375 Win build

[FergusonTO35]

I was thinking I would just start by using fire formed 30-30 (following Glenn Larsen's video method), then maybe cough up the coin for some new Starline 375 brass once I have a good working relationship with the new rifle.

Just FYI, Buffalo Bore has done alot of testing in this area and they unequivocally state that .38-55 brass is better in every way, including higher pressure loads, as long as it will chamber in the rifle.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.ph...t_detail&p=159

[Geezer in NH]

My nephew and I screwed a Marlin barrel from Gun Parts onto his 30-30 336 25 years ago. He has killed over 10 deer with it, all one shot kills. Never had a problem and all he shot with it was Winchester factory ammo.

We just screwed the barrel in and checked headspace. No other mods needed.

[BMW Rider]

We just screwed the barrel in and checked headspace. No other mods needed.

Thanks Geezer - exactly the kind of information I was looking for.

[FergusonTO35]

My nephew and I screwed a Marlin barrel from Gun Parts onto his 30-30 336 25 years ago. He has killed over 10 deer with it, all one shot kills. Never had a problem and all he shot with it was Winchester factory ammo.

We just screwed the barrel in and checked headspace. No other mods needed.

Awesome! I have a beater 94 that I would love to rebarrel to .38-55. The .30-30 bore is still good so I'm not going to rebore it.

[FergusonTO35]

Hmm... Midwest Gun Works shows 20" .375 barrels for the 94AE in stock. I have a spare 94AE, but it is not a Big Bore. Would it be feasible to have MGW install and headspace the .375 barrel? I would be shooting only mild .38-55 level loads from it.

[shdwlkr]

.375 winchester and a 26 inch long barrel and you have a totally different cartridge.

[onceabull]

Not quite 26" but even the 22" on my SAV.99 IN 375 Made a big diff. especially with top end handloads combined with heavy(325 gr) cast...A FUN chambering to play with.regardllessof the platform...(Thinking ENCORE with that 26" tube) Oneabull

[jonp]

Here you go.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vwV0WYn52Ik

Thanks. I have an old Western Auto 3030 not doing anything and was thinking of using it for something else.

[indian joe]

fwiw
Both my Ruger No 3 ,375win and my Marlin 336CB 38-55 run perfectly and accurately on "std 2.080" 38-55 brass.
Have a nice,accurate deer load that is in the realm of 38-55 loading in modern rifles :
28 gr Reloader 7 under the Lyman 255 plain base or the Lyam 375449 at 265 gr. I seat the 255 plain base by pushing a 0.382"dia
LDPE wad down as I seat the bullet to keep the wad against the bullet's base.
beltfed/arnie

mine used to get 38 grains of RE7 under a 220 grain gascheck -- kinda got my attention at the time - was used to things that didnt kick, I traded out to a 348 and thought it was softer to shoot (2 pound heavier I guess and the butt has a bigger footprint)

[shdwlkr]

Onceabull
Good to see you here again. my 26 inch is on a winchester big bore action and it is so much fun even with my bad shoulder

[Jedman]

Awesome! I have a beater 94 that I would love to rebarrel to .38-55. The .30-30 bore is still good so I'm not going to rebore it.

The Marlin and Winchester are two different actions to deal with. A Marlin will allow barrels from Models 336, 375, 1894, & 1895 to interchange all the same thread. Now a Win 94 in 30-30 or even a 94 AE in 30-30 will not allow a BB 375 Win. barrel to screw into the receiver the 375 had a larger diameter barrel shank.
A friend of mine had a 94 AE in 30-30 and bought a BB 375 barrel for that conversion and found out it didn’t fit. If I remember correctly the 375 BB barrel has a 7/8 x 28 thread plus the receiver supposedly has a different heat treating than the 30-30’s.

Jedman

[indian joe]

The Marlin and Winchester are two different actions to deal with. A Marlin will allow barrels from Models 336, 375, 1894, & 1895 to interchange all the same thread. Now a Win 94 in 30-30 or even a 94 AE in 30-30 will not allow a BB 375 Win. barrel to screw into the receiver the 375 had a larger diameter barrel shank.
A friend of mine had a 94 AE in 30-30 and bought a BB 375 barrel for that conversion and found out it didn’t fit. If I remember correctly the 375 BB barrel has a 7/8 x 28 thread plus the receiver supposedly has a different heat treating than the 30-30’s.

Jedman

think you find they did that for good reason - the 375 BB is a beast compared to 38/55
The BB action also had more metal, they left it full profile at the rear around the locking bolt grooves - the slab side of the old 94 was much reduced. Mine was an early model (pre the angle eject caper) - Read some stuff once where the AE models didnt hold up well to full throttle loads = action not stiff enough??

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it. I suppose I'll look for a spare .30 WCF barrel with a crummy bore. I wonder if it would be feasible to have JES rebore it to .38-55, then have my smith install and headspace?

[indian joe]

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it. I suppose I'll look for a spare .30 WCF barrel with a crummy bore. I wonder if it would be feasible to have JES rebore it to .38-55, then have my smith install and headspace?

good plan I reckon, 38/55 is nice, seems a very easy round to load for, trouble free blackpowder round.

[Jedman]

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it. I suppose I'll look for a spare .30 WCF barrel with a crummy bore. I wonder if it would be feasible to have JES rebore it to .38-55, then have my smith install and headspace?

When you send JES a 30-30 for a rebore to 38-55 he does the whole job and you get the rifle back ready to shoot.
You don’t need to remove the barrel first and once you have it as a 38-55 you wount ever want to reinstall a 30-30 barrel back on it.

Jedman

[FergusonTO35]

Yes, but my 94 has a perfectly good bore and I just can't bring myself to rebore it. Maybe I'll just find a 94 that already has a junk bore to begin with.

[yeahbub]

If you're considering a chamber cast, using cerro-safe is just the ticket. Melting temp is less than boiling water, and I melt mine in a two-can "double boiler" with water as the intermediary. BTW, something that's not made very clear about cerro-safe is that there are different formulation, shrink on cooling, expand on cooling, and expansion neutral. Expansion neutral is what is used for precision measurements of chamber casts and other things. Mine was expansion positive. Couldn't get it out of the barrel I wanted to measure the bore of. Had to warm the barrel, melt it out and use another method to measure the bore.