38-55 Long vs Short Brass

[barnabus]

I have a Pedersoli high wall in 38-55. Im currently shooting the Starline short brass. This gun was chambered for the long brass. Do you think Id see any accuracy increase by simply going to the long version.No..Im not shooting Black Powder and have no intention of doing so. Thanks in advance for your thoughts and experience.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I have the same type and model from Pedersoli. I use the 'long' brass for better accuracy because it aligns the boolit with the bore. I'm using a 375gn Paul Jones mold.

[marlinman93]

I think it depends more on bullet seating depth than it does on case length. If you have any concerns about bullets aligning with the bore then seating them out far enough to engage the rifling should fix that issue.
And if the gun is a single shot, then I'd also not be against expanding case mouths until the case mouth fits snugly to the chamber as the cartridge is inserted. In most cases the mouth wont need any bell at all to fit well, but testing a case to see if the chamber allows a slight bell will let you know how much it can take. Once you know your case fits the chamber well, and the bullet slightly engraves the rifling, then minor case length change wont be a big deal.

All that said, I only use long .38-55 cases in my guns because they're all 1800's original guns, and I don't care to have any build up of burnt powder in my chambers. Any shorter brass I find gets sized down to .32-40, which usually results in them being long enough for that caliber. If they're not long enough for .32-40 guns I have, I sell the brass to people having shorter chambers.

[John Boy]

You would be better off using the 2.125 long cases in the Pedersoli ... they cut the chambers with a long leade

[barnabus]

You would be better off using the 2.125 long cases in the Pedersoli ... they cut the chambers with a long leade

can you explain why it would be better? what benefits would i see?

[koger]

I have a JES rebore 336 Marlin which has to use the short brass. I also have a 1885 Hi Wall Winchester in 38/55, and it will shoot either one. I have tried both, with long and short bullets, with no difference that I can tell. So I just stick with the short cases, that way I dont have 2 different lengths, and know whichever I pick up will work in my Marlin 336.

[Mk42gunner]

With smokeless powder in a single shot, I don't think it will make much if any difference. With BP, I would use the long brass.

My .38-55 is a Marlin 336CB that I was going to use short Winchester brass in. Due to an unfortunate rodent problem, I had to buy new brass and the only thing Starline had in stock was the long. It works fine with the Lee boolit and I really need to get another trip to the range in.

Robert

[GARD72977]

can you explain why it would be better? what benefits would i see?

The idea is to support the base of the bullet as it enters the throat. This is less beneficial if you have a large chamber.

If you have short brass and are getting good results then keep on shooting.

In the future i would buy brass that fits the chamber. You funds for improving your loading would be better spent somewhere else than replacing brass you already have.

[Martin Luber]

I never knew....

[barnabus]

would using short brass cause leading problems

[marlinman93]

would using short brass cause leading problems

No. Leading problems are not related to such a small .1" difference in brass length. More likely it's bullet diameter in relation to barrel groove diameter that's causing leading. Or rifling condition of the barrel.

I also shoot correct length brass in my .38-55 chambered single shots, and all mine are old guns with the long chambers. But some years ago I did a lot of loading, and testing in a couple of my guns using identical charges, and bullet weights, but with some new .38-55 short brass, and existing correct long brass I had.
I seated all my bullets out to the same OAL regardless of whether they were short or correct long cases. I saw no difference in accuracy when all loaded cartridge OAL was the same. I began by shooting two different targets, and ended by shooting 5 rds. of each on the same target, and my conclusion was it didn't matter for my guns.
My only issue with short cases is the .1" shorter case leaves that area of the chamber exposed to burnt powder, and could over a long period of time make the chamber corroded enough at the mouth to maybe not allow longer brass to seat without a thorough chamber cleaning.

[old turtle]

Starline has the correct length 38-55 brass. You can down size it to 32-40. I have found their brass to be excellent.

[barnabus]

Starline has the correct length 38-55 brass. You can down size it to 32-40. I have found their brass to be excellent.

not in stock anywhere

[Yooper003]

I got 200 38/55 short cases from Starline last month, it took a couple months but they took my order& when they done a run on them ,shipped right out.

[barnabus]

I got 200 38/55 short cases from Starline last month, it took a couple months but they took my order& when they done a run on them ,shipped right out.

im looking for long cases

[Yooper003]

im looking for long cases

What I am saying is, even if the cases you want are not in stock,they probably will take your order.hen when they do a run of said cases they will ship.

[koyote]

I'm curious - since I lucked into one of the Miroku High Walls recently - what's the actual bore on the pedersoli? I have a friend who has slugged some modern 38-55s and gotten 375. I slugged my miroku ant got .3775

[Bad Ass Wallace]

My Pedersoli measures 0.379" bore and 0.3705" on the lands. The Paul Jones mould has progressive depth lube rings from the rear, 0.380", 0.380", 0.377", o.375", 0.373" and a 0.370" nose.

[toot]

why is there even 2 different size case legenths for the same cartridge?

[marlinman93]

why is there even 2 different size case legenths for the same cartridge?

Blame Winchester. When they brought out the new .375 Winchester it was simply a shortened version of the old .38-55 Ballard cartridge. But not long afterwards Winchester's ammo labeled .38-55 began to be supplied using the shorter case length. It was simply easier and less costly for them to build both the .375 Win. and .38-55 in the shorter length and not have to trim cases to two different lengths.
Later other cartridge makers began to offer the shorter length cases, which was soon discovered by reloaders. There was a lot of furor when guys figured out their new brass was too short, and some companies went to correct full length cases, while others offered both lengths. But some continue to just offer the shorter cases.