H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 From what I read here on the wire, .38-55 seems to be a fairly popular caliber. I'd like to ask a few questions about it. 1. Is the .38-55 that was chambered in the Winchester 94, the same .38-55 that was chambered in the Marlin 1881? 2. How difficult is it to get brass? 3. Is commercial ammo available? 4. Is it true that if all else fails, you can create .38-55 brass simply by running .30-30 through a full length sizing die? Thank you to those in the know for the answers. Reasons why I am asking these questions: I am considering getting a Marlin 1881. I wanted one in .45-70, but they seem to be hard to find/super expensive, or both. Of the other calibers that I have seen listed for this rifle, .38-55 seems to be the one would be the easiest to tool up to reload for, and they seem to be available in this caliber for far more reasonable prices that some others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake-eye, SASS#45097 Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 I shoot a Marlin model 336cb in 38-55. Brass was not too hard to find, I found some Winchester and was fortunate to acquire some new Starline brass as well. I reload my own as factory ammo is difficult to find and very expensive. It’s a great long range caliber to play with. Good for hunting as well. There is a good discussion on the Starline site you might want to check out regarding question #1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Slim SASS #24733 Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 You cannot make 30-30 into 38-55 by just using a die, you have to fire form it as dies don't make anything bigger. It usually works fine as it is just a bit shorter then the longer 38-55 brass, do it all the time in my re-barrelled Winchester 94 and my 38-55 Buffalo Classics. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jack Black Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 Black Hills was making it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slow poke gear Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 I use a marlin 336cb in 38-55 and a 1885 in 38-55. Their are some commercial loading for it hsm makes a cowboy load, winchester makes a jacketed soft point for hunting. They do get a bit pricey. I find brass is not to hard to find, dies and lead are as easy to. My reloads chamber better than the factory stuff. If you can find it 9.5 grains trail boss under a 249 grain head seem to hit well and don't kick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howlin Mad Murdock SASS #4037 Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 Whatever you get, slug the bore. There really aren't any SAAMi specs, so every manufacturer does it different. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001 Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 down the 38-55 rabbit hole ya go everyone is a critter unto its self CB 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
River Jordan, SASS 18742 Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 It is best to slug the barrel for whatever rifle you use for best accuracy brass and bullets are out there and available mostly... don', be afraid to get into it making 38- 55 from 30- 30 seems like a stretch... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Rich Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 11 hours ago, River Jordan, SASS 18742 said: I making 38- 55 from 30- 30 seems like a stretch... Why? I've done it for Shirttails highwall several times. kR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Spade Mikey Wilson Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 Many years ago I bougth a brand new Winchester Legiondary Frontiersman commemorative at an auction. Loaded up some cartridges using .375 jacketed bullets. That thing shot all over the place with keyholing. I called Winchester to ask them about the bore size and they wouldn't tell me anything having to do with that. I slugged it and found it was .377". Bought some .379" cast bullets with gas checks and never looked back. It became quite accurate. Won a few big bore matches with it. Starline has brass now and then. It's up for backorder right now which means you have a good chance of getting some rather quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake-eye, SASS#45097 Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 SAAMI specs for 38-55 are shown on their web site. https://saami.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ANSI-SAAMI-Z299.4-CFR-Approved-2015-12-14-Posting-Copy.pdf Page 137. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Slim SASS #24733 Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 There are SAAMI specs for 38-55, but unfortunately every manufacturer doesn't follow them. Some make barrels for .377 bullets and some for ..379. Some cut chambers for .377 bullets but barrels for .379, making accuracy a bit of a problem. I reamed out my Buffalo Classic and now it shoots great. Slug your bore and chamber cast your chamber to know what you really have and it helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cusz M. Dutch SASS Life 55326 Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 I went to the 38/55 because recoil was becoming an issue with both my Marlin and Rolling block in the 45/70. Highly recommetnd the 38/55. There are factory and handloads that take this into another realm for hunting if you think you need it. Orginal Factory spec ammo works fine for deer hunting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WymoreWrangler SASS 46187L Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 Stay away from HSM 38-55 ammo, bullets specs are too varied for consistent accuracy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 I have 3 38-55s. A HiWall , a Uberti-Win 94 and a Marlin. i shoot long brass in hiwall. 10.0 Unique with a 260 grn bullet. Absolute tack driver. short brass in lever guns. The Marlin 336 has a very tight bore. Bullets that won’t chamber in Marlin go fine in Win 94. I had a custom chamber checker made. In lever guns I shoot 9.6 grns unique with a 245-255 cast bullet. 38-55 is a great caliber. Just takes tuning to your gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Neeley Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 Double check on the 1881 Marlin. Originally Marlin didn't want Winchester's name on their rifles so they came up with the 38-56 on early rifles. Completely different cartridge than the 38-55. Later when the 38-55 got much better traction than their 38-56, they began chambering their rifles in the 38-55. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted March 23 Author Share Posted March 23 2 hours ago, Doc Neeley said: Double check on the 1881 Marlin. Originally Marlin didn't want Winchester's name on their rifles so they came up with the 38-56 on early rifles. Completely different cartridge than the 38-55. Later when the 38-55 got much better traction than their 38-56, they began chambering their rifles in the 38-55. There was also a .38-56 that the Colt Lightning was chambered for. From what I have read, it is not the same as .38-55 the way .45-85 was the same as .45-70 just with a much lighter bullet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michigan Slim Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 I lucked out. Got 250 pieces of Starline short brass, a Lee mold that drops at .379-.380, and pounds of Unique. Shoots well in two Buffalo Classics (Kaya's is more accurate than mine?) a Winchester 1894, and a Marlin. I just shoot the same load through all. Chambers fine in all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cotton Eye Joe Posted March 24 Share Posted March 24 9 hours ago, Doc Neeley said: Double check on the 1881 Marlin. Originally Marlin didn't want Winchester's name on their rifles so they came up with the 38-56 on early rifles. Completely different cartridge than the 38-55. Later when the 38-55 got much better traction than their 38-56, they began chambering their rifles in the 38-55. I don't think I've ever heard of a Marlin 1881 in 38-56. That was only in the 1895, as far as Marlin guns go. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted March 24 Share Posted March 24 Actually, the .38-55 was introduced by the Ballard Rifle Co. in 1876, based on their earlier .38-50 Everlasting. Winchester didn't chamber a rifle in it until the 1894. Marlin using it in their mdl 1881, far earlier than Winchester. The four "dash calibers" that Marlin refused to put on their rifle barrels were the 25WCF, 32WCF, 38WCF & 44WCF, using instead the 25-20, 32-20, 38-40 & .44-40 nomenclature. Whereas the .32-40 was also introduced in the mdl 1884 Ballard and subsequently used by both Marlin and Winchester. It was never a "WCF" cartridge. That distinction was reserved for the .32-20. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cotton Eye Joe Posted March 24 Share Posted March 24 7 hours ago, Griff said: Actually, the .38-55 was introduced by the Ballard Rifle Co. in 1876, based on their earlier .38-50 Everlasting. Winchester didn't chamber a rifle in it until the 1894. Marlin using it in their mdl 1881, far earlier than Winchester. The four "dash calibers" that Marlin refused to put on their rifle barrels were the 25WCF, 32WCF, 38WCF & 44WCF, using instead the 25-20, 32-20, 38-40 & .44-40 nomenclature. Whereas the .32-40 was also introduced in the mdl 1884 Ballard and subsequently used by both Marlin and Winchester. It was never a "WCF" cartridge. That distinction was reserved for the .32-20. I think the 25-20 was a Marlin cartridge originally, and is stamped as the "25-20M" on many Marlin 1894s. Not because they refused to put Winchester's name on the gun, but because it was not invented by Winchester. Additionally, Marlin seemed fine stamping "38-W" and "44-W" on their 1889 rifles, which I've always found interesting. Always something I think, when I see the misattributed "WCF" suffix that many like to put on the 25-20, 32-40, 38-55, and some of the Sharps cartridges. And I'd think a 25WCF would refer to the 25-35, but I don't usually see people use that vernacular for that cartridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rancho Roy Posted March 24 Share Posted March 24 (edited) Quote Bought some .379" cast bullets with gas checks and never looked back. Can use Gas Checks in Cowboy Long Range matches....... I stand corrected...Can Not be used in Match rifles/Revolvers.....That's where I got confused Edited March 25 by Rancho Roy fix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rancho Roy Posted March 24 Share Posted March 24 To make 38-55 brass from 30-30, just shoot 30-30 cartridges in your 38-55 chamber. There will be zero accuracy but the cases will form to your chamber perfectly. We did this all the time for the 7mmTCU in Thompson Contenders for Silhouette shooting. Fired 223 ammo in a 7TCU barrel..... All vintage 38-55 need a bore slugged and a chamber cast. There are two lengths of 38-55 brass and the groove diameters are all over the map! Usually .379-.380 bullets will give good results in just about any 38-55. Starline offers both length brass Up until 1929, the 38-55 was the benchrest record holder.....Then the 222 Remington came out..... Although 375 Winchester brass will easily chamber in a 38-55, do not load it! Bad things will happen in vintage firearms. Never understood why they didn't make the 375 cartridge just a bit longer so it wouldn't chamber in a 38-55....Infact, 375 brass is actually a tad shorter than 38-55! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 1 hour ago, Rancho Roy said: Can't use Gas Checks in Cowboy Long Range matches....... Au Contraire. as per the SHB, pg 30: Quote - Regardless of category or caliber, bullets used in long range and precision rifle matches must be made of pure lead or lead alloy having a plain base, gas checked, or paper patched configuration. Emphasis added. Local rules may vary. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rancho Roy Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 Quote - Regardless of category or caliber, bullets used in long range and precision rifle matches must be made of pure lead or lead alloy having a plain base, gas checked, or paper patched configuration. Emphasis added. Local rules may vary. THANK YOU! I stand corrected! Now I'm going to use gas checked bullets as all my "buffalo" rifles shoot much more accurately when using Gas Checks 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 20 minutes ago, Rancho Roy said: THANK YOU! I stand corrected! Now I'm going to use gas checked bullets as all my "buffalo" rifles shoot much more accurately when using Gas Checks The only long range rifles I don't use gas checks in are a '74 Sharps in 40-90SBN, the 1885 in .32-40, and the 1886 in 45-70, as none moves fast enough to warrant it. But the .30-30 has never had a plain base bullet in it. At 2200 fps I can't imagine the leading I'd have, even with 18-20 Bhn bullets. (That is until the boating accident claimed them)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted March 25 Author Share Posted March 25 This has been a fascinating discussion. Thank you to everyone for the information. I have to admit that after reading all the info here, and the article on Starline's website about it, that I am a little hesitant to look into this caliber. That might be silly, but I have to be honest. The only reason that I considered it to begin with was that of all the calibers one can get an 1881 Marlin in other than .45-70, this was the only one that seems to still be around and popular. I'd still prefer a .45-70, but they seem to be harder to find for some reason. (And more expensive.) But, since I am in no hurry, I'll just bide my time, work up my extra funds, and then pull the trigger when the time is right. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster Ron Wayne Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 I would love a 38/55 . Problem is I already have 6or7 30/30's that I shoot regularly. It's too easy to mix up the brass . So instead I do 30/30 & 45/70 . Rooster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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