Gun Review: SSK 50 B&M Alaskan Rifle

By Dan Zimmerman

By LB

For years I had been searching the perfect lever gun: short, charming, and capable of delivering at least 4000 ft/lbs of energy at 50 yards for my weekly brown bear encounter. I was considering finding one of the old pre-Remington Marlins in .45-70. What a great cartridge…nearly 150 years old and it’s still found as a modern chambering. But, that wasn’t quite big enough and lacked some of the energy I was looking for. A friend of mine, who lived in Alaska for years, suggested I look at the 50 B&M Alaskan. Let’s just say it filled all of the requirements I had set forth . . .

The 50 Alaskan was developed by Harold Johnson in the 1950s for Alaskan guides. He took the classic .348 Winchester, blew out the case, and shoved a .510 bullet in the end. What a brilliant idea.

It allowed the use of the existing action size that most of the hunters had, plus delivered a considerable increase in energy. However, in today’s market, .510 diameter bullets aren’t easy to come by. However, there have been a …read more

Source:: Truth About Guns