Mr_Flintstone
Member
I’m going to put this here since it’s a reloading question that I have.
I’ve had a 20” Henry .357 Big Boy for quite a while, but I’ll admit that I find the idea of a .38 Special (only) lever action kind of interesting. There are a few companies that sell them, but I think they are all Ubertis under the skin. Anyway, I’ve been kicking around the idea of getting one, and found this: https://www.cimarron-firearms.com/1866-sporting-rifle-38-special-24-oct-barrel.html
It’s a 24” 1866 38 Special (only) lever action, and from what I’ve read, uses the older style toggle link, necessitating the use standard pressure ammunition. Now to my question.
I’ve worked up and loaded lots of 38 Special loads for my Henry, and one thing is keeping me from getting something like this. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that regardless of the powder used, bullets from standard pressure 38 Special (especially 158 gr) seem to max out or even start losing velocity after about 16” of barrel. Lots of loads get virtually the same velocity from my 4” Model 19 as the 20” barrel. Even using 2400, IMR4227, and H110 I don’t get nearly the boost in velocity that is predicted in GRT from my Henry. This is kind of supported over at BBTI when looking at 38 Special and other cartridges around the same pressure. What advantage, if any would a 24” barrel provide in this cartridge? If I were to buy one of these, is there a powder that would take more advantage of the longer barrel? I thought about Lil Gun with its longer pressure curve, but there doesn’t seem to be any 38 Special data for that powder at all. Maybe black powder, Pyrodex, or Triple Seven, but i don’t really want to deal with corrosive powders.
I think I may have talked myself out of the idea.
I’ve had a 20” Henry .357 Big Boy for quite a while, but I’ll admit that I find the idea of a .38 Special (only) lever action kind of interesting. There are a few companies that sell them, but I think they are all Ubertis under the skin. Anyway, I’ve been kicking around the idea of getting one, and found this: https://www.cimarron-firearms.com/1866-sporting-rifle-38-special-24-oct-barrel.html
It’s a 24” 1866 38 Special (only) lever action, and from what I’ve read, uses the older style toggle link, necessitating the use standard pressure ammunition. Now to my question.
I’ve worked up and loaded lots of 38 Special loads for my Henry, and one thing is keeping me from getting something like this. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that regardless of the powder used, bullets from standard pressure 38 Special (especially 158 gr) seem to max out or even start losing velocity after about 16” of barrel. Lots of loads get virtually the same velocity from my 4” Model 19 as the 20” barrel. Even using 2400, IMR4227, and H110 I don’t get nearly the boost in velocity that is predicted in GRT from my Henry. This is kind of supported over at BBTI when looking at 38 Special and other cartridges around the same pressure. What advantage, if any would a 24” barrel provide in this cartridge? If I were to buy one of these, is there a powder that would take more advantage of the longer barrel? I thought about Lil Gun with its longer pressure curve, but there doesn’t seem to be any 38 Special data for that powder at all. Maybe black powder, Pyrodex, or Triple Seven, but i don’t really want to deal with corrosive powders.
I think I may have talked myself out of the idea.