38-40 performance

[medic15al]

Hi! After reading w44wcf's excellent post on his 44-40 journey, I am curious of the 38 WCF
performance of the original and original spec loads in both revolver and rifle?

Fer some reason the 38 WCF is bouncing around in my head and I already have a heavy investment
in the 45 Colt.... I know... I need it like another hole in my head...

[Mike]

Just bought a 73 Uberti in 38WCF and have a 92 Winchester takedown rifle and a AMS SAA in 38WCF as well.
working  loads for the 73 with Swiss as it burns cleaner than others.
36 by volume is working for me with 11/2 as that is what I have at the mowment RCBS Cowboy mould with soft lead. Have some more to try in a week or two.
I would also be interested in the origanal info.

mike

[Navy Six]

Would love to see such a test as well. The 38-40 is probably my favorite vintage cartridge and as far as long guns I have three Ubertis' chambered in that round. I am planning some informal tests this summer. I have Lymans 401043 mold but the modern version with the smaller, more rounded grease grooves. This shoots very well but the fouling eventually catches up when using standard Goex.I am planning on ordering an Accurate Mold improved copy of this bullet along with some Olde Enysford. Since some recent health problems have(happily) forced my retirement, I now have time on my hands to do these things. I won't claim my tests will be as comprehensive as what 44WCF did with the 44-40, but I bet you I'm going to have a lot of fun!

[rbertalotto]

38-40 is a fantastic cartridge.

I have the following rifles:
Marlin 1889
Winchester 1873 Vintage (2)
Uberti 1873
Uberti 1866
Winchester 1892
Winchester 1892 Take Down
Colt Lightning
And two 1873 Colt revolvers.

I shoot Black Powder and Smokeless in all of them. All of them are amazingly accurate and are extremely clean to shoot. Never any blow back in the actions as the thin brass seals the chamber so well.

I use the 180 grain RCBS 82306, 175g Lee 90431 and 180g Big Lube. The RCBS for smokeless and the Lee and Big Lube for Black Powder.

5g of Trail Boss is my smokeless load and about 30g of FFF in the Black Powder loads.

[medic15al]

Any chrono data on the B/P loads?

[Ranch 13]

I ran some rounds over the chrony, shooting 32 grs of Olde Eynsford 2 f, in Winchester Western cases, pushing the rcbs 180 gr bullet lubed with bullshop Nasa lube, from a 4 3/4 in Bisley clone the average over 50 straight rounds was 950 fps. My model P colt likes that same load altho I have not chrono'ld it, and the Marlin 89 eats it right up and has no problems making consistant off hand hits on a small buffalo gong at 75 yds.

[medic15al]

38-40 is a fantastic cartridge.

I have the following rifles:
Marlin 1889
Winchester 1873 Vintage (2)
Uberti 1873
Uberti 1866
Winchester 1892
Winchester 1892 Take Down
Colt Lightning
And two 1873 Colt revolvers.

I shoot Black Powder and Smokeless in all of them. All of them are amazingly accurate and are extremely clean to shoot. Never any blow back in the actions as the thin brass seals the chamber so well.

I use the 180 grain RCBS 82306, 175g Lee 90431 and 180g Big Lube. The RCBS for smokeless and the Lee and Big Lube for Black Powder.

5g of Trail Boss is my smokeless load and about 30g of FFF in the Black Powder loads.

I feel inadequate looking at that list. All I have is a 4 3/4" Pietta, 5 1/2" Cimarron, and a 7 1/2" Uberti .45 Colts..

Now I have to save up for some 38-40 guns and reloading supplies....