Need advice about boolit fit for my very early Winchester 1894 in 38-55

[strangwn]

I have just slugged the bore on my newly acquired Winchester 1894(mfg 1895) in 38-55 and measured the groove diameter at .381-.382. Am planning to do a pound cast as soon as I get some Starline 2.125" brass with the thin neck walls (~.0072"). With such a large groove diameter is there any hope to be able to chamber a lubed boolit that is .382 or fatter? I have read that paper patching sometimes is the only solution for this situation.

[Hick]

I'm really not an expert on this. Hopefully an expert will chime in. I do have an Enfield that has a similar range in the groove diameter, and it seems to shoot fine at 0.001 over the largest groove diameter. My suggestion would be to see of you can size something to around 0.383 and see how it chambers. If it chambers try it for accuracy. If it won't chamber, try powder coating and sizing down just enough to get it to chamber. I have a pistol in 9mm that has a very short throat and will not accept an oversize bullet, but it shoots fine with no leading using powder coated bullets sized to jacketed bullet diameter.