Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Early Winchester 1894s, "soft" barrels?

Dear Guys,

I am looking at an 1894, with an octagonal barrel. The serial number on the rifle demonstrates a 1905 production. This rifle is a beautiful looking shooter, not a collector. The barrel has been cut down to 22 inches, reblued, and recrowned. The rifling and bore are VG+.

My question is this. I would only be shooting modern Remington ammo, corelokts. However, I have often read on the internet (myth?) that the early production 1894s had soft barrels, and that a steady diet of jacketed bullets will "wash out" the rifling.

Does anybody have any firm information or experience on this topic? Is a 1905 rifle considered one of the "early" 1894s? Wasn't 1905 steel pretty darned good? (I mean, it was the golden age of Dreadnaught Battleship production.)

Any and all info would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Mannyrock

Nickel steel?

what caliber? No expert, but I've always heard early 1894s in .32-40 and .38-55 were softer steel, and all .25-35, .30-30 & .32 WS were nickle steel for jacketed bullets. Some were marked "Nickel Steel Barrel Especially for Smokeless Powder".

II have heard the same for the 38-55 but I have an early 30-30 rapid taper that is marked under the forarm ns if memory serves.

Thanks for all of the info.

The barrel is marked Nickel Steel- especially for black powder.

Caliber is .30 WCF.


So, I guess that jacketed bullets won't wash it out?



Thanks for any additional info.

Mannyrock

OOps. I am an idiot. The barrel says "especially for smokeless powder" not black powder.

Mannyrock

Nickel steel barrels were made for smokeless. You can shoot all you want out of it. The early 1894 rifles in .32/40 and .38/55 were a little less forgiving of jacketed bullets as has been said. But for hunting I wouldn't worry about excessive wear. Later in production 1910-1930 most of the barrels were nickel steel even in the original black powder chamberings. The old ones still deserve to get out in the woods in my opinion. I don't think there has ever been a rifle built that is better balanced and easier to carry in the woods.

John browning was contacted by Winchester to design a lever action for the new smokeless powder....he presented them with the mos 1894..all ammo it within pressure limits of the original rifles....