| .38-55 Winchester | |
| Origin: | United States |
| Type: | Rifle |
| Designer: | Ballard Rifle & Cartridge Company |
| Design Date: | 1884 |
| Production Date: | 1884–present |
| Variants: | .38-55 Winchester +P[1] |
| Parent: | .38-50 Ballard Everlasting[2] |
| Case Type: | Rimmed, straight |
| Bullet: | .377 |
| Land: | .373 |
| Neck: | .392 |
| Base: | .421 |
| Rim Dia: | .506 |
| Case Length: | 2.085 |
| Length: | 2.510 |
| Rifling: | 1 in 18inches |
| Max Pressure: | 35000 |
| Pressure Method: | CIP |
| Max Cup: | 30,000 (Standard Pressure) and 38,000 (+P Pressure) |
| Bw1: | 255 |
| Vel1: | 1320 |
| En1: | 987 |
| Bw2: | 255 |
| Vel2: | 1593 |
| En2: | 1437 |
| Bw3: | 255 |
| Btype3: | J.F.N. Bonded Core +P[3] |
| Vel3: | 1950 |
| En3: | 2153 |
| Balsrc: | Whelen, Townsend. The American Rifle. The Century Co.: 1918, p. 272. |
The .38-55 Winchester / 9.6x53mmR cartridge (actually .3775 caliber), also known as the .38-55 WCF and the .38-55 Ballard,[4] is a centerfire rifle cartridge. 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 from 1876 onwards for various single-shot target rifles. Their 1893 lever-action 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 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.[5] [6] The .38-55 Winchester is also the parent case for the .30-30 Winchester, .32 Winchester Special, and the .375 Winchester cartridges.[7]
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.[8]
The .38-55 is used to hunt black bear and deer at moderate ranges and is also used in cowboy action shooting side matches.