When speaking of the world of firearms, what overshadows all else is power and precision. Few rifles evoke awe akin to the SSK Industries .950 JDJ, more affectionately known as the “Fat Mac.” At the moment, this huge bolt-action rifle that blurs the line between small arms and light artillery again surfaces into the spotlight as Gun Number One goes up for auction. This titan of rarity is an extremist in engineering, offering a unique opportunity for collectors and enthusiasts who want to own a piece of shooting history.
The .950 JDJ originated from necking down and shortening a 20x110mm Vulcan Cannon cartridge to take a .950 caliber bullet. Developed by J.D. Jones of SSK Industries, it is a rifle that required a “Sporting Use Exception” from the ATF to deregulate it so that people could purchase it like any other Title I rifle by persons over 18 with no felonious criminal record.
The specs for this rifle are simply out of this world. Bottom line, the .950 JDJ tips the scales at 61 pounds with its McMillan-style bench rest stock, huge eight-chamber muzzle brake, and Burris 7x scope. Remove the action from the receiver, remove the bolt, place the round directly into the bolt, then the entire assembly is reinserted into the receiver much like how anti-tank rifles load their ammunition. This design is necessary to handle the huge power of the .950 JDJ round, which pushes a 3,600-grain bullet at about 2,200 feet per second, producing a muzzle energy of 38,685 foot-pounds.
Its enormous length and weight notwithstanding, the .950 JDJ is surprisingly manageable to shoot, thanks to its recoil-dampening design. Its bench rest stock and substantial muzzle brake do much to civilize the otherwise earth-shaking discharge of its cannon-like rounds. The length and weight of the weapon, however, make it quite impractical to be used in hunting, so it becomes just a “range queen.” That means the rifle is brought to a range to have some fun but not normally used for more practical purposes.
It makes the rifles an expensive proposition to own and shoot for most shooters. The rifles cost upwards of $8,000, loaded cartridges are $40 each, and individual lathe-turned bronze bullets cost $10 apiece. Besides, they are just plain rare; SSK Industries has only made three of them.
The .950 JDJ represents the ultimate in craftsmanship and the outer reaches of sporting-rifle design. Its reintroduction to the market offers not only an opportunity to own a slice of shooting prowess but also a slice of firearms innovation. The lore surrounding its creation by J.D. Jones, a legend in cartridge development and handgun hunting, makes it not just a firearm but a conversation piece and an artifact of the gunsmith’s art.
Now that Gun Number One is up for auction, collectors and enthusiasts have the rare opportunity to get a piece of shooting history that does not capitulate into the ordinary, but declares extremes in firepower; the .950 JDJ, among sporting rifles, holds the place of a titan for artistic expression and engineering in truly exceptional weaponry.