Shooting .357 Mags through a .357 Maximum

[jason280]

Has anyone shot 357 mag loads through a .357 Maximum barrel?  How was accuracy?  All the .357's I've owned shot .38's very well, and I expect it to be the same with magnums in a Maximum barrel.  I just would like to see if many have tried it, and what their results have been.  Thanks!

[poncaguy]

I was shooting some yesterday in my 14" 357 Max, sighting in a Red Dot scope. They shot very good, as well as the 357 Mags.  Both were 125 grain factory......

[skb2706]

I shoot mags out of my max all the time. They shoot to a different point of aim but they do shoot quite well. Actually I have shot many 38 sp. out of my max as well. Never found it to be a problem.........

[Gregory]

Here's a copy of the response I got from TC when I asked them about shooting 357 Mag out of a 357 Max. (this was back in 2002 when they answered emails):
 
- T/C Customer Service <tech@tcarms.com> wrote:
> Dear Sir:
>  
> The .357 Mag and .38 Special cartridges may be fired
> in the .357 Maximum
> chamber.  However, there is a chance that the
> chamber will be ringed at the
> case mouth position of the shorter cartridges when
> fired in the longer Max
> chamber.  The use of the longer Max cartridge may
> result in stiff extraction
> due to the brass flowing into the ring in the
> chamber.
>  
> If an emergency arises and the shorter cartridges
> have to be used, then by
> all means do it.  Under normal situations use only
> the longer .357 Remington
> Maximum cartridge.
>  
>  
> Very Truly Yours,
> Tim Pancurak
> PO Box 5002
> Rochester, NH 03866-5002

[poncaguy]

I've had mine for 25+ years, no problems with my 14" 357 Contender shooting all 3 rounds........except hard to open!

[Gregory]

Greg,
 
i know yourself and i have discussed this in the past but...   :grin:  
 
i just dont see how the .38spl and .357mag could ring the chamber.  any other manufacture says its ok to shoot .38spl's in .357mag chambers, so i cant see why a TC chamber would be any different.  it would be the same as shooting the .45LC's in the .410 barrels...

 
Chris,
I decided to stop shooting the shorter rounds based on TC's advice.  So I will not argue either if you haven't had any problems.   I can't  say from experience if the TC warning is correct or not.  I just thought I should pass it along.
 
What  I did was go out and buy a bunch of 357 Max brass so I'll just load them and not bother using the shorter cases.

[MnMike]

I have a .45 Win mag. I use all .45 mag cases, but I do load some using .45 auto data. This gives me plinking rounds for my gun. By playing with bullet weight, I can get my handloads to shoot to about the same point of aim. I have heard I could shoot .45 auto ammo in my gun, but my way avoids all possibility of ringing the chamber. Because of the light powder load, I raise the barrel to vertical, then aim, to get the best accuracy.

mike