Levergun loads: the .38-55 Winchoster; another fine levergun cartridge gets the Taffin treatment

Guns Magazine, June, 2003 by John Taffin

At the SHOT show six years ago it was my privilege, along with Texas gunsmith Bob Baer and fellow writer Brian Pearce, to meet with three of the top brass from the Marlin Firearms Company. Baer had set up the meeting through Marlin's Tony Aeschliman, so the three of us Shootists, all levergun fans in general and fond of Maims in particular, could express our ideas as to what Marlin should be offering.

We met for over an hour and they listened to everything we had to offer as well as questioning us about other possibilities. I am not going to say that we three are responsible for the great leverguns now coming forth from Marlin. They were in all probability already on the same wavelength as we were.

Whatever the cause, we are now seeing the results of exactly what we talked about. Namely, octagonal barrels, straight grip stocks, long barrels, short barrels, and old time (some uninformed souls would even call them obsolete) chamberings. The latter includes the .38-55.

Before The .30 WCF

Surely everyone knows the .30-30 cartridge. It's as American as "Mom, Apple Pie, and the Flag." The Model 1894 Winchester was chambered in .30-30 -- not in 1894 -- but one year later in 1895 as it became one of the first smokeless powder rifle chamberings. This was at the same time the .30-40 Krag in the Model 1895 Winchester also appeared. (Both the .30-40 and 8mm Lebel in European bolt-guns just barely shaded the .30-30 as the first smokeless powder rounds.)

Interestingly enough, both rifles are still in existence. The Model 94 has been made in various calibers and chamberings with millions upon millions available, while the American home of the .30-40, the 1895, was resurrected by Winchester several years ago.

The original chamberings in the Model 1894 Winchester were the .32-40 and .38-55, both black powder cartridges. These were dropped from factory production long before I was born. However, in recent years Winchester has selected both chamberings for their Commemorative '94 leverguns--with the .3240 finding its way into the John Wayne Commemorative and the .38-55 found in the Legendary Frontiersman and Chief Crazy Horse Commemoratives. More on these later.

Marlin Makes 'Em Right

Marlin's Model 336 Cowboy joined the other Marlin Cowboy offerings, the Model 1894 in .45 Colt, .44-40, .44 Magnum, and .357 Magnum (Please, bring forth a .38-40!), all of which owe their existence and great popularity to the grand shooting sport known as Cowboy Shooting. Quality leverguns are required for this and although some competitors use original leverguns, both Marlins and Winchesters, from the last century, many opt for the newer, stronger, more reliable, and less expensive modern rifles. One of the leverguns most seen at these shoots, at least in my area, is the Marlin 1894 Cowboy.

Marlin offers two Model 336 Cowboys, and unless one looks at the hole in the barrel, these two leverguns are virtually identical, with the more observant among us able to distinguish the slightly heavier .30-30 from the .38-55. To identify the .38-55 cartridge we can work backwards from the .30-30.

The .38-55 is a relatively straight-walled case; it is slightly tapered, designed for black powder. With the coming of smokeless, the .38-55 brass case was trimmed from 2.085- to 2.040-inch, necked down to .30 caliber and a real piece of Americana emerged as the .30 WCF, more commonly known as the .30-30.

The modernized version of the .38-55, the .375 Winchester, was formed by trimming the .30-30 by .019 inch, beefing up the cartridge case, and necking it back up to .375. A word of warning: Do nor use .375 Winchester ammunition in .38-55 rifles!

Variable Bore Dimensions

Leverguns chambered in .38-55 normally have a groove diameter of .377 to 379 inch, while most jacketed bullets for the .375 Winchester are in the .375-inch diameter range. This makes the .38-55 particularly favorable to cast bullets. Both RCBS and Lyman offer excellent old time mould designs for the .38-55. Some jacketed bullets at .375-inch diameter will "bump up" with the right load and fill barrel grooves. It is a matter of experimenting to find a satisfactory combination.

The 336 Cowboy features a 24-inch full octagon barrel, straight-gripped stock with checkering on both forearm and butt stock, typical Marlin quality in both excellent wood and blue finish, and standard Marlin sights consisting of the adjustable rear on an elevator and a bead front. Marlin uses ".38/55" while Winchester marks their barrels ".38-55" and various reloading manuals use it one way or the other.

Both Model 336 Cowboys, as with all of the other 1894 Cowboy Models chambered for sixgun cartridges, carry a full magazine tube under their octagonal barrels. Magazine capacity in the full-length tubes found on the 336 Cowboy is eight rounds. With its long, heavy octagon barrel, the 336 Cowboy--be it in .30-30 or .38-55 chambering--"hangs easily" on target from the shoulder in a standing position. Short barrels make dandy brush guns. Long barrels are easier to shoot for most of us. In every situation there are always trade offs.