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Obviously, those proofed circa 1905 and after are okay with smokeless powder, but what is the differentiation before that? Which are black powder ONLY?
There was no such “designation”. The only Winchester model that should be considered “black powder only” is the Model 1866 rim fire. All other models (center fire) were/are capable of shooting appropriate smokeless powder factory loads.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert H. said
There was no such “designation”. The only Winchester model that should be considered “black powder only” is the Model 1866 rim fire. All other models (center fire) were/are capable of shooting appropriate smokeless powder factory loads.Bert
Okay, before I created the thread, I would have guessed that the 1866 was not a smokeless powder firearm. The others, probably, but I just wanted to be sure as many were manufactured prior to the advent of smokeless powder.
Online
The French invented smokeless powder in about 1884. And like Bert said, all Models, except the 66 were eventually chambered with smokeless.
Chuck said
The French invented smokeless powder in about 1884. And like Bert said, all Models, except the 66 were eventually chambered with smokeless.
1884–and so still many were manufactured prior to the advent of smokeless powder, but I had more set in my head the mid 1890s, which is when it became commonly available, meaning most, if not all, of the popular lever rifles were designed prior to this date.
You are correct, but the early rifles are safe to use smokeless if properly loaded. Take the 73, the first smokeless box came out in 1895 like you have said. Some Less Smoke boxes came out later than the Smokeless, around 1910?
Military rifles and cartridges greatly influenced by new steels and powders began serious developmental changes in the late 1890s through the work of the Mauser brothers in Germany with the 1893 and 1895 Models. The US Krag of 1898 was our first real smokeless cartridge-rifle combination in 30 Army or 30-40 Krag. It was chambered in the 1895 Winchester with nickel steel. By then, steel improvement technology allowed progressive powders to increase pressures to include the 30 WCF and other cartridges up until the present day. So the softer black powder-era steels can handle smokeless powder, but not at the pressure levels or velocities of the nickel steel 1895s, 1894s and late 1886 rifles. Another case in point is the 1886 rifle, which started out as a black powder rifle with mild steel barrels, but by 1903 was offered in 33 WCF, 45-70 GOVT, and 45-90 WCF with nickel steel barrels capable of handling higher velocity smokeless express loaded cartridges.
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