Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors jacketed bullets

Just wondering if anyone has had any experience shooting jacketed bullets in pre 1900 winchesters. I have an 1892 38-40 built in 1896, and have been told that jacketed bullets wont hurt it. Any information is appreciated.

If it doesn't say "Nickel Steel" on the barrel I'd be wary. My 1895 M1894 in 30 WCF does. I've been told that Winchester went to the nickel steel barrels because jacketed bullets were causing problems with the plain steel barrels of the day. This information is worth exactly what you paid for it.

Jacketed bullets will wear a barrel a lot faster than lead bullets will, no matter what alloy it's made from. Nickel steel, or "proof steel", or any of the other proprietary names for alloy steel barrels will resist jacketed bullet wear a whole heckuva lot better than mild steel barrels, but aren't immune to the phenomenon. I would play it safe and stick with cast bullets in an 1896 rifle- where would you figure to buy a NOS Winchester barrel to replace a worn out original one?. Performance will be exactly the same, and cheaper too. You can only drive a .38-40 bullet just so fast- well within the parameters of cast bullet possibilities.

That's a given. No worries though as the last time I fired that rifle was in October of '86. I inherited it from my Grandfather and only shot it enough to get a feel for where it shot. After that I hunted it until I shot a buck with it. Then I retired my Grandad's rifle. Several years later I did the same thing with the Savage M99G that was my Father's.

Just wanted to let the OP know that the nickel steel barrels don't wear as fast as the mild steel barrels. If my Grandfather's 1894 didn't have a 1895 birthday I'd still shoot it a bit and maybe hunt it again but given that it's a first year 30 WCF beside the fact that it was Grandad's it lives a life of leisure in the safe. And best of all, according to the ATF it's not a firearm.