Oddly my 357 Contender barrel will chamber 360 Dan Wesson brass

rickt300 · February 8, 2022, 02:42 PM

And with a bit of room to spare! This leads me to believe it may have been rechambered to 357 Maximum but it shoots regular 357 magnum so well I find that hard to believe. Could it be the original barrel was just chambered very deep? Throated for the "Hot Shot" shot loads?

ballardw · February 8, 2022, 02:55 PM

Time for a chamber cast perhaps?

**44 AMP** · February 8, 2022, 03:27 PM

I'd take a good look at the barrel and see if there is the usual "ledge" at the front of the chamber. Mine appears to have one.

rickt300 · February 8, 2022, 03:50 PM

Used a depth mike to see how deep the chamber is, looks like 2.190! Decided to do a better method. It is 1.43 to the base of a 158 gr. Sierra JSP dropped into the chamber and the full diameter of this bullet is right at .420 so from barrel face to the lands is 1.850. A Max case is 1.6 or so and that would leave .25 full diameter bullet in front of the case. Guess I need a 357 Max case to see for sure.

rickt300 · February 8, 2022, 05:49 PM

As far as any ledge all I can see is the beginning of the rifling, no apparent "throat" at all.

**Unclenick** · February 8, 2022, 11:48 PM

By ledge, I am assuming 44 AMP is referring to the cut the rim falls into (the headspace on a rimmed cartridge is defined by the distance from the breech face to the ledge it makes.

I would not expect a diameter much over 0.357" for the bullet. The length of it is 0.641" on JBM's site. So I am lost as to what your 0.420" is referring to.

I can tell you the way a 357 Magnum chamber is specified by SAAMI as follows. Note the first angle off the end of the case space is 6.5° and the angle onto the throat is 4.75°. You can see why detecting the exact corners locations is difficult without a bore scope or a chamber casting.

**44 AMP** · February 9, 2022, 01:48 AM

Quote:

By ledge, I am assuming 44 AMP is referring to the cut the rim falls into (the headspace on a rimmed cartridge is defined by the distance from the breech face to the ledge it makes.

No, I'm referring to the change in diameter at the front of the chamber, which on your drawing is labled "case space".

Might not be the right term, but I'm calling it a ledge, like the one at the front of a .38 Special chamber that keeps a .357 case from going all the way in.

Taking another look at one of my .357 Contender barrels, I now must admit, I'm not sure if I can see one with my old, naked eye. When I looked earlier today (and posted) I was sure I saw one, but now, I'm not so sure!

I can clearly see where the rifling starts, but can't see a clear "line" at the front of the chamber like I can in a revolver cylinder.

gwpercle · February 9, 2022, 07:51 PM

Looking at the drawings ... if you have great eyes you should see 5 different "lines"
I was looking at my 357 Magnum Blackhawk chambers and could only make out 3 changes but that's a revolver so doesn't really count ... but seeing those lines with your naked eyeball isn't easy .
A chamber cast might give you something you can see and measure and thus tell the tale .
Gary

rickt300 · February 10, 2022, 03:58 PM

Thanks for those drawings, it appears the chamber is not quite deep enough to be a Max chamber but not my much.

**Unclenick** · February 10, 2022, 11:17 PM

If there were a ledge, like 44AMP described, and as there is in the case mouth position of modern rimless bottleneck rifle chambers, it would be clear to see. But instead, it goes to a taper, as rimmed cartridge chambers typically do, and the start of that is much less distinct when simply looking in from behind.

P Flados · February 11, 2022, 11:22 PM

The drawings provided above were for "revolver chambers" with the long throat being part of the cylinder. Using a revolver profile in other type of guns was never appropriate, but no one ever came up with a "standard" alternate profile. A lot of 357 Mag and 357 Max chambers have been made with a variety of tapers and no cylindrical "throat".

Based on the dimensions provided by the OP, his barrel was probably rechambered to Max.

rickt300 · September 10, 2022, 06:50 PM

Well I ordered a new 357 Max barrel and so found some brass for it. The actual Max brass will not chamber in this barrel. This is fine with me but a mystery solved.

jaysouth · September 12, 2022, 11:48 PM

Most H&R handi rifles chambered in .357 MAG have generous throats that will accomodate the .360.

JRR · October 1, 2022, 01:56 PM

There is a difference in a .357 revolver reamer and a rifle reamer.

jetinteriorguy · October 1, 2022, 04:15 PM

I’m curious, what are these differences?

ammo.crafter · October 1, 2022, 04:58 PM

Contact Mike Bellm for expert advice on 357 Max.

February 8, 2022, 02:42 PM	#1
rickt300 Member Join Date: December 2, 2017 Posts: 86	Oddly my 357 Contender barrel will chamber 360 Dan Wesson brass And with a bit of room to spare! This leads me to believe it may have been rechambered to 357 Maximum but it shoots regular 357 magnum so well I find that hard to believe. Could it be the original barrel was just chambered very deep? Throated for the "Hot Shot" shot loads?

February 8, 2022, 02:55 PM	#2
ballardw Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 1,475	Time for a chamber cast perhaps? __________________ -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ All data is flawed, some just less so.

February 8, 2022, 03:27 PM	#3
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 30,484	I'd take a good look at the barrel and see if there is the usual "ledge" at the front of the chamber. Mine appears to have one. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

February 8, 2022, 03:50 PM	#4
rickt300 Member Join Date: December 2, 2017 Posts: 86	Used a depth mike to see how deep the chamber is, looks like 2.190! Decided to do a better method. It is 1.43 to the base of a 158 gr. Sierra JSP dropped into the chamber and the full diameter of this bullet is right at .420 so from barrel face to the lands is 1.850. A Max case is 1.6 or so and that would leave .25 full diameter bullet in front of the case. Guess I need a 357 Max case to see for sure. Last edited by rickt300; February 8, 2022 at 04:25 PM.

February 10, 2022, 11:17 PM	#10
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,743	If there were a ledge, like 44AMP described, and as there is in the case mouth position of modern rimless bottleneck rifle chambers, it would be clear to see. But instead, it goes to a taper, as rimmed cartridge chambers typically do, and the start of that is much less distinct when simply looking in from behind. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

February 8, 2022, 05:49 PM	#5
rickt300 Member Join Date: December 2, 2017 Posts: 86	As far as any ledge all I can see is the beginning of the rifling, no apparent "throat" at all.

February 9, 2022, 07:51 PM	#8
gwpercle Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2012 Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana Posts: 1,915	Looking at the drawings ... if you have great eyes you should see 5 different "lines" I was looking at my 357 Magnum Blackhawk chambers and could only make out 3 changes but that's a revolver so doesn't really count ... but seeing those lines with your naked eyeball isn't easy . A chamber cast might give you something you can see and measure and thus tell the tale . Gary

February 10, 2022, 03:58 PM	#9
rickt300 Member Join Date: December 2, 2017 Posts: 86	Thanks for those drawings, it appears the chamber is not quite deep enough to be a Max chamber but not my much.

February 11, 2022, 11:22 PM	#11
P Flados Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2017 Location: Wilmington NC Posts: 265	The drawings provided above were for "revolver chambers" with the long throat being part of the cylinder. Using a revolver profile in other type of guns was never appropriate, but no one ever came up with a "standard" alternate profile. A lot of 357 Mag and 357 Max chambers have been made with a variety of tapers and no cylindrical "throat". Based on the dimensions provided by the OP, his barrel was probably rechambered to Max.

September 10, 2022, 06:50 PM	#12
rickt300 Member Join Date: December 2, 2017 Posts: 86	Well I ordered a new 357 Max barrel and so found some brass for it. The actual Max brass will not chamber in this barrel. This is fine with me but a mystery solved.

September 12, 2022, 11:48 PM	#13
jaysouth Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2001 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 788	Most H&R handi rifles chambered in .357 MAG have generous throats that will accomodate the .360.

October 1, 2022, 01:56 PM	#14
JRR Member Join Date: January 5, 2001 Location: N. Calif. Posts: 53	There is a difference in a .357 revolver reamer and a rifle reamer.

October 1, 2022, 04:15 PM	#15
jetinteriorguy Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2013 Posts: 3,476	I’m curious, what are these differences?

October 1, 2022, 04:58 PM	#16
ammo.crafter Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2006 Location: The Keystone State Posts: 2,032	max bbl Contact Mike Bellm for expert advice on 357 Max. __________________ "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading". --Thomas Jefferson