38-55 project

[Captain Midnight]

Anyone had experience with re-barreling a lever into 38-55?
Sometimes a rifle becomes available that has seen less than perfect care that would lend itself to such action.
I like both 94's and 336's.
Thanks in advance.
Captain

[ErikT]

Not with re-barreling, but I have had a Win 1894 relined in .38-55. Shoots like a dream now. The old bore had probably been cleaned with molten lava sometime in the mid 50's or so, and the chamber looked like it had been cleaned with a pneumatic drill. I suspect it would be cheaper to have the original barrel relined, rather than to have a new barrel fitted. Liners are plentiful from Track of the Wolf, and you'll still be able to say it has its original markings, aside from having to redo the calibre stamp.

Erik.

[missionary5155]

+1 on the relign job if it already is 38-55.
If it is any smaller caliber have it rerifled to 38-55 which runs about $160. You will end up with a nice chamber to bore dimension.
Rebareling entaols buying a barrel, cutting the threads and ejector slot, chambering, sight slots & finish. It all adds up to big bucks.

[jtaylor1960]

I have one that was rebored from a 30/30.It shoots extremely well with my cast bullets.

[Tom-ADC]

My next rifle will be in 38-55, would like one in lever action.

[ReloaderFred]

I recently had a Marlin 336W rebored to .375 Winchester by J.E.S. Reboring: http://35caliber.com/index.html

The work was excellent and extremely fast. I had the rifle dropped off to Jesse at a gunshow on Saturday and it was delivered back to my door via USPS the following Friday, all for $220.00. I can't say enough good things about the work, or Jesse Ocumpaugh. He does many calibers, including .38-55.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[gunsbrad]

I have rebarreled both Marlin and Winchester rifles. This is not much harder than relining/reboring. It also gives you more options such as longer barrel, octagon, 1/2oct 1/2 round, and last but not least you have full options in chamber dimensions which you don't always have when redoing an old 3030 bbl for instance. You pays your money and takes your choices:-D

Brad Hurt

[JSH]

I picked up an octagon 38-55 barrel in the white a while back. I have tossed back and forth what to do as I want a 38-55 lever gun. The more I read on thoughts and ideas, I think I am going to go half round half octagon with a short magazine, using a marlin action. I think that would make a sharp looking rig.
A donor action is what I have not ran across yet, pre saftey, or at least what I am going to pay for one. I had a couple of extra marlins in 30-30 and traded them off, then ran across this barrel. Oh well it isn't eating anything and I don't have to worry about reloading to feed it for now,lol.
jeff

[McLintock]

I wanted a 38-55 '94 and bought both an original '94 made in 1898 and a Oliver F. Winchester Commenerative. Couldn't get either one to shoot very well and finally sold the old one and re-barreled the new one. It still didn't want to shoot right (put the first and second shots way high and then settled down third shot and on), so found a donor pre-64 rifle and put the new barrel on it, thread were the same. Barrel was a tapered octogon from Brownell's, threaded and chambered by a great old gunsmith I knew. It now shoots very well, especially with black powder loads and I'm very satisfied. I had to open up the feed rails somewhat so the cartridge could come up earliler, but it feeds very well now. I use it for long range side matches in Cowboy Action Shooting.
McLintock

[Muddy Creek Sam]

This guy is said to do great re=bores to 38-55.

Jesse Ocumpaugh
715 South 6th St.
Cottage Grove, OR 97424

Phone: (541) 942-1342
Fax: (541) 942-7533


Sam PD

[Just Duke]

Might find one on Gunbroker.

[Just Duke]

I recently had a Marlin 336W rebored to .375 Winchester by J.E.S. Reboring: http://35caliber.com/index.html

The work was excellent and extremely fast. I had the rifle dropped off to Jesse at a gunshow on Saturday and it was delivered back to my door via USPS the following Friday, all for $220.00. I can't say enough good things about the work, or Jesse Ocumpaugh. He does many calibers, including .38-55.

Hope this helps.

Fred


I'm told it's a 3 groove bore. Be a little hard for me to measure with the tools I have.

[ReloaderFred]

It is a 3 groove barrel, and mine shoots cast better than jacketed. I went with the .375 Winchester since I could load it to .38-55 levels for plinking, and .375 Winchester levels for hunting.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[NickSS]

I had Marlin rebarrel a 336 that was in 375 Winchester that would not shoot to 38-55. They screwed on a cowboy model 24 inch barrel and replaced all the wood as well. I got back a cowboy model with a pistol grip stock. It is a great shooter and shoots a lot better than the original barrel did. The original barrel in 375 win would not even shoot jacketed bullets well. A frind of mine also had them do the same thing to a 39039 he had.

[Hank10]

Capt. M, Numrich Arms AKA gun parts has 26" 38/55 barrels for the M94 Win. Octogon, threaded, with all the sight cuts ready to screw into your action. I traded a box of 30/30 cartridges for an old M94 the barrel was rusted out, rebarreled it with one of these barrels. Was an easy job and looks and shoots great. Here's a pic of my old/new 38/55.
http://i367.photobucket.com/albums/oo111/baymuoibay/002-14.jpg

[McLintock]

Hank10, either you got lucky or we got unlucky, my cousin has an original '94 in 38-55 that had a pretty bad barrel and we bought one of the Numrich barrels for it. Could not screw the barrel into the action, had to have the threads turned on a lathe before it would go in. Otherwise it seems to be an OK barrel, no other problems. Your rifle looks nice and hope it shoots just as well.
McLintock

[jlchucker]

Hank, that rifle of yours says "deer hunting" all over it. A fine looking piece!

[KCSO]

I have done several M94's and a couple 336's and am working on a 336 now that is being rebored to 38-55. The Numerich barrel kits are an easy do on the 336 you will need an action wrench a spacer block for the action and a good barrel vise as the square threads can be a bear. Most of the 94's are an easy screw off and a couple lead blocks and a bench vise will do the job. Headspacing can be done with hand tools if you are carefull and if you need to deepen a chamber rent a reamer is the way to go for a one off job. I posted my last 38-55 levergun here some time back you might do a search.

[schutzen]

I loaned out a Marlin 336T and it came back with a buggerd barrel. Marlin re-barreled it in .38.55 (octagon CB barrel), replaced the forearm and cap, adjusted evrything, shipped the removed parts, and the gun back for $310.

It out shoots both my Winchesters (.30-30's). I am very happy with it. An added plus is the
.38-55 is better than the .30-30 in river country brush.

[Buckshot]

I picked up an octagon 38-55 barrel in the white a while back. I have tossed back and forth what to do as I want a 38-55 lever gun. The more I read on thoughts and ideas, I think I am going to go half round half octagon with a short magazine, using a marlin action. I think that would make a sharp looking rig.
A donor action is what I have not ran across yet, pre saftey, or at least what I am going to pay for one. I had a couple of extra marlins in 30-30 and traded them off, then ran across this barrel. Oh well it isn't eating anything and I don't have to worry about reloading to feed it for now,lol.
jeff

http://www.fototime.com/47DD87E404FADAE/standard.jpg

........... Like this, Jeff?

...............Buckshot

[Trailblazer]

Here is the real deal for a 38-55 barrel for a Win 94:
http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,3476.html

Badger 26" half octagon for $150. It is angle eject but it is easy to recut the extractor slot for top eject.

[Catshooter]

I have re-barreled a Win 94 from .30-30 to .38-55. Could hardly have been easier. Since my .38-55 is a half-round we had to modify/change out some of the fore end hardware.

The rifle will shoot into an inch and a half at 150 yards.

Oh, for those worried about how to measure a three groove, it's easy. Drive your slug, wrap it with a thin feeler gauge, measure and deduct twice the feeler gauge's thickness.

You can do it Duke! :)


Cat

[45-70 Chevroner]

I think I have talk or "wrote" about this before on this site. I had a 336 chambered for the 35 Remington. I sent it to Marlin to have it changed to a 38-55. When I got it back they had put a new "octogon" 24" barrel, new bolt,new forarm and full length tube it holds 9 + one, new but stock, new lever because they changed it from a pistor grip to a straight stock. They did all this for $280.00 including shipping back to me. This was about 8 years ago so I don't know if they still do it or not. They also sent all my old parts back to me. The barrel slugs at .380 so I am limited to cast boolits, and thats ok because I wanted it for the cow boy shoots ie. long range. The Lee 250gr. bevel base with 10 or 11 grs unique shoots great. I also use some powder called BW 36 a reclaimed millitary powder its burning rate is almost like 3031. It shoots great with it also.