It's a long story but my brain is hung up on this and I can't stop thinking about it. Not going to get into the reason I began the search as it would take too long to explain. Anyways, has anyone ever in the past or recently/currently produced a lever gun in the .38S&W/.38-200? For those who may not know the .38S&W is not the same cartridge as the .38 S&W special/.38spl. So anyone know of anyone? I know Marlin doesn't and don't believe they ever have. I cannot find any evidence of Winchester ever having produced a rifle in this chambering. So I'm thinking it's unlikely anyone was making them back when. Is anyone making them now or in recent years? I've seen lever guns chambered in near every rediculous obscure cartridge possible, someone has to have made at least a limited run of them chambered in the .38S&W/.38-200?

None that I have ever seen or read about.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

It would have been a lot of trouble for the manufacturer. They have different size bullets than a .38 Special, something like .360 or .361. To do it right would involve a new barrel, not just rechambering. Plus, it's a short cartridge and probably would have taken different parts in the feed system, I would not be surprised if no one has made one recently. Maybe way back, 100 years ago or so.

Well, I don't think it would be that much trouble to come up with one in the Marlin variety.

Feeding would be the first issue to be resolved, but I am certain that one of the modifications for .38 Short Colts would be perfect.

Next, the rim diameter is slightly different on some cases than .38 Special, but not all. Just opening up the head of the bolt should suffice.

Finally, the chamber and barrel modification- which could either be simple or complex. Marlin micro-groove barrels require oversize cast bullets for best accuracy, and since bore for .38 S&W usually runs .360-.365 or so, the bullets cast these sizes would be perfect for the micro-groove bore. A simple reaming of the chamber then would be all that is needed. If you wanted to make it a dedicated gun and money was no object, buy a longer, octagon micro-groove barrel and have the breech end cut, re-chambered to .38 S&W (to eliminate the excess chamber length of .357 Magnum) and re-thread the breech and modify the magazine tube to the length of the barrel. However, this would be a lot of trouble unless this was the sole caliber you wanted to use and shoot.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

Marlin made the model 1892 in 32rf with an interchangable firing pin that would chamber the 32 colt cf round. The barrel and chamber could be modified to accept the 38S&W, At least its an idea worth exploring. Don't know about extractor. Wisner still makes the firing pins. A shooter grade model 1892 would go for about $500-600 to start.

Not that I know of as normal factory production in .38 S&W, but there have been some recent developments for CAS to allow .38 special '66 and '73 Winchester replicas to shoot .38 Short Colt with a custom shell lifter.

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