when did winchester switch to smokeless powder?

[mike44325]

Hello. I have a winchester 1894. Serial number starts with 284*** dating it back to 1902. Wondering if its black powder or can i use smokeless? Any help would be nice. Thanks.

 

[billdick]

All 1894's are smokeless

 

[41 Colt]

With Winchester I think the 30-30 was their first smokeless cartridge, so I would be inclined to agree with the above.

 

[mike44325]

Thanks guys. I figured as much. but now i know.

 

[NorthCoastBigBore]

.30 WCF (.30-30) was indeed, Winchester's first factory smokeless chambering.

 

[mike44325]

My riffle is a 38-55. should have mentioned that i supose

 

[Goldenlakepete]

You can still use smokeless powder - just keep the pressures down to BP levels.

 

[Win 38-55]

I have a reproduction of a Winchester catalogue for 1896. All Model 1894 calibers were available in smokeless in that catalogue.

 

[Dean2]

The smokeless barrels say nickel steel on them. Not all of the old BP cartridges were converted to nickel steel barrels on the model 94s until 1898 or 1899 depending on model, though you could order a smokeless powder barrel in all calibers before that. When the 1894 first came out it was chambered in 38-55. The 30-30 version was not produced until May 1895, which was the first of the rifles to have the new smokeless barrels. Winchester marked their smokeless barrels as such until 1932.

In any event, if yours is a 1902 it should be nickel steel and marked that way, even in the 38-55. That said, the old 94s will not take 375 Winchester pressure so make sure you load accordingly.

 

[snoopycda]

Winchester Model 1894 (also known as Winchester 94 or Win 94) is a lever-action rifle which became one of the most famous and popular hunting rifles. It was designed by John Browning in 1894 and originally chambered to fire two metallic black powder cartridges, the .32-40 Winchester and .38-55 Winchester. It was the first rifle to chamber the smokeless powder round, the .30 WCF (Winchester Center Fire}. This round was later chambered by Marlin which designated it the .30-30, which used the black powder cartridge nomenclature of using the caliber as the first number and the grains of powder as the second.

The .38-55 Winchester cartridge (actually .3775 caliber) was introduced in 1876 by Ballard. It was used by Marlin Firearms from 1875 on for various single-shot target rifles and their 1893 lever action rifle. It was later offered by Winchester in its Model 1894. Winchester continued to use the round in various rifles until about 1940, and also used it in a few commemorative editions of rifles since then. In addition, Marlin offered it in some 336s and it was used in non-lever action rifles such as the Remington-Lee bolt-action and Colt's New Lightning pump-action rifles.

Straight from the pages of Wikipedia. The first two smokeless rounds were the 30 WCF and the 25-35 WCF introduced in 1895.

 

[Lee Enfield]

The smokeless barrels say nickel steel on them. Not all of the old BP cartridges were converted to nickel steel barrels on the model 94s until 1898 or 1899 depending on model, though you could order a smokeless powder barrel in all calibers before that. When the 1894 first came out it was chambered in 38-55. The 30-30 version was not produced until May 1895, which was the first of the rifles to have the new smokeless barrels. Winchester marked their smokeless barrels as such until 1932.

In any event, if yours is a 1902 it should be nickel steel and marked that way, even in the 38-55. That said, the old 94s will not take 375 Winchester pressure so make sure you load accordingly.

Winchester and marlin both built 38-55 and 32-40 barrels as "ordinance steel" into the teens. They are only nickel steel if they are marked as such.

It is not recommended to load above black powder pressure levels unless so marked.

 

[H4831]

I have a reproduction of a Winchester catalogue for 1896. All Model 1894 calibers were available in smokeless in that catalogue.

That's great information, straight from the source. Thanks.
Bruce

 

[eaglesnester]

With Winchester I think the 30-30 was their first smokeless cartridge, so I would be inclined to agree with the above.

I do believe U are correct, however I think it was introduced as a black powder cartridge and as soon as smokeless became available they switched. What year that was escapes me.

 

[joe-nwt]

I do believe U are correct, however I think it was introduced as a black powder cartridge and as soon as smokeless became available they switched. What year that was escapes me.

30-30/30WCF was introduced in 1895 as a smokeless cartridge.

 

[Dean2]

I have a reproduction of a Winchester catalogue for 1896. All Model 1894 calibers were available in smokeless in that catalogue.

I have an 1894 model, produced and shipped in 1896, purchased in 1897 by Pop Day that came into my father's possession in 1954. It has a 26" Oct Barrel, with full length mag in 38-55. The barrel is NOT nickel steel. You could "order" all calibers in Nickel Steel but only the 25-35 and 30-30 came automatically in Nickel Steel.

According to one of the other posters this remained true into the 19 teens somewhere, but all the information I have says almost all barrels were nickel steel after 1900. Since all of the Nickel Steel barrels are clearly marked as such, up to 1932 when Winchester switched all to Chrome Moly, it is very easy to tell is you have Ordnance steel or Nickel Steel. If it isn't marked it is Ordnance steel or if made after 1932, Chrome Moly.