So, I was in a LGS the other day and noticed a pretty snazzy looking Win m94 on the rack. On the tag it said, "unfired" and caliber of 375 Winchester... So, I was very intrigued and went right home and started looking up whatever info I could find on this caliber.. And I like what I'm seeing as far as potential performance out of a lever rifle.

I find myself kind of favoring the "outside the mainstream" stuff lately and this 375 fits the bill. I really like what I am seeing about the cartridge in terms of what it can do.

BUT, seems like factory ammo is almost non-existent for the 375 Win.. lucky for me I reload. Tooling seems fairly available at the usual suppliers online, but so far brass and projectiles seem pretty scarce.

I am willing to do a little searching and even waiting for seasonal runs of brass and bullets. But is it that bad??

What I'm asking is, am I about to embark on a fool's errand if I adopt this claimed unfired 375 Win? I would definitely use it, and the price seems pretty reasonable compared to GB prices. Also, this particular rifle does not have the cross-bar safety. So as the 94 Big Bore goes, it seems to be an earlier model from what I can gather.

Thoughts??

I know there are other chamberings for lever rifles out there that are more readily available. And I know Marlin has some offerings too. I like Winchesters, and I REALLY like this one I'm looking at!

I considered a Marlin in 375 for a while last year.

I've never seen ammo for it anywhere including online.

I believe it will also shoot 38-55 Win -- and that you can sometimes find.

If I can get my hands on 50 brass and a 100ct box of projectiles that would last me quite a while.

And unfortunately for me and the fact that I live in NYS, most online retailers will no longer ship ammo to NY due to the safe act. So my online purchases are pretty much limited to components now.

I am a fan of all things 375 (H&H, Winchester and JDJ). DO NOT USE 38-55 WCF BRASS IN 375 Winchester. The wall thickness above the web is too thin to handle higher pressure AND the are different lengths (or are suppose to be). Before Frank Barns sold his bullet company, he made a 375 JSPFN of about 285 grains, with his loads it was/is fast and powerful. I'm not sure where my list of his data is, and I don't think the new company will give that old info out (it isn't in the manual). His 300 grain 44 mag/444 Marlin loads are 200 fps faster than any other 44 mag 300's! On the rifles I prefer Marlins to 94's but most shops think 375 are to be paid for in their weight in gold. Reloading is as simple as loading any straight walled case. Enjoy! Ivan

50 cases and 100 pills? Plenty of brass, not nearly enough lead. I hadn't thought about the perils of living behind enemy lines, but it seems real. Guess you'll need to find a friend near the state border that will accumulate stuff for you. I don't think the availability of ammo would be a deal killer for you. All you need is the will and the time to attend a few larger out of state gun shows. It would shock me to discover you can't find ammo. It might be a little expensive, but even 22 rimfire is expensive these days. I guess the powers that be in your state feel its illegal for you to "import" and antique ammo. But then that's your moral judgement. If reloading doesn't bother you, I'd say you're good to go.

I'd even suggest you first beat the shop owner half to death on the price because ammo is scarce. Then get him to give you the prior owners name and contact info. Very politely contact him and see what he did with his ammo stockpile for it. You might get lucky and pick up a box or two.

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Dick Burg

I have one made before Winchester changed hands. The older guns have thinner barrels and heat up pretty fast. This is the second one I have had and it shoots clover leafs at 50's with open sights. I have been using the Sierra 200 gr FN over 40.0 grains of 1680 which gives 2400 fps. When I had my first one in 1982 I fired some of the factory 250 and 200 grain loads and they dropped like a stone. I have chronographed the new 200 gr loads and they only reach 1800 fps so I doubt if the 250's broke 1600 fps. I have also tried cast bullets for the 38-55 but none have worked very well. I also had a BB94 in 307 but it kicked like a mule and never was that accurate. I was fortunate and bought about 400 cases years ago and still have enough to last me for a while. I also have a 7-30, 25-35 and 32spl along with numerous 30-30's. All are fun to play with. I picked these up years ago before they became expensive and no one wanted them. I say if it is something you want and have the funds go ahead and buy it life is too short not to enjoy it. Merry Christmas

ANY Win 375 BB XTR will be in high demand and fetch a premium, an unfired one, big $$$'s, I'd get there on the double if it isn't too late already. Worry about the brass & bullets later. I like mine so much I bought it twice. I've got app 200 loaded and a box of 100 hornady 220 gr flat points, (my favorite). I'm not sure if they are 100% discontinued or only rarely run batches of them. Even if you had to use a pointy bullet, 1 in the chamber & 1 in the mag would be 1 more than you will ever likely need. For the smackdown you get the recoil is relatively mild. It would almost be criminal to alter it, but an aftermarket recoil pad goes a long way. Don't even think of putting a scope on it

A friend had one back in the 1980s.
Seemed like a good rifle.
Haven't seen one for a long while now.

Because you are in NY and the 375 Win being nearly an orphan caliber I would suggest you think carefully about taking this one on. I've seen reports that the SAFE act will be enforced on reloading components in addition to assembled ammunition.

What this means is that you will only have 2 options to obtain components.

One is to have a friend or relative who is NOT a New York resident purchase components for you and then either drives them to you or you go and pick them up. Because I think you'll find that every vendor out there now has New York on their DO NOT SHIP list for powder, ammunition, and reloading components. BTW, under the SAFE act it's probably against the law to transport ammunition components into New York from out of state so make sure you drive the speed limit and don't get caught.

Option two is to source components from reloading suppliers in New York. I expect that if you start making some calls you'll find pretty quickly the typical response is "not a chance".

Yeah, I know, you can get it at bargain basement prices. There is a reason for that and it's the same reason this rifle is likely to be completely unfired. That reason is that you just cant get ammunition for it and with the SAFE act now in place you probably won't even be able to find components. If you want a lever action that the bottom falls out of when you open the lever you'll find a 94 in 30-30 will be a rifle that is light years easier to find/build ammunition for.

At some point in time somebody will have brass. I doubt you'll find it laying around. Maybe list in the WTB section. I bet if you do a methodical search every now and then you'll come across some.

UPDATE: Google ".375 winchester brass for sale" and there is some available from a few outfits.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I had a Marlin so chambered. Mine came with something like 20 boxes of ammunition. I ended up trading it away at a loss. I forget why I wanted it or what I was going to do with it.

I don't know the vagaries of NY law. Sounds like you may want a flintlock and to learn how to make powder.

Seems like you like the "hunt". If so, get it and keep on "hunting" what you need to run it. If you want a sweet lever-gun to use, there are MANY other choices that make more sense. I have .22 to .45-70. I'm a Winchester guy also. If you want that flavor, start looking for the serious end of things and get yourself a Model 71 .348 rifle or carbine. If you enjoy the hunt, get a carbine with the original bolt peep sight. JMO

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Go big or stay home

It's probably the most underrated lever gun on the used market, and a very hi quality Winchester. By far a better rifle than the 375 Marlin (I have 1 of each). Reloader 7 is my go too powder under any bullet 250 gr or up. If you man up and buy it, shoot me a PM with your email address... I'll help you out.

Found one in the Shoppers Guide a few years ago for $325.00 in like new condition with 8 remaining shells from first box, talked the guy down to $300.00 and came home with it. Did a little shopping around for ammo and came up with a place that had a butt load for sale at $29.00 a box, now have 7 boxes. Nice gun will give to my SNL.

I have a Ruger and a Marlin in .375, and a Winchester, an old Marlin and a new Marlin in .38-55. When I first got the Ruger #3, I dropped a .38-55 case into the chamber just for fun, and it dropped "plunk" to the rim. My curiosity piqued, I broke out some mikes and gauges from my toolmaker days, and discovered that it, indeed, had a .38-55 chamber (no evidence of a rechamber or bubba)! Later, when I got the Marlin M375, I checked the chamber immediately and found the same thing. I fired one round of 250 gr. .375 in my 1910 High Wall, a .32-40 rebore, encountered difficult extraction, and never fired another. The Marlin .38-55 CB handles .375 as if it were no different from .38-55, but accuracy is not so great because of the .377 bore.
In short, while you should of course keep .375 ammo away from older .38-55s due to pressure concerns, my experience has been that my modern .38-55 and both of my .375s will handle either cartridge, including .38-55s loaded to .375 performance. I have yet to see any case or rifle damage signs.
It's good to be careful, and I arrived at all these discoveries very gradually, so I have to disagree with Ivan in part. These two cartridges are not universally interchangeable, but can tolerate a rather wider overlap than most commonly (and conservatively) recommended.

YMMV,
Larry

Price tag on the Big Bore in question is $750.

And no, I wouldn't dream of scoping it! My Super Grade 338 has the glass on it and that's all I need!

No longer a NY state resident, the laws went from bad to worse since I left in 2003. The safe act laws are a real consideration, but imo & from what I hear from almost ALL NY residents I talk to, they are fed up & we shall see what happens with the next elections. There are MANY Winchester collectors that would give their eye teeth for a 'NEW" 375 BB, especially if it's an older no safety top eject. And the price will continue to rise. Speaking practically, if you want a fairly big bore lever, without the recoil of a 45-70 and be able to get ammo, a used Marlin (pre Remington please) in 35 caliber would be app 1/2 the price. I can't tell you how much I miss hunting "upstate" primarily Delaware, Columbia, Greene, Chenango counties, the Catskill & Adirondack mtns, & fingelakes areas, as well as freezing my butt of steelhead fishing in Pulaski. I'm not sure where you are from, but if you are in a nice place, or have hunting rights to one, it might be worth riding out the storm. Whatever you decide, I'd move on it quick as I could see a very fast internet sale.

A city slicker I see. GOT SNOW? I spent a lot of time in the huge metropolis of Shinhopple.

Yep, big city dweller here!! Lol!

And yes, this rifle is pre-crossbolt safety and top eject.

I have put a fairly valuable electric guitar I have up for sale to try and get the 94BB. If I can get it sold I think I'm going to pull the trigger on the 94BB. Worst case scenario I think I will try fire-forming new 30-30 brass and procede with caution. Many argue against running 30-30 brass due to differences in case wall thickness while others claim success running full 375 pressure with no issues crediting modern metallurgy for allowing this.

I will update this conversation if I am able to pick this rifle up..hopefully soon!

IF it hits the net, it's gonna be gone.

Some years back I got the itch for a winchester big bore in 375 win. So started paying good attention to what lever action were on the tables. For a good long while only marlins were showing up and not in exactly great condition. Spied a winny in 375 win and talked with the dealer. Cost $550 at the time. Funny thing is I haven't shot it yet. Got dies,bullets and cases just no time to load up some ammo. Didn't buy it at the show. Knew the dealer and went to his shop the next day. Got it for $550 and it was mine. You snooze you loose kept going through my head as I drove to his shop. They were just starting to put some guns on one of the auction houses so I got it before it made the list. Frank

Well my friend, you have gotten all the hard parts done and out of the way!!

Good price for an average Big Bore. If it's truly unshot, grab it now. You can always sell it for more.

I agree it is a fair price for an unfired BB. You could pay less but if you want it grab it. At that price I'd want a pre-safety model. They tend to fetch more money.

I have an early top eject model and I love it. Brass will come back. Plus 38-55 and blown out 30-30 brass does work in a pinch, although I've never done that. Watch Buffaloarms for brass, as they sometimes have stock when no one else does. I bought 250 from them a while back and don't think I'll need more anytime soon.

Remember to post pics if you get it.

Need some motivation? Here's mine.

The one I'm looking at IS a pre-safety!

Just trying to sell that guitar and the BB94 will me coming home with me..

Yawn. The lgs owner may retire before this sale.

I know I know....It's no fun for me either. Just really tight right now.


Thinking about getting that guitar on ebay... Just a couple insulting offers for it so far using Craigslist. Just not sure how much of a PIA shipping would be??

BUT, I see the sale & purchase as 2 different things. If you wait for the sale of a used guitar, unless it is EXTREMELY rare/sought after/owned by someone famous, you are gonna take a beating, not get enough $ for the gun anyway. If the 375 is truly unfired, talk to the owner & find out how much it would take to hold it, & work out payments. A NEW 375BB on gunbroker would sell in minutes. Good luck.

No need for an apology bud.. I can take some onion bustin'!

What the hey, I'll tell you a little about what I have.. It is one of the last of the Westerly RI Guild Starfire hollow bodies. A Starfire III to be exact. It's not so high dollar that I need to go through Barrett/Jackson to find a buyer, but it is a $1000 guitar all day long and I am willing to go as low as about $800-$850 for it. It's just that there aren't as many serious buyers of a thousand dollar guitar as there are for $250 guitars... just like us and our Smiths and Winchesters as compared to some other brands.....

It is still driving me nuts that its not on my rack under my new Super Grade as we speak. I just have to play within the bounds of my households budget. This is a toy for me, and I have to make sure the needs of the family are met first.

But here's a couple pics of what I'm looking to sell in case you know someone who might be interested..

Mods: if I am violating a rule with the posting of these pics, please let me know and I will promptly remove them.

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Well boys and girls, a buyer has stepped up and made a deposit on my guitar!!!

As soon as he pays the balance and I know he is happy with it, I will be going to grab that 94 Big Bore. As of about a week ago, it still sits at the LGS.

Hopefully next update will have some pics of my new addition!

a few years ago i bought a marlin in this caliber, and the hunt started. I eventually found four boxes of loaded factory winchester, probably will never shoot that stuff. by googlefuing, gunbroker, etc i found a couple hundred casings, probably enough to last for the duration. Componet jacketed bullets seem not available again yet. So, as I cast, i bought a mould. End of problem.
The 38.55 casings is NOT the same, it is thinner, different length etc. The .375 factory round is over 50k p.s.i., the 38.55 about 30kpsi. Should not fire a .375 period in a 38.55 regardless of manufacture date. The casings are different in length, as i remember the .375 is a little shorter. Article in handloader this month brian pearce talks about this. You CAN get 38.55 brass, cut it back to the right length, and load it for .375. BUT, it should be kept to a pressure in the mid 30K p.s.i. range, brain quotes the exact number. It should NOT be loaded to .375 velocities and pressures. He mentions a load in the article with .375 brass throwing a 200grain bullet at about 2300fps, plenty of wampum. Myself, i have thrown the .375 250grain lead cast bullet at about 1800 fps which is plenty of wampum. the older 38.55 rifles have bore diameters all over the place, not so much new production ones. I have loaded barnes 250's in a winchester commemorative 38.55, and they were plenty accurate, wacking clay pigeons set out well over 100yards offhand. That big bore was never truely appreciated, except by rifle loonies.

by the way, i saw a deer popped with a browning lever in .358 a couple months ago, at about 125yards. He was using around a 220grain bullet at about 2300fps, similar to the 375 with the 375 of course being wideer. Impressive, nice .35entry hole, blew a really big exit hole out the other side. Deer was D.R.T. I wouldn't have an issue using it on elk as long as the shot was right, and the distances not too far.

Yes, I have been doing a ton of research on this caliber and everything you say about it as it compares to 38-55 is true. Also learned that new 30-30 brass can be fire-formed to 375 but due diligence in caution must be excersized. While the 30-30 brass has generally thicker case walls than 38-55, it's still not quite as thick as true 375 Win brass... At least there are some options to be able to use it, albeit not at full power.

Loaded ammo and components are hard to come by, but I think it's worth it. Meantime, I'll try my hand at fire-forming and keep things on the tame end of the spectrum.

It really is a shame that the Big Bore 94's didn't catch on. Every one of those 3 new chamberings are very impressive and made more HP available in a lever rifle without spending the bigger bucks on an 1886. What's not to like??? The 307 Win does everything the now popular and more recently introduced 308 Marlin Express does... Just ahead of their time I guess... a real shame..

I always wanted a 50cal or 60cal big bore lever action. The bigger the better 90mm, 100mm, 110mm, 120mm long the bigger the better.
Someday I'll get one made.

Ever hear of these???

Big Horn Armory | Home of the Model 89 Lever Action Rifle & Carbine


Not quite what you are describing... but I think they are pretty cool. Talk about the modern "handgun cartridge" chambered carbine!

If it's calling out to you, what else can you do but go down there with $650 in cold hard cash and lay it on the counter.... if he takes it then you were meant to have her.
Stick a little extra in your pocket just in case, you want it ....go for it.
Life's too short not to!
Gary

Well boys! The guitar is sold and I just shipped it today. On my way home form the UPS store, I stopped at the LGS to see if my soon-to-be 94 Big Bore is still there.... IT IS!

I forgot but it has the big loop lever on it, is in pristine condition, pre-safety, and shop owner insists it is unfired.. And guess what! He has 26 rds of factory 375 Win ammo to boot!!! I am so excited! And sorry, but where this LGS is will remain top secret till I get this rifle and ammo home! LOL! (Hillbilly, mums the word!)

The hard part will be the next week... I have decided to exercize a little prudence and patience and wait till the guitar reaches my buyer and he lets me know he is satisfied with it before I spend the wad of cash. Things are just tight for me this week so after paying to ship the guitar (which ended up being nearly double what I anticipated due to insurance on it) I just can't afford to even make a deposit today. UPS gave me an ETA on delivery for this coming friday.

Going to be a loooong week and I'll probably have my fingernails chewed down to the point of bleeding! Tick..............tock.............tick..............tock...............

Well guys, I pulled it off!!

Guitar sold and the 94 BB was still available! And I think I got a GREAT deal.

He had it marked as unfired on the tag, and I think that may very possibly be the case. But it matters not, as I intend to use this 94. He had $750 on the tag, and he also had 26rds of Winchester factory ammo with $60 marked on that box, and I also bought a pound of H4198 for when I get tooled and supplied for reloading.

I asked if he could put together a little package deal for me and he said sure. Ended up paying listed price on the rifle and powder, but he threw in the 26 rounds for FREE! Now judging by bids on GB for 375 Win ammo, he could have sold that ammo for north of $80.

At the end of it all, I got the rifle, powder, and ammo for $850 OTD! (8.75% sales tax here) I couldn't be happier!

It was almost dark when I got home (and COLD, 0 degrees) so I couldn't get a pic outside for better lighting. But here is the pic I got. I will get some better pics as conditions outdoors allow...

I am really excited about this one.... Im as giddy as I was when I brought home my brand new Super Grade 338 a couple months ago.

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I just noticed this thread - I have had one of those for years - it is a gorgeous, fabulous rifle.

***GRJ***

I hope to do the same and pass it on to my son.

There is just so much "cool" packed into the 94 Big Bores. I never knew about them till last month when I spotted this one and looked into what a 375 Win was. It's a crying shame they didn't catch on and now ammo and components are so hard to procure.

I'll be posting a WTB in the near future for brass and bullets. But I want to get my tooling first.

NICE score! That's a good looking rifle. and good price too. I really like big-bore rifles.

Let us know how it shoots (and if it kicks).

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John

That must have felt like a REAL long month. Whether it is unfired or not doesn't really matter since you are going to fire it. The large lever loop is one reason that I think it's been fired. My hands are avg-lg and my fingers get pinched at times inside the lever loop, so I can see why it was added ( you will appreciate it, esp if wearing gloves). Secondly, if it were unfired, why wouldn't there be a full box of ammo? Looking forward to some target pics. Too bad your deer season is closed, it's gonna be another long wait til next November. ENJOY, & good luck finding brass & bullets.

Ya know, I've been at this gun buying game about 50 full years now. I'm sure glad I'm old and not torn by the adventures of the OP. So I've been kind of reading this thread off and on since it started. You could say things don't develop fast on this one. But I'm real glad I'm past the stage where buying a gun causes this much consternation. Its just a gun, buy it and be done with it.

And some folks I know have been having a similar conversation. Its something about a purchase that's over $500 should be discussed, according to the PC crowd. I guess they may be right, but I'm past that stage, too. What really surprises me is that the gun sat and waited the full month. Around here, a choice piece doesn't last out the week, and that's even if you first saw it on Friday!

But in 1966 I saw the rifle of my dreams. I was just 18 and I'd never seen a gun as beautiful as the Browning T bolt at the gun shop. Of course it was prohibitively expensive, about $65 because it was the T2 model, with the longer barrel and better stock with checkering. So I cut grass that spring and early summer. Every cotton picken' dollar went into the "fund". And every time my dad said he was goin' over to "Afield" gun shop, I was sick until I got there to be sure my gun was still there. Worse, there was sales tax at 3% back then. That was another 2 bucks, and another fair size yard I needed to cut. By that point I was trimming for free because I wanted to keep my customers.

And finally the big day came. I recounted my money for the hundredth time, sealed the envelope, and took off to the shop. When I went inside, they were all laughing at me. And my gun was gone. Man did those jerks ever play rough. They just hid it to see the look on my face. But the huge guy, Phil, felt bad about the joke the others were playing on me. So he took my money, but then tossed in some extras. It clearly needed a 2nd can of genuine Browning oil (I've still got one of them) and a 3rd magazine. And ammo. He was the one who taught me how to select the best stuff.

Yes, it needed to be done at a range. He suggested 5 shot groups from every brand of ammo in his store. Kind of self serving, except he tossed in a box of about every one. And I learned something really important. Some guns just seem to like certain brands of ammo. That gun shot Remington hollow points, and Winchester hollow points as well as the fur-un' stuff. I had targets to prove it.

And one day that fall, I'd installed a scope. A genuine off brand 22 scope that was a full 7/8ths diameter. Dark and cloudy, with an off center cross hairs. No idea why that was, but the shop owner said it was because the scope was junk. I accepted his superior judgement. So I had to bring my prized rifle in for a checkup. He literally threw the scope into a 55 gallon trash barrel from across the room. I was shocked, but fairly happy he gave me a full size 1" scope off a "big game" rifle. Now, 49 years later, that scope still lives on my 22.

I've only bored y'all to death with the story because I sure hope the OP here likes his gun as much and keeps it as long. He probably doesn't even know if he'll live that long. Its my best guess that falling in love with a rifle is good for you.

All the ruckus about full power loads in a lever gun are just bunk. You can have a bunch more fun with very light handloads. Light for caliber cast lead bullets are cheaper to make and easier on the shoulder. The OP here got his 26 rounds of factory ammo. He'll need to fire maybe the extra 6 of them, just to learn what pain can be (he's already got a brute). Now its time to discover what half that much ME feels like.

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Dick Burg

Good luck with that Big Bore! I knew you'd love it - they're gorgeous, they shoot great, they have a ton of utility. I don't use mine much any longer but I still have it and I still have ammunition.

ENJOY IT!!!

Does the serial number start with BB ? If so that's one that was made by Winchester prior to USRA. The barrel on the original models is thinner than the later ones but the action on mine is smooth as butter. The serial number on my firsts one was BB006550. Your lever looks like the one on mine.

My BB serial number is BB 044164.

And I did fire a few rounds this past weekend. Not at the range, but I did hit an electric fence post from about 50 yards with it! So windage can't be too bad.. LOL!

I didn't find it bad at all to shoot. In fact, I expected more of a thump to the shoulder than it delivered.. Don't get me wrong, this is not a let-down in any way. I really couldn't be happier with this 94.

Check out The Worlds Premier Custom Bullet Manufacturer

I was referred to this company on another forum. I emailed them yesterday inquiring about 375 bullets. They are currently out of stock, but the rep told me they do run it regularly and they plan to do another run of 375 in late February! He also aid it does sell out kind of quick. Just thought I would share that bit of intel with you.

RBURG: Thank you for posting that story. This is sort of along those same lines. I am 37 years old, married with 2 young kids. We both work and pay our bills but we are not what you might call well off enough to drop a random $800 on something on a moments notice. Often times in our household, we sell a toy to finance another toy. Make no mistake, we are not poverty stricken, and we do have alot of things like ATV's, camper and whatnot for family fun. We just have to watch what we do. And we are thankful for what we have... This was just one of those cases where I saw something I had to have, and in order to make it happen I had to wait till my guitar sold in order to finance it.

I am a little surprised myself that it survived on the shelf as long as it did. But it's a rather small shop and I heard it had been on the rack for sale for several years...waiting for me I guess!

And I did swap in a standard lever. I just couldn't fall in love with the big loop.

Having just purchased a new Winchester High Wall in 38-55, I've recently been researching that caliber's loads.

Starline makes 38-55 brass in two lengths: standard (2.125") and short (2.082"). When I talked to them, they indicated that they could have just as easily dropped the length another .062" and marked them 375 Winchester. He also indicated that when/if Winchester ever gets around to making 38-55 and/or 375 Win brass that the two will be identical, except for length and headstamp. It just makes no economic sense to build two different sets of brass in almost identical cartridges.

Yes, initially, 375 Win brass was heavier than their 38-55. Anecdotal evidence indicates that that's no longer true. But since Winchester appears to have no interest in producing either cartridge/caliber, we'll have to wait a while to find out.

Original 38-55 brass was made (circa 1885) for black powder. Then around 1900, the brass was changed to "balloon-head" style. Post WWII, all brass, regardless of caliber has been produced with the thicker heads common today. It would be impossible to put 55 grains of black powder (the original charge) into today's 38-55 brass.

So I'd suggest you get on the list for Starline short 38-55 brass and load away.....when it finally comes. You'll want to shorten it, if necessary, and keep pressures on the medium side (32-34 gr. of 3031 or 30 gr. 4198...250 gr. cast bullet = 1800+ fps. Those loads are also medium loads for 38-55).

Winchester sold a 200 gr. JSP bullet @ 2100+ fps. That's OK, I guess, but for woods use, there's an awful lot of of hunters that would boost the weight to 250 even if it slows the velocity. There isn't a critter in North America that wouldn't fall to same.

Ken Waters wrote a nice "Pet Loads" for the .375. He predicted it would last much longer than it did. And he loved the Mdl 94 Big Bore.

While you're waiting for jacketed bullets, there are lots of sources for cast/gs bullets. Those fit....IMHO....your rifle better!

The factory loads are mild compared to reloads. I fired some WW 200 gr's over the chronograph and they were 1820 fps. I believe if memory serves me correctly listed at 2200 fps. The bullets that I have found work real well are the Sierra 200 fn over 40.00 of AA1680, 2400 fps.

I've only been at it 40 years but thankfully still get giddy, even when someone else buys a nice gun. When that feeling stops it might be time to find a new hobby that does get my juices flowing. I load the now discontinued Hornady 220 gr flat point, an interlokt bullet with 36 gr's of RL-7. I put a shotgun pachmyer pad on it & it was very tame, just please DO NOT cut the stock. I have since gone to an original Winchester orange 3/8" pad. I NEVER thought YOUR gun would last that long in the shop either. Firing it offhand is MUCH more comfortable than from a bench, but much less recoil than a 45-70 or 444, esp with an add on pad. Similar in recoil to an 06 I'd guess. I think I may have paid 75$? for my last box of those Hornady bullets, hopefully they will make another run of them someday. A small lgs somewhere probly has some collecting dust.

I'm sure he'll enjoy the hell out of it. :-D

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