Short Range Report with 'new' 109 year-old 38-55

Win 38-55

Win 38-55

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As mentioned in the 'Lever ####' section of this forum a week or so ago, I acquired a special order Model 1894 shipped in 1905.


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A few days ago, with some careful shooting, I was able to put 5 rounds into 1 & 3/4" at 100 yards. A photo of the target is below. I still need to tweak the shim under the tang sight and I should then have it bang on in windage. I used an Accurate Mould 38-255L and pure clip-on wheel weights which drops a bullet weighing 256 grains before lubing and gas check, 262 grains after lubing and gas checking. A photo of the mould and bullet is also shown below.


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Very nice 1894 Kirk. Glad to see it shoots so well. I always prefer shooting with an original tang sight on these rifles.

Matt
 
It is a bronze mould. They give a choice between steel, bronze or aluminum. My preference is bronze. The tang sight is what I need with my 60 year old eyes that don't focus so close up anymore. You have to adjust your thumb slightly further back but I seldom notice it.
 
Win 38-55 said:
It is a bronze mould. They give a choice between steel, bronze or aluminum. My preference is bronze. The tang sight is what I need with my 60 year old eyes that don't focus so close up anymore. You have to adjust your thumb slightly further back but I seldom notice it.
Click to expand...

Why do you prefer bronze?
 
That rifle is a keeper for sure! Decent groupin' fer yer age too Amigo. I'm only a year behind ye, and have a floater in me shootin' eye which relegates me to using aperature sights and scopes of moderate power. I'll have to try out that particular boolit yer using in my .375 Winnie. I figure it should be a beauty performer with careful loading.
:cheers:
 
The bullet he is using is probably too large a diameter for the .375. The original .38/55's had bore diameters around .379-.381. The newer manufacture are .375 contributing to bad results when shooting new ammo in the old .38/55's and many believing that their rifle is shot out.
 
1899: I don't have to worry about any surface rust on my bronze moulds. Also, it heats up faster than steel, but holds the heat longer than aluminum, so it is a good compromise between the two.

Mike Webb When ordering a mould from Accurate Moulds, they ask for the alloy and your sized diameter and then machine the mould to drop a bullet about a thou oversize. I asked for mine to size to .381 but I don't see why a fellow couldn't ask for .375 or .376.

Matt74: I don't have a 30-30 mould yet but plan to get one. I still have a pile of 30-30 150 grain cast bullets that I got a few years ago from another caster.
 
Drool!!!!! Very nice old rifle. And she can still strut her stuff. You won't be ditching that one for the latest whiz bang rifle with a cartridge named with half the alphabet.
 
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