38-55 ?? help

[JSH]

Sold the Crazy Horse to my shooting bud James. It sure was a "purty" one but I read to many things that made it sound more like putting lipstick on a pig. I warned him about this. I had read more negative than positive on this particular rifle. Only after finding a Marlin for a donor action to build a CORRECT chambered 38-55. What I need is input on what I need for a chamber reamer to shoot cast. Throat, lead angle etc..................???? I was reminded last weekend that there are two different length reamers out there. I myself would prefer to go with the shorter of the two.

I have a slight tapered octagon barrel in the white, unchambered, uncut, that I am 90% sure will fit. Figure on a half magazine.

Thanks for any input on this project.
Jeff

[northmn]

The longer cases were for single shots. You will see Starline brass in 2 different lengths and I would use the shorter. The biggest complaint in 38-55 is that the chamber will not let the cast bullet fit the barrel. My Marling is about 377 bore but a 379 bullet will not chamber out of the Winchester brass I have a bunch of. I gather Starline is thin enough to permit chambering. Were I to build a 38-55 I would consider using a 375 barrel. Then the 377 bullets that chamber in my Marlin would fit the bore, Otherwise some have reamed out the throat a bit to take 379 to 380 bullets. In black powder days this may have not been so much of a problem as BP will slug a bullet to a barrel if undersize. I have also been able to chamber 379 bullets by fireforming Remington 30-30 brass which is also slightly shorter than the Winchester. These are the common problems that one may want to avoid.

DP

[Jon K]

JSH,

Contact Dave Manson:
http://www.mansonreamers.com/
I have had him build several reamers for me 38-55/40-60/38-50.
1st rate quality.

Jon

[northmn]

I am going to drift off the subject slightly, but I ahve read all kinds of horror stories on how my 38-55 will tumble unless I use oversize bullets and how it will not chamber the bullets needed. To use the Winchester cases I have in my Marlin CB I bought a 377 sizer to try it as the bore measures 377. I shot them today at at alittle over 50 ayrds, over a load of 3031 giving me about 1650 over the chronograph. I had a little problem with vertical stringing which I think was me and the rickety rest I was using. The horizontal was one above the other. No sign of tumbling. I do use Lee's Liquid ALox and then place lube in the grooves. The gun does not chamber 379 bullets in Winchester cases. I may try some card wads over powder as done in BP cartridge but do not know if they are needed. Sometimes things work that are not supposed to.

DP

[oneokie]

You need to slug your barrel to know what the groove diameter is and then decide on which chamber reamer to use.

[runfiverun]

definately.
the 55's and most of the 375's are not overly standardized.
i use .379 in both of my 375's [one win and one marlin] and also use winchester 38-55 brass in them.
should be too long right?
nunhunh.
you want the throat cut to the boolit you'll use,not to some angle.
b.t.w. they both do well with the lyman g/c boolit, and the win will shoot a magma plain based boolit [1500fps] i have rather well,as will the marlin only the marlin does not have enough sight adjustment at 50 yds to get the poi correct.
hope this helps.

[44 WCF]

I have a Marlin CB in 38-55, I bought it new and in the fever of the Marlin chambers being too smal to chamber .380 bullets which it would not, I contacted Marlin, very helpful those folks and they asked me to send the rifle in which I did, got it back and it's a tack driver with .380 or .379 soft bullets. Best accuracy is with Lyman 375449 that Mike Lewis upened up me a tad or the Magma 38-55 gas check style, it's a burner for certain. i have no idea what they did to chamber but it sure works.

[northmn]

I have not tried them yet but many claim Starline cases will chamber the larger bullets as they have a thinner case mouth than Winchester. I do get 379's to chamber by using fireformed Remingtn 30-30 cases of wihich I have an abundance. The 377 bullets did shoot but I do not know about leading yet.

DP

[John Taylor]

The SAMMI specs for the 38-55 has been changed several times. All the later reamers use the .375 bullet diameter with the neck diameter of .3934". I just ordered a neck reamer to take it out to .400" so the .380" bullets would work. I have two 38-55 reamers, one is standard and the other is a long taper throat ( 1-30 degree) for cast bullets.

[JSH]

Wellllllll I called a local lever guru, some what local any way, Regan Nooneman. We spoke for about an hour and he will do the work. Only thing now is to decide on what type of tang sight to use. I figure 500 yards tops.
jeff

[bslim]

It's the old story, lots of the 38-55's ran from .377" to .381". slug your barrel, add .001
" and strart from there.

[bbqncigars]

I put a Marbles tang sight on my relined pre-smokeless 1893 in 38-55, and I've been real happy even with the original silver sliver front blade. OK, I cheat and blacken the blade with a marker, but the Marbles works well for such a compact sight. Be warned that the Marbles gun reference is a bit off. Just go by the mounting hole spacing and you'll be ok.

[JSH]

Another question I must have a "texan" model donor action as it is a 336 with a straight grip. Do any of you know where I can get some nice wood for this. Walnut with a nice bit of figure is what I would like. The factory stock would work bit it has a bit of a fit problem. Looks to have shrunk some around the top tang.
Thanks
Jeff