Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Was the 30-30 Win ever used in combat ?

Other than the use by western cowboys or Pancho Villa's troops has the Winchester 94 or Marlin leveractions ever been used in combat ?

I figured some third world country had to use them around the turn of the century ?

In the book, "Military Rifle and Machine gun Cartridges" by Jean Huon (c 1986), a description of the 30-30 says:

"The 30-30 Winchester is a very popular round used all over the world by hunters and shooters. It appeared in 1894, ad is still manufactured today. Although never adopted as a service cartridge, it has seen limited use as issue ammo in many countries including China, the United States, South Africa, Mexico, several South American countries and France. Some horse-drawn wagon drivers and mountain troops used the Winchester carbines during World War I.

I also recall reading that 30-30 Winchesters were used by US Army guards in guarding WWI POW's and US military prisoners. Not exactly combat, but used by military forces.

Not military, but the Winchester 94 was the duty rifle for the Oregon State Police up until about 8 years ago. I have a buddy that's an OSP Trooper; he bought his '94 from the OSP when they made the transition to the AR15 platform. It's a very slick pre '64 with a little bit of trunk wear...

Chrome;
Up here in BC during WWII, the group protecting the coast and some other key points - the Pacific Coast Mountain Rangers - carried both '94s and Marlins in .30-30.

http://www.navalandmilitarymuseum.org/resource_pages/coastal_defence/pcmr.html

If you enlarge the photo part way down the page on the left, you can plainly see they're all packing lever action carbines.

If I'm not mistaken, the Rocky Mountain Ranger group may also have been armed with lever rifles when doing duties in country, but I can't find verification of that this morning, so will only say that is an "I think" and certainly not an "I know".

http://www.army.gc.ca/iaol/143000440001133/index-Eng.html

The Rocky Mountain Rangers certainly did see combat, in the Aleutian campaign among other areas, but I suspect they either ran the standard .303 when there or were issued Garand's and BAR's instead of SMLE and Brens if attached to US companies.

At the gun shows in this part of the world, there are usually a few collectors who set up some wonderful displays of uniforms, kits and rifles from the PCMR units.

Hopefully that was some use to you Chrome.

All the best in the upcoming weekend.

Regards,
Dwayne

The 1895 Winchester was used by Turkish troops, I believe, in one of their fights against the Russians. I don't know the caliber, but I've read this before.

Gene L;
Again going off of a very faulty memory this morning, I recall reading that the Russians bought a fair pile of 95's chambered for the same 7.62 round that fit the Mosin Nagant.

edit:
Wiki says 70% of the 300,000 made went to the Russians! That would be some "warehouse find" would it not?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Model_1895

To the best of my knowledge they've never resurfaced as surplus arms coming out of any of the former Soviet states - at least we've not seen them up here.

I have seen old 95's chambered in 7.62 Russian and .303 British up here, though the most common seem to be .30-40 Krag - marked .30 US I think? We see mainly the rifles up here, though a friend of mine does have a really nice .30 US carbine with the Lyman 21(?) sight on the side of the receiver.

Hopefully that was some use to someone out there this fine summer morning.

All the best to you Gene L on the upcoming weekend.

Regards,
Dwayne

The 1895 was never chambered in 30-30. There were some 1895's tested by the US in the Phillipines and they were in .30-40 Krag. The Russians also bought a large number of 1895's in 7.62X54R for the Czar's army.

I do wonder whatever happend to those M1895's that went to Russia. I'd love to see them come back home to loving homes!

COuld get $1,000 bucks each if in good condition.

But I expect those are staying in the USSR.

BMT

I certainly would volunteer to adopt one!

Too late, guys. They came home forty years ago. If you snooze, you lose!
--Bob

Why discount the use in the Mexican Revolution - isn't that combat, or do you have a bias against Mexico?

M-1985s were probably melted down to make tanks during the Great Patriotic Was.

I seem to recall reading somewhere about some U.S. Army Air Corp fliers and support troops who were stationed in Kenya during WW2 shooting plains game with Winchester 94s in 30-30 that was part of their survival kit. IIRC, these guys were in some way involved in ferrying aircraft from the U.S. to the USSR. Maybe it was in Sam Fadala's book on the 30-30.

JEff

The 95 Winchesters were still used in WW2. A friend brought
one back from the meeting at the Elbe. The rifle the turks
used was a 73 Winchester in 44/40. It was the assault rifle
of the time.

There is a song from the Mexican Revolution, "Carabina .30-30", with the opening line ".30-30 carbine that was carried by the rebels..."

I don't know what rifles the government troops were armed with at the time, perhaps Mausers.

Paul

I'll take 2!

I can hear my old man right now, "Hell son, you can't find the durn ammo, and who the hell wants to shoot a Russky cartridge, when we got so many good American ones?

Sycamore

Carabina 30-30
Que los rebeldes portaban
Y Decian los maderistas
Que con ella no mataban

A few showed up in Kores and RVN

Not to quibble, but January 1962 is only four months shy of being fifty years ago. Of course back then $34.95 was about $34 more than I could muster. How time flies!