The one and only 38-55 Win just arrived at the Ranch!

Rossi's latest and past big game rifle based on the 336 frame!
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The one and only 38-55 Win just arrived at the Ranch!

Post by Ranch Dog »

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The RG3030B that I sent to JES Reboring just arrived! Stay tuned for range reports as I'm going to try and shoot this rifle this week!
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Re: The one and only 38-55 Win just arrived at the Ranch!

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I am looking forward to hearing about this. I am wondering is his chamber dimensions are the same as the 38-55 dimensions on the marlins?? I have been working my youngest up to a adequate deer rifle and got her started with my 38-55 CB a few months ago. I may have to look at one of these after I see your range reports. This may be a good option that I do not have to be so careful with.
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Re: The one and only 38-55 Win just arrived at the Ranch!

Post by Steelbanger »

RD,

This is the report I will be watching for. Which rifling option did you choose? My guess is that one of your hogs will interrupt the testing and find himself in your freezer.

I can't stop myself so here's tip for you, IMR 3031 is your friend in the 38-55.

Frank
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Re: The one and only 38-55 Win just arrived at the Ranch!

Post by Ranch Dog »

Steelbanger wrote:RD,

This is the report I will be watching for. Which rifling option did you choose? My guess is that one of your hogs will interrupt the testing and find himself in your freezer.

I can't stop myself so here's tip for you, IMR 3031 is your friend in the 38-55.

Frank
Frank, I did the five-groove. I started to work with the rifle today without much success. I ended up having two problems. The first issue I ran across was while I was trying to determine a usable cartridge OAL with my existing 375 bullet. I kept coming up real short and thinking that this thing needs to have more throat. Figured it out. The bullet seating die barrel is as crooked as a snake. The die is inducing .17" worth of run-out! This is a new set of dies but I have a set of 375 Win dies so I started using them (same difference). With that out of the way and using new 38-55 WW brass (2.080) and my TLC379-235-RF bullet seated to the body band between the first and second crimp groove (2.430"), the cartridge dropped right in the chamber just at the lands. I would later start trimming the brass to the appropriate length to accommodate the second crimp groove.

This is when I ran into a very significant cartridge feed problem. It doesn't. I've got a call into JES right now but it is difficult to speak with him due to the line of work. I understand that and will need to wait. The cartridges are getting caught about a third of the way back from the mouth of the case between the carrier and the magazine tube port. Action is locked up padlock tight. The magazine tube must be pulled and the cartridge knocked out with a wood dowel. I would suggest that the magazine spring doesn't have enough tension with the like but heavier 38-55 Win. I ruled that out as the rifle will not cycle 30-30 ammo any more either and it was super slick prior to the work. Something is causing the cartridge to delay its movement to the aft resting point on the carrier.

I have to pull the tube to remove a cartridge so I will check for burrs on the magazine tube port. I also considered that may be it is drag as a result of the yellow plastic magazine plug. I installed the Steve's Gunz plug and the issue did not change. It has me scratching my head at this point so I've back away from it this afternoon to keep from getting frustrated.
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Re: The one and only 38-55 Win just arrived at the Ranch!

Post by Ranch Dog »

Spoke with JES and it just needed to relieve the upper edge of the receiver at the magazine tube port to accommodate the larger diameter of bullet. Timing thing; the carrier is already starting up as the bullet is clearing the tube and it was hanging up at that point. I've already shot it, target images to follow this evening!
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Re: The one and only 38-55 Win just arrived at the Ranch!

Post by Ranch Dog »

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Okay, a couple of pictures from my first very, abbreviated range session. The Banner 1.5-4.5X32 had been sighted in while the rifle was briefly a 30-30 Win and as a 38-55 Win it didn't take much to put in dead on at 50-yards. I can see right now the rifle has a lot of potential!

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Using QuickLoad, I went straight to a 30.0K PSI load and it was right on the money with the velocity. My bullets are 95/5, wheelweights/tin, with some #8 shot added to increase the antimony and then water quenched. On the LBT BHN Tester then are 21 BHN. Will pump up the load to

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I will end up running this up to 42.0K PSI, about what a 21 BHN bullet can survive at. That will be about 2050 FPS for the 235-grain bullet, the same as my Marlin 375.

Steelbanger, Tom Myers (TMT), and I will be working on a more traditional 38-55 bullet in the 250-grain neighborhood.
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Re: The one and only 38-55 Win just arrived at the Ranch!

Post by Steelbanger »

Michael,

I'll have to wait until the morning to see your targets as my bedtime approaches. I've been up since 2:30 this morning and am really sleepy.

Isn't it nice to have support with the problem. What did the fix entail, removing a few thou. of metal?

I forgot to offer you some bullets if you'd like to try some of mine. I have four or five types available with the top weight of 268 in a plain base group buy Lee mould, a 265 gr. GC in a Rapine mould, another group buy Lee which drops a bullet that measures about .384-.385 and weighs 250 gr., the Lee 250 Bevel Base and your 235 gr. bullet. The only mould missing from the above is the 268 gr. which I sold. It had multiple square lube grooves and getting six bullets to drop from the Lee mould was an exercise in frustration. When I sold it I explained that to the buyer and I have never heard anything from him so I guess it works for him. Good.

Can't explain it but I have a hankering to shoot a 92 Rossi. What is happening?

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Re: The one and only 38-55 Win just arrived at the Ranch!

Post by Ranch Dog »

Steelbanger wrote:Isn't it nice to have support with the problem. What did the fix entail, removing a few thou. of metal?
Just a couple of passes Frank. Hope you get some sleep!
Steelbanger wrote:I forgot to offer you some bullets if you'd like to try some of mine. I have four or five types available with the top weight of 268 in a plain base group buy Lee mould, a 265 gr. GC in a Rapine mould, another group buy Lee which drops a bullet that measures about .384-.385 and weighs 250 gr., the Lee 250 Bevel Base and your 235 gr. bullet. The only mould missing from the above is the 268 gr. which I sold. It had multiple square lube grooves and getting six bullets to drop from the Lee mould was an exercise in frustration. When I sold it I explained that to the buyer and I have never heard anything from him so I guess it works for him. Good.
The only problem with the JES 38-55 is that the bore and groove or more in line with the 375 Win (.366/.376). I'm not going to be able to use the big bullets so I'm going to limit this rifle to my 375 Win bullet sized to .378".
Steelbanger wrote:Can't explain it but I have a hankering to shoot a 92 Rossi. What is happening?
Funny how that works. I've always been Marlin tight but with the changes in that outfit raised my head and looked around for the first time in years. I is fun to look at something new. I referenced the weight difference in my new Puma 92 vs. my two Marlins but what that doesn't figure in is just how compact the rifle is. It is like carrying my Marlin 39A, but lighter, chambered in 44 Mag!
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Re: The one and only 38-55 Win just arrived at the Ranch!

Post by Steelbanger »

Good morning,

Finally got some good rest last night. I've been nursing my hound. He had a hematoma repaired in his ear flap and has been wearing one of those funnel shaped protective collars 24/7 for almost two weeks now. Due to medications there are some nights he has to "go outside" two or three times which really disrupts a sound sleep. We have a bit of snow and when he walks around the yard, nose down, the funnel scoops up snow and yard debris. More work cleaning it and trying to keep his ear dry. For a change he slept all last night.

Your load assessment looks correct to me too RD, that load shows potential. The Rossi 38-55 looks great also as does the green grass in the background. We have about two more months before the green starts to appear.

That oversize mould I have throws a very nice bullet but sizing it to .380 about closes up the crimp grooves. I have never shot it in a match but it is plenty accurate for that. Shot a doe with it a few years back and all my butcher (Mike) found was the gas check which he promptly misplaced. Oh well, at least the butchering price was right!

I have read the barrel specs for the JES rebores and wondered if he has other options. And a final question, how do you measure the groove diameter in an odd numbered groove barrel? There has to be a way but I don't think I've ever seen it in print anywhere.
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Re: The one and only 38-55 Win just arrived at the Ranch!

Post by Ranch Dog »

Steelbanger wrote:I have read the barrel specs for the JES rebores and wondered if he has other options. And a final question, how do you measure the groove diameter in an odd numbered groove barrel? There has to be a way but I don't think I've ever seen it in print anywhere.
I did it the easy way, had JES do it 8-)

It can be done which I followed up with. Wrap the slug with anything that has a known diameter. Slug minus the total material thickness is the outside diameter. Next I used a dial gauge from my cartridge concentricity gauge to determine the depth of the bore.
Michael
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