375 Winchester and 38:55

[Lawyer Daggit]

Is it safe to fire 38 55 ammo in a .375 AE Winchester 94? as it seems to chamber ok.
Note I am not looking at shooting .375 ammo in a 38 55.

[bj94]

This should be OK. .38-55 is loaded to lower pressure levels than .375.

I seem to recall that .375 is loaded in longer brass, in the same way that .375 brass is longer than .38 special brass.

It may also be the case that if you fire .38-55 in your .375, then you have to clean the chamber thoroughly before it is safe to fire .375 again.

[Old Savage]

38-55 brass is longer but there are two versions and the commercial is the shorter one and the 375s are actually chambered to take it.

[Old Skirmisher]

In my experience, it is safe. If the 38/55 round chambers with ease, there should be no problem.

[86er]

One of my annual bear hunting clients has a 375 Win rifle from the introductory year. It is quite a bit beat up and he's not interested in gun cleaning so I doubt the bore is swabbed more than once per year. Nevertheless, the uses Buffalo Bore brand 38-55 loads through it almost exclusively. Usually, that brand is loaded to max pressure. This is the only example I am famliar with, but based on it alone, I'd shoot standard 38-55 in a rifle if they cycled right and the bullet-bore diameter was close. I have read that 38-55 had quite a variance in bullet diameter until the 1980's.

[Pete44ru]

I've owned/shot four different .375 BB94 top-eject carbines over the years, w/o issue, using .38-55 ammo - except for a different POI.

.

[new pig hunter]

This is one of those personal decisions, and I personally shoot .38-55 through both my BigBore94 and my Marlin 375.

I've been advised (sometimes stridently) that doing so is neither a good idea nor a safe idea.
Other voices, such as those in this thread, believe it to be safe.

Old Savage makes the point that you should use the shorter brass, which echoes the advice I've heard elsewhere.

Here are dimensions of cartridge and chamber which may be of help:
http://www.leverguns.com/dimensions/images/3855.jpg
http://www.leverguns.com/dimensions/images/375win.jpg

So, in my opinion, that's what makes a rifle chambered in .375 Win such a valuable rifle: it's like getting 2 calibers for the price of 1.

Cheers,

Carl

[Lawyer Daggit]

I have been thinking of adding a 94 big bore to my little collection of lever guns. I have been reluctant to do so because 375 ammo is quite hard to get and projectiles limited, but as you say, having a second chambering adds to its versatility and value, and as a result I will probably now buy one when one comes up.

[new pig hunter]

lawyer,

here's my favorite commercial source for .375 Winchester:
http://www.wisconsincartridge.com/produ ... dproduct=1

Great ammo, very accurate in my BigBore94 and Marlin 375. I have about 25 boxes in my stockpile.

Cheers,

Carl