than 180s if you want.

Rechambering is simple with a reamer from Clymer or Manson.

 

[bwickens]

Hmmm. It seems like it would fit in an X-frame, for seven or maybe eight shots.

 

[Bell Charter Oak Holsters]

Would any of you guys have an empty case I could have, just to see if the chamber of my double rifle will accept it? I'd be happy to pay for it and for postage.

Midway seems to have Grizzly brand .357 Max loaded ammo, 200gr. flatpoint. 1600+ FPS. $29.99 for 20 rounds, if anyone is looking for it.

Cheers;
Lefty

 

[Bell Charter Oak Holsters]

Thanks to the kindness of a fellow FORUM member who sent me a fired case, it turns out that my double rifle does chamber the .357 Maximum. Reed's Ammunition And Research, LLC (reedsammo.com) located in Oklahoma City has a fairly generous selection of loaded ammunition in several bullet weights and configurations. Midway is out of stock and backordered till after Christmas. Now I need to decide which load would be best for my needs. Any suggestions? I will try to post some photos of the rifle soon. Thanks again to all of you who were so helpful with information.

Cheers;
Lefty