marksman13
Member
I’d find a CHP gun to do that with. Those guns are extremely rare and command a premium price. That said, it’s your rifle.
Will people hate me if I do this to a somewhat rare Ruger No.1?
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marksman13
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Lots of people are commenting here without knowing what you have exactly. It is an over-run of commemorative CHP guns. Those CHP guns bear a stamp commemorating the California Highway Patrol. These over-runs are very rare and command a premium among Ruger No. 1 collectors. Sell it, and buy two more. That’s my advice as a semi-No. 1 collector. Check the asking price of the non-CHP 357 Magnum currently listed on Gunbroker. That guy is asking right at $4K for his. May not get it, but it will bring $3K pretty easily. If I had the coin right now, I’d offer that for your rifle.
marksman13
Member
No. He’s not going to increase the value of that rifle by altering it. Not even a little bit.
I just fail to see the point. What would you do after the improvement that you couldn't do before? Going to the Max won't jump you up game classes, but it will burn more powder and make more noise.
Anyway, it's your gun so knock yourself out. Those pointing out that this is a rare rifle are absolutely correct though.
Anyway, it's your gun so knock yourself out. Those pointing out that this is a rare rifle are absolutely correct though.
marksman13
Member
This guy is crazy, but these rifles will eventually bring these kinds of numbers. No. 1s are trending up like crazy and a non-CHP 357 Mag is going to bring a lot of coin. It would VERY easily bring $2K right now. $2500 would be pretty easy money. $3K in the current market might be a stretch, but in two years, it will be easy money. Ruger is not currently building No. 1s. I hope that changes, but who knows.At any rate, Ruger built between 199 and 400 of these non-CHP stamped guns and 1800 with the CHP stamp on them. They are highly prized by collectors.
tark
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There is a big difference between restoring a beat up old gun to its "as new" condition.( and ending up losing money in the process, the restoration will invariably end up costing more than the finished product is worth.) and altering a pristine original that is already near "as new" condition. Collectors are against messing with high conditioned , pristine examples of any gun. Do whatever you want with the beaters. I have no problem with your statement.
someguy2800
Member
I have been on the lookout for one. I have 3 other 35 Remingtons and a 358 yeti which is for all practical purposes a 35 Remington improved, so you could say I’m a fan!
earlthegoat2
Member
If you got the gun for a good price then value is extremely relative.
I am of the personal and polarizing opinion that 357 Mag is darn near useless in a rifle and you would only be doing yourself and everyone else a favor by modifying the chamber.
However, the gun has intrinsic value so I would try to trade for a different No 1 or No 3 or other single shot that I would want and use. I can think of quite a few I would want like a No 3 in 44 Mag, No 1 in 480 Ruger or 460 S&W, or best of all an 1885 in 454 Casull.
If it was mine and I git it for a reasonable price and I couldn’t trade it for anything else, then I too would modify it.
I am of the personal and polarizing opinion that 357 Mag is darn near useless in a rifle and you would only be doing yourself and everyone else a favor by modifying the chamber.
However, the gun has intrinsic value so I would try to trade for a different No 1 or No 3 or other single shot that I would want and use. I can think of quite a few I would want like a No 3 in 44 Mag, No 1 in 480 Ruger or 460 S&W, or best of all an 1885 in 454 Casull.
If it was mine and I git it for a reasonable price and I couldn’t trade it for anything else, then I too would modify it.
someguy2800
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It kinda will actually. A 357 max loaded to 60,000 psi is on a whole different level of power.
someguy2800
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there is someone else in the world that also wants a 357 maximum ruger #1
Seriously? The SAAMI max is 40,000 psi, which is only 5000 ahead of the 357 Magnum. If you wanted to push the boundaries since it is a number one and you actually got 60,000 out of it, that means you could get 55,000 out of a 357 Magnum in the same gun. They both shoot the same bullets and the Max brass is only .32 inches longer. The rated velocity of a 158 grain bullet out of a 14 inch contender is only 1750 fps. That is only 200 fps above what a 357 magnum will do in that same contender. You might actually get 2000 fps out of the Ruger. You think you will suddenly have an Elk killer? That is like upgrading from the 250 Savage to the 257 Roberts and deciding you have an elephant gun.
Ugly Sauce
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.350 Legend.
someguy2800
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There is absolutely no worldly reason to load a 357 max to 40,000 psi in a strong action. My 13” 357 max would shoot a 180 grain at 2200 fps with absolutely no signs of pressure. Cases fell out of the gun. That was in a contender which can run that pressure. Same case head size as a 223
My point is that in a contender or a falling block Ruger, you can pump up the pressure of both the Max and the Magnum if you dare. Loaded to the same approximate pressure levels, the Max ballistics just aren't that far ahead of the Magnum. The Maximum wasn't a hit back in the 1980's with the silhouette crowd it was designed for because they didn't see the point for the extra cost of the Max. That's why the Max is pretty much dead now. You don't take a 1700 fps 357 Mag, increase it by 2 or 300 fps and suddenly have a T Rex killer.
Frankly, I have zero idea what in the heck Ruger was thinking when they chambered their Number 1 in a pistol caliber to begin with. It is a very heavy rifle for a pistol cartridge. If I was a cop, I would rather have a 357 Magnum lever gun. At least that has a rate of fire.
Jim Watson
Member
My only worry with overloading a common round for a "strong action" is how to tell how much the overload is.
Absolutely! Unless you strap a strain gauge to your rifle, you have no idea what pressure you are getting out of your homemade proof load.
jmorris
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I agree but how do you know what pressure a “book” load is running in your firearm?
Ever heard of an instance where a “book” load was “overloading”?
screw the "purists and period correct" ********.. they want them they need to buy them... quit demanding others play their game! I think the 357 number one is great... to me the CHP edition made a good looking gun ugly n worth less to "me" the max is a great round
SunnySlopes
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I got interested in guns early in my college days and fell into every iteration of recommendations by Bill Jordan, Skeeter Skelton, et al.
Based upon the above, I sent a pristine Mk4/Series 70 1911 to Jim Clark and had S&W sights installed.
I sent two S&W model 19s to the factory and had the 4 inch barrel swapped to the round butt 19, etc. That was a Jordan recommendation. (Round butt with a longer barrel.) I sent them back not long after to have them returned to original.
I ultimately learned that if I wanted a specific caliber/configuration, just buy a gun already set up that way, and stop wasting money.
Works for me. Just my $.02.
Based upon the above, I sent a pristine Mk4/Series 70 1911 to Jim Clark and had S&W sights installed.
I sent two S&W model 19s to the factory and had the 4 inch barrel swapped to the round butt 19, etc. That was a Jordan recommendation. (Round butt with a longer barrel.) I sent them back not long after to have them returned to original.
I ultimately learned that if I wanted a specific caliber/configuration, just buy a gun already set up that way, and stop wasting money.
Works for me. Just my $.02.
someguy2800
Member
That is true in theory but in practice you would have to use like medium burning pistol powders to get the pressure that high, and there isn’t much data to go off of on how that is going to go and how volitile that will be. Maybe quick load will give you an idea. With the case size of the max you can stay with the magnum pistol powders with which there it’s lots of empirical data on how it will act at those pressures and in similar length cartridges. A hot rod 357 max is essentially a mini 454 casull or 460 smith and Wesson so you can apply what works in those cartridges.
Additionally while you are getting your chamber cut you can have a rifle style throat cut in it to allow you to load longer rifle style bullets out and not have to stuff them down in the case in order to chamber, so you can gain significantly more case capacity than just the difference in case length. When loading 180+ grain bullets you can almost double the case capacity because your not stuffing the bullet way down in the case and taking up powder room. Yes you could also do this in a 357 mag case by cutting the same style throat in a 357 mag, but if your cutting it anyway why not also extend the chamber at the same time?
So yes a 357 max really does step up into another level of power. You can exceed factory pressure 35 Remington quite safely and with a straight wall case that is very powder efficient and can be reloaded dozens of times with carbide pistol dies.
The silhouette shooters may not have embraced it but hunters have now that we have several states with straight wall rifle rules. It is of course also the direct inspiration for the 350 legend which has been a huge success in such states.
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CoalTrain49
Member
As I understand it, he hasn't bought it yet.
I'd just buy one of the newer #1's that were chambered for 450, 454, 460, 475 or 480.
I never could understand a rifle chambered in a straight wall revolver cartridge unless there are some hunting restrictions or you want to do the CAS thing. I can tell you from experience that any straight wall 38 in a rifle will be underwhelming past 150 yds. If the 357 rifle thing was so great the 77/357's would be flying off the shelves and people would be rechambering those.
Comparing the two cartridges the Max will only get you an additional 400 fps using the same powder and bullet. The juice isn't worth the squeez. Never mind destroying the collectability.
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marksman13
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His is not a CHP rifle, and thus increases the value of his rifle.
someguy2800
Member
You say 400 fps as if it were an insignificant amount. That’s adding like 100-125 yards of range depending on the bullet before they drop to the same velocity.
codytrucker
Member
Depends , what your more interested in , the number one , or a 357 max rifle . I've got a single shot henry 357 that seems a lot more robust than a handy rifle , and is very accurate , at least at 50 yards . Shot 2 3/8 inch groups with open sights and blazer 158 grn. just sighting it in . One of those should make a nice shooter 357 max , and should take thrust equivalent to 243 ,308 . Comes in 350 legend ,too , which is basically what you'd wind up with a rimmed equivalent of. I have thought of the same thing your thinking though ,too . Years ago a retired CHP guy I know offered to sell me one he had . Intriguing idea , but financially probably not .
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