Chief Crazy Horse 1894

[JSH]

I have wanted a lever gun in 38-55 or 375 for a fair bit. Ran across this one just by chance. It is new unfired. No box though. I am having a tough time shooting it, but with no box....... it is no collector.
I decided quite a few years back I would never own another gun that was to be looked at and not shot, if I kept it.
I would swap it for a Marlin cowboy in 38-55 if the chance came by.
As a good freind of mine and a member here says, "life is to short to shoot an ugly gun".
I think if I shoot it and the colors on it I would have to get one of those "gangsta" type grills to step onto the firing line with it,lol.

Any input from you gents? I heard the Winchesters liked a larger close to .380 boolit? Any truth to that?

Ken, long time since we have spoke, that needs to change. I hope your ears were burning a couple of weeks ago when I picked this up,lol. Ya have created a monster of sorts. Swore I would never cast for anything smaller than a 30 caliber, then the Swede arrived. Never had a liking for a 45ACP in an auto, then a Kimber. Pretty much swore off of the 94's and now this,lol
jeff

[northmn]

I likely would not swap a 94 for a Marlin Cowboy as I prefer the Marlin but you never know. Almost all 38-55's seem to come with a larger bore of about 379 or 380. you have to mike it to see. That model always looked like a good one to use instead of admire to me also. Lee is now making their 38 rifle molds in 379 configuration also so you can get a double cavity mold at a fair price for casual casting.

DP

[45nut]

Pm me anytime Jeff,, be great to chat on the phone with you!

[northmn]

I have seen Winchester listed at 377 in a loading manual and a Stevens 44 at 379. I think most factory loads are 377. In looking at Graf's the bullets available are 377 and due to their price makes you appreciate casting your own. One was $38/hundred for a hardcast and about $49/50 for jacketed.

DP

[doubs43]

I have seen Winchester listed at 377 in a loading manual and a Stevens 44 at 379. I think most factory loads are 377. In looking at Graf's the bullets available are 377 and due to their price makes you appreciate casting your own. One was $38/hundred for a hardcast and about $49/50 for jacketed.

DP

What makes it even worse is the inconsistency of the commercial cast boolits. A good friend and excellent shot didn't have time to cast so he bought commercial cast boolits for his 45-70 and, when he weighed them, found HUGE differences in their weight. When he used them in a match, he did awful. The next month he used his own cast boolits and won handily.

I do all I can to keep all of my boolits within 1.1 grains. For instance, my Lyman 248 grain boolits for my 38-55 will weigh between 247.0 & 248.0 grains. Anything over or under those weights go back in the pot. Thus variation is kept under 1/2 of 1 percent of boolit weight. Likewise, my 375 grain SAECO boolits for the 45-70 will weigh between 374.0 & 375.0 grains.

[northmn]

I truly feel the steel mold like Lyman and RCBS are worth the money if one does a lot of shooting adn they cast much easier once heated up. Some of the aluminum molds may also work well. Even the Lee mold is an improvement over paying $38/100 for cast bullets. I could buy a Lee mold and cast 100 good bullets and throw it away and come out on top compared to that. The 38-55 is a good deer rifle even at its realtively lower velcoities as compared to the 30-30 or 35 Rem and cast bullets would work just fine.

DP

[451whitworth]

i have a 94 Crazy Horse. the groove is .380" and i had to turn down the outside neck thickness of Win. brass to chamber a .381" bullet. Starline makes thinner wall brass so you can avoid that now a days. they made 19,999 of those Crazy Horse rifles so IMO there is limited if any collector value.