357 mag

[bigted]

Have a thought about building an Encore rifle barrel in 357 Mag. I would like it to have a fairly fast twist for heavy long boolits. My desire is for a 200+ grain boolit at subsonic speed in a short barrel that eventually will receive a suppressor.

Uses for this will be mainly target shooting without ear protection ... hunting medium and small game. This would be a single shot survival type weapon chambered in the easy to acquire 357 Magnum cartridges.

Do not want nor desire the 357 maximum. Higher power or higher velocity. Pretty much sold on the Magnum chamber.

This will be either a stub barrel or lined ... however have not ruled out a rebore by someone using a 223 barrel for the base barrel as the extractor and basic chamber is very close ... however I think a bull type barrel would be shizz nizz also.

This would also be a short barrel ... say 16 or 18 inch long.

Anybody thought or developed this type of a project? Loads? Heaviest boolits?

[P Flados]

New MGM custom barrel with no extras is shown as $395.

E. A. Brown custom looks like $390 with no extras.

Used barrel for stub tube is going to be what? Say $225. New blank will cost say $100. Machining cost put you over a new custom.

Used barrel of $225 plus rebore of $250 is again higher than a new custom.

New CVA rifle in 357 mag is $300 or so. I have seen lots of folk talking about great accuracy from CVA guns. The 357 mag is a "low power" round for the rifle, so it really should shoot good and last forever. Threading for a can would be extra, but gun + threading job should still be cheaper. I am not sure about twist, but the Lee 200 has worked fine every 357 mag gun I have tried it in.

[bigted]

Thanks. Good point. Might just have to search around and handle a CVA and see if it feels right.

[P Flados]

I still kind of wish I had bought one of their 300 BO pistols while they were still available.

[GBertolet]

I converted a #3 Ruger from 22 Hornet to .357mag, and I love it. A Douglas 1-14 twist 35 cal rifle barrel is what I used. I prefer 160 gr cast bullets at subsonic velocities. Bore is .358, so .358 or larger bullets are required. I like .360 diameter. The extractor was easy to convert to .357mag. A 7/16" endmill was all that was needed to get the proper radius. A great plinker, with low noise. I was gifted a .357 max reamer also, so it was considered, but I went with the magnum, and haven't looked back. I think you will be pleased with your .357mag Encore after you get one.

[dverna]

There was a member here that put a silencer on a ..38/.357 lever action. It always seemed to me that it would be a very good survival/SHTF weapon.

Add a Sig Romeo dot sight (currently selling for $100) would make a fine addition.

I have thought about doing it to one of my rifles and was waiting for silencers to become legal...but it looks like that will not happen now.

[P Flados]

In my previous post I had found a new CVA in 357 Mag for $300. I could not find that listing today.

About the only alternates I found today were the $400 Henry single shot and the Traditions Outfitter.

I think if you shop around & watch web sites, you should be able to get a gun at a good price.

[bigted]

Thinkin that a MGM or such barrel made to order will probably be the order of the day. This Encore platform is growing on me all the time. I have a couple barrels for it already and just have a blast every time I take it out.

One barrel is a shortened 223 barrel. I load it with Trail Boss with PC'd Lee 55 grain boolits at rite at 22LR velocitys. Very fun and very accurate at small game ranges.

The 357 rem mag should bring me bunch's of fun. May be a bit to gather up the coin but headed that way.

Anybody care to share their low velocity or otherwise loads?

[steve urquell]

In my previous post I had found a new CVA in 357 Mag for $300. I could not find that listing today.

About the only alternates I found today were the $400 Henry single shot and the Traditions Outfitter.

I think if you shop around & watch web sites, you should be able to get a gun at a good price.

CVA doesn't make a .357 rifle. They do have a pistol in .357. I have seen the pistol listed with a pic of a rifle though so a part number check should be done before ordering anything.

I want a threaded bbl SS .357 rifle as well. I have a CVA .300blk and would snap up a .357 in a heartbeat if they offered one. One thing I would do differently if I had a do over is to buy a .45 silencer rather than a 9mm. Just as quiet and I would have a CVA .44 mag threaded to use it on.

https://i.imgur.com/AnVCA0J.jpg

[Nrut]

Thinkin that a MGM or such barrel made to order will probably be the order of the day. This Encore platform is growing on me all the time. I have a couple barrels for it already and just have a blast every time I take it out.

One barrel is a shortened 223 barrel. I load it with Trail Boss with PC'd Lee 55 grain boolits at rite at 22LR velocitys. Very fun and very accurate at small game ranges.

The 357 rem mag should bring me bunch's of fun. May be a bit to gather up the coin but headed that way.

Anybody care to share their low velocity or otherwise loads?

Here ya go Ted:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?236689-9x33R-Whisper-250g

[brown bass hunter]

Sounds like a fun "toy", especially with a can

[kenton]

traditions makes a cheap 357 break action rifle.

https://grabagun.com/firearms/rifles/single-shot-rifles/traditions-outfitter-g2-357mag-22-ss-syn.html

[uscra112]

Make sure the chamber is throated correctly.

Worthy plan to stay with .357 Magnum. I reamed a 14" Contender barrel to .357 Max, and wish I hadn't. The Magnum case, with a barrel that's throated for a 200 grain bullet, has all the powder space you need.

No going back now. All I can do is load the Max case accordingly.

[P Flados]

I reamed a 14" Contender barrel to .357 Max, and wish I hadn't.


I have a bunch of 357 Mag and 357 Max guns.

I do not like to load hot ammo in magnum cases. If someone has a 357 mag single shot and wants to rechamber for more power, I typically recommend the DW 360. You can still get good service with magnum cases, but you can load the 360 brass to near 357 max performance.

The only situation where I see the Max as better would be for long guns (including 14" pistols) where the shooter is really needing extra effective hunting range and has no desire to shoot the gun for smaller game or "just for fun".

[uscra112]

I have a bunch of 357 Mag and 357 Max guns.

I do not like to load hot ammo in magnum cases. If someone has a 357 mag single shot and wants to rechamber for more power, I typically recommend the DW 360. You can still get good service with magnum cases, but you can load the 360 brass to near 357 max performance.

The only situation where I see the Max as better would be for long guns (including 14" pistols) where the shooter is really needing extra effective hunting range and has no desire to shoot the gun for smaller game or "just for fun".

Certainly agree that the Max should not be loaded as hot as the Internet cowboys claim to be doing in the Encore, which is by no means a strong action.

But believe it or not, on paper you can load a .357 Magnum case with a 200 grain cast bullet, seated well out, with enough Lil'Gun to get over 1000 ft.lbs. from a 12" barrel, at a pressure well within the SAAMI max. The barrel must be throated for it - the bullet is only .200" deep in the case. Almost a breech-seated load. Have I done it? No - I am cured of the Contender/Encore disease, and have no desire to re-infect myself. May one day mount a .357 Magnum High Wall barrel I have to a spare action and run my Max reamer into it, but it's not high priority.

[P Flados]

USCRA,

In your previous post, you are describing is an "Option 4" where Options 1 -3 are standard loads in standard cases (mag, max & 360).

With option 4, you assemble ammo in a Mag case that is way too long to fit in any of the weak revolvers. With over length ammo, you can load as hot as you are comfortable with and not worry about the ammo getting in a wrong gun.

Max usable OAL depends on you chamber and on your bullet profile. With a long nose bullet (J word or cast) or a nose riding boolit, even a standard chamber will allow for a long OAL. I took my old octagon 357 TC barrel, used one of my custom 200s (pictures earlier in this thread) and found I could seat out for a 1.8" OAL.

Unfortunately, although the Lee 200 is one of the obvious choices for a long nose bullet there is a good chance it will not give you as much as you would think. What looks to be a nose riding portion drops right at 0.350" from my mold and is too fat to go inside the lands on any of my 35 cal TC barrels.

[bigted]

Here ya go Ted:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?236689-9x33R-Whisper-250g

Thanks for the link. Good read. Answers some questions for me

[r6487]

I followed harrympope's posts. bought an IMI Timberwolf pump and began playing. With pump I could only chamber 170, 180 & 200 grain. shooting those suppressed with 9mm can was and is cool. Wanting to go heavier got harrympope to send me some of his cast. found the timberwolf couldn't do the long ones. went to H&R handi with long throat, tried 358 rifle j bullets and they did OK. Discovered the old Ideal 358318 245 grain round nose. Bought an NOE copy with hollow point. Finally found an original 358318 on ebay. the handi's throat will take these long boolits. Little over 5 grains of Unique with these little thumpers and a suppressor are quite fun and cheap.

[nhithaca]

r6487, interesting that you have a Timberwolf pump as they are not that common. I bought one in the 1990s and it shoots great, but I have only mostly used 38s loaded with 158gc lead @ about 900 fps. The factory sights are not the best in my opinion. In the old Gunlist paper there was an ad for the entire remaining lot of parts for the gun from some sort of liquidator outfit looking for a sucker. Didn't have the money, but should have bought the lot. Would like to find one of the 44 mag guns which are real rare.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

You may want to ask over on https://specialtypistols.infopop.cc/eve/forums?s=9066056864&ORIGINAL_REFERRER_URL=http%3A%2F%2Fspecialtypistol s.infopop.cc%2Feve%2Fforums&csra=Y

[ASSASSIN]

I did a barrel stub on an H&R in 38 special for shooting 250 gr. cast Boolits, and at 40 yards you can shoot a 3 shot, 5 shot or 10 shot group and there is never any paper left between the bullet holes.

Since I have neighbors that live VERY close by, I needed something that was relatively quiet and would put both front shoulders out of commission so as to not have a deer jump a fence and possibly die right next to someone's house. Yes, all legal hunting, but just have less than 1 1/2 acres where the deer bed down on my place, so I need to anchor them down fast, without cutting loose with a high powered rifle.

So far so good! 8 years, 8 deer and 8 shots fired, and none of my nosy neighbors have any idea that any deer have been killed around the area. :happy dance:

[Groo]

Groo here
The biggest problem with a factory barrel is most are cut to Sammy specs..
The specs also include the cylinder and there for have long chambers.
Some are so long that they will take 357 seated to 357 max oal.
The custom are usually cut correctly.
Ps don't overlook the Contender frame.
There are many out there and Haus of Guns is selling new SS ones.

[r6487]

another good cast boolit I forgot to mention is the Penn Bullets 230grain Thunderhead. Developed for bowling pin competitions. As these have a pretty flat head they can be set deep on a short throat gun.

[Jedman]

I have said this before but why CVA didn't make their break action single shot in 357 makes no sense. Right now in a new rifle you have Traditions and Henry.
The last 357 handi barrel I seen for sale went for $ 300 so you need to keep looking.

Jedman

[Jedman]

I just thought of a chamber adapter to use in a shotgun. There is a guy named Chaszel who makes a 357 mag adapter for a 12, 16, or 20 ga. In 1- 16 or 1- 12 twist and in 11" or 18" lengths.
They shoot well as adapters but if installed permanently they are as good as regular rifle barrel.
They are priced at $ 65 to $ 100 and if you want to have a extractor or ejector you would have to do that yourself.

Jedman

[MT Gianni]

Certainly agree that the Max should not be loaded as hot as the Internet cowboys claim to be doing in the Encore, which is by no means a strong action.

But believe it or not, on paper you can load a .357 Magnum case with a 200 grain cast bullet, seated well out, with enough Lil'Gun to get over 1000 ft.lbs. from a 12" barrel, at a pressure well within the SAAMI max. The barrel must be throated for it - the bullet is only .200" deep in the case. Almost a breech-seated load. Have I done it? No - I am cured of the Contender/Encore disease, and have no desire to re-infect myself. May one day mount a .357 Magnum High Wall barrel I have to a spare action and run my Max reamer into it, but it's not high priority.

Encore is factory chambered in 300 Winchester and 7 Remington Mag. I am pretty sure it will handle 357 Magnum.

[steve urquell]

I have said this before but why CVA didn't make their break action single shot in 357 makes no sense. Right now in a new rifle you have Traditions and Henry.
The last 357 handi barrel I seen for sale went for $ 300 so you need to keep looking.

Jedman

I'm with ya. So bizarre. Their EU version the BA13 is available in a 16" threaded barrel version in 9mm with open sights. I'd love to have one of those or a .357 version. Lets hope they see sales of the Henry and wake the heck up.

[bigted]

At just south of 400 dollars, the MGM 20 inch barrel seems to be the one to beat. I can not fathom getting together parts to either line a current barrel nor do a stub barrel and it costing any less in the long run.

Plus as far as I can hear tell ... the MGM barrels with the 16 inch twist seem to shoot well ... unless I have missed a tid bit along the way?

This way I would end up with a precision barrel, threaded with thread protectors AND stamped correctly with "357 Rem Mag" . Also this does not add to my list of "documented" firearms in possession.

Action wise ... I can not see that the Encore hunter action is weak with these low pressure 357 mag pistol loads.