357 Max?

I know they were supposed to have issues with flame cutting when using lighter bullets, but was/is it an issue with heavier bullets?

 

And you asked because? You found a DW or Ruger chambered in such?

 

There is a ton of thunder and lightning going on at the B/C gap of a .357 Max, as Dr Rob stated all revolvers (especially .357 Max revolvers) will show signs of it to some extent. The DW guns certainly shrug it off, I haven’t ever heard of a Ruger failing because of it either.

Stay safe.

 

Intrigued. Thinking about trying to find one, maybe rechamber a Marlin in it. It's an intriguing round.

 

Probably too long for a Marlin.

Works in a single shot.
I saw a Junior BPCR shooter with a .357 Maximum doing business as .38 Ballard Extra Long.

 

Yes, I think It would have to be based on a big bore Marlin receiver I would think. The 444 is longer than the 357 Max. I had never heard of the max until recently, but it's an interesting round.

 

Yes, but if you are going to use a long action, you can have a .35 Remington with more punch. The only advantage of a .357 Maximum rifle would be for those "straight case" hunting areas.

I read somewhere that it is possible to convert a .357 Magnum Winchester Model 94 to Maximum. That is a long action kluged for revolver ammo in the first place, so there is plenty of room inside.

 

Don't know if it would suit your interests but the Thompson Center Contenders offered a barrel in 357 Max.

Jeff

 

RE: the .357 Rem. Maximum, it makes a nice rifle cartridge in a single shot, such as my self-built from the action up #2 Rolling Block (357 Mag). Long throat allows for the use of .358 rifle bullets. New bbl. is also .358.

 

I believe the flame cutting gets to a point and then goes no further. Stated another way, experience and history has demonstrated that the depth of the flame cuts to top straps is limited, and revolvers go many thousands of rounds with no further degradation.

 

Yep, both pistol and carbine barrels...

 

Correct. Every revolver I have has some level of flame cutting of the topstrap, even those that don’t generate anywhere near the violence at the B/C gap of the .357 Max.

Conventional thought is that lightweight bullets and large amounts of slow ball powders really cause a lot of pressure/flame/heat/etc. at this junction, and that combination in the .357 max made the inevitable flame cutting happen very quickly. (The light bullet/magnum powder charge combo is also what caused a lot of K frame .357 magnum revolvers issues at the forcing cone.)

Even with visible levels of flame cutting at various thousands-of-an-inch depths across the caliber spectrum, none of my revolvers have ever failed at the topstrap. I also haven’t heard of, nor seen pictures of, where even a well used. 357 max revolver has failed at that spot, either.

Stay safe.