Whatever happened to the .375 Winchester?

B

Bill G Gonzales

Inactive
I was doing some spring cleaning in my gun safe and I noticed a rifle that I hadn't shot in a long time. It's my Marlin model 375. It's a very handy, powerful carbine and I can't figure out why the gun/cartridge didn't succeed. Ballistically it can push a 220 gr. soft point at 2,260 fps. That'll do for anything in North America but the big bears. I think that with the craze for lever action guide guns Marlin should rekindle the .375 Win. in a stainless steel guide gun. What do you all think?
 
You gotta a good point. I got hooked on the .375 Win when I got a Contender barrel in the caliber for handgun deer hunting, I've want a lever gun in .375 for a long time. It would make an awesome cartridge for the Guild Gun. Because of the 375's superior ballistic coefficient and higher SAMMI chamber pressure it would actually have much more energy at 100 yds than the .45-70 and far less bullet drop and recoil to boot.

But I don't see it happening. The .375 Winchester is all but dead. Killed by bad PR.... or more accurately lack of PR of any kind. When I talk about the .375 Win to other gun nuts they don't have a clue. Usually they think I'm talking about the .357 Mag or maybe the .375 H&H.

But in a sense Marlin does have a new .375 on the market - the .38-55 Cowboy. The .38-55 and .375 Win are essentially the same cartridge dimensionally (the .38-55 is a tad longer), although pressure ratings are significantly different. However, any gun chambered in .38-55 can chamber a .375 Win and the Marlin will obviously handle the pressure. -- Kernel
 
There's a Winchester 94 XTP Big Bore in .375 Win in Gander Mountain. I'd buy it, 'cause I like it, but there doesn't seem to be any ammo for it, though Winchester still lists it on its site.

I've heard that .375 Winchester and .38-55 are nearly interchangable. Will .38-55 (which is still in production) chamber in a Winchester 94 XTP Big Bore chambered for .375 Win?
 
FWIW, Cheaper than Dirt still has some 20-rd boxes of .375 Win, leading me to believe that Winchester is still making it. It does, however, cost even more than .45-70, at $21.00 per box.
 
Kernal-- Do you have any strain gauge info to support the safety concerns of .375 Win ammo in modern 38-55 chambers?

I'm a relatively new reloader and have been looking for credible data that would allow me to push a 250 gr lead (if possible) or jacketed round to 2000 fps in a 38-55.

I have the new Marlin Cowboy and have been hoping to see a resurgence in popularity of the 38-55. Something like the recent trend the 45-70 has with the Guide Gun.

The dearth of reloading components is frustrating. I see some progress with lead cast bullets but I have yet to find a flat-nose jacketed bullet of correct diameter. All the .375 Win components measure .375 dia. The Marlin barrel (and most originals, it seems) slugs out at .379. I can't shoot any lead less than .379 that doesn't tumble.

Thanks for any info. --Rob
 
" Do not use the .375 Winchester cartridge in ANY .38/55 rifles. The chambers of the .38/55 rifles will accept the .375 Winchester round but it is hazardous to fire it in them.

The .38/55 cartridge should not be fired in the .375 Winchester rifles because the case is longer and extends into the chamber throat, preventing the case mouth from expanding, which could result in the developement of dangerous pressures."

Lyman 46.

Sam
 
RJ,

Buffalo Bore's .38-55 is a 255 @ 1900 fps. Try Beartooths website www.beartoothbullets.com , there's probably someone there who will share some load info (they also have correct diameter bullets). Or try John Taffin's www.sixguns.com , he has a nice article on the Cowboy but no loading data that hot.

JB
 
Really?
An 11 year-old thread, a shameless plug, and a link that doesn't work. And you still had to come back to fix the post, so it sort of fit the topic. :rolleyes:
 
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