Legendary Frontiersman '94 38-55 brass?

[mad mucus]

G'day & best wishes for the new year, 2012.

I have a deposit down on one of these Winchesters in VG to EXC condition with a Lee die set and presently going through the hoops of local laws to gain possession of it. So, I have time to gather loading info and the components required to get happening with this caliber that has had me intrigued for so long.

I'm able to purchase the Starline brass I have decided apon but am unsure as to which length is most suitable for this particular rifle, standard or long?
If this info is unattainable, I guess I will have to wait to measure and possibly miss out on the brass.

I will be shooting predominantly black powder loads using a larger diameter BigLube 38-55-255 bullet (which holds sufficient lube to continue shooting all day without cleaning or loss of accuracy), fffg and Federal LR primers.

Mark

[JerryB]

I am not sure but I believe that you need the short brass. I think the old rifles used the long brass. You had best check with Kirk or some of the others.

[fordwannabe]

I also shoot a 38-55 and my thought is..buy the longer brass and you can trim it to EXACTLY the length your rifle needs/wants. Much harder to make the short stuff longer. Tom ...and you will love that caliber it is becoming my favorite lever caliber. 9-10 grains of Unique

[kimwcook]

I've got one (Lengendary Frontiersmen) and I hate to say it, but I haven't even shot it. So I can't say what length of brass to use. I bought some off another levergunner and it's the long stuff.

[Shrapnel]

I've got one (Lengendary Frontiersmen) and I hate to say it, but I haven't even shot it. So I can't say what length of brass to use. I bought some off another levergunner and it's the long stuff.

Kim,

I talked to Mike Venturino last week and he said he hadn't heard from you on the letter for that Sharps, do you have his information???

[kimwcook]

I believe I have it somewhere. If not I can get it off his site. I'll try him again.

[Shasta]

I have a late model Winchester in 38-55, and also had for years a Chief Crazy Horse commerative in 38-55. I just use the current production Winchester brand brass (which is short) and the RCBS 37-250-FN gas check bullet with no problems.

Sometimes I wonder if too much emphasis is being put on brass length. The latest Lyman reloading handbook has a section on loading for the new Italian-made 1876 Winchesters, and recommends shortening .45-60 brass from 1.89" to 1.81" to allow using the crimp groove in the Lyman 457191 bullet. I was having trouble with the bullets sucking back into the case on the 45-60 ammo I was loading with said bullet (since I had to crimp above the groove). Shortening the brass cured the problem without affecting accuracy.

If I were you, I would not worry too much about brass length in your Winchester.


SHASTA

[Hobie]

I believe you need the long brass. The long is standard the standard is short, too short. The short brass came about to minimize production cost as they could use the same buttons/blanks as the .30-30. THEN the die companies went with it. You can load the long brass in dies made for the short brass but not the other way around. I know from personal experience. These Winchesters were given the long chambers. Frankly, I am not certain any guns have been given short chambers. I use the long brass, preferably, but have used the short brass. Sometimes, bigger bullets need to be put in the long brass to chamber correctly. It is counter-intuitive but works.

[mad mucus]

Thanks fellas

Happy New Year!