my new 38-55

[bigted]

finally got it done!! it started life as a browning m-1885 in a hunter configuration chambered for 45-70...28 inch barrel...around 8 pounds.

next it came into being a 45-120 when some one in its past decided for some reasons to so run the chamber out for it. i came into possession of it in the 45-120 configuration as i had the funny need for a 45-120 and this popped into my screen of possibility's. having experimented with it for some time i came to understand that a 45-120 was indeed NOT the rifle i wanted in my battery...[ too many things to go into rite now ] so i decided that a 38-55 would serve me better .

i sent off for a green mountain barrel and having received it i promptly took it to my smith for remodeling and re-barreling.

got it out of the doctors office yesterday and she is a beauty






so took it out for the beginning barrel break in with some fairly fast jacketed bullets and smokeless...what a dreary process...bright thing is tho ...i shot her at three hundred yards and even tho the photo's dont show it...a paper plate at this distance was bounced with almost every shot of the 20 break in shells i built. i have 20 more to go and then the cast process starts. gonna start with black powder and lymans 330gr round nose....but more on that when i get to it...what a super shooter.

she now wears a 30 inch green mountain barrel in a Winchester # 4 taper now....with a bright blued finish with a target recessed crown... the frame / lever / but-plate are all very snazzy in color case finish.....the scope is the leather-wood that ive had laying around for about three years....better optics then i figured on...the rear mount sucks tho and im gonna purchase the screw adjustment add-on from them and try...if that dosent work then ill try the 'mva' rear mount. i also am gonna purchase the shorter extension for the front as this one is for a 34 inch barrel.

overall this is starting life again as a super shooter and cant wait to try it for groups when the barrel is settled and ironed out for good.

by the by...i saved the 45-120 barrel and extractor for off setting my costs a bit if their is a want / need in somebody's life for such a chambered barrel and extractor for the browning/Winchester model 1885 hi-wall rifle....send me a PM and ill tell all i know about this barrel.

[Gunlaker]

Ted, did you use the same forearm, or did you order a new one for a BPCR?

Thanks,

Chris.

[bigted]

i had the same stock one rung out to fit the larger barrel profile. it is pretty thin at the front tho...wish i had looked and found one for the bpcr gun. smith had to glass the inside in the extractor area where the spring and mechanism rest beside the barrel....got real thin there and also at the very front of the wood...maybe 1/32 thick at the very front along the side...but WOWWW looks very cool thinned like that!

like to say i did it but ... nope...above my head.

also have a shorter scope front piece coming along with the new adjuster from the hi-lux company thru mid-usa. the scope has no adjuster when i ordered this one a few years ago.

[doubs43]

Ted, that sure is a beauty! I have a Miroku/Winchester 1885 "Traditional Hunter" in 38-55 and it's a superb shooter. I use the RCBS-312 BPS boolit that weighs in at 318 grains and sized to .378" for rams at 350 yards. I've been averaging better than 9 per match from cross sticks.

I have the Lyman 330 grain mold too and will be finalizing a load for it soon. My first loads with it show great promise but I use a smokeless duplex load rather than black.

[bigted]

i posted other photos in the bpcr area as well and am looking for suggested loads as well as process which is conductive to the 38-55 cartridge. thanks for the compliment.

not sure if the long scope will stay but it sure is a kick rite now.

[doubs43]

i posted other photos in the bpcr area as well and am looking for suggested loads as well as process which is conductive to the 38-55 cartridge. thanks for the compliment.

not sure if the long scope will stay but it sure is a kick rite now.

Ted, my duplex loads are as follows:

Lyman 248 grain boolit sized .378" & lubed with NRA 50/50 formula. WW 2.082" cases primed with standard LR primers; CCI at the moment. OAL = 2.500"

RCBS-312 BPS at 318 grains sized .378", NRA 50/50 lube. Starline 2.125" cases, same standard LR primers. OAl = 2.867"

Above are both loaded with exactly the same amount of each powder: 2.5 grains WW-231 (Bullseye works the same) and 34.0 grains WC-860.

Lyman 330 grain Postel boolit sized and lubed the same as above in Starline cases with same powder charges and seated to OAL of 2.910" show great promise. The Postel is a bore rider and in my rifle, the front drive band seats into the rifling.

I've shot the RCBS boolit for about 20 months and the 248 grain Lyman load for about a year. Both give excellent accuracy with NO signs of pressure. The heavy boolits will take down a ram reliably at 350 yards. That's the current limit of our range.

[semtav]

Funny how some of these guns follow the same circuitous route.
I have a Browning 1885 BPCR that started out as a 45-70, then someone got the bright idea to lower its resale value by converting it to a 45-120.
I just rebarreled it with a bored out 40-65 badger barrel, now a 42-85 Wesson imp.

[bigted]

semtav... wowww guess i haint heeerd of eberthin yet...42-85 ?? would like to see a photo of this. is it a bn case? or just a misprint?

i now have a browning BPCR in 45-70 and love it to pieces. little heavy to drag thru the woods but i have the winny '85' in same chamber for hunting.

this little 38-55 is sure fun to shoot. i have 45 more loaded up with the barrel ironing jacketed bullets then im off to bp and cast. looking forward to the bp in this little barn burner. this turned out a bit heavier then expected as well but ho hum...range guns are fun too.

thanks doubs...ive never duplex-ed yet but will in the near future fix this over-site with your suggested load...thanks!

[bigted]

here are the newest photos of the butpad for length of pull,,,the adjuster for the rear site,,,the end piece that pulls the scope end behind the muzzle.













so there is the finished rifle. it just needs thousands of rounds sent thru the barrel and after i get some accurate loads ill install a set of browning verneir long rang sights,,,but for now ill experiment with it in this fassion. that new adjuster looks and feels like it will do what i want it to do. the leather butpad will adjust the length of pull just rite and the end piece surely does the job of finishing the muzzle end off.

as said in the above...i will shoot the 45 loaded jacketed 300's for the barrel ironing then the gloves come off and the black powder comes out and the clouds of smoke will fly.

[bigted]

took her out for a stroll yesterday again and i like this rifle more n more as i shoot it. she will keep everything inside 1.5 inches at 100 yards with an occasional flyer that opens 10 shots up to 2.3 inches. what a treat to shoot...no recoil and just punch's rite down the lane with the 300 j-words...cant wait for the bp and cast...bet she is gonna be a trip.

this 3/4 scope may have to be replaced with a 12x unertl tho. dont know how well ill get along with this scope for range work. may just have to install it on my great plains rifle and see what a 54 ml would do with glass on it.