WTB .356 Winchester Dies and brass

[AFretired]

Well I am looking for dies and brass for a .356 Winchester. It is an old lever action rifle I have inherited from my grandfather. He used it for deer and once told me it was just as good if not better than the 30-30 for deer in brush.

Would like to find dies and brass

Thanks

[MT Gianni]

It was made up into the early 2000's or late 1990's. Lee sells dies and Graf & Sons Brass. If you absolutly can't find brass PM me as I have 200-250 new. I might let 50 of them go but plan on using that rifle until my grandkids take it over. Gianni

[Chuck White]

Midway has RCBS dies for 356 Winchester, $27.99. Note: The same dies are also used for the 358 Winchester.

They also have Winchester brass for the 356 Winchester, $21.99/50ea.

[AnthonyB]

AFretired; your grandfather was wrong and you should sell that useless 356 Winchester to me. I'm still active duty Army and know how to dispose of it properly. Just in case you don't want to get rid of it, send me a PM and I'll help get you going with it. You will most likely be able to use 308 brass; I use a ton of 7.62 with cast boolits in mine. Tony

[MT Gianni]

A read of old Handloader Magazines showed a cartridge called 38-56 [not the more common 38-55]. We are all assuming that you have a Winchester Big Bore angle eject, Correct? Gianni

[floodgate]

Yeah, if it is an 1886 Winchester, the cartridge is the .38-56 WCF; basically a necked-down (with a long, sloping neck/body) .45-70, the next size down in caliber from the .40-65 WCF. Easily made from the .45-70, and takes the same range of bullets as the .38-55 (the parent of the .30-30. etc.)

floodgate

[Chuck White]

The 356 Winchester isn't a necked down 45-70.
It came out as one of the '94 Big Bores.
It's the same physical size as the 358 Winchester, except that the 356 has a rim (like the 30-30) and the 358 is rimless.
As stated above, they use the same reloading dies, just a different shell-holder.
added: They both use .358 diameter bullets.

[floodgate]

Chuck:

We're talking two quite different cartridges here. I tossed in the info on the .38-56 because MT Gianni metioned it, and I didn't know just HOW old AFretired's grandfather's "old lever action rifle" really was. Sorry if I've muddied the waters.

I think the .356 was based on the .444 case; a friend made up his ".35 BB" ("Bear Blaster") that way back in the early '70s, well before the .356 was introduced; the .356 is a fine cartridge that never got its due.

floodgate

[MT Gianni]

Sorry to muddy the waters. When he mentioned "Old" and "Grandfather" I wanted to make sure that it wasn't just something available new 8 years ago. Gianni

[AFretired]

it is a Marlin .356 Winchester he got it new in 1994 for deer. But got the brass covered. Thanks for the help.

[MT Gianni]

Hang on to that Marlin. There were few made in that caliber and collectors drool and their eyes get glassey when they see them. I am using RL7 and others here report good results with varget. Cast bullets in general smaller than 180 graind need to be singly loaded in the Winchester because of OAL. May not apply to a Marlin. I have had good results with the LY 358627, no longer in production and the Saeco 352. Others like the RCBS 200 gr. I would like to try a 358430 190 gr pb but haven't had the opportunity yet. Gianni

[Baron von Trollwhack]

I have dies & brass. I'll check later this afternoon and send you a pm BvT