Pedersoli 38-55

[barnabus]

anyone here have a Pedersoli 1885 High Wall and if so what are you sizing your bullets to?

[Walks]

.379dia

[WKAYE]

My BACO .380-360 drops them @ .380 and I do not resize them.

[barnabus]

My BACO .380-360 drops them @ .380 and I do not resize them.

so u have a pedersoli 1885 and you are shooting them at .380?

[WKAYE]

so u have a pedersoli 1885 and you are shooting them at .380?

Yes, I have one. I have other moulds besides the BACO and I size them @ .380 as well.

[Toymaker]

0.379". The single most challenging rifle to cast and develop loads for that I've ever owned.

[Riceguy]

I'm having a barrel made for my Winchester 1885 action in 38/55. Won't know till it gets here to slug it for proper diameter bullet size. Hope I'm not making a mistake by going to the 38/55.
But I already have a couple of 45/70's
Have a Marlin 1893 in the 38/55 had to go to .380 for it but also had to use Starline brass as Win Brass would bulge the case to much and the Action wouldn't close until I tried the Starline.

[barnabus]

0.379". The single most challenging rifle to cast and develop loads for that I've ever owned.

why is that? I doesn't seem to be the experience of many?

[marlinman93]

I'm not sure I'd size bullets to whatever others are using in their Pedersoli without slugging the bore on yours? Not every barrel is the exact same groove diameter, so you should size your bullets to your gun's groove, not whatever others have.

[1Hawkeye]

.380 diameter and the long starline cases.

[barnabus]

I'm not sure I'd size bullets to whatever others are using in their Pedersoli without slugging the bore on yours? Not every barrel is the exact same groove diameter, so you should size your bullets to your gun's groove, not whatever others have.

that's not why Im asking...….SMH

[RonT]

Yes, and my Saeco mold drops them at .380 with my lead and I don't size.
Cheers,
R

[country gent]

I shoot a C Sharps high wall in 38-55. Bore is .375 I shoot as cast at .379. If the rifle will chamber the loaded round then with lead bullets you should be okay. If the rifle has a throat in it size to throat dia -.001. I cast a 365 grn bullet from 20-1 and load with BP. Hits plenty hard at 500yds.

Load for your rifle just off the rifling in the 1150-1200 fps range with a softer alloy bullet. work from there.

These rifles have little cramming to chamber and pushing bullets into the rifling tires out your thumb pretty quick.

[EDG]

I can provide a little bit of insight on the kinds of issues you can have with the .38-55.
1. Original rifles have a lot of variation in the groove diameter. Even some modern rifles can be vary depending on the source of the barrel. I think the smallest original groove diameter is .377 but I have read of them being as large as .383 groove diameter. I have one of the H&R Target Models and it has a .380 groove diameter with a .375 land diameter.

2. The SAAMI standard chamber and cartridge drawings can draw a lazy manufacturer into a trap.
The SAAMI drawings permit a groove diameter that is larger than the size of bullet permitted by the maximum chamber. In other words you can use a groove diameter bullet to fit your barrel and you will not be able to chamber the loaded cartridge in some rifles.

3. My rifle will not chamber a loaded round when a .380 or larger bullet is seated in a Winchester case.
The Winchester case walls at the mouth are .010 thick.
I can chamber ammo loaded with Starline brass. The Starline brass is .0075 thick at the mouth.




why is that? I doesn't seem to be the experience of many?

[Gunlaker]

If you can get a copy of the Summer 2011 issue of the Black Powder Cartridge News you'll find an article by Kenny Durham in the Pedersoli .38-55's. His was one of the 1:12 twist rifles and the article shows the bullets that worked best for him, as well as some that did not. I think a custom bullet in 0.380" diameter from Steve Brooks was what he decided on. His had a 0.380" bore which is normal for the Pedersoli's from what I've read. The article is worth reading.

I had thought of buying one of the fast twist Pedersoli .38-55 1885 rifles when they first came out, but instead decided on building a C. Sharps 1885 with a 1:12 twist .38-50 Remington Hepburn chamber instead. I have the parts, except the reamer, but never got around to finishing it.

Chris.

[Lance Boyle]

All is not lost as long as your groove depth isn’t wider than your neck will accept in the thinner starline brass holding a groove filling bullet.


I have a Taylor arms (Uberti). I use the long starline and bullets from a mold Tom cut for me. My grooves were .382”. The mold drops a touch fat, 0.385ish, and I size them or I couldn’t chamber them. I had to make a custom expander as the rcbs cowboy dies had two expanders, both too small.

[Toymaker]

Barnabus,
First, apparently as the cast bullet engaged the rifling and started to twist it would peel off lead and leave "splinters" in the first 4 - 6 inches of the bore. Happened with smokeless and black powder loads. Went from pure lead to 30:1 (improved) to 20:1 (better) to Lyman #2 (better still) but didn't stop until I started powder coating.
Second, found an old article on the Pedersoli 1885 High Wall in 38-55 which had a black powder load recommendation. Tried that and got great results. :-P It strongly suggests a weighed powder charge.
Third, still haven't found a smokeless load that is consistent. That is, shoots as well in cold weather as in hot weather and visa versa.

[marlinman93]

The older barrels for .38-55 can easily have huge spreads in groove diameter, and it just depends on the maker's parameters, and intended use. The factories tried to keep them around .379"-.380", but they occasionally ran larger. Custom makers like Pope, Schoyen, Peterson, etc. could often make them larger if the barrel was built to breech seat, or muzzleload. My Schoyen in .38-55 is a typical breech seated cartridge, but a false muzzle barrel designed to muzzleload the bullet. It takes a .384" bullet to properly fit the groove diameter.

[Lance Boyle]

The older barrels for .38-55 can easily have huge spreads in groove diameter, and it just depends on the maker's parameters, and intended use. The factories tried to keep them around .379"-.380", but they occasionally ran larger. Custom makers like Pope, Schoyen, Peterson, etc. could often make them larger if the barrel was built to breech seat, or muzzleload. My Schoyen in .38-55 is a typical breech seated cartridge, but a false muzzle barrel designed to muzzleload the bullet. It takes a .384" bullet to properly fit the groove diameter.

Interesting that they would try that with the loading at the muzzle on a breach loading gun.


Walking away from so many advantages of the breach seating breach loader.

[Gunlaker]

Interesting that they would try that with the loading at the muzzle on a breach loading gun.


Walking away from so many advantages of the breach seating breach loader.

That sort of rifle was the accuracy king in it's day. Loaded with black powder it would still likely beat most breech loaded rifles ( also assuming black powder ).

Chris.