Rechambering Options

[WL44]

I'm too new to this to not make a mistake.... I'm sure there are a bunch of considerations that I'm not going to even think to ask about, so please feel free to comment on anything that I should know.

Your experience and advice is much appreciated! Thank you.

I may be able to get my hands on a 357 Max 14" barrel and was wondering whether this can be rechambered to 358 JDJ? I know from my lengthy internet searches that there are issues with which barrel you use (as in which design) for rechambering to high performance chamberings, but I don't even know what these are! I'm not sure if there are potentially frame considerations. I do see that the 35 Rem and 357 Max (and 357 Mag) have 1:14" twists, so I'm guessing (but what would I know?) that the twist should be okay.

You may ask why I don't just buy a barrel direct from SSK? Good question, I'm in South Africa and once I've got permits and managed to get it shipped I may have died of frustration, or be too old to see the target.... 

So can I do this and what do I need to look out for?

Thanks!

[Graybeard]

It should work OK the problem being that ONLY SSK Industries can make it a .358 JDJ so if you can't ship it to them to do it which it sounds like you are not or cannot then it ain't gonna be a .358 JDJ when you get done with it. SSK is also the ONLY source of dies for it other than the used market.

There are a lot of other versions of the .358-444 out there but ONLY those made by SSK Industries can properly be called the .358 JDJ or use load data supplied by SSK for that round. So if you aren't gonna have SSK do it then don't call it a .358 JDJ and don't use their load data for it as that data might or might not be safe in your barrel.

[WL44]

Thanks Greybeard.

It seems at some point if I get the energy I need to try to get through the paperwork and get this done.

WL