Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General Winchester 1894 Sporting Rifle, 38-55

I'm more of a bolt gun and single shot guy, but had the opportunity to play with this model 1894 WSR.The serial number is 264xxx. According to the way I read the book, it was manufactured in 1901.














Wonder if ya'll would be able to educate a fellow on a rifle of this type.

Best,

GWB

Looks like a Dandy! take it to the lease and shoot some Hogs with it!

Please don't put a scope on it!

not a snowball's chance in hell,

I do want to go to heaven ya' know.

Best,

GWB

What a beaut! How does it shoot? How is the bore?

Not sure what you need to know about the rifle, other than many would like to have it (that is something you don't have to guess at)! If I had it, I'd be experimenting with cast loads and it would eventually end up on my estate sale unless one of my kids wanted it as a part of their inheritance.
For loads, I'd start with cast loads from the Lyman manual or perhaps RCBS cast bullet manual and work my way up from the lightest loads.

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If the rifle has a good bore with sharp rifling it will be very accurate with good handloads. The groove diameter should be about .379 therefore cast bullets of .380 or .381 will shoot best. Then for reloading, a set of RCBS Cowboy loading dies are necessary. Standard 38-55 or 375 Win. dies will not do the job because they will resize the cast bullet to about .377 which will be inaccurate and lead the barrel.

Best loads are near black powder velocities, 1300 to 1500 fps...high velocities are not needed in this cartridge with cast bullets (I never shoot jacketed bullets in my 38-55s).

21 grains of IMR 4198 under a 240 LaserCast bullet get about 1400 fps and is very accurate. 10 grains of Unique with the same bullet is about 100 feet per second slower but also very accurate.

We shoot steel plates, called "dingers" that are about the size of a city street speed limit sign (24 X 36) at longer ranges. 400 yards is entry level range with 600 to 1000 yards progressively more difficult.

I don't know what you are asking so I hope this helps.

Jim

A Beartooth hard cast bullet of 265 grains sized to 380" and enough RL-7 to power it to a safe 1500 fps will easily shoot through any critter in the US.

THIS^^^^

Hey Gunner..."wild TN boar" ham steaks on the grill tonight!

GWB

Like you, I had not had much experience with old lever rifles until a couple of years ago when I bought a old Marlin 1893 in 38-55.

I found the old(and new)factory loads to be inaccurate and anemic. But with the help of a couple of posters here I got schooled in loading/shooting cast bullets in that old girl and that's when the fun started.

I was especially impressed with it when I took it on the Campfire Hog Hunt last spring. 'Gunner 500' told me it would shoot right through a big old hog with that 265gr cast bullet and it did!

Don't let that old Winchester be a safe queen! Cast and blast!

WN

Right on the nut.+10 Magnum Man

HAHA, thats what I'm talking about WN, bet that bullet from your pig is buried 6' in a Tennessee mountain, also bettin you have a frosty mug of a fine beer with that ham steak too.

Actually, TWO mugs of a fine amber ale. The porker wasn't bad either!

Hell Yeah