JRH, Nice Sauer Daly drilling and by the sounds of it you did well on its purchase price. By the Serial number, your Drilling was produced around 1886-1887 or so.
When you have the time and make a chamber cast the 38-55 measures out with a .560 rim diameter, .421 base diameter, .392 neck diameter with a overall length of 2.084. It is a straight tapered non-bottlenecked case. Also, rim thickness is listed as .0625. Also and for your infomation the 38-40 cartridge chambering is completly different than that noted above. The 38-40 is a bottle necked case and much shorter in OAL.
Eightbore, in regards to your Sauer drilling and its possible chambering (emphisis on possible here!) it may chambered in the 11,15 x 65R Noted measuerements are as follows: Rim diameter of .518, Head diameter of .472, neck diameter of .467 OAL of 2.559 with a rim thickness of .472. More than anyone wanted to know(!) but it may be useful for future reference.
Jeff Stephens
