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Mag tube dented
Repeating Arms Co New Haven, CONN,U.S.A. Patented August 21, 1894 .30 W.C.F,
Serial # 776179
MY BOOK # 2024-1-31
# 3
Leverguns
The .30 WCF and the Model 1894 Winchester
by Jim Taylor
(some of the data in this article may be dated, since the article was
originally written in 1996)
THE MODEL 1894
Since its inception, the Model 1894 Winchester has enjoyed wide acceptance with the shooting public. Hailed in its day as a flat-shooting, high velocity rifle, the '94 and its famous cartridge, the .30 WCF (more popularly known as a "thutty-thutty" in my part of the country) packed a lot of punch into a small package. And as originally loaded with a 165 gr. softpoint bullet at an advertised velocity of 1970 fps, it was a high velocity round, especially when compared to most of the other caliber's available at the time.
While it was produced in .32 Special (and in other calibers these last few years) the Model 94 is best known in .30 WCF (.30-30 Winchester) caliber. And when someone says, "30-30" it's usually the Model 94 that comes to mind, even though many other guns including bolt action rifles, single shot rifles, and several types of handguns have been made in this caliber. Nevertheless, the Winchester 1894 is probably the best known.
model94_1.jpg (8741 bytes)
The rifle itself is a classic. Norm Flayderman (FLAYDERMAN'S GUIDE TO ANTIQUE FIREARMS AND THEIR VALUES ) said it was "....a specimen of ultimate perfection in a lever action rifle..." (page 263) It does have appeal, for since it's introduction over 103 years ago there have been millions produced. I spoke with Becky Costello at U.S. Repeating Arms who told me their records indicate over 7 million Model 94's had rolled out of the Winchester plant. When you add that number to all the Marlin and Mossberg leverguns, plus all the single shot and bolt-action rifles in this caliber, there are a lot of .30-30's out there somewhere.
Ammunition is not in short supply for the old-timer either. I counted up 18 different loadings offered by 6 different ammo companies. Bullet weights from 55 gr. up through 170 gr. are offered by the various manufacturers. (see Chart #1) And while the ballistics of the .30-30 may not excite the modern generation of riflemen, in real life these have been proven more than adequate in the hands of someone who knows when and how to shoot. As Paco Kelly writes "...the .30-30's power is equal to the pre-Second World War 7/57 mm cartridge...with it's initial mild ballistics. And Bell, a well known African professional hunter, killed many elephants with the 7/57mm....somewhere over a thousand!.....of course it is not the power here, but the bullet. With the right bullet, in the hands of a professional....old jumbo can be put down. No one advocates it of course. It is just said to show the potential of this (the .30-30) round
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