[exflatlander]

OK, possibly stupid question time here.

Since the .357 Maximum seems to be nearing its death rattle save for us Dan Wesson guys and a few TC Contender guys, I can't expect any new guns to be chambered for it any time soon.

I have seen a few single shot rifles available for it, but would love to get a lever gun in .357 Max.

Do you think it would be possible to create a .357 Maximum levergun out of any of the current offerings from Marlin or Winchester?

Is the action of the .357 magnum levers long enough (strong enough) to handle it?

Could you possibly rechamber a .35 Remington to .357 Maximum?

Should I just hold out for a .356 Winnie to go with my .307 and .375?

This is obviously a want and not a need - but so are most of the guns in my safe

 

[kciH]

I've never seen a lever action for this caliber, but it would be my guess that it would be do-able and expensive. It's too bad it never caught on better, as it is a good cartridge. The thing that it was most used for is no longer a popular sport, so the cartridge dies. When's the last time you heard anything about a 7mm BR? Or any of the other silhouette cartridges. I've never owned a Max in a revolver that I shoot, I've got one in a TC that I like to shoot and a unfired Ruger. It's a good cartridge, but it requires a huge revolver to realize it's potential. I do believe I've seen a levergun chambered for a wildcat based on the case though, but I'm not sure where it was.

 

[Dutch4122]

Paco Kelly wrote about re-chambering a Winchester M-94 in .357 Magnum to the Maximum round. If you check his archives on Sixgunner.com I think you may find mention of it. I've got a NEF Single Shot .357 Mag that I plan on having reamed to .357 Max in the future. Should be a fun little gun and the 22 inch barrel should get quite a bit out of the Max.

Hope this helps,

 

[imashooter2]

It's too long to work in the Marlin 1894, but you could make one in the 336 or Winchester.

 

[RollTide]

I am working on getting a conversion done for the 445 Supermag. I am going with Winchester Mod. 94 because it has a long action and a rifling twist rate more conducive to the longer, heavier bullets I intend to use. I like Marlins better. They did make a 44 Mag on the 336 action for a while, but the 1:38 twist rate will not stabilize the longer bullets. I looked into a custom barrel, but it got way out of my price range. I will post here if I ever get it done.

RollTide

 

[Dutch4122]

Rolltide-

I'd be very interested to read about your results once you get the conversion to .445 S/M done. Please keep us posted.

Thanks,

 

[WAGNER95696]

.357 max conversion

Several years ago I had a Marlin 1894 .357 converted to .357 Maximum. I would not recommend it. Opening the action to handle the longer cartridge results in a very long lever throw, past 90 degrees. Also the lever motion is a little rough and it must be operated briskly. I can not slowly and quietly 'slip one into the chamber'. If operated briskly it will feed reliably, even intermixed .357 Max and /357 Magnum cartridges.

If I wanted a .357 Maximum lever action I would get a Winchester M94 and rechamber. It should be very easy to convert because of the longer action. Should not need any more than opening up the cartrudge follower.

If I ever get the hots for another 'hot' .357 carbine on a 'short' action such as M-92 or Marlin 1894 I would go for the .357 B&D or some other necked down case.

However, in short straight cases the gains that can be attained just by slighly increasing the LOA is amazing. An extra .10" is about 10% increase. I 'opened up' a Winchester 94 in .45 Colt by grinding back the shoulder of the cartridge follower, nothing else, not even rethroating, and the result is that I can now load .45 Colt at 1.85" LOA. With +p loads [32,000 +/- psi] it will equal factory 45-70 with 300-350 grain bullets and comes close to .454 Casull at lower pressures and much cheaper components. It is necessary to roll a new cannelure in the jacketed bullets to suit new LOA but that is no problem at all, certainly easier than trimming cases.

OK, possibly stupid question time here.

Since the .357 Maximum seems to be nearing its death rattle save for us Dan Wesson guys and a few TC Contender guys, I can't expect any new guns to be chambered for it any time soon.

I have seen a few single shot rifles available for it, but would love to get a lever gun in .357 Max.

Do you think it would be possible to create a .357 Maximum levergun out of any of the current offerings from Marlin or Winchester?

Is the action of the .357 magnum levers long enough (strong enough) to handle it?

Could you possibly rechamber a .35 Remington to .357 Maximum?

Should I just hold out for a .356 Winnie to go with my .307 and .375?

This is obviously a want and not a need - but so are most of the guns in my safe

 

[warlock]

You almost wonder whether that extra speed might actually be detrimental...as you are already pushing the 357 magnum bullets towards the 2000 fps threshold...and you could push beyond.

Is there a point where that extra velocity is actually detrimental to bullet performance? Possible fragmenting of the bullet etc...reduced penetration.

 

[mr.pepper]

ever consider the 444 instead of rechambering the
357 or the 44 to max?( 357 max, 445 supermag)

 

[RDKNG]

Interesting...I've heard a 240gr Hornady XTP @ about 2300-2350fps. out of a .444 could frag on impact. This is the load I'm currently thinking about using for deer.Reason being,the accuracy is incredible- I can cover 5shots with a quarter at100 yrds. from a rest.

 

[slow2run]

357 max

Yes if you chamber the 38 cal rifle to 360 dan wesson( brass lenght half way between the 357 and the 357 max) 200 gr bullet at around 1750fps

 

[OldWolf]

Isn't the .35 Remington ballistically superior to the .357 Maximum? The .35 Rem lever rifles already exist, as you well know!

 

[RugerNo3]

Isn't the .35 Remington ballistically superior to the .357 Maximum? The .35 Rem lever rifles already exist, as you well know!

In reality the 35Rem is duplicated by a 357Max. The expansion ratio of the 35bore compared to proper burn rates of the two types of powder necessary for each makes this possible. Simply put, smaller quantities of faster powders in the 357Max makes up for larger quantities of slower burning powders in the 35Rem. Operating pressures are comparable. Not only that the short necked 35Rem makes it extremely difficult to use a gas checked cast bullet, lest the gas check that may be in the powder area can come off before firing. The straight max case can be reloaded with 357/38 spec dies and the gas check is properly supported in the straight case. Since the 357max was developed for silohouet shooting and had some supposed problems with flame cutting the top strap in revolvers, it gasped before it really got started to be discovered. New England Firearms chambered it in the handi rifle for a time, but it is a handloading proposition actually and hand loaders are a small minority. Over at greybeards site there are a few that has rechambered the 357 as James Gates has mentioned and it is a very useful round. A lady or young/small shooter could use it as effectively as a 30-30 or 35 Rem with less inherent recoil with the smaller powder charges. Long winded, but I hate to see the 357Max gasping for air as it is a great round and deserves better from the shooting crowd.

 

[firebird]

You did say that you want something different as your reason for wanting a rifle in this cal. It can be done if you want to pay the price of having it made. It would be for novelty purposes because there so many good cartridges in lever action rifles already.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

In reality the 35Rem is duplicated by a 357Max. The expansion ratio of the 35bore compared to proper burn rates of the two types of powder necessary for each makes this possible. Simply put, smaller quantities of faster powders in the 357Max makes up for larger quantities of slower burning powders in the 35Rem. Operating pressures are comparable. Not only that the short necked 35Rem makes it extremely difficult to use a gas checked cast bullet, lest the gas check that may be in the powder area can come off before firing. The straight max case can be reloaded with 357/38 spec dies and the gas check is properly supported in the straight case. Since the 357max was developed for silohouet shooting and had some supposed problems with flame cutting the top strap in revolvers, it gasped before it really got started to be discovered. New England Firearms chambered it in the handi rifle for a time, but it is a handloading proposition actually and hand loaders are a small minority. Over at greybeards site there are a few that has rechambered the 357 as James Gates has mentioned and it is a very useful round. A lady or young/small shooter could use it as effectively as a 30-30 or 35 Rem with less inherent recoil with the smaller powder charges. Long winded, but I hate to see the 357Max gasping for air as it is a great round and deserves better from the shooting crowd.

I can't agree that "operating pressures are comparable". In this instance, yes, a smaller charge of faster burning powder can equal the ballistics of a larger charge of slower burning powder, but that comes at the expense of much higher chamber pressure. The .35 Remington factory loads produce not much over 30,000 psi while some of the .357 Max loads which duplicate .35 Rem ballistics probably run over 60,000 psi, certainly over 50,000. There are no free lunches, the only way a smaller case can match ballistics with a larger one is by loading the smaller case to higher pressure, such as 9mm at 30,000 vs .38 special at 15,000.

 

[JBledsoe]

.

I have to agree with CoyoteJoe.


.

 

[James Gates]

Interesting! It seems that converting a lever gun to .357 Max really does not seem easy....but to say that the .357 Max can not match (or exceed factory .35 Rem) is just not fact.
In a re-chamberd NEF .357 Mag to .357 Max...and if the chamber work is done with a rifle type reamer....The Max will push a Remington 200 ge Core-Lokt and honest 2000'/". That is a fine bullet for that velocity. It seems that the IMR 4227 was made for the Max in a rifle.
There are other loads that the Max is great for.....velocity down to .38 Special without haveing a larger hull with little powder.
All in All...The Max in a single shot is just pure fun for anything from rats to deer/hogs!
Regards, James

 

[riley]

I had a T/C Contender with a 10" BBL in a .357Max several years ago. Until I had it ported, it was a most uncomfortable pistol to shoot with full power loads I had owned to date; for it had a "vicious" straight back recoil that made the .44Mag seem like a "***** cat". I have a hunting friend who now owns a NEF single shot rifle in the .357Max that is one of his favorite short range deer guns. I loaded mine pistol with 180 and 200gr (.358 diameter) Speer and Hornady bullets and the velocity was about equal to a .35Rem in the same barrel length. My friend never loaded anything heavier than 158gr and shot several deer with his, while I never shot any game larger than a jack rabbit (traded it for a rifle later). I've thought I'd like to have my Puma .357 lever converted to a "Max", but found out, like most of you, it has too short of an action to work. The Win94 sounds like a good bet since it is long enough and has a good reputation for feeding .357 and .38special cases in those so chambered. I'd pass on the Marlin, for it is already offered in the best of .35 calibers afar as I'm concerned (IMHO). The real advantage of the .357Max is its ability to shoot both the (cheap) .38Special rounds, as well as the .357Mag accurately, and as a "companion piece" to ones pistol while riding or driving the "fence line". I guess the same argument can be had for the .460S&W shooting .454 or .45LC rounds; however, the .357Max would be more fun to shoot and cheaper "to boot". Regards, Riley

 

[James Gates]

Having never shot the Max in a handgun, TC or otherwise, I really could not comment on it in those. I agree the Max has a limited use far as lever guns, etc....but for a light single shot walking/camp gun it is great. I would like to have a Low Wall custom setup in the Max. The re-chambered NEF is nice, but still too heavy for the caliber.
Regards, James

 

[afish4570]

OK, possibly stupid question time here.

Since the .357 Maximum seems to be nearing its death rattle save for us Dan Wesson guys and a few TC Contender guys, I can't expect any new guns to be chambered for it any time soon.

I have seen a few single shot rifles available for it, but would love to get a lever gun in .357 Max.

Do you think it would be possible to create a .357 Maximum levergun out of any of the current offerings from Marlin or Winchester?

Is the action of the .357 magnum levers long enough (strong enough) to handle it?

Could you possibly rechamber a .35 Remington to .357 Maximum?

Should I just hold out for a .356 Winnie to go with my .307 and .375?

This is obviously a want and not a need - but so are most of the guns in my safe

I can vouch for the 356 Win. model 94 AE.Bought mine 10 yrs. ago when nobody wanted the. The best kept secret for a leveraction fan.....Shoot Rem. 200 gr. RN (cause until the last yr. they were cheap)powder is 3031 or 2520 Accurate, velocity is 2330.Very accurate and potent.
THFISH