someone mentioned rechambering a .357 magnum Marlin 1894 to .357 Maximum. Has anyone done this? what would the benefits/ risks be?
I did some experimenting with an empty .357 Max brass case and also a dummy .357 Max seated with a .158gr flat point bullet. I found that it is possible to insert a round directly in the chamber (assuming the chamber were lengthened) bypassing the magazine tube. An empty brass case extracts and ejects OK. If a round still has a bullet seated (for example, with a live round) it will not fully extract and eject the round. The breech bolt encounters the ejector before the nose of the round is completely clear of the chamber and stops the breech bolt from continuing rearward. However, it is still possible to remove the round. Once the round is partially extracted and encounters the ejector, one can depress the extractor claw and it will release the rim of the case allowing the bolt to continue rearward. Then the frame can be turned over and the case can be shaken out of the frame. So it looks like it would be technically possible to chamber a single round at a time of .357 Maximum once the chamber is lengthened.
Reading from the Speer Manual under .357 Magnum is states: "All lever-action .357 Magnum rifles have bolts that lock at the rear. This allows the bolt to spring slightly during firing, stretching the case. Use only new or once-fired cases for maximum loads." If this is true, it would suggest the brass cases might wear out more quickly than with other types of rifles.
The pressure of the .357 Maximum round could be higher than .357 Magnum rounds. I don't know if the Marlin 1894 can handle the additional pressure.
Assuming this were all OK, would it be necessary to remove the barrel from the frame in order to ream it?
