Winchester 38-55 can it be sleeved to fire 38 -357 pistol ammo ??

[Hightrailtracker]

HI Guys

does anyone know if a Winchester 38-55 can it be sleeved to fire 38 -357 pistol ammo ??

The chamber is slightly bulged by the previous owner trying to fire for brass in the gun .

Any thoughts or ideas would be great !!

Thanks guys !

 

[mbogo3]

The 38-55 is .377-.379 while the .357/.38 uses .358 dia bullets.What exactly did the previous owner fireform in it? Harold

 

[Hightrailtracker]

Hi Harold

He said he took 30-30 brass and hand loaded them and fired it in the Winchester lever action in 38-55 , bulged the chamber ................... he was trying to make 38-55 brass .... no comment .......

 

[mbogo3]

I thought as much ,first suspect loaded 30-30 .............another bad idea and some have done it is shooting .375 Big bore in a 38-55 .But I would think that it could possibly ruin the action as well.Harold

 

[vagrantviking]

It would need to be bored out and sleeved. Could probably be done but it might be easier and cheaper to get a new barrel.
It will all hinge on finding a good gunsmith and seeing what he can do for you as far as labour versus parts costs.

 

[Hightrailtracker]

Thanks guys !!!

If not it will make a nice wall hanger lol.

 

[guntech]

It would need to be bored out and sleeved. Could probably be done but it might be easier and cheaper to get a new barrel.
It will all hinge on finding a good gunsmith and seeing what he can do for you as far as labour versus parts costs.

Post #2 answered the question (does anyone know if a Winchester 38-55 can it be sleeved to fire 38 -357 pistol ammo ??)... it won't work - the bullets are completely different...
The 38-55 is .377-.379 while the .357/.38 uses .358 dia bullets.

 

[vagrantviking]

To be more clear, the usual term is to install a liner.
Being a different cartridge there might be some action and extractor work due to the difference in length and diameter also.

Not an expert on reworking lever guns (and guntech most likely is!) but I would have thought that it would be a reasonable project as suggested.

 

[Hightrailtracker]

HI Vag

I will have a gun smith have a look and see what my options are and post the out come .

Many Thanks to all !!!!

 

[mudgunner49]

You can do anything pretty much that you want, the question is "can you afford it?"...

 

[Hightrailtracker]

Hi Mudgunner

That is always the Big Question how Much $$$$ lol .

like I said wall hanger or sell for parts ............

 

[Why not?]

Hi Harold

He said he took 30-30 brass and hand loaded them and fired it in the Winchester lever action in 38-55 , bulged the chamber ................... he was trying to make 38-55 brass .... no comment .......

Are you sure the chamber is bulged? It would take one awfully hot load to bulge a 38-55 chamber with 30-30 loads.

Ted

 

[Eagleye]

Are you sure the chamber is bulged? It would take one awfully hot load to bulge a 38-55 chamber with 30-30 loads.

Ted

My thoughts as well. D.

 

[Rod]

are you sure the chamber is bulged? It would take one awfully hot load to bulge a 38-55 chamber with 30-30 loads.

Ted

x2 ..................

 

[Gatehouse]

I was thinking the chamber wouldn't be bulged, but there may be some fouling that makes it look so

 

[Papaclaude]

Try Cerosafe to make a mould of the chamber. But I would give it a serious cleaning in the chamber area first.

 

[mbogo3]

May be a piece of the 30-30 brass is stuck in there as well? Harold