Stevens 38-100, 44-100

[Danth]

An early Stevens brochure states their tip-up rifles were chambered in 38-100 or 44-100 along with shotgun barrels. I've never seen reference to these calibers elsewhere. The diagram looks like a Ballard 38 ExL. I obtained one of the barrels and indeed a 38 ExL chambers. Has anyone seen data on the 38-100 or 44-100? I'm curious as to what the "100" stands for. Best, Dan

[Bent Ramrod]

Back in the late 1870s-early 1880s, the proliferation of chamberings in a given caliber were only starting to arrive on the scene. “.38-100” and “.44-100” meant thirty-eight hundredths or forty-four hundredths of an inch; ie, thirty-eight or forty-four caliber. Not 100 gr of powder, as later hyphenated cartridges were named to indicate.

The chamberings could be rimfire or centerfire, but they were straight cases, typically the Long version, with heel bullets.