38-55 question

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BNvy15

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I have an opportunity to buy a winchester deluxe 1894 in 38-55. Can this be converted to ideally 357mag or 44mag? Or 45colt or 3030 ? This is a gorgeous rifle, but the caliber is purchase prohibitive. I dont reload so have to stick to factory ammo. Please advise, and thank you in advance.
 
With enough money - sure, but why? The 38-55 is a wonderful caliber (parent to the 30-30, 32 Win, and 25-35). Obviously, the 30-30 will be the easiest conversion. For the same money as you will spend on the Winchester, you should be able to come close in the much more popular calibers you listed.

I am kicking myself for missing a Marlin 38-55 from Turnbull last week :cuss:
 
rabid wombat said:
With enough money - sure, but why? The 38-55 is a wonderful caliber (parent to the 30-30, 32 Win, and 25-35). For the same money as you will spend on the Winchester, you should be able to come close in the much more popular calibers you listed.

I am kicking myself for missing a Marlin 38-55 from Turnbull last week :cuss:
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I found an absolutely gorgeous rifle but in the 38-55. Thats why i was inquiring about changing calibers. What would be the easiest- ranked, of the ones i mentioned, and rough cost? Just looking for a ballpark.
 
I can not help you on cost… talk to a good shop… the easiest is 30-30. The 30-30 case is based on the 38-55. The barrel will have to be changed. Maybe a couple of the other pieces - lifter (?), ejector or extractor…. Someone more knowledgeable will have to chime in. The balance of calibers will be more expensive based on the cases.
 
rabid wombat said:
I can not help you on cost… talk to a good shop… the easiest is 30-30. The 30-30 case is based on the 38-55. The barrel will have to be changed. Maybe a couple of the other pieces - lifter (?), ejector or extractor…. Someone more knowledgeable will have to chime in. The balance of calibers will be more expensive based on the cases.
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Thank you very much.
 
.30-30 is the only common round a .38-55 can be converted to.
The Model 94 action is not well suited to short revolver cartridges.
Winchester made some but I don’t know what kluges were required, and they did not stay in the catalog long.

I suggest you tell the gunsmith to be darned careful pulling the .38 barrel. This is one of the few things I think worth being able to return to stock.
 
Jim Watson said:
.30-30 is the only common round a .38-55 can be converted to.
The Model 94 action is not well suited to short revolver cartridges.
Winchester made some but I don’t know what kluges were required, and they did not stay in the catalog long.

I suggest you tell the gunsmith to be darned careful pulling the .38 barrel. This is one of the few things I think worth being able to return to stock.
Click to expand...
Thank you. Do you have a rough cost ballpark? Id like it to be a full octagon
 
Like Jim and others mentioned, best to forget about putting a barrel on there for those handgun rounds, the 94 was not made for them
and we all know how Winchester's attempt at a 94 in 44 mag turned out.
I'd be curious to see if you could get a reputable shop to attempt it on a factory deluxe.

If you are talking a lettered (or capable of being lettered) deluxe with custom order numbers on the tang and such?
Then I'd send the gun to Turnbull's where he'll carefully yard off the 38 barrel and slap on a 30 after matching the finish.

If the gun is a factory deluxe, I wouldn't think cost of having a top shop carefully swap barrels (and maybe the lifter?) would be a consideration in the first place.
Just call Doug and get a time-frame/price.

JT
 
Winchester couldn't get short revolver rounds to feed reliably from a longer 94 action, which is why they didn't sell many. Given the collector value of 94s and the availability of lever actions available in 30-30, converting an original 38-55 to 30-30 makes no sense at all. If you're not in a position to deal with the availability of 38-55 ammo by reloading, let the gun go to someone who is and buy an one of the millions of 94s that came from the factory in 30-30.
 
For somewhere around 10 or 20 percent of what a re-barrel and new lifter would cost , you could get set up with a simple loading set up , like a new Lee or used RCBS "O" press and a set of Lee dies . Bullets and brass are readily available . I don't see how you could ever recoup the cost by switching to 30-30 , you are probably looking at between $ 1,000 to $1,500 to have a quality job done with an octagon barrel , if not more . 38-55 isn't common , but it's not extinct , either .
 
The best objective answer I can come up with.

Just buy a Winchester rifle in one of the cartridges you want.

This one 38-55 rifle is not the only rifle in existence.

There is also plenty of 38-55 ammo out there. You just have to open up your wallet.
 
Prolly spend more putting a barrel on it than it'd cost for a minimalist reloading set up for 38/55
 
When buying factory ammo, do your homework. 38-55 requires a .377 diameter bullet. Many of the ammunition makers use .375 as it also works in the .375 Winchester. Older Winchester ammo was made with .377.
 
The rifle will already cycle 30-30. You just need to swap the barrel.

I wouldn’t waste the time, money, energy, or the base rifle to do it, but 30-30 or 32spcl are the rounds you could choose. Just a barrel swap.
 
Lots of good answers . It's like why? Now just to not sound so simple the "barrel swap" is more like index the barrel and chamber at the same time . Plus what barrel store . Back in the day a ted williams was a barrel swap from becoming a 94 win. Not as easy as they thought. On and off , on and off. The time clock is ticking. But if money is no object.......
 
Buy the rifle. Buy a couple boxes of the expensive ammo and shoot a box of it up. Then for the cost of a battel swap go buy a standard pre 64 origional in 30-30. Then find a new set of furnature to use in it if yours does not pass muster. So now you have a pair of collectable old winchesters. I am an enabler.
 
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