Gorgeous gun! I'm concerned becaue I suspect that cartridge puts up a lot more pressure than the .375 x 2 1/2, which was pushing the limit on the Lee Speed action. The .348 Winchester is one of the more powerful rimmed cartridges ever made for a lever action rifle. Winchester basically used a strengthened 1886 action and made a whomp-ass cartridge for knocking down bear and moose.

There was a Model 71 on gunbroker awhile back that came out of Alaska. The old gent said that when he was a kid (pre WW2), his dad told him "if anything really needs killing, use the 348". That is still grizzly country up there.

Anybody know the pressure the .348 cartridge puts out? 200 grain loads are still available that were made by Winchester for the run of Model 71s that were made in Japan in 1987. 200 grain MV is 2530, ME 2840. The 250 (discontinued) has MV of 2350 and ME of 3060.

This compares to the .375 (270 grain bullet) with a MV of 2000 and a ME 2400. Source of info for both is "Cartridges of the World" 6th Edition.

I have an old Model 71 Deluxe. It's quite the muzzle blast. The guy next to me at the range was expecting to hear a little 30 30 noise. After he landed, he came over and asked what I was shooting!

It might be a good idea to send this Lee Speed to the Birmingham proof house!