.357 Max. question

The .357 Max approaches the performance of the .350 Legend. I like the idea of a .357 Max in a 18" bbl. model 92 clone. Chiappa, Miroku, anybody listening?
I have had a 7.5" Blackhawk since they came out. I just bought a Dan Wesson. I have no particular use for a rifle, but I would buy one any way.
I wonder if a Winchester model 1907 could be rebored?
 
I've been looking for a 357max Handi-rifle with the adjustable sights for awhile. The few I have found had ridiculous prices on them back in the COVID panic. There's been a good many 357mags reamed for it.

My grail Maxi rifle is the TCR chambered for it.
 
As much as I enjoy the .357 Maximum, I have never had any desires to get one in a rifle. Now,, if Ruger decided to make a lever action one,, I'd have to get a companion to my Maxi Blackhawk. Otherwise my T/C Super 14" is all I need if I want a longer barrel.
 
Just for conversation. If I were to send my .357 Max. back to Ruger, in light of the recall, would they repair it?
Just wondering what would Ruger do if a "Maxi" was sent in for repairs?
I have a "Maxi" that is problematic with spitting lead out between barrel and cylinder.
Every 2nd or 3rd shot it jams. Not fun to shoot.
I called Ruger a few years ago and the lady said "sure, send it in. We'll fix it." But I never did after hearing they will keep it.
But now I'm considering sending it to Ruger if they will exchange it for a new revolver, something I can reliably shoot.
 
Yes, I'd check with Ruger to see what they'd offer as an exchange if you really don't mind losing the Maxi. Just a thought. ;)

On the other hand, someone might want to buy it from you for use as the base of a custom gun.
 
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"Just wondering what would Ruger do if a "Maxi" was sent in for repairs?
I have a "Maxi" that is problematic with spitting lead out between barrel and cylinder.
Every 2nd or 3rd shot it jams. Not fun to shoot.
I called Ruger a few years ago and the lady said "sure, send it in. We'll fix it." But I never did after hearing they will keep it.
But now I'm considering sending it to Ruger if they will exchange it for a new revolver, something I can reliably shoot."

I would NOT send one back to Ruger. Period. They will try & keep it. And you may not get a comparable value in that exchange.

If you are unhappy with it,, you'd be better off selling it & buying something else. They do not make those anymore & many of us enjoy getting them. And some folks have the talents to correct the issues you are mentioning.
 
Well you asked what recall.
As far as a repair, you never heard of sending a gun back for a repair?
My Max. doesn't need any repairs but being they were recalled I was wondering how the factory would handle it.
Theoretically speaking

My experience isn't really relevant to your question since it was decades ago, but it is an example of what kind of repair a Max might need.

I bought a 10-1/2" .357 Max back in 1983 for IHMSA Silhouette shooting. After a while I started having misfires. It took a while to figure out what was wrong but I realized that the firing pin had a rounded rear surface, and it was beating a hemispherical depression into the transfer bar. I ordered a new transfer bar from Ruger and installed it, but the same thing happened again.

I sent the gun back to Ruger and they said that it had a firing pin for a Security Six installed by mistake. They installed a flat faced firing pin and that fixed the problem, no misfires in many thousands of rounds fired since.

As far as flame cutting and forcing cone erosion? I have a 10-1/2" .44 Magnum Super Blackhawk that I bought in 1981 and also used for silhouettes, and it has lots of both. Whoopty frickin' doo.
 
The .357 Max approaches the performance of the .350 Legend. I like the idea of a .357 Max in a 18" bbl. model 92 clone. Chiappa, Miroku, anybody listening?
I have had a 7.5" Blackhawk since they came out. I just bought a Dan Wesson. I have no particular use for a rifle, but I would buy one any way.
I wonder if a Winchester model 1907 could be rebored?
Having a Model 1907 and trying to get it to run reliably in the original caliber is tough enough. The biggest issue would be the magazine. I've read, that when you wanted a spare magazine for the 1905, 1907 or 1910, you sent the rifle back to Winchester for fitting. The rim of the Max is too big. Not saying it's impossible but not an easy task.
 
Came onto this post quite late......so.....Ruger roll marked 16,314 frames and/or completed guns. After all the hoopla of top strap cutting (which abates after a 1000 rounds or so due to "re heat treating" and carbon build up, is a non issue. Forcing cone erosion was the killer. Lite bullets, fast burning powders pushed at MACH 4 speeds eroded forcing cones. There never was an official recall. Guns were sent in, some people supposedly got a Super, and I have HEARD of other choices or they were sent a check. (These are things I have heard of, sorry I am a doubting Thomas and to this day I have no physical proof, though I do believe it happened) The project was handed over to Walter Howe, Head of special Projects (More like a "fixer") Walter was actually fired by Bill Sr. for two weeks because he was sending out checks for full MSRP regardless of people paid for them. Ruger stopped shipping some time in 1983, I'm out of town and away from my files so I can't give you an exact date. There were some uninformed and under informed gun writers (Bob Milek was probably the worst) That bashed the project . Correspondence I have between Walter and Steve Seneti (sic) discusses the legal aspects of these issue. Ruger was still reeling form lawsuits regarding old Model safety issues and given the litigious society we live in, especially i.e. firearms, Bill Sr. Cancelled the project. At the 1984 Shot Show Tom Ruger had Maximums on the Ruger table. The signage read "The Max is Back" Bill Sr. heard of this and the guns and signs were soon removed. The roll mark on the frame was actually changed for this re release. The word "Blackhawk" was removed and "SRM" was added. This occurred somewhere between 600-11588 and around 600-13000. Ruger "scrapped" around 5-6000 completed and/or serialized frames. Just to give you a heads up, the year/serial number production table on Rugers site is wrong. Once again, away from files, but I think only about 2-3000 guns were roll marked in 1984. I got lots more, but the bar next to this hotel is calling for me. Thanks for looking.
 
I like the .357 Maximum. The lightest bullet I ever used was the now discontinued Speer 146 gr. JHP. This was a 3/4 jacket SWC and it was devastating on ground squirrels. My load clocked 1930 fps out of my 7.5" revolver. I had the chance to clock it out of a 14" Contender and my Oehler 33 said 2300 fps - very consistent with a low sd. For squirrels it was a mist load. I shot a jack rabbit with this load out of my revolver at 60 yards and the shoulder hit made a six-inch hole clear through; the rabbit moved not an inch.
The heaviest bullet I ever used was the Speer cast sillhouette bullet; it was a 192 grains as dropped from my Speer mold. It was a gas check bullet and leading was a non-issue. I got 1730 fps in the revolver with excellent accuracy.
This was before the popular loading manuals had much data. I used the Oehler 33 and ease of extraction in working up loads. Powder was WW296 with CCI450 small rifle primers.
I just acquired a Dan Wesson .357 SuperMag with a six-inch barrel.
I am on the lookout for a 10" Ruger. And I think a Contender may be in my future as well.
As for Bob Milek's concern about flame cutting, what does he know? I do not think he had enough experience with the cartridge and the Ruger revolvers to really have an informed opinion.
The consensus is flame cutting is a non-issue. I am pretty sure no revolvers ever disassembled themselve because of flame cutting, and I would not let that dissuade me from purchasing a revolver I wanted.
 
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flyer898,, re-read Coogs part;

"Forcing cone erosion was the killer. Lite bullets, fast burning powders pushed at MACH 4 speeds eroded forcing cones."

David Bradshaw help Bill & Bill Jr. develop the Maxi. And he will quickly tell you it was designed to shoot heavier bullets. He, along with Lee Martin developed a cast bullet a few years back just for the Maxi Rugers. It casts out at 194-195 grns. Using a gas check, and using 4227 powder,, running about 1450-1475 fps is about the best it can be.
And that load doesn't affect the forcing cone.
 
Do not return it to Ruger.

I have SN 600-5xxx. Purchased new in 1983 or 1984. They were a great revolver if you removed our friend from Thermopolis Wy from the picture. 200 grain RCBS gas checked mold with a good charge of 4227. Have to shorten the brass a little to get it to fit in the chamber. It had about 200 rounds fired and then retired since then. Still have all the documents and box as well as the plastic wrap. Not for sale.

The Dan Wesson Has a longer cylinder and acepts the longer RCBS 200 gr bullet with a full length case very well.
 
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