Author Topic: 38-55 brass  (Read 307 times)

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Offline Jason F

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38-55 brass
« on: November 08, 2011, 09:31:17 AM »
Why do they have two different lengths of brass.  There is 2.082 inch and 2.125 inch brass from midway does anyone know which one the handi rifle uses?
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Offline shinjin

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Re: 38-55 brass
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2011, 09:45:33 AM »
my handi rifle will shoot either brass length. Your problem with a Handi may be the bore size. Some of them have larger bores. Like maybe .380 or .379 which may give you some flyers with some factory ammo. I use a .378 bullet and mine gives so-so accuracy even from a bench with a good scope. Trigger doesn't help, after all it is a shotgun trigger.  BUT, I am still tuning her for the perfect deer gun so I ain't giving up.

Offline .22-5-40

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Re: 38-55 brass
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2011, 03:21:23 PM »
Hello, Jason F.  That 2.125" brass is the length of the original brass.  Winchester, for some reason decided to shorten their .30-30 & .38-55 brass many years ago.  This can have a bad effect on the use of cast bullets..especially if black powder is used..as the bullet tends to swell into the excess space between case mouth and chamber end..and then is squeezed down again going into the throat..not a good thing for accuracy!
   I have found by actual measurement, that most chambers are much longer..some as much as .050" than factory brass..much longer than the recommended trim length indicate..most of us are probably trimming our already too short brass even shorter!  Best of luck!