357 max chamber issues

[shawlerbrook]

Does the MGM Contender barrel have the chamber cut as to  eliminate the factory forcing cone problem?  Is it a big deal? Merry Christmas to all!

[Keith L]

And the awful factory forcing cone problem is?

[sweetwyominghome]

Anyone who's been around Contender barrels for any length of time is familiar with the toilet bowl approach to many TC factory .357 Mag and Max barrels. Some actually shoot well that way, but many do not -- as least not in terms of what I consider acceptable accuracy.

I have a TC Custom Shop 30-30 AI that has no true throat at all, just an abrupt beginning to the rifling. Nonetheless, it is exceptionally accurate -- one of the most accurate barrels I have owned -- though I will admit using a couple specialized techniques to smooth it out a bit. On the other hand, I've seen factory barrels in straight-walled chamberings which could do no better than 5-6" groups at 50 yards before being rechambered. After the chamber work, 1-1.5" groups at 100 yards were the norm.

MGM barrels are cut with the properly-radiused throats or leades and can be customized as to your preference.

[Keith L]

I must have been lucky with the three I have.  They all shoot well.

[Shortgun]

I have had several factory .357 max barrels and all have shot real well. I currently have 2 custom tubes and they shoot real well also..just like the factory tubes..but they have the correct throats in them. The biggest advantage to them is that they clean up a lot better than the old factory tubes. I have an ancient factory 14 in contender barrel in .45 win mag that has the dreaded "toliet bowl" throat and it is the most accurate straight wall chambering I have ever had. It required a lot of tinkering to make it so however. I wanted to shoot heavy cast bullets in it and they would not work due to the throat dimensions but factory winchester rounds shot well. I had the same experience with the factory max chamber not liking big cast bullets. I figured a way around the issue however and made good shooters out of them. My current custom tubes do not reguire those specialized loading tricks to get to shoot well. Although I have had accurate factory tubes in the max chambering I really prefer the custom tubes. BTW the throat problem is not just a 357 max issue. It extends to other chamberings as well but paticularly common in the straight wall calibers
shortgun

[gypsyman]

I use to refer the T/C throat as the Linda throat.(In honor of Linda Lovelace). The only way I could get the .357max barrel to shoot was seat the 200gr out REAL far. Same with a friends 7tcu barrel. He use to seat 154gr 7mm bullets out half way past the cannalure. Both shot well when done that way. I think that the factory did it to try and not have a pressure issue when the guys were loading to the extreme's in the early days of IHMSA. gypsyman