It is just a lengthened .357 MAG. It was devised for the shilouette shooters because you could load it to knock down rams like the 44 without the recoil. Ruger took their blackhawk and streached the frame and cylinder to chamber it. The problem is that people started to try and find out how fast they could push light bullets which resulted in some serious top strap cutting . This gave it a bad rep and it was dropped. What people didn't realize was that it was made to push heavier bullets than the .357 MAG (180-200+) at decent velocities, not lighter bullets at screaming velocities.
It was also chambered in the T/C pistol which has no problems with topstrap cutting. In that pistol it has survived as a decent shilluoette round and has a decent following. I have a 14" barrel for my T/C in the Max, and it is a great shooting round. Too bad it had its problems.
