38-55 & 45lc

[joachim slim]

I am thinking about buying a Henry or Winchester in 38-55 and 45lc. Does the Henry hold its value as well as the Winchester? Which is the better rifle?

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

By Henry, I assume you mean the modern Henry Repeating Arms company.   By all accounts their guns are well made, but not well suited to our game.

By Winchester...   It get's a little more complicated.

For a .38-55, you want one a Model 94 made before 1983 when they went to angle eject, and then started adding safeties and other modern features that ruined the gun.   Quality also took a nose dive, in my opinion.   Of course, I don't know when Winchester stopped offering the Model 94 in the caliber you want.

The best possible .38-55 Winchester 94 you can get would be one made before 1964.   They are very well made, and will never do anything but go up in value as long as they are in shootable condition.

For a .45 Colt Winchester, you are talking a modern Made in Japan "Winchester" made under license by Miroku.  You can get either a 92 or a 73.   A 92 will have a rebounding hammer and a tang mounted safety.   Their 73's are more "accurate" in that they have no safety on the tang.  I believe they also make a model 66, and I think it's available in .45 Colt as well.  I do not know if they have a traditional half cock, or a modern rebounding hammer.   If these modern features don't matter to, then go for it.  Everything I have read says that both guns are well made, but I don't own one to say for sure.   To be honest, I think they are over priced.   If I wanted a modern made 73 or 66 in .45 Colt, I'd get a Uberti.   For more affordable.   I don't believe the Japanese Winchesters will hold their value like one Made in Connecticut does, and the quality of the Italian guns is very good.   The Italian guns also have no silly safeties or rebounding hammers, they have a half cock notch.   For a 92, I'd get one made by Chiappa.   Their guns are excellent quality right out of the box.   They are more expensive than say, a Rossi, but you get what you pay for.

Them's my opinions.

[Boggus Deal #64218]

The only thing I have to add to the above is were I to get a Winchester in .38-55, it would be an 1885.

[Texas Jack Black]

4 minutes ago, Boggus Deal #64218 said:

The only thing I have to add to the above is were I to get a Winchester in .38-55, it would be an 1885.

 I have both and enjoy shooting them. I hunt with the Winchester and use  my original  1885 for target.

[Jeff, #21334]

I could be wrong, but I thought I seen some new miroku winchester's in thirty eight fifty five on gun broker

[Cotton Eye Joe]

For 38-55

 

I'd have to take a Miroku 1894 over a Henry. Sure, my credit card would take a slightly bigger hit, but I think its resale is definitely stronger. I'd want a used Henry to have a solid discount to buy it over a new one. A Miroku, I'd probably pay a little closer to new price.

 

Uberti's newer 1894 release (in 2017 iirc) gets forgotten! It's extremely true to the original W1894 rifles. Very few cosmetic differences between the Uberti 1894 and my W1894 that was made in 1897.

[Griff]

Before I offer an opinion, I'd need to know what your intended uses will be.  SASS competition, either main stage or side match?  Hunting, collecting, or other, maybe all of the above?  Suitability for intended task varies.  

[Cholla]

I don’t think the Miroku/ Winchester has a short stroke kit available. It comes shorter than standard but still isn’t as short as a Uberti with a kit. 

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

Oh yeah.   Cimarron is marketing a Model 94 reproduction in .38-55.    I do not know who makes it for them.   No tang safety.   No angle eject.  No other stupid modern enhancements.   And much more affordable than a real vintage Winchester.

[Snake-eye, SASS#45097]

Marlin also made a 38-55. I have one and it’s a great shooter. Usable for SASS events and for hunting with a scope mounted.

[JackSlade]

14 hours ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

Oh yeah.   Cimarron is marketing a Model 94 reproduction in .38-55.    I do not know who makes it for them.   No tang safety.   No angle eject.  No other stupid modern enhancements.   And much more affordable than a real vintage Winchester.

They also offer a deluxe model like the old Winchesters did in 26" barrels.

[Hoss]

My experience with 38-55s

Winchester made Chief Crazy Horse commemorative. Made in 84 I think. Good rifle. No issues. Other than the big ugly coin in the but stick (I covered it with a leather buttstock cover, and blacked out the gold engraving on the barrel. I sold it in favor of a Marlin 336 CB. The Marlin is an excellent rifle. But if shooting cast be sure to get the CB model, has Ballard rifling vs the marlin micro-groove. I also have a Uberti-Win 94 carbine. Zero complaints on it as well. It’s a tad lighter than the Marlin. Overall, I prefer the Marlin. 
biggest issue with 38-55 is getting the correct bullet diameter. They are all over the place! 
 

I also have a Uberti-Win 1885 HiWall in 38-55. Very nice rifle. Extremely accurate. Only problem is knockdowns & wind over about 300 yds. Bullet is just a tad light. Most accurate was a 260 grn bullet, but it would not reliably knock down silhouettes at 500 meters. And wind had a lot of effect on it. Heaviest bullet it would handle was 310 grns, but it was just not as accurate. 
 

[Dantankerous]

I also agree that the Marlin 38-55 might be something for you to look at. These come up for sale frequently on the wire. Mine is a fantastic shooter and fun to load for. So far, I've had good luck with accuracy out to 300 yards and this is with minimal practice or reloading expertise (by this I mean, I have not had ample opportunity to dial a load in for this rifle) but so far it has shot well with everything I've run through it. Mine is a JM, and is as solid as can be. 

 

That said, I also have the same configuration (24"barrel, JM stamped) in 45 Colt. Again, a super nice option. My goal is to use it for long range pistol cartridge rifle. Although I don't shoot it much it's a joy to shoot when I do. And it ain't nowhere close to ever being sold. 

 

I think you would really enjoy the capabilities that the 38-55 allow. 

 

Happy shopping! 😀

[joachim slim]

Well, I pulled the trigger on a Winchester 1894 Legendary Frontiersman in 38-55. It is beautiful. Thanks for everyone's input.

 

[Michigan Slim]

On 9/30/2025 at 8:36 PM, Jeff, #21334 said:

I could be wrong, but I thought I seen some new miroku winchester's in thirty eight fifty five on gun broker

I have one. A well made, accurate rifle.