Please shoot this rifle idea down, .357 Mag semi-auto

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grimjaw

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I've seen a few threads lately that asked about .357 Magnum semi-autos and their problems feeding from box magazines.

What problems would be encountered designing a .357 semi-auto rifle, fed from a tube magazine?

Would this rifle sell if it had a magazine capacity of 5-10 rounds?

Do you think it would have similar ammo restrictions to the Ruger .44 Magnum semi-auto?

Just curious on opinions, informed or otherwise. Much thanks.

jm
 
Well take some .357's and lay them out infront of one another and see how man you can lay out in the length of a rifle (giving room for the compressed spring that will force feed them to the action).

I think its more about "who cares" more so than probmatic for tube fed. I doubt Ruger sells that many 96/44 carbines (or whatever that model is) to warrent a .357 version. Besides, its an ugly gun IMO lol.

I personally like tube fed bolt actions and lever actions. Always have and always will. But its just something that is not cool anymore.
 
You've got the Marlin 1894C which will do the same thing sans feeding problems of a box mag. Capacity is 10 rounds. You can also get the Rossi and Uberti copies of the Winchester 92 and 1873 (respectively) with like capacity. Soon, you may have the Taurus copy of the Colt Lightning .

Somewhere in the further back reaches of my memory I have a recollection of conversions of the .30 Carbine M1 Carbine to .357 Mag. IIRC capacity was reduced to 5 rounds due to feeding problems.
 
I doubt Ruger sells that many 96/44 carbines (or whatever that model is) to warrent a .357 version. Besides, its an ugly gun IMO lol.
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96/44 is a modern lever action- rotary magazine, and all internal mechanism. I doubt theysell many- I never see them available in local shops- new or used. Short throw lever IIRC.

The Deerfield carbine does have some following. The originals have increased in value and are popular. As a result, many people also settle for the new models, instead of looking for a good shap used one that could be devalued hunting.
 
I think the Deerfield is the one I was refering to. The semi auto thing from Ruger in .44 mag.

But Rugers lever actions are equally as ugly IMO. :evil: (and I am a Ruger fan believe it or not
 
Deerfield Carbine is a NEAT package!

Tiny little gun, a brush rifle that's nearly as unobtrusive as a pistol. One of the only guns to ever pose a real challenge the lever carbine for quick, convenient hunting firepower. I have no idea how many they sell, but I'd definitely consider one if I were looking for something in that class.

Didn't Ruger's lever guns -- which are essentially manual versions of their semiauto carbines -- come out when Australia did the big semiauto ban? I've always thought that they were aimed at the Aussie hunting market, where autoloaders, contrary to the BS spouted by their politicians, really did have what our pols would call "legitimate sporting purposes." I don't think Ruger makes them for their looks.:p

Anyway, the Deerfield has VERY little recoil. There's no real reason people would buy it in .357. I do think Marlin made the Camp Carbine or somesuch in .357 at some point, but I could be dead wrong about that.
 
What about an AR-pattern .357, either in Magnum or the SIG load? Now that I think about it, I'm suprised we haven't seen one already.
 
I was really more focused on the tubular magazine idea than anything else, since most objections raised are due to feeding of rimmed cartridges.

jm
 
Ruger's rotary magazine feeds rimmed cartridges just fine. The Deerfield has a larger, but smaller capacity, version of the 10/22 magazine.

The Deerfield COULD be made in .357; I just don't think there's the demand for it.
 
The original Winchester 1892 was designed by JMB himself with a box mag, and a striker rather than a hammer. Neat design -- he solved the rimlock problem by having the action pull the rounds out of the mag from the rear, then load them in levergun style.

I would LOVE to see something like a semi-auto 1892 personally. :)
 
Ruger 10-357 would be a great idea!
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In essence, that's what the Deerfield is, except it's a .44 Magnum.

221.jpg
 
Lone Gunman:

Wonder the same thing...Universal got one running in .256WCF (the "Ferret") which is a necked down .357...they even mangled one into a pump .44mag. (the "Vulcan"). Iver Johnson (when they were making Carbines) had one running in 9mmWinMag (a pretty dead-end cartridge with a real short life span). At lest one custom maker has turned out a few in .45WinMag., but there is a good bit of custom work there.

Soo...a bolt face can be made to fit the rimmed .357 (they did it with the .256 Ferret) and the power/pressure can be tamed to work in the carbine's action (the 9mm WinMag. ran about at .357 pressues).

Think it could have been done...length issues might crop up, and rimmed rounds don't stack as well in "stick" mags., but think it could have been made to work.
 
I'd love to see someone make an extended magazine for the Deerfield. At least a 10 round, though a 20 rounder would be better. That would be a fun little plinker to crank rounds through. There must not be many people shooting these. I'm sure if the demand were there, Promag or someone would have done this already.
 
I would've loved to have one of those Israeli made 357 pumps years back.
I had a US lever. A friend still has one.

I doubt a 357 semi is going to market as well as the 9s, 40s, etc. You
have to consider the demographics of who would be a 357 rifle purchaser
and it's going to be 357 revolver owners --not your typical high-rate consumers
of ammo like the hi-cap wonder 9 people.
 
not your typical high-rate consumers of ammo like the hi-cap wonder 9 people.

. . . another reason I was focusing on the TUBE MAGAZINE idea, which would probably top out at 10 rounds.

jm
 
Would the wide variety of .357 loads complicate gas operation? I guess you could have an adjustable valve.
 
Convert a semi-auto shotgun to .357? British Martini Henrys and Enfields have been converted to shotguns of various calibers so I'm sure the opposite could be done with a shotguns, if you see what I mean.

Not a tubular magazine idea, but you could simply make a stock kit and lengthened barrel for a Desert Eagle in .357, maybe make some longer mags too.
 
There must not be many people shooting these.
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The Deerfield is a niche-market gun, since a number of states with dense forests only allow slug hunting for deer, or don't allow semiautos.

Here in CA, I could see using it for pig, mainly. And for that, I'd probably get a .30-30, which is a tad more versatile.

Doc Zinn shot a Deerfield, though, when we went to a big factory demo, and he wanted one right off. Low recoil, nice handling. It's like a thicker, heavier 10/22, with a gas system kinda like a Ruger Mini or M1 Carbine. One would just have to have a very specific need for that gun, to justify buying it. As a plinker, the Mini-14 is cheaper to shoot, and it doesn't have screws to shoot loose with lots of rounds, like the Deerfield.
 
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