The .38-55 Winchester / 9.6x53mmR
cartridge (actually .3775
caliber
In guns, particularly firearms, but not #As a measurement of length, artillery, where a different definition may apply, caliber (or calibre; sometimes abbreviated as "cal") is the specified nominal internal diameter of the gun barrel Gauge ( ...
), also known as the .38-55 WCF and the .38-55 Ballard, is a
centerfire
Two rounds of .357 Magnum, a centerfire cartridge; notice the circular primer in the center
A center-fire (or centerfire) is a type of metallic cartridge used in firearms, where the primer is located at the center of the base of its casing (i. ...
rifle cartridge
A rifle cartridge is a firearm cartridge (firearms), cartridge primarily designed and intended for use in a rifle/carbine, or machine gun.
Types Full-powered
A full-powered cartridge is a rifle cartridge used interchangeably between servic ...
. It was based on an earlier cartridge called the .38-50 Ballard Everlasting that was introduced in 1876 by the
Ballard Rifle & Cartridge Company. The .38-55 Ballard was originally a Black-powder cartridge as used in Ballard and
Marlin Firearms
Marlin Firearms is an American firearms manufacturer, manufacturer of semi-automatic firearm, semi-automatic, lever-action and bolt-action rifles. In the past the company (based in Madison, North Carolina and formerly based in North Haven, Conne ...
from 1876 onwards for various
single-shot
In firearm designs, the term single-shot refers to guns that can hold only a single round of ammunition inside and thus must be reloaded manually after every shot. Compared to multi-shot repeating firearms ("repeaters"), single-shot designs have ...
target rifles. Their 1893
lever-action
The toggle-link action used in the iconic Winchester Model 1873 rifle, one of the most famous lever-action firearms
Picture showing a Volcanic Pistol
A lever action is a type of action for repeating firearms that uses a manually operated cocki ...
rifle was also available in 38-55 using a Black-powder only barrel, or another barrel designated "Special Smokeless Steel" capable of safely using 38-55 cartridges loaded with the then relatively new and higher pressure smokeless powders. It was later offered by
Winchester
Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...
in its
Model 1894, who usurped the name calling it the 38-55 Winchester, although it was an exact dimensional copy of the 38-55 Ballard. Winchester continued to use the round in various rifles until about 1940, and also used it in a few commemorative editions of rifles since then. In addition, Marlin offered it in some
336s, and it was used in non-lever action rifles such as the
Remington-Lee bolt-action.
The .38-55 Winchester is also the parent case for the
.30-30 Winchester,
.32 Winchester Special, and the
.375 Winchester cartridges.
A modernized version of the cartridge debuted in 1978 as the
.375 Winchester, designed with higher pressures and to be used in modern firearms only. It is not safe to fire factory .375 Winchester ammunition in rifles chambered in .38-55, especially in older examples. The brass is very similar (shortened by approximately 1 mm (.0394 in)), but using modern, higher pressure .375 loads in an older rifle could cause serious injury to the shooter.
The .38-55 is used to hunt black bear and deer at moderate ranges and is also used in
cowboy action shooting
Cowboy action shooting (CAS, also known as Western action shooting, single action shooting, cowboy 3-gun, and Western 3-gun) is a competitive shooting sport that originated in 1981 at the Coto de Caza Shooting Range in Orange County, Califor ...
side matches.
See also
*
.360 Buckhammer
*
.375 Winchester
*
List of rimmed cartridges
Below is a list of rimmed cartridges (R). Although similar, rimmed cartridges differ from rimfire cartridges (list). A rimmed cartridge is a cartridge with a rim, whose primer is located in the center of the case head; the primer is detonated by ...
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List of rifle cartridges
List of rifle cartridges, by primer type, Caliber, calibre and name.
File:Cartridge Sample 2.jpg, 350px, From left to right: 1 .17 Hornady Mach 2, 2 .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire, 3 .22 Long Rifle, 4 .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, 5 .17/23 SMc, 6 5mm ...
*
Table of handgun and rifle cartridges
This is a table of selected pistol/submachine gun and rifle/machine gun cartridges by common name. Data values are the highest found for the cartridge, and might not occur in the same load (e.g. the highest muzzle energy might not be in the same ...
Notes
External links
The .38-55 is back! - John Taffin - Sixguns.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:38-55 Winchester
Pistol and rifle cartridges
Rimmed cartridges
Winchester Repeating Arms Company cartridges