About 5 years ago I got into a bidding war on GB over a pile of parts from a circa 1900 Winchester 1894 in caliber 38-55. I was able to win the barreled action and all the parts to make it a viable rifle. I had seen photos of this gun before it went on the auction block and knew it to be of Native American origan from the designs on the stock and forearm. The wood went at a price way above my paygrade. The gun was a special order button magazine rifle. I had a fair amount of time invested in hunting for the magazine and forearm cap which are rare pieces to this puzzle. Recently, I won a GB auction for a butt stock that will match the Indian background for this piece. I have test fired this gun just to see if it will go "BANG". It does. The butt stock in the photo is a temp. Serial number on the old tired iron is 233965.
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Winchester 1894 Rehab
- Thread starter delta-419
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30-30remchester
Member
Had a similar condition 1894 in the same caliber. My bore was so rough it would tear up a cleaning patch. Got it shooting quite accurately with hard cast bullets and a good amount on IMR 3031. Only had it for a few years but managed to kill a bull elk and a mule deer buck before it went down the road.
Bruce51
Member
Great project rifle! Unless marked nickel steel the 38-55 barrels were high strength steel.
I hope yours still has a good bore.
I found one but it was really rough inside the receiver and it would lock up.
The ejector pin was loose catching behind the feed rails.
Thank you for sharing. The old Winchesters are a lot of fun.
Bruce
I hope yours still has a good bore.
I found one but it was really rough inside the receiver and it would lock up.
The ejector pin was loose catching behind the feed rails.
Thank you for sharing. The old Winchesters are a lot of fun.
Bruce
Ivan the Butcher
Member
Bore diameters very GREATLY on any 38-55 (Not Just Winchester 94 and 1885's) My 2005 production 1885 is .375". A friend had an old 94 that needed .388" bullets. (Those won't even chamber in my gun!)
Once you have a bullet that fits the bore, 38-55's are capable of very fine accuracy. The accuracy load for my 2005 1885 is 255 grain Moly coated bullet from Bear Creek .002" Larger than bore size, Win Brass (modern/short length) Fed 210M primer and Trail Boss with 1/16" gap below bullet. This produced a dime sized group for 20 shots @ 100 yards using Lyman Tang and 17M Globe sights. (using mechanical rest)
Ivan
Once you have a bullet that fits the bore, 38-55's are capable of very fine accuracy. The accuracy load for my 2005 1885 is 255 grain Moly coated bullet from Bear Creek .002" Larger than bore size, Win Brass (modern/short length) Fed 210M primer and Trail Boss with 1/16" gap below bullet. This produced a dime sized group for 20 shots @ 100 yards using Lyman Tang and 17M Globe sights. (using mechanical rest)
Ivan
OP
Bullet Diameter
IVAN: You are absolutely correct about the range of barrel diameters, it has also been my experience that the variance is broad spread through the old 38-55s. I do have a number of boxes of cast bullets collected over the years up to .379 diameter. I will slug the barrel and see what she says. This is an early barrel without the nickel steel markings and no Winchester proof stamp. Date of manufacture via the net says 1900 but like S&W this old barrel may have been in the que for awhile. The bore is typical of black powder ammo at the turn of the 20th century. There is enough rifling left to give the right bullet enough spin to push it out to 100 meters. I hope!
IVAN: You are absolutely correct about the range of barrel diameters, it has also been my experience that the variance is broad spread through the old 38-55s. I do have a number of boxes of cast bullets collected over the years up to .379 diameter. I will slug the barrel and see what she says. This is an early barrel without the nickel steel markings and no Winchester proof stamp. Date of manufacture via the net says 1900 but like S&W this old barrel may have been in the que for awhile. The bore is typical of black powder ammo at the turn of the 20th century. There is enough rifling left to give the right bullet enough spin to push it out to 100 meters. I hope!
When Winchester resurrected the .38-55 in their commemorative rifles in 1979, they adopted a shorter 2.080” case and a nominal .377” bore diameter. That was related to the introduction of the .375 Win with a .375” bore and the need to provide a level of safety if the different rounds were chambered and fired in the wrong rifles.
Originally, the .38-55 had an honest nominal bore size of .380” that varied from .378” to .382”, and a 2 1/8” (2.125”) case length.
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