38-40 ammo

Ellwood Epps lists Winchester 38-40 ammunition as available, on their website. If unable to buy as ammunition, you may have to consider reloading these cartridges. Brass, bullets, etc are readily available.
 
Starline brass is always a good choice. Excellent quality. Next: Winchester. A word of warning: With either case, care must be taken when resizing, as the casemouths are fairly thin and can crumple if care isn't taken when centering them in the die. This is common to both the 38-40 and its parent case, the 44-40. Just go easy and you'll be fine. Both Double Tap Sports and Rusty Wood Trading Company are Canadian retailers for Starline brass. Of the two, Rusty Wood currently shows Starline 38-40 brass as in stock and available. Rusty Wood is also in B.C. Don't know of a source for Winchester brass right offhand. Epps, possibly. Likewise Higginson Powders.
 
Just read your latest post...saw it as soon as I hit send on mine. Thats a great score! Where did you find the reloading gear? Epps? If so, no surprise. They seem to have just about everything in that store. Next thing you'll want to do is cast a few bullets and slug your rifle's bore, to see if they are a good fit from your bullet mould. A 38-40 is actually more of a 40 caliber....with nominal bore size ranging from .401-.403". There can be exceptions, especially with older guns, but that range is fairly normal. Once you've slugged the bore, you'll know for sure whether you are good to go, or may need to purchase a bullet mould.
 
Hi Alex
Yes Elwood Epps was the place.
I will have to find someone to slug the bore for me in the Okanagan. I am clueless on the procedure and do not have the equipment.
I heard the Colt Bisley varied a little. That reloading set I think is not so common. Good to have.
I guess this is to make sure the antique mould is correct for my bore.
I do want to try casting for sure.
 
Slugging your bore is actually pretty easy to do. All that's needed is a stout cleaning rod, or wooden dowel. Measure the slug first. Ideally the bullet or slug will start out a bit larger than the actual bore, so it will compress and form into the rifling. Since the 38-40 has a nominal .400" bore.....you want it to be at least several thou. over that. In a pinch, you can use an ordinary bell sinker for a slug.

First, clean the rifle's bore thoroughly. Then, very lightly oil it. That will help the bullet slip down the bore easier. Ideally, you want to use a pure lead slug, as it forms easier into the rifling grooves than wheelweight lead or other harder lead alloys. Secure the rifle in a vice (with padded jaws so as not to damage the rifle), or other method that holds it firmly in place. You can even set it upright on its butt...on a padded surface...and do it that way.

First: Insert the lead bullet into the rifle's muzzle. Nose first, or base first...either way works. Use whichever way is easiest for you. I prefer to do it base first, but opinions vary as to which is best. Start the bullet down the bore with a few light taps on a short piece of wooden dowel, or short section of cleaning rod. Ideally, you want to use a rubber mallet, brass headed hammer, even a piece of wood will do. Something that won't damage the rifle if it strikes it. Then, using only enough force to drive the slug through the bore, tap it all the way through until it drops out in the receiver. Ideally, you want to have a soft piece of cloth, paper towel or something of the sort inside the receiver to catch the bullet.

Now its time to measure the bullet. The grooves and lands graved into the bullet are an exact representation of your rifle's actual bore diameter. Ideally, you want your cast bullet diameter to be .001" to .002" larger than actual bore diameter. This will ensure good accuracy and prevent or reduce bore leading. So, if your slug measures .400", for example...a cast bullet of .401" to .402" should be just about right.

To measure the lands and grooves, a micrometer is ideal and most exact. Though a good caliper will work almost as well. If all goes well, your bullet mould will cast a bullet of proper diameter for your rifle, and you are set to go. As a matter of interest, wheelweight lead and other harder alloys...Lyman #2 alloy, for example... will cast a bullet slightly larger than pure lead. This will also help in determining good bullet fit. Hope this helps.
 
Thanks Alex. Once those Bisleys of mine arrive from down south all professionally restored and prettied up, I will go through this process. I wonder if Rusty Wood already has some lead just for my diameter to slug the bore. I will check with Peter. I imagine everyone is at the Kamloops show anyways right now. Interesting how the wheel weight material seemingly expands or has elasticity once through the bore. I will stick with pure lead.
 
Peter may have something in the shop that will work as a slug. Worth the time asking. If possible, you might consider casting a handful of bullets from your original mould. These might cast out to a useable diameter. If so, you will have a ready made slug to use. Even if the slug/bullet is at or close to bore diameter... if pure lead... it will tend to shorten and expand somewhat as it is driven through the bore. So, it will fill the grooves nicely. On occasion I have given a bullet a couple of whacks on one end to flatten and expand it slightly, before inserting it into the bore. This works, too.

I am not a metallurgist, but as I understand it, wheelweights and other lead alloys tend to cast slightly larger than pure lead, due to the variations in their composition. I believe it has more to do with the tin content in the alloy, but could be a combination of several factors. The rate or extent of expansion will vary with the composition, as the bullet cools. By and large though, if you can get a good, proper diameter pure lead cast bullet from your mould, I believe your 38-40 will approve.
 
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