Have a going project and just getting "up to speed" on the primary cartridge candidate, which is the 38-50 Ballard cartridge.

There is not a lot said in the literature (Roberts, Sharpe) about this cartridge, so if anyone has such experience and would pass it along, it would be most appreciated.

First things first, which available parent (donor) cartridge could be reformed in  order to achieve the 38-50 Ballard case?  Could the 38-55 WCF full length sizing die be of any use in forming the 38-50 Ballard?  If not, are such reforming dies available "off the shelf" or would one need to be machined to spec?

I know you're thinking; "Why doesn't he just shoot the 38-55 WCF, like everyone else does?

The 38-50 Marlin Ballard cartridge is an everlasting case and chamber.  There is no parent case as such, as the 38-50 preceeds the 38-55 chambering.
In original chambers I have inspected,the case length is 2"  and the base dia is .420 . and the   the neck dia is .416-.418.  the neck wall thickness is .018 plus or minus a couple thousands with the bullet dia and chamber  dia. fit.
It is much like the 38-50 Maynard which is most times an everlasting type case as well.
Due to the neck wall thickness , there is no currently  existing case to form this everlasting case from.
If all you are going to do is breech seat, a standard 30-30 case expanded out will work. but to load a fixed bullet loading you will need a heavier case wall such as the everlasting case to function correctly
Hope this helps,
Dave

Thanks Dave, this is information most of us don't know. If you look up the cartridge in most reference mat'l such as COW or others you'd think it was just a shorter 38/55.

I've had good luck using .375 Winchester cases. They're thicker in the web than 38-55.

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accuracy potential.

What I won’t know till I get back is what size expander I’ll need or if I even have a mold that drops big enough to fill the groove.    

Another question mark is if a 0.001 or 0.002 oversize bullet will even chamber once seated?  My 40-63 requires inside neck reaming to get allow a .410 diameter bullet to chamber and that’s max.   I’d like a .411 but no chance.

Deadeye Bly,  I’m surprised you can’t get a 38-55 to chamber if you’re chamber diameter is .015 over.    Am I reading that right?

RMC, With your everlasting case thickness I’d expect a groove diameter of about  .382 or thereabouts in a bore of good shape.   So you’re saying with a typical donor case you’d have a boat load of slop at the neck, right… and that’s why you be best breach seating?   I wonder if you snuggled the ogive in the lands to center the cartridge in the chamber if you could get away with that.   If my groove diameter proves out to be in the upper 80s I guess that would take up some of the slop at the neck and require less working on the brass between the fire-forming then being worked back to decent neck tension next go-round.

Feather,  .378, that’s a surprise.   Do you suppose that’s a paper patch bullet diameter?   

Wcf38-40,    Do you mean the head diameter when you say the 375 has a thicker web.    I’ve got two WW Super Win 375 cases (old chamber casts) here and they both measure .414 right in front of the rim.    Wish I had some empty cases but I guess I sold them all with the rifles.

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30-30 Rem cases are about 0.002" thicker and seem to anneal and shoot and last better. When ran through the .378 die they should end up about 2.02" long. I would form one and trim after forming. May be easier and precise, rather than trimming the 30-30 case.
Federal 30-30 cases are sometimes even heavier and thicker, but they are very hard, harden even more with re-sizing, and are not so cooperative when sizing, annealing, modifying, etc. 

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If you fire form by breech seating, you can get all the length you need. Just bump the neck down a little by running it back in the 30/30 die and use the shoulder to bump it down. 

If you use a fast powder, you shouldn't get any leakage at the case neck. Or better yet, just load it with B'eye or Unique and pack it with CoW or corn meal.

Frank