About to pull the trigger on a Winchester Legendary Frontiersman 38-55...

[kenn]

Unless someone talks me out of it. Low $700s -- maybe with a bit of ammo. Like new. I don't know if it has been fired or not, but I will fire it so I don't care as I'll "ruin" the value anyway. It's this or a Marlin 336CB in 38-55 and I can't find one of those anywhere - but would be my preference if I could. There is a JM-stamped one I can order for $850 but that seems a bit steep and once I pay shipping and FFL I'll be in for a hair under $900.

I plan to cast and reload a 250ish grain boolit and use about 10gr of unique.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Throat going to be an issue?

[TXGunNut]

Bought one NIB a few months ago, very nice rifle. Mine likes the Lyman 380681 over 43grs of Old Eynesford FFg but Rx7 will work just fine. Don't freak out when the finish on the receiver stains, I actually kind of like the look.

[kenn]

Bought one NIB a few months ago, very nice rifle. Mine likes the Lyman 380681 over 43grs of Old Eynesford FFg but Rx7 will work just fine. Don't freak out when the finish on the receiver stains, I actually kind of like the look.

What are you sizing your boolits to?

[winchester85]

i picked one up a couple years ago NIB with a box of factory ammo for $750. it had been listed for sale for over a week.

[TXGunNut]

What are you sizing your boolits to?

.381, lubed w/ SPG. Boolits drop @ very close to .381 from my mould.

[45coltnut]

Kenn,

Get the Winchester! Like TXgunnut, I bought one just before he did. I bought a .382" Accurate mold in brass #38-255G. I size mine to .381" and the gas check is just added security for a good seal I guess. This was my first "cast" dedicated gun. Doing it again I probably wouldn't do the gas check.

Anyway, onto the good stuff on the gun! I love love love mine. Mine came with a Marbles tang sight that I swapped out for a Lyman receiver peep. I like the receiver peep much more. But, the gun shoots great with either. From a bench on sand bags @ 100 yds I can shoot 3 shot groups of 1.5". I was totally amazed at this!!! My loads are on the upper end using IM 3031 around 1700 fps. But, this was meant to be a fun shooter and mainly a deer slayer.

I did have one issue with mine that hopefully no one else will have. But, during one of the first range sessions for load development, the forearm tang block that holds the forearm in place split down the center. After a few shots I noticed my forearm had moved forward 2". I found one online, but it had to be hand filed to fit. No issues now. As for the rest of the gun....fantastic! It really has a good trigger to me and I consider myself to be a trigger snob. Yes, I admit it :) Fit / finish is great. Action is smooth too. I do love mine. The only thing that I hate.....is the dreaded scratches that I know I'll end up with from hunting. But hey, its what they are made for.

I think I'll buy a Winchester Canadian with the octagon barrel next. I really want an octagon barrel BAD. That would be the only thing different I could ask for personally on the Legendary Frontiersman. I'm sure it wouldn't make shoot any better. It's just my taste I guess.

Go buy it, shoot it and post some pics ASAP :)

[TXGunNut]

Bought it yet? I doubt it will last long. I put a tang sight on mine and just happened to have the correct front sight in my parts box. I'm not a trigger snob ;-) but I am a big fan of pretty walnut and every LF I've seen has above-average wood. Yes, an octagonal bbl would have been nice.

[kenn]

Bought it yet? I doubt it will last long. I put a tang sight on mine and just happened to have the correct front sight in my parts box. I'm not a trigger snob ;-) but I am a big fan of pretty walnut and every LF I've seen has above-average wood. Yes, an octagonal bbl would have been nice.

Yep, I'm in possession. I'm sure I paid too much. It looks like new but has been fired. No marks on the exterior. Bluing is essentially 100%. Rear tang is lyman so no windage unfortunately. Gun with lyman tang, padded gun bag, 2 boxes of winchester ammo. $720. I have been searching a while and that's by far the best I could find. It really is quite nice in person.

I may change to a marbles. Any idea if the marbles holes will line up with the lyman tang holes? I don't want to punch another hole in the rear...

[pietro]

.


I think you did well - How else to obtain what amounts to a high grade Winchester w/o paying 2x-3x more for an antique in like condition/decoration ?

The Lyman is fairly easy to adjust for windage via a BCS (beer can shim) or two, suitable blacked with a Sharpie, under whichever side of the tang sight base needs to be raised to slightly tilt the sight. ( a little goes a long way, BTW)

Tang sights are generally "set-'n-forget" for windage, since the elevation is all that most folks adjust for while shooting - and the Lyman elevation adjustment work the same as a Marble's (I've owned both brands).

You might want to consider switching out the rear bbl open sight for a folder, so the rifle can be set up with dual zeroes - the bbl sights for a relatively short range (say, 75yds) and the tanger for a somewhat longer range (say, 150yds).

It's EZPZ to hunt off the bbl sights, as there's usually ample time to fold the rear bbl sight & raise the tang sight if/when a shot at a longer range presents itself.



.

[Newtire]

A friend has one in which the chamber only accepts up to .378" boolits but the bore is .380 in the tightest spot. Sizing a lead ball..was loose, then tight, then loose. Didn't shoot cast worth a hoot.

[kenn]

Thanks. The Lyman Tang is the "Older" version of the #2 that doesn't have the two barrel screws to tighten the sight to given height. I'm really interested in shooting at 250 and 500 yard iron targets with the largest target being 18"x24". That may be too small to hit with open sights at the 500 yard mark. I definitely don't like the Lyman but changing it means another tang as there's now a hole tapped in there that either needs to be addressed by a screw or tang.

Currently I've taken the Lyman off but will have to put it back on as I don't have the original stock screw and the lyman screw is about 1/4" longer than stock and sticks out of the bottom.

Maybe a marbles... I dunno. We'll see. I'll do some research but I'd really like to be able to easily move from 100 to 250 to 500 with a tang-mounted sight that positively clicks so I can repeat my elevation settings.

[45coltnut]

Glad to hear you picked it up. I don't think you paid too much at all. They are great guns in a great caliber.

I had the marbles on mine and I love the look as it just fits the gun style and period. But, for me it just didn't feel good as my thumb took a beating while shooting. The lyman receiver peep is just awesome.

If I can help, I'll gladly send you some boolits to try from my accurate mold if you'd like before you purchase a mold.

[kenn]

Glad to hear you picked it up. I don't think you paid too much at all. They are great guns in a great caliber.

I had the marbles on mine and I love the look as it just fits the gun style and period. But, for me it just didn't feel good as my thumb took a beating while shooting. The lyman recover peep is just awesome.

If I can help, I'll gladly send you some boolits to try from my accurate mold if you'd like before you purchase a mold.

Thanks, man! I'm looking into molds at this point and hadn't decided on one. I'll PM you.

[TXGunNut]

I think you did well on the price. I like the Marble sight for the windage but many folks around here seem to like the Lyman. For moulds I like the 380681, drops @ .381 and does well enough over a case of BP. This thread reminds me, I need to go shoot that pretty thing!

[kenn]

.381, lubed w/ SPG. Boolits drop @ very close to .381 from my mould.

What OAL are you setting them at and where do you crimp? Mind a picture? :)

[EDG]

You might have to use only Starline's thinner brass with the .381 bullets. The SAAMI dimensions for the chamber will not allow you to chamber a .381 bullet in the SAAMI chamber with WW brass. If you want to use WW brass you may have to open the chamber "neck" area to .400 with a chamber reamer designed for that.

[451whitworth]

You might have to use only Starline's thinner brass with the .381 bullets. The SAAMI dimensions for the chamber will not allow you to chamber a .381 bullet in the SAAMI chamber with WW brass. If you want to use WW brass you may have to open the chamber "neck" area to .400 with a chamber reamer designed for that.
I shoot .381" in my Chief Crazy Horse and outside turned WW brass for years before I found out about the .007" thick necked Starline brass.

[TXGunNut]

What OAL are you setting them at and where do you crimp? Mind a picture? :)


2.535 using 2.125 Starline brass. Nothing loaded at the moment.

[45coltnut]

Kenn,

I've used both WW and Starline brass in my LGF. At least in mine I have not ran into any of the chamber issues that others have. Hopefully you will not either.

[45coltnut]

Any new reports on the LFM and how it shoots?