POTD: Largest Sporting Rifle Cartridge Ever Made – .950 JDJ
Sam.S 10.06.22
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have an absolute behemoth. It will probably be the biggest rifle covered on Photo of the Day. It may be unassuming all things considered but make no mistake that the SSK Industries .950 JDJ Single Shot Bolt Action Rifle is a giant in every way. It is chambered for the .950 JDJ cartridge which is in fact bigger than 50 caliber. This in most cases would technically make it an NFA item but the SSK Industries company got a Sporting Use Exception from the ATF in order to have their rifle and cartridges fully transferable like any old rifle off the shelf. The .950 JDJ Bolt Action is a single shot rifle that needs has a fully enclosed receiver so the bolt needs to be removed in order to insert the cartridge much like some older sporting 50 BMG rifles.
“Manufactured by SSK Industries, this enormous rifle pushes the envelope in size, raw power, and rarity. This rifle is designed to fire a cartridge based on the 20x110mm Vulcan Cannon cartridge, shortened, and necked up to match a .950 caliber (24.1mm) cast lead bullet. The round is large enough that when developed by J.D. Jones of SSK industries, they had to receive a “Sporting Use Exception” from the ATF to deregulate the rifles. SSK Industries manufactured only three of these rifles, and as of 2014 SSK no long produced ammunition for it. Manufactured without sight, on the super heavyweight Krieger barrel, enormous eight chamber muzzle brake, and fitted with a Burris 7x scope. The barrel is marked “SSK 950 JDJ Gun Number One” in fancy script lettering on the left side. The action functions by removing the bolt from the receiver, placing the round directly into the bolt, and putting the whole assembly back into the receiver, similar to how anti-tank rifles are loaded. The rifle weighs an astounding scale-breaking 61 pounds! Mounted on a McMillan style extra large benchrest style stock with a solid recoil pad. Includes two reloading dies, approximately 23 loaded rounds, 63 empty casings, two wood loading blocks, and approximately 90 cast lead bullets.”
Lot 401: Ssk Industries .950 Jdj Gun Number One Single Shot – Incredibly Massive Rare Ssk Industries .950 Jdj Gun Number One Single Shot Bolt Action Rifle with Scope. (n.d.). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved October 5, 2022, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/72/401/ssk-industries-950-jdj-gun-number-one-single-shot.
