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Author Topic: Firing 375 Win. in 38-55  (Read 1003 times)

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Offline Dagalee

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Firing 375 Win. in 38-55
« on: September 24, 2012, 08:51:54 PM »
I know 38-55 has longer  chamber and 375 Win is higher pressure , but is it OK in a H&R ?
It's NOT  OK to do it in a lever action , but how about the H&R ?
I've got lots of factory 375 Win leftover from a long gone lever action and was thinking of getting 38-55 barrel. But I'm not sure about pressure and longer chamber in the H&R.
Any advise ?
Thanks
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Offline keith44

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Re: Firing 375 Win. in 38-55
« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2012, 09:10:17 PM »
I am not familiar with either cartridge, so here is my off the cuff first thoughts...worth exactly as much as you paid for them...


No Go wrong cartridge for chamber...but then if only the length is wrong, and the pressure of the 375 Win is not over 40,000 psi why not.  If pressure is 50,000psi or more, NO GO, 45,000 or less, maybe.


Then again, the 30'06, 280 Rem are rated for 50,000 cup.  The 25'06 is 53,000 cup and the 35 Whelen is rated at 52,000 cup.  So in an "Ultra Rifle" (that has been chambered in these cartridges) I say try it, but at your own risk, if the cup rating of the .375 Win is 53K or less
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Offline thejanitor

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Re: Firing 375 Win. in 38-55
« Reply #2 on: September 25, 2012, 01:56:50 AM »
My post is only about bore diameter and accuracy/tumbling.  My 38-55 bore slugs at .381 When I looked in a manual the other day I thought the .375 was not close enough to MY bore size to be  a choice worth trying. (even by pulling the bullets and reloading them) 
Now the cartridge being a safe choice to shoot in the 38-55 is something I have no idea about since I have never done more than glance at the info.  I would say NO to be on the safe side but my post was about the actual bore diameter more than the use of your older rounds in this gun safely.
thejanitor
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Offline dpe.ahoy

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Re: Firing 375 Win. in 38-55
« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2012, 01:57:57 AM »
No problems with the 375 in the 38-55 H&R when it comes to the pressure and shorter length.  The accuracy may not be there as the bullet size for the 375 is .375.  The bore for the 38-55 is larger, but the jacketed bullet for the 375 may shoot OK as it will not strip as the softer lead would.  Only way to see is to try.  There was a very nice 38-55 on Gun Broker, not sure if it sold or not, I think the price was 375.  Good luck in your search, it's a nice chambering.  DP
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Offline Jason F

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Re: Firing 375 Win. in 38-55
« Reply #4 on: September 25, 2012, 03:34:03 AM »
I shoot 375 Winchester load data in my h&r 38-55 but I also have custom jacketed bullets that are 379 dia.
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Offline Jason F

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Re: Firing 375 Win. in 38-55
« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2012, 03:38:58 AM »
Forgot to mention i still use starline 38-55brass 2.125.

Good luck finding a 38-55 barrel. They dont show up in classifieds very often.
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handi rifles- 22 mag      22 hornet    223      7mm-08      308 chip shot     30-30 x2     30-06 shorty      358 cheez whiz     357 max     35 remington     375-08    410 rifled slug     454 casull     460 s&w     45 smokeless muzzleloader x2     45-70    50 huntsman    50-70 government shikari     20 ga.ush     12 ga.ush    12 ga.3 1/2     10 ga.imp.cyl. slug gun

Offline Dagalee

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Re: Firing 375 Win. in 38-55
« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2012, 03:42:53 AM »
Thanks for the help.
Glad y'all brought up the bore size.
I had forgotten they were a little different -375 and 379
( I just now looked it up ).
Any body ever slug the 38-75 H&R ?
Gun makers like to keep things simple nowadays.
Like a 308 barrel for the 7.62x39.
375 being more common than 379 makes me wonder if they didn't just use a 375 to save a few bucks.
I'll have to give them a call.
Haven't looked up pressure yet.
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: Firing 375 Win. in 38-55
« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2012, 03:58:03 AM »
As was stated, using 375 Win loads in traditional 38-55 firearms is not safe, but it's safe in the much stronger SB2 38-55 platform, using 375 Win data in 38-55 brass is fine as long as jacketed bullets of at least .377", preferably .379", are used. The SAAMI MAP for the 375 Win is 52kcup (~60kpsi), well within the capability of the SB2 frame, I've been using 375 Win data with Starline long brass in my H&R 38-55 Targets for years.  ;) Using 375 Win ammo or .375" bullets ain't gonna work tho, it will go bang, but you'll be lucky to hit the target. I've shot 235gr .375" Speers in mine, the bullets that hit the target at 100yds were keyholed.

As far as using 38-55 brass at 375 Win pressure, Marshall Stanton of Beartooth Bullets recommend 38-55 or 30-30 brass for handloading 375 Win leverguns, works fine for me!  ;)

There's tons of info in the FAQs on the 38-55, spend some time reading there, you'll most likely find most of what you're looking for, the advanced search works pretty good too if you select just this forum from the list.

Tim

http://shootersforum.com/leverguns-their-cartridges-general/2137-nobody-has-375-win.html

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Offline Dagalee

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Re: Firing 375 Win. in 38-55
« Reply #8 on: September 25, 2012, 04:10:14 AM »
Thanks
I'll dig around FAQ's more.
May have to sell / trade 375 ammo and start over.
Another excuse to buy bullets !
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Offline LittleJoe

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Re: Firing 375 Win. in 38-55
« Reply #9 on: September 26, 2012, 06:37:42 AM »
When you could get the 38-55 barrels a lot of cowboy shooters were useing them in side matches that required cast bullet. Because of the over sized bore a .380"/381" cast bullet was required but necks of the chamber would not work with .380"bullets so the necks had to be reamed.
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Offline Andy45

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Re: Firing 375 Win. in 38-55
« Reply #10 on: September 28, 2012, 03:04:31 PM »
I've been working hard to get my .38-55 Model 1871 barrel to shoot.  Had I known what I was in for (time & expense-wise), I'd have chosen another caliber!   :o
 
What I've learned so far:
 
H&R chambered & rifled these barrels per the 1870's chambering specs for paper-patched bullets.  Why?  Who the heck knows!
 
Did a chamber cast since it was previously owned - think the chamber has allready been reamed to .400 - which appears to be a good thing since most guys who handload for these barrels have either reamed their's themselves or sent them back to H&R to have it done (before the last change in ownership.)
 
Forget .375 jacketed bullets - too small to properly engage the rifling.  If you want to shoot jacketed, then you have to try more expensive .377 bullets by makers like Barnes & Hawk.
 
Working currently with Hawk .377 255 gr. FP bullets - a few preliminary loads shooting MOA using Reloder 7.  Trying Hawks because they have soft & thin jackets and are more likely to expand in deer at .38-55 velocities.
 
If you want to shoot cast bullets (I'm working on that next) then there are lots of load tinkering possibilities.  Tons of info on the Cast Boolits website.  Almost all posts say .381 - .382 sized bullets are necessary.
 
IMHO - Knowing what I know now, I would not buy a .38-55 barrel just because I had lots of .375 brass.  I'd buy it only for the interest & challenge of reloading an unfamiliar cartridge.
 
Another reason I bought this rifle was that it came with a second, factory fitted .375 Mag barrel (possibly soon to become a Maximum.)  Compared to the .38-55, these are easy to reload for, and would be good enough for deer out to 200 yards.  The .38-55 barrel might be fun to relegate to black powder loads & cast bullets after I work up a good jacketed "hog-whumper" load.  ;D
 
Best of luck, Andy
 
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Offline Winter Hawk

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Re: Firing 375 Win. in 38-55
« Reply #11 on: September 28, 2012, 04:15:19 PM »
Quote from: Andy45 on September 28, 2012, 03:04:31 PM

Another reason I bought this rifle was that it came with a second, factory fitted .375 Mag barrel

.375 Magnum??? Truly a "thumper load"!  And factory fitted also?  Me thinks you're finger timing is out of sync!   ;D ;D ;D

-Kees-
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: Firing 375 Win. in 38-55
« Reply #12 on: September 29, 2012, 07:32:14 AM »
Quote from: Andy45 on September 28, 2012, 03:04:31 PM
H&R chambered & rifled these barrels per the 1870's chambering specs for paper-patched bullets.  Why?  Who the heck knows!

You can thank SAAMI for that!  :-\  Both of mine shot good from the get go, just a matter of knowing what to do to get there up front, that info has been available here for a long time, neither of mine were neck reamed when I worked up loads.  ;)

Tim

http://www.saami.org/PubResources/CC_Drawings/Rifle/38-55%20Winchester.pdf

http://www.brimstonepistoleros.com/gazette/jan06.html
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Offline Andy45

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Re: Firing 375 Win. in 38-55
« Reply #13 on: September 30, 2012, 04:35:58 AM »
Quote
375 Magnum??? Truly a "thumper load"!  And factory fitted also?  Me thinks you're finger timing is out of sync! 

Hey, that .375 Magnum is pure heck on recoil with that crescent steel buttplate!  LOL  Yup, sure fat-fingered that one!
 
On the neck reaming problem, somewhere out there among thousands of posts, there was mentioned that once identified, H&R started shipping barrels with a modified chamber to remedy the problem before dropping the chambering.  So appantly some barrels need reaming and some don't.
 
Tim - very interesting link.  The discussion on the "bulged-to-one-side" cases from from seating bullets is very informative, and a problem I'm having loading for this rifle.  Thanks, Andy
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: Firing 375 Win. in 38-55
« Reply #14 on: September 30, 2012, 04:50:01 AM »
I don't think they made any barrels that had .400" necks, all three of mine including the one I sold Pete are within SAAMI spec and won't chamber a .380" bullet without some work around without being neck reamed, one is a 2007 made the last year the offered them, none will chamber a .381" bullet unless the brass is trimmed short.

Tim
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Offline geezer56

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Re: Firing 375 Win. in 38-55
« Reply #15 on: October 01, 2012, 07:35:39 PM »
The 38-55 I had would drop a 375 dia bullet through the barrel.  No way could 375 work well in that one.  It slugged on the fat side of 381.  I never tried to do anything with it after i discovered that, and it is now gone away.  Just seemed like too much work for the enjoyment of shooting it.  It did have a pretty stock though.
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