Dirty Bob
Member
Here's my single shot .357 Maximum. As you can see, it's right around 30 inches. It now wears the rifle forend that it came with, and the forend shown has gone back to the 20ga. single shot.
It started as a .357 Mag, but I reamed it to Max. I haven't found brass in .357 Maximum yet, but I'm going to be trying some long .357 Mag. loads to take advantage of the longer chamber/throat. Thanks to a good friend, I have a small stock of heavy-for-caliber jacketed bullets, and I have a 190-grain mould and gas checks, so I can make some cast bullets for "Maxing" the Magnum (not pushing the pressure limits, just the loaded-round limits, but it's a big deal to not have to deeply seat bullets to make the normal allowable overall length for the Magnum. It gives a great deal more flexibility in propellants and charges.).
Here's a detail of the front sight. Rear is a NoDak Spud ghost ring. I'm still settling on my main load for this gun, and then I'll file down the plastic sight blade (made from a tent peg).
Finally, here's the sight picture. It's a fun little carbine to shoot! Even with the short barrel, the barrel profile is very heavy, so a .38 round feels like a pellet gun! I wouldn't want this to be my only long gun, but if it was, I could use it for everything from squirrels and plinking (round ball or 105-grain Lee SWC or 148-grain Lee WC in .38) to large game (.357 Magnum or Maximum, with 165- to 190-grain bullets), and just about anything in between. I think a single shot in .357 Mag. or Max., .44 Mag., or .45 Colt is an incredibly versatile firearm, especially if you reload.
All my best,
Dirty Bob
It started as a .357 Mag, but I reamed it to Max. I haven't found brass in .357 Maximum yet, but I'm going to be trying some long .357 Mag. loads to take advantage of the longer chamber/throat. Thanks to a good friend, I have a small stock of heavy-for-caliber jacketed bullets, and I have a 190-grain mould and gas checks, so I can make some cast bullets for "Maxing" the Magnum (not pushing the pressure limits, just the loaded-round limits, but it's a big deal to not have to deeply seat bullets to make the normal allowable overall length for the Magnum. It gives a great deal more flexibility in propellants and charges.).
Here's a detail of the front sight. Rear is a NoDak Spud ghost ring. I'm still settling on my main load for this gun, and then I'll file down the plastic sight blade (made from a tent peg).
Finally, here's the sight picture. It's a fun little carbine to shoot! Even with the short barrel, the barrel profile is very heavy, so a .38 round feels like a pellet gun! I wouldn't want this to be my only long gun, but if it was, I could use it for everything from squirrels and plinking (round ball or 105-grain Lee SWC or 148-grain Lee WC in .38) to large game (.357 Magnum or Maximum, with 165- to 190-grain bullets), and just about anything in between. I think a single shot in .357 Mag. or Max., .44 Mag., or .45 Colt is an incredibly versatile firearm, especially if you reload.
All my best,
Dirty Bob
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