38-55 Brass

[ColColt]

Which is considered the better of the two, Winchester or Starline brass? I've read Starliine brass has a thinner neck allowing a more varied diameter bullet.

[Terry Murbach]

IT IS NOT A MATTER OF 'BETTER', it is a matter of different.

[Cast Bullet Hunter]

Starline makes two different .38-55 cases. The first is basically the same as the Winchester dimensionally. The second is dimensioned like the original cases were, 2.125" long with a thinner neck that will take bullets up to .381-.382" diameter.

If you have a Marlin, and are shooting cast bullets and need to use a sizing diameter over ca. .378", the long Starline case is the better to use. If you are shooting jacketed bullets it doesn't make any difference. The long Starline case is significantly more costly than either their short case or the Winchester.

[Old No7]

With all due respect, Terry is wrong...............

Not just "better", it is all about THE BEST when you're talking about Starline 38-55 Brass-- and "just OK" for Winchester.

Winchester starts off with brass meant for other calibers, so it's not quite right for the 38-55, it is: (a) too short and (b) the necks are too thick. (Check some for yourself, this is easily proved.) I used to have to "resize" loaded ammo (with an extra sizing die with the decapper removed) in order to chamber Winch brass in my Winchester (Miroku) High Wall.

The Starline long brass is made to the original 38-55 specs and the necks are the correct thickness to seat bullets without any chambering problems. It is awesome brass, and a great company too.

Yeah, you'll pay a little more for the Starline 38-55 brass but you're getting top quality -- not some "close but not good enough" brass.

The choice, as they say, is yours.

Tight groups!

Old No7

[Terry Murbach]

THIS HAS ALL BEEN VERY INTERESTING. I'VE ALWAYS USED W-W AND NOW I KNOW WHY SOME CARTRIDGES WOULD NOT CHAMBER IN MY LI SHARPS 38-55.
BY THE WAY, I WAS WRONG ONCE IN '66 AND HAVE NOT HEAR DTHE END OF THAT ONE YET !

[ollogger]

I use the long starline brass in a old 94 with a cast bullet of 382 dia. it chambers with no problem
it would not chamber with Win. brass, I use Win brass in a newer Marlin CB 38-55 with cast sized to 379 Dia. no problems there & that gun shoots great


ollogger

[ColColt]

I got a good deal on 150 new Winchester cases and couldn't pass it up. Is this going to mean I'll have problems chambering those cases with the current Winchester Short Rifle or the Legendary Frontiersmen? I have neither at this point but am looking at both of them.

[BenT]

It depends on what diameter bullets you need to use. Slugging the bore is the only way to find out.

[stretch]

...or you could turn all of those necks to
fit your gun!

-Stretch

[Ranch Dog]

It depends on what diameter bullets you need to use. Slugging the bore is the only way to find out.

Actually, only a chamber cast can tell you what which brass your 38-55 needs. The chamber cast tells you the characteristics of the chamber, leade, step, and throat which dictates the type of brass you use. A slug only determines the diameter of the barrel's bore and groove.

[ColColt]

I was offered three new bags of 50/each of Winchester brass and bought them. They measure 2.085". I just got the Lee 379-250-RFmold and was lucky to find the RCBS Cowboy dies. So, I'm making progress. Large Rifle primers are very hard to find as is IMR or Hodgdon 4198 or 4895. Use to, that was as easy to find as Cheerios at the grocery store. I'm looking hard at the Legendary Frontiersmen tonight. I like the idea I can put a Williams sight on the receiver and there's no tang safety.

[KirkD]

I prefer to use the length of brass that the Winchester 1894 38-55 was originally chambered for, since all the 38-55's I've owned dated from the late 1890's or early 1900's. So I got a bunch of the long Starlines. I've used a lot of the shorter Winchester brass, but I just prefer to use brass of the proper length. I tested for accuracy in one of my rifles (made in 1899). The longer brass gave tighter groups at 100 yards.

[1886]

A big thanks is owed to Starline by .38-55 shooters. They made it easy and affordable to find excellent, correct brass for the .38-55. Some Marlin .38-55 CB owners made a mistake and opened the the throats on their fine rifles thinking Marlin did not know what they were doing when they chambered those rifles!! Marlin knew what they were doing. Problem was, brass with the correct neck wall thickness that would accommodate the proper sized slug was in rather short supply. I have some older Imperial stuff that works fine. Taking a .30-30 case, expanding the neck and headstamping it .38-55 did not work so well. Do yourself a favor and have Lee make you a correct length FCD. Regards, 1886.