Starline makes two different lengths of .38-55 brass. Anyone know the length a circa 1889 Winchester model 1885 will take?
Starline makes two different lengths of .38-55 brass. Anyone know the length a circa 1889 Winchester model 1885 will take?
Buy the longer cases as that was the proper length until they started making them shorter after WWII
Note ... Ballard ... 1984 ... Ballard chambered their rifles for the 2.125 case
In your HiWall, both lengths work
Montana Charlie:
"I don't know much about 38-55, but I DO know there are two different case lengths to be considered. Is that where the Winchester vs Ballard designation comes into play?"
No; the .38-55 was pioneered for the Ballard single-shots made by Marlin, and Winchester adopted the caliber when the 1894's first came out (no doubt they were also making their single-shot Hi-Walls for the same cartridge well before 1894; they were still learninng to deal with the erosive effects of the first smokeless powders, and it was another year - 1895 - before they came up with a nickel-steel alloy for the .30-30 and .25-35 barrels). The .38-55 Ballard and Winchester is one and the same cartridge, in the slightly longer length. The shorter case came in - probably in the '50's and '60's - when the ammo makers decided it was not worth their while to draw the longer cases, and they made the .38-55 from the shorter .30-30 basic drawn blanks - and, for some unknown reason, everyone started to chamber for the shorter case, and make dies to that specification.
w30wcf:
Chime in here; you're the REAL expert on this.
floodgate
Regards
John
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