Will people hate me if I do this to a somewhat rare Ruger No.1?

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I did this operation on a .357 Handirifle barrel. While it shoots great with the pointier .35 Remington bullets, I'm not so sure it was such a great idea. After converting my H&R I found that my groups with regular .357 Magnum ammo had opened up considerably -- your mileage may vary.

The Maximum was designed to shoot ultra-heavy bullets rather than to achieve high velocities; one advantage to the longer case is to have enough brass to reach the cannelure on a deeply-seated 180 grainer for a hard crimp -- you need this to prevent bullet jump in a hard-kicking revolver. In a single shot rifle, you can use standard .357 Magnum brass and seat the bullet long with a less aggressive taper crimp and come pretty close to the same powder volume.

The real advantages to the Maximum is the thicker-walled case for higher pressures and greater powder volume to take advantage of it. In a single shot, brass hasn't been that big of a problem -- 200 cases will last forever. Loaded factory ammo is basically non-existent though.
 
I'm in the same boat...kinda.
I have a Ruger no 1 in 458 winchester I've thought would be nice turned into a 458 Lott.
"Velocities" we are both getting and could get are pretty close!
 
redneck2 said:
We always hear from the “purists” that piss and moaning because milsurps were altered or sporterized. They berate and vehemently verbally abuse anyone that’s ever turned a screw on some clunky military rife. What they obviously overlook is that the milsurps you so dearly love wouldn’t be here if all the others hadn’t been worked over.
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I am a collector, a "purist" if you must. I do not berate or verbally abuse people who decide to alter a milsurp. I complain about altering and "sporterizing" HIGH CONDITIONED milsurps. If you have a beat up, but mechanically sound 1903, or Mauser, or anything else... by all means go for it! Sporterize it to your hearts content! They made millions of them! But if that 1903 is a near new and unissued 95% gun, leave it alone!! If you alter it you are, in my opinion, a moron. Such a gun, milsurp or otherwise, is worth far more unaltered. And let's face it...95% of the "sporertized" milsurps out there were butchered by Bubba Q. McDumbass, with result looking like the aftermath of a boiler explosion in a whorehouse. A total mess. Have a nice day. :)
 
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tark said:
I am a collector, a "purist" if you must. I do not berate verbally abuse people who decide to alter a milsurp. I complain about altering and "sporterizing" HIGH CONDITIONED milsurps. If you have a beat up, but mechanically sound 1903, or Mauser, or anything else... by all means go for it! Sporterize it to your hearts content! They made millions of them! But if that 1903 is a near new and unissued 95% gun, leave it alone!! If you alter it you are, in my opinion, a moron. Such a gun, milsurp or otherwise, is worth far more unaltered. And let's face it...95% of the "sporertized" milsurps out there were butchered by Bubba Q. McDumbass, with result looking like the aftermath of a boiler explosion in a whorehouse. A total mess. Have a nice day. :)
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I agree that I have a negative emotional reaction to people cutting up milsurps, especially rare or very nice condition ones because of the military history associated with them. I own several sporterized gun but have never built one that wasn't already started by someone else. It has always perplexed me though with how concerned people are with what the monetary value of a gun is. I don't care if I turn a $2000 gun into a $1000 gun if I turn it into something I like better in the process. If value brought me enjoyment I would have a safe full of 100 dollar bills. I will shoot more money worth of ammo through most all of my guns than the gun is worth anyway. It especially baffles me why people are so uptight about refinishing guns like old lever actions. I would much rather have an original 1873 or whatever restored back to it original finish than a worn and patina'd finish that people seam to have deemed more valuable. Nobody makes a fuss when someone restores a classic car back to original condition.
 
In looking around, it doesn't seem that these rifles (marked or not) are especially rare, valuable, or collectible. (That seems to be the usual case with "commemorative" guns and I have come to strongly doubt their potential as investments).

So I doubt that the rechambering considered by the OP would have much if any impact on the value of the gun, and if I was taken by such an inexplicable (they're both useless chamberings for a #1 as far as I am concerned, but considering all the irrational things I've done to guns I have no room to criticize!) desire, I would simply go have it done.
 
Dave DeLaurant said:
Have you considered the .375 Winchester?
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Dang it Dave, I wanted to suggest that. !!!!! But I will add that CHP, Highway Patrol, John Wayne, etc. rifles/guns don't increase in value, and are a very small market. Unless one is a collector, and has actual ties to the agency, there just are not many people who will pay much for a "comemerative" (wish I could spell that) rifle. Future "value" is not much of a concern.
 
redneck2 said:
A milsurp is in its original form is basically useless for anything other than a long forgotten war or play time.
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I wish you had told me that before all the game I've taken with box-stock SMLE's, the P17, 03A3 and the Model 1873 Springfield rifle, all in original form. !!!! DANG! :neener:
 
I wouldn't do it.
Keep in original configuration, if is good condition shoot it and enjoy the ride.
 
Just do it. Who is going to know the difference? All you are doing is lengthening the chamber by what, 1/4"?
 
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someguy2800 said:
I agree that I have a negative emotional reaction to people cutting up milsurps, especially rare or very nice condition ones because of the military history associated with them. I own several sporterized gun but have never built one that wasn't already started by someone else. It has always perplexed me though with how concerned people are with what the monetary value of a gun is. I don't care if I turn a $2000 gun into a $1000 gun if I turn it into something I like better in the process. If value brought me enjoyment I would have a safe full of 100 dollar bills. I will shoot more money worth of ammo through most all of my guns than the gun is worth anyway. It especially baffles me why people are so uptight about refinishing guns like old lever actions. I would much rather have an original 1873 or whatever restored back to it original finish than a worn and patina'd finish that people seam to have deemed more valuable. Nobody makes a fuss when someone restores a classic car back to original condition.
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Sadly there is a movement in the "collector car" organizations to "preserve" the paint/patina of "barn finds" to the point of not washing the crud off of them. You get dinged by the various national collector car organizations at competitions if you replace the original parts with functional reproductions, even down to things like batteries, belts and tires!

I agree with your observation about monetary value and what I will spend in ammo.
 
In the FWIW category, when I worked at the LGS, the specialty collector series guns were usually worth less than standard models. Seems a fair portion of the population thinks they’re wall hangers only, and they want to shoot what they buy.

I got a Ducks Unlimited series Remington 870. Actually bought it for less than a standard 870. Shot it a lot.
 
Pro: Rechambering to Max would let you get a rifle type throat. I once read an article about the advantages of that vs the usual "imitation revolver" chamber and throat.

Con: If you rechamber to Max and don't like it, maybe because brass is hard to find, maybe because it makes the 7 lb Ruger a kicker, it might not shoot Magnums as well as it used to.
 
Jim Watson said:
maybe because it makes the 7 lb Ruger a kicker,
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I can't imagine the .357Max being a "kicker". !!! Is that even a possibility? I have a five pound 12 gauge in 3". THAT, is a kicker. But seriously, if a .357 max in a rifle kicks too hard...LMAO!!!!! :rofl:
 
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