Tell me about your 38-40 in a Levergun

[Just Duke]

This looks like a fun caliber to cast and reload for. Are there any issues with the brass sizing and loading? This might be just the ticket for wifey to shoot.
TIA,
Duke

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Hi, I load 38-40 for a model 73 winchester. Its a slightly difficult round to load for a couple of reasons. The brass tends to be thin in the necks so you've got to be careful when neck expanding or you crunch a case. so make sure that the cases are well into the shell holder and go slow. Secondly of all the bullets available for caliber 40 and it is .401 diameter...and there are several....most have broad bands as they were designed for 40 S&W or 10 mm. I use the old Lyman mold #401043. It casts at .403 which is ok as my old 73 has a slightly worn bore. But the problem that occurs is that when loading for a tubular magazine you have to use a bit of a roll crimp. For the length of the bullet to be correct and feed in that nice little brass elevator that the 73's have, you can't crmp behind the front band. If you do that the round is too long to feed. You then have to seat the bullet a bit deeper and then in order to crimp it can't be a roll crimp ....it has to be a taper crimp. I did that for a while with a lee factory crimp die and it was beating the dickens out of the case mouths. I got around the whole problem by trimming the case length back just enough to allow me to roll crimp just behind the front band. It works like a champ now. NO feed problems. I use 19 grains of 4227 and get pretty good accuracy at 100 yards.....about 4-5" which is ok for that old smoke wagon. Not really much kick and lots of fun to shoot. Good shooting. LLS

[Just Duke]

That was a great write sir. Would I have elevator problems with a winchester 1892?

[Morgan Astorbilt]

I shoot .38-40 in two rifles, an original Marlin 1894(made that year), and an Uberti 1873. I originally cast the Lyman #401043, which I use for my 10mm., but they don't have a crimping groove, since they were originally used for black powder loads which don't have a problem with the bullets slipping back into the cases. I now use an RCBS two cavity "cowboy" mold, the 40-180C which has a crimp groove in just the right spot for these rifles. I load in a Hornady ProJector on which I've installed a Dillon powder measure, since the thin case necks aren't strong enough to operate the Hornady measure without collapsing.
Morgan

[Bluehawk]

I load for my Marlin 1889 I alos have loaded for a Ruger COnv. 10mm/38/40 ( dont have it any more:( and a Uberti SA I used for Sass.
The Marlin likes the Lyman mold and has shot commercial cast well . I crimp with the Lee Factory Crimp die works like a charm wether or not there is a crimp grove .
I use 7.5 Grains of Unique .
I also use pulled Winchester factory 180 JSPs and a good hand ful of 2400 for a hunting load Took one doe with it about 12 years ago .
I pretty much stick to cast in it now and 7.5 unique has worked for every differne t cast bollit I have ever tried in the gun .
The brass is usually thin and you do have to be careful in loading. I find trimming after every other load usually enhances accuracy .

[runfiverun]

starline brass is a bit thicker then the win brass is.
and be sure to get a good resize on the cases, they headspace on the rim.