Mod 94 Win now a .38-55

[725]

Hope this is the right thread to make the comments about JES reboring. Just had a Win Mod 94 .30-30 converted into a .38-55. Sent it away per his instructions and got it back in 24 days. Workmanship seems absolutely top shelf. Haven't shot it yet. Just prepared a few 326-407's and the .375 Lee boolits to try. Now comes the long road of load development. Whoo hoo! I need to review our archives for info on that. So much fun and so little time..................... 725

[Ramjet-SS]

Sounds awesome and what a great caliber.

[hylander]

Congrats,
I am just starting to load for the 38-55 as well.
Keep us posted on the load development.

[dekeshooter]

I was planning to send a Marlin 336 to him to bore out in the next week or so, and then my refrigerator decides to give up the ghost last night. It just happens that a new fridge is almost exactly the same cost as a rebore, dies, brass and bullets.

[oscarflytyer]

I have a Marlin 336 Texan that is in line to visit JES and grow up to be a 38-55! Pls keep us posted on load development. I have Lee dies (think JES was less than impressed with at least the older Lee dies for 38-55) and the Lee mold.

[Texas by God]

I was planning to send a Marlin 336 to him to bore out in the next week or so, and then my refrigerator decides to give up the ghost last night. It just happens that a new fridge is almost exactly the same cost as a rebore, dies, brass and bullets.But the rifle should last much longer.....
I'm jealous; I want a JES 35-30 or 38-55 lever action to keep my Win 94 30-30 company. It was a gift from my dad and it's pre 64 so it stays as is. The .358 he did for me is amazing.

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[Drm50]

I was doing several conversions of 94 wins to 38/55 for local Ohio deer hunters. They were buying
barrels, forarms, tenons, and shell guides from Numerich. I think they had in neighborhood of 250
in these parts plus the cost of a used 94. It has fizzled out now since the market has filled with
legal Ohio rifles. I wasn't impressed with the barrels from Numerich, they weren't Win barrels. I
don't know any of the guys I did them for bragging about accuracy. I think I would send my rifle
to JES. Being able to save 250 on parts and their reputation for accuracy would put you ahead of
the game.

[OlDeuce]

38-55 is a great way to go!!! Both BP or Smokeless!! Ol Deuce

[northmn]

Be interesting to see how popular they are. Buying a new one would be difficult but JES seems to crank out a few. As a 38-55 owner I am glad to see the popularity as I can keep it shooting then. Maybe J bullet companies will start remaking a few 38 bullets. 38-55 is very good with just cast. My Lee mold works just fine.

DEP

[oscarflytyer]

Don't intend to shoot anything but cast once mine is done. Going to cast only in 30-30s and def cast only in 45-70s. Same eventually with 32 WS and 35 Rem.

[OverMax]

Lucky dog 725 is.
I had a spare post 94 beater here for many years ~well that was up until last year.
Foolish me I gave it away.

[725]

Just how I feel, OverMax. Yesterday, I got my .38-55 in the mail and got my .357 Max to shoot one holers (at 25 yards). Next I'll be off to the real range for distance shooting. It was a good day.

[WALLNUTT]

19-21gr of 4198 or 20gr of 5744 do well in my Win '94 38-55 JES rebore. I have 5 different molds to use and all shoot good.

[oscarflytyer]

19-21gr of 4198 or 20gr of 5744 do well in my Win '94 38-55 JES rebore. I have 5 different molds to use and all shoot good.

Perfect. Have a lb of 5744 to play with. And hope I can work a load with RL7. Have well over 2 lbs of it. And pretty sure it will shoot!

[725]

oscarflytyer & WALLNUTT -- Which boolits (or bullets) are you using? I have a bullet of 315 grains that I want to try and I have the lee .375 which is about 240 grains or so.

[oscarflytyer]

oscarflytyer & WALLNUTT -- Which boolits (or bullets) are you using? I have a bullet of 315 grains that I want to try and I have the lee .375 which is about 240 grains or so.

I have the Lee mold. Hell, I gotta get the rifle bored first, lol!

[oscarflytyer]

725 - what groove id you get yours cut at? 3, 4 or 5? My understanding is they are work perfectly fine, and the 3 groove is fine for cast.

[Drm50]

I have never done a Marlin 336 conversion. If you have one rebored to 38/55 how much work
has to be done to action?

[WALLNUTT]

My Win '94 required no action work. A friend has had 2 Marlins rebored and neither of them required action work. All have fed and fired fine. My molds are Lyman 375248, Lyman 37583, Noe 379279PB, Accurate 38-230E, and a Saeco 240 from years ago designed for 375 super mag revolver. I have the LEE bullet but don't care for the mold itself. The design seems OK. 3 grooves are plenty.

[ole_270]

38-55 is the parent case to the 30-30 so anything chambered to the 30-30 will work fine with no action work.

[725]

oscarflytyer: I got the 3 groove. Haven't slugged the barrel yet to get measurements. Funny, this all started for me with a mold I re-hab'd for a friend's .375 H&H. I liked the look of the boolit and had it laying around when another friend got to see it. We laughed and talked about the boolit and, the long story short, I got my '94 converted, he went out and found a used Marlin 336 which is about to be converted, and another friend just quizzed me about the whole process so he can go out and have one of his '94's converted. It all started with a mold re-hab project.

[OverMax]

I would think its a tough re-bore decision. A 38-55 or 35-30? I haven't done any research lately which has the better stats? Although many do the 35-30 for its encroachment on the 35 Rem stats.
That ol 38-55 cartridge still manages to keep fellows interested decade after decade. lol

[Pioneer2]

What R.O.T. 1-18" ?

[WALLNUTT]

Rate of twist 1 turn in 18"

[Dusty Ed]

Howdy Fellers
I sent a 30-30 marlin 336 to Jes to have it rebored to 35-55 ,got it back last SEPTEMBER, Put a LYMAN Globe site an a Lyman Veneer site on it an refinished the stock I loaded up some 255 gr. cast from a Magma mold 22grs. of5744
It is a shooter 2" at 200 yards . We had a nice day last week went to the range with a few rifles an Handguns , they have Different sized Gongs hanging around the range I was shooting them with hardly a miss so I was going to shoot my Win 1885 in 38-55 at Paper so I put 2 up at 200 yds. an shot both rifles at them , The 336 shot a 10 shot group of 2" with 2 Flyers with the Win. 1.75" group No flyers ,that is with the same load but I keep the cartridges separate because I don't resize them an I use Black Powder lube.
Take a Look our Clubs Website www.mscrange.org Look up Cowboy Action an the Buffalo Rifle Match

[fordwannabe]

Overmax, I agree wholeheartedly 38-55 vs 35/30, how could one decide? So I didn't I GOT BOTH, a perfect solution to the problem. 38-55 is on a post 64 Winchester 94, 35/30 is a Marlin 336 S/C. I like them both and both are accurate.

[OverMax]

Ah that the way to do it. Your a good man there fordwannabe keeping that Jess feller busy. If I didn't already own a 32-40 L/barrel 1894 no doubt I'd get Jess to re-bore one of my 32s carbines to 38-55. Who knows maybe some day that might just happen?

[Pioneer2]

I just acquired a Marlin 336 /no extra safety 1961 1/2 mag 30-30 that will become a 38-55 .Not to hi-jack this thread but it may be of general interest.......will a 1-18" shoot 220-265gr bullets and did you get it chambered for the short or long .38-55 brass and why to simplify my choices ?

[WALLNUTT]

JES says he chambers for Win cases which are short but mine will chamber long Starlines. I don't know what twist JES uses but mine will shoot 145gr to 282gr. This is assuming you are having yours rebored at JES.

[Pioneer2]

No such luck ,I'm in Canada and we have only one guy that re-bores in the entire country about 30 minutes from my door.The urgency is he is pushing 80 and blind in one eye with his son helping him.Not sure how much longer he will be around so I best get this to him ASAP.He is a custom barrel maker of LH gain twist for the long range and hunting crowd.He said he cuts 38-55 at .376 groove so both .375 + .377 jacketed can be used.Cast can be made to whatever is needed.So 1-18 sounds like the way to go?

[McLintock]

I wanted a 38-55 lever gun for long range Cowboy action shooting using black powder, so I put this one together on a pre-64 action. I had been shooting a Browning '86 in 45-70 with smokeless loads and rather then go with BP in it I opted to go the 38-55 route. I did everything but the barrel threading, even the chambering, so was pretty satisfied when I won the year long award in Big Bore Lever Action for the Arizona Cowboy Action club which shot at Ben Avery Shooting Range in Phoenix. Lot of competition with about everyone else shooting smokeless loads and guns. I was a little slower with it in time, due to the amount of smoke it put out, but still managed to go under 30 seconds for a ten shot string at 180 yards each month. The barrel came from Brownell's, the wood and small parts from E-bay or Gunbroker adds, the tang sight is a Marble's and since I had been shooting Single Shots in 38-55 for quite a while, I had brass, moulds and everything I needed to feed it. With 42-43 grains of Swiss 1.5 and a 375499 bullet, it shot great, very consistent and accurate. Did not use a wad, just the gas check on the bullet, which was legal and no problems, it shot the BP load better then any smokeless load I tried in it. Here's the rifle:
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1620/1303399/6857234/411114059.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1620/1303399/6857234/411114060.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1620/1303399/6857234/411114061.jpg
Was a fun project.
McLintock

[oscarflytyer]

That is sweet!

[Texas by God]

It sounds like it shoots as good as it looks!

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[brass410]

I have just found a commerative 38-55 crazy horse unfired (ugly as a can of smashed --------) down side is they want a grand for it . I'm wondering how big of job to replace stock this one is full of tacks and brass adornments.

[Texas by God]

I have just found a commerative 38-55 crazy horse unfired (ugly as a can of smashed --------) down side is they want a grand for it . I'm wondering how big of job to replace stock this one is full of tacks and brass adornments.You might talk Numrich into trading you for standard wood. Worth a shot.

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