38-55 legendary Frontiersmen first shots

[Aussie Chris]

Gday everyone and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

As some of you know I have started collecting commemorative Winchesters and I am going to enjoy one of my NIB commemoratives, shock horror

Well I slugged the bore a few weeks ago and it is .379 size, I know some of you here have them run in at .375.

I have tried to find projectiles down here but it is an odd size but a bloke from my local gunshop is going to cast up some .379 255gn slugs.

I was lucky enough to find a few boxes of factory Winchester 38-55 in 255gn. The only thing is it runs at .375 4 thou undersize.

Well I went to the range on Monday and fired the first 20 rounds through her. I cleaned after each shot with bore snakes and I have a couple of pics of the groups.

The Legendary Frontiersmen shot great straight from the box at 50m. It was a really winday day but at 50m she shot a great group!!

This is just the first 20 shots with the undersize factory loads so I reckon she should shoot great with some cast slugs. I noticed a lot of unburnt powder when I was ejecting cases as well, why is this? stuff factory ammo?

It was a different story at 100m where the projectiles key-holed. It was still a small spread though

I love this rifle and to be honest I think she will be my most accurate lever action

Here is a pic of the range I shoot at. It is a 500m range and is well set out. At 500m there is a few steel cutouts of animals. I shoot at the ram cut out at 500m with my 30-06 and it sure is fun!

Anyway I will keep you guys informed on how it all goes. All I can say is I am really liking the 38-55...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Chris

[Bartman]

Chris Hi you can correct me if I'am wrong but 38-55 is supposed to be .379 dia and we have West Castings cast projectiles here in .379 255gr very reasonably priced from Cleaver in OLD or Rebels etc that would explain the tumbling if you are shooting undersize bullets in your gun the strange part is the winchester factory loads should be .379??? I have a .375 BB and the projectiles are sized .375 for that and are very accurate.
Regards Bartman

[the telegraphist]

Gday fellah'
Find in your local a supplier of westcastings, they are the best in Australia, with all bullet weights, they come covered in various lubes to suite the most fastidious shooter. Have been using westcastings for years now in a range of calibres, no peeing aroundwith gass checks etc providing you pick the corrct velocity projectile to suite your needs. They are all dry lubed with various casting hardness. Go to RPG firearms to download their complete catalogue

Will go with one of the previous writers the 38/55 needs 379 projectiles.

[kimwcook]

Hi Chris, I've got a rifle just like yours and am interested in your end results. Mines never been shot.

Looks like you've got some sort of EBR on the right side of your shooting table.

[Old Savage]

Whoa!

[RIHMFIRE]

Man ..you got to be happy with those groups...
Always liked the legendary frontiersman
Nice range too!

[JFE]

Happy New Year everyone.

Hi Chris,

if your rifle slugs 0.379 you should really try to get bullets that are a little larger diameter, say 0.380-0.381. In your modern 1894 you should be able to load to around 40k pressures too and this would provide a significant performance gain over factory loads.

If you are into casting your own, Lyman 375248 (PB) and 375449 (GC version) would be good choices for your 38/55. Both of my moulds are of recent manufacture and cast around 0.380. Locally CBE make quite a number of suitable moulds too.

Joe

[Sixgun]

And good day to you Chris,
My guess is your rifle will not chamber a bullet bigger than .377. Mine did not and several other people had the same problem. IF you have this problem, you will need to get the chamber opened up a couple of thousandths or you might get by, by using blown out shorter 30-30 brass. The shorter length lets you use a fatter bullet.

The jacketed ammo shot well because its jacketed and the velocity is only around 1100. You can get excellent accuracy with .377 jacketed bullets with the higher velocities.

Ask a buddy who has a few .379 lead bullets to load in your gun before buying a mess of them

Nice range you boys have there~!------------------Sixgun

[El Mac]

I thought you boys couldn't have guns anymore???

[kimwcook]

Sixgun, you still have your Legendary Frontiersmen?

[Aussie Chris]

G'day guys and thanks for the input.

Bartman, yeah I thought that it should be .379 but look at this link to see other peoples bore sizes: http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... =1&t=10192
The Winchester factory 38-55 loads are .375'' that is why they are going in sideways at 100m. Yeah I will try a few places to get some slugs, thanks for the help gents

Kimwcook, my evil black rifle is a Remington 7615 pumpaction in .223. They are very popular down here and are probably the closest thing to a semi auto that we can have. Its heaps of fun and the M4 type stock I found for it is great! My other EBR is my Tikka T3 .30.06.

Sixgun, I do have 50 cases of the shorter length starline brass..

El Mac, we are allowed firearms but there are heavy restrictions on firearms ownership. Semi- autos, full autos and pump shotguns are banned (except for primary producers) and we have to have genuine reasons and also a bolted down gunsafe. They are the laws here in Victoria, other states may be different. Firearms ownership here is a conditional privilege and not a constitutional right.

Chris

[Duff L Bagg]

Rhimfire and I have recent production 38-55's and both have .379 bores, the only way to really know is to slug your barrel. It just takes a couple of minutes to do and will save you alot of time and money trying to figure out what to do next.

[Aussie Chris]

Gday there Duff, yeah I did slug the barrel and she ran in at .379'' as I stated in the thread opener

Bartman, I will try to get some of those West Castings, they have a great selection cheers.

Chris

[Sixgun]

Sixgun, you still have your Legendary Frontiersmen?

Law Dawg,
Nope, I moved it real quick after I found out I needed to get the chamber opened up. It would not take a .379 bullet even with the shorter brass and I had no desire to order another special order reamer for the brass.
Bought it for 6--------moved it for 6-------bought an original, made in 1897 for 8, and that one shoots like a scoped bolt action rifle with no headaches.

You have one, I take it. Any luck with the bigger bullets?----------Sixgun

[Stone Fence]

Aussie-

I make a jacketed .378" bullet that ought to do well in your legendary frontiersman. They are $36 a box of 50- I will do a half box for you if you want to try. e-mail me at david@custombullets.com and I will send you a pic.
-Stone

[JFE]

Chris,

if you want to try some as cast (0.380) I'm happy to give you some to try out. At present the only bullets I have on hand are sized to 0.377 but need to cast some more in the next few weeks. I've never used Starline brass in 38/55 but Winchester brass is apparently thinner, which might help. I also have some 30/30 brass opened up for use in a 375 Win if you want to try some for fit with the larger bullet.

Joe

[gundownunder]

Hey Chris, here in WA westcasting sell in lots of 5000, I dont know what your local dealer over there will do for you. I can buy my .357 projies for $40 a 500 from my local. Before you go spending a heap of money on the westcasting projies why not give em a call and ask if they can send you a sample pack.
I understand they are usually happy to oblige.

You cant complain about the group your getting with the factory stuff, makes your 38-55 a 200yd rabbit gun

Are the legendary frontiersmen a top eject or an angle eject?

[kimwcook]

Sixgun, yes I have one. I haven't shot it yet. Haven't slugged the bore or done anything with it. Put it in the safe and that's where it's lived since I've had it. Curious about the results with Chris'.

[Aussie Chris]

Stone Fence and Joe thankyou for the offers but ill leave it for now and see how I go with some projectiles my local gun dealer is casting up for me.

Gundowner, they are fantastic prices and they do have a great selection I have emailed them in NSW and am waiting for a reply. It is a top eject, I own 12 Winchesters, all in top eject

[Duff L Bagg]

Gday there Duff, yeah I did slug the barrel and she ran in at .379'' as I stated in the thread opener

Bartman, I will try to get some of those West Castings, they have a great selection cheers.

Chris

My bad, It was late and I had two threads open at the same time. I do wish you the best with your rifle, please keep us up dated with your progress.

[the telegraphist]

I thought you boys couldn't have guns anymore???

It may be a bit harder but it sure as hell aint impossible. Take more than dumb laws to take my guns, I 'll die standing up with a lever and an SAA. Another war may well be coming, shooters will be needed yet again, history does repeat, governments just dont ever learn. They always get caught short. Us poorslobs get called yet again to get em outta the pelosi.