So the rifle arrived yesterday. It is one of the last Ruger 77/357 bolt actions off the line. I ordered it last Friday, and by mid-Sunday, the distributors were wiped out. Kills me that they discontinued the line (including the .44 magnum) but they weren't big sellers, only ~50k units over the last decade ish.

Anyhow, so I'm going to be taking this 18.5" barreled .357 magnum bolt action and turn it into a work of destructive art. Downside is the ~2 year process on it. I've been wanting to do this for a few years, but them getting discontinued got my ass in gear to do it.

The master plan:

This winter:
-rework and polish internals, replace sear and springs, shim bolt internals and trigger. $100 for parts (already ordered)
-restock, glass, and pillar bed. $3-500 for stock and bedding materials
-install 30mm rings, lap and true to action. Install Trijicon Accupoint TR24g $900
-file Form 1 for SBR. Cut barrel to 10.5" and thread 1/2x28tpi when the paperwork shows up in the fall. $350
-cerakote barrelled action in (probably) Tungsten grey $300
-extra magazines at $30 each since they stopped production $300

Next winter:
-file form 4 for Liberty Mystic-X suppressor with either trilug or direct thread adapter. $1000
-wait ~9 months for paperwork to approve.
-inlet stock for suppressor
-laugh at myself for finally finishing a dream rifle build and going way overbudget.

Naturally the plan might change. I might get the suppressor first so I can still shoot it while I wait on the form 1, or just drop both forms at the same time if I can get the money put together.

The great thing about this is even at a 10.5" barrel, it only loses ~50fps when compared to the 18.5" barrel with most loads. Even better, 99% of your 158gr 38 special loads are subsonic out of that barrel. A lot of guys have some great luck with ~240gr handloads at ~950fps as well. Subsonic but hitting like a freight train.

Here's a general idea of what it'll be like when completed, although this guy is using a 9mm can for subsonics. The Mystic-X can handle full power magnums without popping.

With a regular .357 load going ~1700fps (won't suppress well) my point blank is 75-125 yards with a rapid drop off after. Very similar to 30-30 ballistics.

https://www.youtub...atch?v=KbK4_S22uUI

This is an expensive project. Are you doing it just to do it, or do you have a specific purpose in mind?

Posted by Shawn W. This is an expensive project. Are you doing it just to do it, or do you have a specific purpose in mind?

I'm also curious as to the intended purpose of this rifle. A bolt action, magnum pistol caliber, suppressed, SBR just doesn't fit into any category of use I can forsee. Not that it needs to, build what makes you happy. I'm sure my current project of a 20" heavy barreled LR308 to fill the gap between my 16.5" LR308 and my 24" heavy barrelled Savage 110 FCP doesn't make much sense to some people.

Posted by Shawn W. This is an expensive project. Are you doing it just to do it, or do you have a specific purpose in mind?

End game is having fun whacking paper, and very quiet critter removal since I can handload heavy but still subsonic. A ~280gr bullet going 900fps is still going to hit like a freight train.

So anything up to and including medium game really. Potentially a moose if the right shot presents itself. Or I can load light bullets and use them for furbearers and wolves.

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of other and cheaper ways to do something like this. I just have a fixation with pistol caliber carbines and a love for .357 magnum.

Posted by Wheedle I'm also curious as to the intended purpose of this rifle. A bolt action, magnum pistol caliber, suppressed, SBR just doesn't fit into any category of use I can forsee. Not that it needs to, build what makes you happy. I'm sure my current project of a 20" heavy barreled LR308 to fill the gap between my 16.5" LR308 and my 24" heavy barrelled Savage 110 FCP doesn't make much sense to some people.

Most of the hunting up here is under 100 yards unless you are going caribou hunting on the tundra. Something short and light but still packs a punch is popular. Out of a 10.5" barrel it's still almost identical to a 30-30 but lightly recoiling so I can shoot it without pain from my assortment of injuries.

Realistically, it's fun and I've always wanted one. It'll get used on furbearers at bare minimum though. With the right bullet choice it can be fantastic for wolves.

Plus, it gives me a winter project while I go through a ton of medical treatment. Gotta keep the mind busy. That and it's damn near impossible to sell a NFA gun without massive losses, so I'll be stuck with it.

Any particular reason for choosing a bolt gun?

Due to injuries I can't run a lever gun well. Rifles with rock in mags (AK) are the same way.

Plus it's pretty

Posted by DarkAngel Due to injuries I can't run a lever gun well. Rifles with rock in mags (AK) are the same way. Plus it's pretty

A good bolt gun is nice to look at... I hazard to guess that you have problems with AR platform charging handles also?

On a side note, I have always wanted a Ruger .44 Carbine.

No issues with AR rifles. It's more of the rocking motion to inset a mag/run the lever vs pulling straight back to charge.

So slight update:

Rifle arrived in great shape.
-installed new 2.5# sear, bringing the average pull down to 2.4# from 5.8#.
-had to trim a touch over a thousandth off the top of the safety pawl and polish it to fit the new sear geometry since it was a touch over a thousandth taller.
-installed an oversized magazine release.
-found out that a low power scope is kind of annoying on this rifle. Will probably go 3-9x instead of 1-4x.

Things left to do before I file the form 1 to SBR:
-measure and shim trigger and bolt internals for a mix of cosmetics and functionality
-decide what color I want the action ceracoated
-decide on iron sights. I'm interested in the skinner rear peep sight since I can't hit crap with buckhorn sights.
-fluff n buff the action to remove any burrs I missed on previous passes.
-make new action screw. The stock one sucks hardcore. Will probably just chuck a Carpenter 20 bolt in the lathe and chunk it down to what I need before rethreading.


Beyond that, the rifle worked flawlessly in the ~200rds I've put through it so far. It absolutely hates truncated FMJ loads, but I knew that going in. Standard 158gr SP loads work great and were going to be its diet anyhow. That's unless I can find a reliable source for Hornady 180gr XTP bullets to handload.

Putting this on the shelf for a month or so since I'm moving. When I get back I'll have photos of the rifle as is, and it's partner pistol.

Is it just me or does 357 seem to be overkill for critters? Being in Alaska, I'd want the heaviest hardest hitting chunk of lead & copper I could get for lobbing at wolves but for small game? I mean, it's your rifle & you've already dropped some decent $$ on it but wouldn't you be doing a LOT of damage to a pelt with that round?

Hell if I had the cash & the time, I'd set up two rifles, one for real animals (threats & 5 course meals) and one for small critters so I wouldn't obliterate them when I connected. I'd consider a Remington 700 in a light caliber for small critters (even though a lot of whitetail have been taken with .223 & .243) and have a similar set up. Right now you can find a 700 ADL for around $400-450 and there's a shit ton of aftermarket parts for it

For your "hearing protection" take a look at solvent traps, same benefit for a lot cheaper, around $300 with NFA stamp versus $1200-1300 for an off the shelf suppressor. Plus you can legally buy a solvent trap before getting the stamp and then file for the stamp and drill it out (custom can, custom porting, standard threads)

Also sounds like you have some machining experience & tools so what about woodworking? You can build your own custom stock and then fully bed it with pillars and glass for a rock solid action

Right now I have an AR and a few pellet rifles but once I get to a better place with money I'm getting a bolt gun for putting meat on the table. The pellet rifles are for pest control, the AR is for fun, SHTF, HD & coyotes/hogs (if I go for them). Everything has it's own purpose and sometime's you can't have a multi-tool

I'm not trying to dissuade you from an otherwise fun gun but there are a lot of cons IMHO. Consider building a second fun gun in a smaller caliber, you'll be able to reach out further with even less recoil and less damage to fur & meat

Posted by brooklynboy Is it just me or does 357 seem to be overkill for critters? Being in Alaska, I'd want the heaviest hardest hitting chunk of lead & copper I could get for lobbing at wolves but for small game? I mean, it's your rifle & you've already dropped some decent $$ on it but wouldn't you be doing a LOT of damage to a pelt with that round? Hell if I had the cash & the time, I'd set up two rifles, one for real animals (threats & 5 course meals) and one for small critters so I wouldn't obliterate them when I connected. I'd consider a Remington 700 in a light caliber for small critters (even though a lot of whitetail have been taken with .223 & .243) and have a similar set up. Right now you can find a 700 ADL for around $400-450 and there's a shit ton of aftermarket parts for it For your "hearing protection" take a look at solvent traps, same benefit for a lot cheaper, around $300 with NFA stamp versus $1200-1300 for an off the shelf suppressor. Plus you can legally buy a solvent trap before getting the stamp and then file for the stamp and drill it out (custom can, custom porting, standard threads) Also sounds like you have some machining experience & tools so what about woodworking? You can build your own custom stock and then fully bed it with pillars and glass for a rock solid action Right now I have an AR and a few pellet rifles but once I get to a better place with money I'm getting a bolt gun for putting meat on the table. The pellet rifles are for pest control, the AR is for fun, SHTF, HD & coyotes/hogs (if I go for them). Everything has it's own purpose and sometime's you can't have a multi-tool I'm not trying to dissuade you from an otherwise fun gun but there are a lot of cons IMHO. Consider building a second fun gun in a smaller caliber, you'll be able to reach out further with even less recoil and less damage to fur & meat

For stuff wolf to caribou/deer sized it'll work great. Anything smaller will get taken with a .22. With the right bullet and handload it won't come out the other side, but will absolutely pulp the internals.

I do have a lot of other rifles at my disposal, this was more of a 'why not' kind of build. The next projects are either going to be my first full auto (yay for 9+ month background check wait times) or an AR in 6.5 Grendel for medium game. But my family is all hunters, so we're set up for damn near everything. If there aren't caribou and moose hanging in the garage come fall, it's a rough year. Btw, the Savage 10PC and Hog Hunter in 223 are freakishly accurate. Their 1:9 twist says they shouldn't shoot it well, but mine shot 75gr BTHP between .5-.75 moa with factory match ammo. Long throat I'm guessing.

I had thought about making a form 1 can, but after shooting one I really like the Mystic-X. That and there's nowhere local I could rent time to mill the monocore baffle stack I'd want. Yeah I could press M or mill K baffles, but after machine time I'd be back near $1000 anyhow. BUT for subsonics those freeze plug baffle cans work pretty solid. I'm impressed by their performance even if it is WWII tech.

The only reason I'm not looking doing a fully custom stock for it is that Boyds makes really damn nice laminate sets. IF I can mock up a jig to hold it, I'm looking at modding in adjustable comb and LOP, and mounting flush fit QD swivels. But that's kinda my dream stock right there lol. But yeah, it'll all be pillar and glass bedded.

And I understand what you mean Hell, I'll openly admit there are other guns I probably should be getting instead of using money on this. I never had the chance when I was married, and now that my health issues are getting better, I'm in a 'fuck it, I want to do what I never could' mood.

Downside to spending years as a FFL. I have a huuuuuuuge list of toys that I want to get lol. I've thought about getting my 07 SOT for some of them.

I'm a huge pistol caliber carbine whore, so I'd need a MP5SD, MP5K, MPX, M10, and Beretta CX4 at the minimum. I've shot the MP5SD a lot and that thing is just boner inducing lol.

And then, and then, and then...

I was under the misconception that this would be an all in one rifle. As a fuckit rifle then go all in, Im all for it

Why'd you let the FFL lapse? That would save some cost at least. If it was because of the injuries then so be it but otherwise wouldn't you have been privy to all the fun stuff? That was my understanding when I considered getting mine but at the time I lived in NYC & they're liberal to the core & complete a $$holes

As far as machining your own suppressor, I thought you had your own equipment which wouldn't cost much to operate but if you have to pay to play then it doesn't pay

Why not combine pistol caliber & full auto? 9mm FA M4 would be a nice toy, a little generic looking for low recoil & cheap to shoot. MP5 might be boner inducing but from what Ive heard its not an inherently accurate gun whereas a M4 is. I dont know enough about other platforms to comment on them.

What are your thoughts on 8mm mausers? I may be able to get one on a trade for a laptop i dont use

Posted by brooklynboy I was under the misconception that this would be an all in one rifle. As a fuckit rifle then go all in, Im all for it Why'd you let the FFL lapse? That would save some cost at least. If it was because of the injuries then so be it but otherwise wouldn't you have been privy to all the fun stuff? That was my understanding when I considered getting mine but at the time I lived in NYC & they're liberal to the core & complete a $$holes As far as machining your own suppressor, I thought you had your own equipment which wouldn't cost much to operate but if you have to pay to play then it doesn't pay Why not combine pistol caliber & full auto? 9mm FA M4 would be a nice toy, a little generic looking for low recoil & cheap to shoot. MP5 might be boner inducing but from what Ive heard its not an inherently accurate gun whereas a M4 is. I dont know enough about other platforms to comment on them. What are your thoughts on 8mm mausers? I may be able to get one on a trade for a laptop i dont use

There is a glut of FFLs where I live (heaviest armed county in America) so margins were razor thin. Just not worth the time and bills to clear $1000 a month when it was all said and done. There is an average of 2-3 opening a year on top of that. Afterwards my medical went to shit so it wouldn't have mattered anyhow. Spent most of the last few years as a vegetable practically. Didn't know what was going on, etc. Downside to brain tumors, but I'm nearly done with treatment and doing way better.

I wish I had my own tooling, but a good mill is $20-30k starting. Thankfully I have a friend that's an 07 SOT with a full shop if I need work done.

The issue with 9mm AR platform rifles is pretty much all of them are picky since they are a straight blowback design. Once you get it reliable, it'll be reliable, it's just the tuning you have to do to get it to run right. The MP5 is mostly a 50 yard and in gun. On full auto with the SD at least (only one I've shot) you can mag dump and keep it on a torso target at that range. 9mm drops like a brick past that though. The full size ones are supposedly more accurate and the K has a higher rate of fire but loses accuracy.

I am a huge AR guy though, I was just using the pistol caliber guns as a starting point lol. If I had the funds I'd have probably 10-15 AR rifles in different calibers and setups.

I'm assuming you are looking at a K98. They are a damn solid rifle that is really underrated. 8mm mauser ammo is getting expensive as hell though. Now with the elections and everything coming up, I'd probably still trade if it is a laptop that you don't use. A good mauser will run till the end of time and only need a spring swap usually. Crazy easy to work on as well.

Posted by DarkAngel There is a glut of FFLs where I live (heaviest armed county in America) so margins were razor thin. Just not worth the time and bills to clear $1000 a month when it was all said and done. There is an average of 2-3 opening a year on top of that. Afterwards my medical went to shit so it wouldn't have mattered anyhow. Spent most of the last few years as a vegetable practically. Didn't know what was going on, etc. Downside to brain tumors, but I'm nearly done with treatment and doing way better. I wish I had my own tooling, but a good mill is $20-30k starting. Thankfully I have a friend that's an 07 SOT with a full shop if I need work done. The issue with 9mm AR platform rifles is pretty much all of them are picky since they are a straight blowback design. Once you get it reliable, it'll be reliable, it's just the tuning you have to do to get it to run right. The MP5 is mostly a 50 yard and in gun. On full auto with the SD at least (only one I've shot) you can mag dump and keep it on a torso target at that range. 9mm drops like a brick past that though. The full size ones are supposedly more accurate and the K has a higher rate of fire but loses accuracy. I am a huge AR guy though, I was just using the pistol caliber guns as a starting point lol. If I had the funds I'd have probably 10-15 AR rifles in different calibers and setups. I'm assuming you are looking at a K98. They are a damn solid rifle that is really underrated. 8mm mauser ammo is getting expensive as hell though. Now with the elections and everything coming up, I'd probably still trade if it is a laptop that you don't use. A good mauser will run till the end of time and only need a spring swap usually. Crazy easy to work on as well.

I knew Alaska was well armed but I didn't know there was a crap ton of FFL's and I had no idea what kind of medical you were out on but damn, you seem to be doing fairly well now all things considered

It seems like you have time on your hands & some $$, i mean a $700 rifle being turned into a $3500 custom build. Tuning & modding an AR seems right up your alley & it would be a lot more accurate than a MP5. Yea, the full size ones are more accurate than their CQB counerparts but an AR is more modular and probably more accurate than a MP5. Depending on who wins (PLEASE, PLEASE not Killary) they might be harder to get ahold of, at least the lowers unless you have a drill press and they don't ban the DIY version

It's a BRNO 98, numbers don't match and it's a post war, I think '45 or '52? I cant remember but the trade is dependant on me having my CCP instead of going through a FFL. Im assuming you mean the ejector spring for the swap? But there's another trade that involves cash & a Marlin 22 bolt action. Not great for deer but great for pests. Ive read that Mauser actions are pretty much bullet proof & some competition rifles are built off of them

Posted by brooklynboy I knew Alaska was well armed but I didn't know there was a crap ton of FFL's and I had no idea what kind of medical you were out on but damn, you seem to be doing fairly well now all things considered It seems like you have time on your hands & some $$, i mean a $700 rifle being turned into a $3500 custom build. Tuning & modding an AR seems right up your alley & it would be a lot more accurate than a MP5. Yea, the full size ones are more accurate than their CQB counerparts but an AR is more modular and probably more accurate than a MP5. Depending on who wins (PLEASE, PLEASE not Killary) they might be harder to get ahold of, at least the lowers unless you have a drill press and they don't ban the DIY version It's a BRNO 98, numbers don't match and it's a post war, I think '45 or '52? I cant remember but the trade is dependant on me having my CCP instead of going through a FFL. Im assuming you mean the ejector spring for the swap? But there's another trade that involves cash & a Marlin 22 bolt action. Not great for deer but great for pests. Ive read that Mauser actions are pretty much bullet proof & some competition rifles are built off of them

So far the numbers are showing the great white bitch as losing.

I have an ungodly amount of time. Money is less so, but I get clever on making bits here and there or trading. Thankfully my bills are minimal so the bit I get coming in can go to hobbies. I'm patient enough to let it build up until I can afford the bits I need.

See if the rifle says Národní podnik on the side of the receiver, that would mean it's an early communist takeover rifle. Not sure if it's worth more or not though. Solid rifle hands down. The marlin would probably e worth considerably less IMO.

But yeah, the mauser action is way over engineered and is the most durable rifle action out there. If you decide not to go with 8mm mauser (personally I'd consider turning it into a Izzy build at some point) you just need to swap the barrel and recoil lug if it uses the same bolt. The izzy builds are a .308 like that. Otherwise it's just a new bolt and you're good to go.

But you can burn up 10-15 barrels and never hurt that receiver.

Posted by DarkAngel So far the numbers are showing the great white bitch as losing. I have an ungodly amount of time. Money is less so, but I get clever on making bits here and there or trading. Thankfully my bills are minimal so the bit I get coming in can go to hobbies. I'm patient enough to let it build up until I can afford the bits I need. See if the rifle says Národní podnik on the side of the receiver, that would mean it's an early communist takeover rifle. Not sure if it's worth more or not though. Solid rifle hands down. The marlin would probably e worth considerably less IMO. But yeah, the mauser action is way over engineered and is the most durable rifle action out there. If you decide not to go with 8mm mauser (personally I'd consider turning it into a Izzy build at some point) you just need to swap the barrel and recoil lug if it uses the same bolt. The izzy builds are a .308 like that. Otherwise it's just a new bolt and you're good to go. But you can burn up 10-15 barrels and never hurt that receiver.

Wish I had time & minimal bills, I can't get ahead for $hit, what's an Izzy build? I know the Mauser is built like a tank & if I can swap to an easier to acquire caliber that would be even better. My coworker had/has a Marlin 22 & he's got nothing but good things to say about it, especially accuracy. At the very least, it'd be a great plinker and good for a collapse of society especially because ammo is dirt cheap & plentiful (not as plentiful as it was but still everywhere)

Posted by brooklynboy Wish I had time & minimal bills, I can't get ahead for $hit, what's an Izzy build? I know the Mauser is built like a tank & if I can swap to an easier to acquire caliber that would be even better. My coworker had/has a Marlin 22 & he's got nothing but good things to say about it, especially accuracy. At the very least, it'd be a great plinker and good for a collapse of society especially because ammo is dirt cheap & plentiful (not as plentiful as it was but still everywhere)

The izzy build is rebarreling the k98 in 308 like the Israelis did way back in the day. Kinda suitable irony that the Israelis were using repurposed Nazi weapons to kill those that attacked them.

Marlins are great little 22 rifles. I've had several of them over the years, and one of them was my first rifle. You can't go wrong with them. I was just saying the value on them is kind of low compared to a K98. Those are $3-400 and most Marlin 22's are $2-300.

Either way you can't go wrong though, so go with what makes you happy.

Posted by DarkAngel The izzy build is rebarreling the k98 in 308 like the Israelis did way back in the day. Kinda suitable irony that the Israelis were using repurposed Nazi weapons to kill those that attacked them. Marlins are great little 22 rifles. I've had several of them over the years, and one of them was my first rifle. You can't go wrong with them. I was just saying the value on them is kind of low compared to a K98. Those are $3-400 and most Marlin 22's are $2-300. Either way you can't go wrong though, so go with what makes you happy.

Makes perfect sense to me with the Izzy build. The created attacks/destroys the creator, not only that but ammo is a lot easier to come by

I saw a picture of the rifle Id be given in trade & asides from a little surface rust on the barrel, it looks like it's in great shape. The scroll work on the stock & forearm still looks good. No magazine included but Im sure I could source one online. I'll probably sand/steel wool the barrel & reblue it, tear apart the FCG & action and give it a damn good cleaning then spritz on some RemOil and go shoot the damn thing. Hopefully I don't need to but if necessary I can sell it for some cash but I want a 22 for the lil bastards or the occasional possum/raccoon. If I were to suppress it, damned if you could here it from more than a few feet away

Sounds like you've got a great plan already then. I'll look forward to pics