cprher

Stumbled across a 357 Maximum Blackhawk, serial number 003XX, new and unfired in box with all the trimmings for $500. Made in 1982, the fit and finish is a step or two above normal Ruger quality standards and it has all steel parts. No aluminum that I can find. Have not found any brass but I understand that Remington makes a run each year and I'll pick up 500 next time they're available. I think heavy bullets (lead GC) over moderate charges of slowish powder is what I'll use. Don't want to experience any gas cutting around the top strap and forcing cone. Looking for comments from those that own (or have owned) 357 Max and shoot them.
Keith

Nick0410

It can shoot .357mag and .38spls also right? Thats pretty cool, something to look out for

moondog911

Greetings,

Glad to see you load your own. If you will keep your loads below high rifle pressure, you should be fine. You picked up a real hard to find treasure, and at a good price.

moondog911

KJS

I once got to hear a .357 Maximum on an indoor range. I assumed it had to be some big bore like a .454 or such. Then I looked at the sign in sheet & saw the caliber listed. Seems all the guys at the shop knew him as I guess you get attention when you have by far the loudest gun on the range. It's a not a big bore, but sure sounds like a cannon.

BlkHawk73

The Max is an awesome cartridge! Have a pair of the Rugers, a Competitor and a H&R Handi Rifle in that chambering. Bisley-ized one of the Rugers, the other remains as shipped. Use the .357 mag and 38 specials and you'll need to give the chambers a good scrubbing.

North country gal

Max brass is hard to get at the moment, so grab some if you can.

Ditto on the cleaning after shooting 357 mags and 38 specials. Actually, if I had that gun, I would reserve it for Max only. Plenty of Blackhawks around in 357 for shooting mags and specials and that gives you an excuse for buying another Blackhawk.

ratgunner

$500 ? You got a great deal there. Pics would be cool.

bwinters

Great gun i always wanted a maximum but never got to it and now I will leave the guns to maximum lovers.

KJS

I don't know a thing about what such guns go for, but even I had assumed $500 was a good price for a relatively rare NIB gun. I've never seen anybody put up a .357 Max pic, probably because almost nobody has one.

I know Ruger only produced the .357 Max for a few years because they simply couldn't solve the flame cutting problem. And you can imagine how severe that must have been given how a hefty quarter inch of steel is Ruger's idea of how a topstrap should be made. If that's not enough to handle gasses from the cylinder gap, well, perhaps the velocity is what a friend of mine described as "bat s*** crazy."

Sounds like a very cool gun though. Even loaded "light" to not cut through the top strap like a blow torch still gives one as heavy & fast a .357 Mag load as ever could be.

cprher

According to the Blue Book, they were made from 1982-1984 and 11,500 were made. Mine is 3XX so it was made early on. I'll get pics up as soon as I take possession from the gunshop. It looks like a scaled down Super Blackhawk but with a fluted cylinder.
Keith

Coogs

$500.00???? Ya stole it! Ther were actually a little over 16,000 produced, less than 12,000 shipped. Ruger DID solve the forcing cone erosion by changing the degree of the forcing cone, top strap cutting WAS never an actual problem, though some perceived it to be, as the top strap cutting really ceases to be an issue after a 1000 rds or so. I've had Smith 19's that show more evidence of top strap cutting than any Max I've ever seen. Stick with heavy bullets, 180gr and larger, I'm shooting 200 and 210 gr. cast on top of some 4227. Stay with slower powders also. One thing that killed the Max was some uniformed and underinformed gunwriters. I'm collecting Max serial numbers, I'd loke to know yours if you don't mind, you can PM to me if you wish, Thanks, Coogs.

sgthostile

Definitely want to see pics!

WhistlerSWE

Flame cutting was never as big a problem as the forcing cone cracking, though all the hype was based on the "erosion" part. Any forcing cone will crack if slightly misaligned and/or given a high enough high velocity rounds through it. Heavier bullets is a good solution for that problem as well.

I've got an incoming Super Redhawk in .357 Maximum that was a special project several gunsmiths and shooters have been working on. I was really happy to come by it so I gave the owner a good price and will have it in a week or two. It has a custom made cylinder for which the frame has been milled out and a Shilen 12" barrel. Pressure testing in labs in Finland concluded that it can take more than the large frame Freedom Arms single actions. I'll try to post some testing when I've shot it.

TMD

I passed up a NIB one for $600 about 3 years ago. I'm still kicking myself in the butt for not getting it.

gstephens

I had a Dan Wesson with the 8 inch barrel in 357 Maximum. Great gun and I never had a problem with gas cutting. It woud sure slam the iron pigs and rams down with authority and was deadly on whitetail. One thing though, you have to watch what kind of jacketed bullets you use as it will blow the core out of the jacket on some. I wish I had kept it.