30-30 to 38-55 forming?????????

[Montana Outfitters]

how short are 30-30's blown out in a 38-55 chamber and has anyone used one of these magic swedes to stretch brass longer??????? dont have a 38-55 but lots of 30-30 brass and got a hankering to
get a 74 sharps hunter at C.Sharps............

[JerryB]

I have fired form 30-30 up to 38-55,But I don't know how Swedish magicians form them.

[TedH]

30-30 brass blown out in my 375 Winchester ends up right at 2.000", maybe a thousandth or three more depending on it's length before fireforming.

[Sixgun]

With a couple of small exceptions, 30-30 brass is all I've used for 40 years. ---6

[JerryB]

Until my order of brass came in I used Sixguns method to form my brass from 30-30 to 38-55, only lost a couple.

[Borregos]

What is Sixguns method?

[TedH]

I won't speak for Six, but I would guess his method is similar to mine.

5 gr. of Red Dot or similar fast pistol powder.
Fill up the remainder of the case with Cream of Wheat.
Top off with a wax plug.
Fire in gun.

I've done a bunch like that, and only loose maybe 2 or 3 out of a hundred to splitting.

[Borregos]

I won't speak for Six, but I would guess his method is similar to mine.

5 gr. of Red Dot or similar fast pistol powder.
Fill up the remainder of the case with Cream of Wheat.
Top off with a wax plug.
Fire in gun.

I've done a bunch like that, and only loose maybe 2 or 3 out of a hundred to splitting.

Thanks, will try that.

[Sixgun]

Sixgun's method of forming 38-55 from 30-30

grease that baby up

run the case through a 35 Whelen expander....the 35 Whelen expander is a tapered expander so it makes it easier than a blunt expander. I guess a 33 caliber expander would work too.

run it through the 38-55 fls with expander

trim case mouth off even....shoot........may have to trim again after the first shooting to even up the mouth.

I do this on a RCBS Pro-2000 progressive press but I add a 378 Whby expander before the 38-55 as that expander is also tapered. i can knock out a 100 cases in about 15 minutes, without the trimming.....lot easier/cheaper than shooting them to expand.-----------6


Oh! I forgot to add that when using a shorter case that comes from the 30-30, it will allow you to use a fatter bullet that normally would not work with a tight chamber and full length 38-55 brass. Just seat the bullet out to normal OACL.

[Borregos]

Well I have no 35 Whelen dies and my 38-55 set has no neck expander so I decided to try Ted's method.
Found a dozen once fired 32 Specials, some W231 and some Cream of Wheat left over from my black powder revolver days, melted some candle wax into a shallow dish and loaded them up. Worked a treat, just one split out of the dozen.
Gave me an excuse to go to the range and shoot some other stuff too

[TedH]