All Winchester Model 94' rifles had the stronger steel barrels
The Confusion
It would appear that during the early smokeless powder transition years, there was some real fuss and confusion between the low-powered rifle shooters and the high-powered rifle shooters....very much the same as today. There was certainly talk about the powders, velocities and pressures to be used, as well as the use of the Special Steel Barrels.
During this time there was grandpa's black powder cartridges, the son's new smokeless powder replacements and the grandkids new fangled high-powered Winchester 30-30 and the Savage 303! In between the fuss of those two, were the "middle of the roaders"...black powder cartridges that were now offered with smokeless... and the confusion began!
Much talk about all of this in the old 1899 through 1920's magazines, books, articles...especially about burning out the bores...you know the spill! From what can be found, the two most popular mentioned cartridges for this argument were the 32-40 and 38-55 cartridges...not the 30-30. Not only was the 38-55 loaded with black powder, it was also loaded with low-pressure smokeless and high-pressure smokeless powders....thus the confusion was real...even back then.
The Powders
The 38-55 loaded with black powder could be used in any barrel. The Low-Pressure, "bulk for bulk" smokeless powder 38-55 loads could also be used in the black powder barrels. The reason was the "bulk for bulk" low-pressure powders burned cooler and the velocities slower than the high-pressured powders, thus safe (or at least "Safer") for the soft steel barrels. The problem began when folks tried to use the high-pressure "dense" powders (30 cal smokeless powders like WA30 or Dupont 30 cal). The heat generated would certainly burn the riffling over time.....or could blow the chamber or barrel of the softer steel types.. Some say 3,000 rounds is what it took to burn out the bore, but even then, diminishing only mere inches per groups. Nevertheless, eventually the hotter burning powders would certainly cause the rifling to wear away and even powders like Sharpshooter were still corrosive on the bores of the softer steel over time.
The Heat and Pressures Generated
In 1900, A. H. Stillwell speaks of the 30-30, 45-70, and the 38-55 on using such new smokeless powders. He also speaks of using high-pressure powder and splitting the barrels, rather than using the correct low-pressure smokeless powders for those weaker arms. He then follows up and says; “Everything considered, a black powder gun with low-pressure smokeless is good enough for me.”
Winchester boasted on the use of THEIR MAKE of cartridges being safe for the 38-55 soft steel barrels... and now you know the reason why!
By 1905, Smokeless Powders were divided in two classes, low and high pressure. The first named being mostly used in old black powder cartridges, the latter for cartridges of the military and "high power" hunting types. Aside from black powder, most folks just getting over the fact that the new smokeless powder was also divided into two classes, “bulk for bulk” (Dupont No.2 types) and “dense” (Laflin & Rand .30-cal. types), both equaling the strength of a black powder charge but one being "bulk for bulk", and one being much less than bulk…. but yet both are safe for black powder firearms. Although both were safe for the soft steel barrels, the dense powders like Sharpshooter and Lightning were a bit corrosive.
Generally, for rifles, anything larger than .32 cal. was basically a bulk for bulk while anything smaller than a .32 cal. was a less bulk for bulk, or what was called “dense”. Aside from shooting jacketed bullets and large quantities of smokeless shots fired in the soft steel barrels, smokeless powder was plenty safe for use in black powder arms. The concerns below involve high pressure vs low pressure and the confusion thereof. Thus, by early 1900’s definitions, we must divide these pressures into at least two groups.
The division of smokeless powder could be divided into the following two classes.
- Low Pressure – anything below, say…30,000cup
- High Pressure – anything above, say…30,000cup
Just because a particular load may say “low pressure” doesn’t mean it is safe for the weaker barrels, weaker manufactured arms…but at the same time, smokeless powder itself is not unsafe to use in soft steel black powder barrels either.
Further down the pages we find this High Velocity/Low Pressure data while speaking about special sights…
“These cartridges are especially designed for use in rifles originally built to use black powder only.”
Marlin's Barrels
1904
Western Field
The Sportsman’s Magazine of the West · Volume 4
“SOME NEW MARLIN DEPARTURES.
Interesting announcement comes from The Marlin Fire Arms Co., New Haven, Conn. concerning a new line of goods the company is marketing this season, which will attract wide attention among a large class of sportsmen and lovers of the rifle.
The company is now arranging a line of their famous repeating rifles, Model 1893, to be known among the trade Grade “B”. These rifles will be in every respect the same as the regular Model 1893 with the exception that the barrels will be made of the highest obtainable grade of soft gun barrel steel instead of their “Special Smokeless Steel”. The intention is to meet the large demand for a high-class, carefully made arm on the part of many shooters who are not sufficiently interested in the smokeless steel barrels to pay for the extra cost. The new line is, of course, not intended for high power smokeless ammunition and its use in this grade is not advised by the makers: only black powder ammunition and equivalent loads such as low power smokeless should be used. The 32-40 and 38-55 sizes only will be made in this grade.
What is High Power Smokeless Ammunition?
- High Power - greater than 1,750fps - Although not always stamped on the barrel, special steel barrels needed (bore wear issues, not strength issues), 30-30, .303 Savage and the high power loaded 32-40 and 38-55 loads.
In General - 1895 Smokeless Cartridges, Popularity
- Military - 30-40 Krag (30 Army), (40gr smokeless powder)
- Military - 303 Britiish (40gr smokeless powder), (NOT THE SAME AS THE 303 Savage)
- Civilian - 30-30 Winchester (30gr smokeless powder)
- Civilian - 303 Savage (30gr smokeless powder) (NOT THE SAME AS THE 303 British)(1895 shows a barrel elastic strength up to 60,000lbs. with a barrel and breeching mechanism which are made to resist a tensile strength of 100,000 pounds to the square inch
By 1905, Smokeless Powders were divided in two classes, low and high pressure. The first named being mostly used in old black powder cartridges the latter for cartridges of the military type.
1. Black Powder - Low Pressure
2. Smokeless Powder - Low and High Pressures
a. Low Pressure - maybe less than 30,000 lbs. "Bulk for Bulk" powders and some "Bulky" dense powders
b. High Pressure - greater than at least 30,000 lbs. slower burning rifle powders, WA-30, Lightning, .30-Cal smokeless
Sporting Smokeless Powders were also divided into two general classes ~ "Nitrocellulose Industry" by Edward Chauncey Worden, 1911
- Bulk - "Sharpshooter" (not bulk for bulk, and loaded by weight not volume) The Nitrocellulose has been produced in sufficiently light and porous loose granulars by mechanical means so that in equal volumes they possess about the same ballistics as black powder.
- Condensed - Represents the maximum of propulsive force in the minimum of space...prepared in the same manor as the military flake powder. Condensed smokeless powders designed for the more modern rifles. [1911]
By 1918, Townsand Whelen noted some nomenclatures....
- Small Bore - .35 cal. and smaller
- Large Bore - larger than .35 cal.
- Low Power - up to 1,750fps - although some velocities and pressures not suitable for weak design rifles. 38 and.44 "Winchester High Velocity" / "Low Pressure" loads fits into this category, and does not change this designation.
- High Power - greater than 1,750fps - Although not always stamped on the barrel, special steel barrels needed (bore wear issues, not strength issues), 30-30, .303 Savage and the high power loaded 32-40 and 38-55 loads.
- High Intensity - Velocity greater than 2,400fps, - 30-40 Krag (30 Army), .30 cal. 1903 (30-03), .30 cal. 1906 (30-06), etc.