The .38-55 Ballard, first introduced in 1876 by Ballard Rifle & Cartridge Company, is a versatile rifle cartridge originally designed for use in single-shot rifles. The "38" refers to the bullet's diameter (.375 inches or 9.5 mm), and "55" denotes the grains of black powder used in the original load. Its case length is 2.085 inches (52.96 mm).
The cartridge was adopted by Winchester for use in their Model 1894 lever-action rifle, which popularized it further for hunting medium-sized game such as deer, black bear, and hogs due to its effective range and accuracy. The .38-55 Ballard is known for its manageable recoil and is favored by many marksmen for target shooting and cowboy action shooting. Modern loads are available in both smokeless and black powder variants.