1895-1927
Smokeless Powder
1895-1900
Smokeless Powder
Dupont No. 2
For the first time ever, Winchester offers the new smokeless rifle powder loads with jacketed bullets. Referred to as Metal Patched bullets, these new soft point "Guilding" bullets were coated with a tin alloy to ack as a lube to protect the bore. Even the call-outs on the cartridge photo has changed to "44 Winchester Smokeless Model 1873".
1900-1903
Smokeless Powder
Dupont No. 2
Some major changes to the smokeless powder boxes, too many to list here. However, note the "NOT FOR PISTOLS" call-out on the side label. Labels are not yet dated.
1903-1920
Smokeless Powder
Dupont Sharpshooter
44 W.H.V.
Although introduced in 1903, this example with a top label date of Oct 1909 and a side label date of Sept 1914, surpasses the linage dates I was trying to stay with...so pay attention to the dates when it comes to the label designs. The call-outs are obvious for what these should be used in...not for use in pistols or weak action rifles like the 73'. This new offering used 20gr of Sharpshooter powder and eventually reported to produce up to 18,000cup. This should be a yellow label. Winchester started dating their labels in 1906.
1906-1912
Smokeless Powder
Dupont No. 2
This year Winchester started printing label dates and file codes on their boxes. The number in the lower left corner is the file code and the number in the lower right is the latest label change date...not a cartridge manufacture date. The file code contained the information changes, for example...to the box, label and changes to the cartridge components. From here it gets a bit more wild.
This 1909 side label shows the "NOT FOR PISTOLS", printed on earlier boxes, has been replaced with the "SOFT POINT" call-out. The end labels have changed to the "Silver W".
This oddball is dated March 1912. The color chart does show a lavender smokeless full patch high velocity, but not for this "73" and "Revolver" option. Maybe it is somehow a faded red box.
Those Colorful Winchester Cartridge Box Lables
Before we continue I wanted to insert a little information on the box top labels. To keep folks from getting confused on what was what, they ingeniously colored the labels. The following is from Giles & Shuey
Green - Black Powder - Lead
Red - Smokeless - Lead or Soft Point
Orange - Smokeless - Full Patch
Yellow - Smokeless - Soft Point - High Velocity
Lavender/Pink - Smokeless - Full Patch - High Velocity
Gray/Gray-Green - Lesmok - Any
Tan, red print - Smokeless - Any Blank or Proof Loadings
Tan, black print - Black Powder / New Primed Empties - Blank, Military, Special order loadings
1911-1912
"Lesmok"
By 1912 the call-outs have gone crazy and are now very "busy" with all the legal mumbo jumbo. Also offered was the black powder/smokeless powder known as "Lesmok". Lesmok was tailored more for black powder firearms. Cleaner burning at about the same pressures.
April 1911
Feb 1912
1914-1919
Smokeless Powder
Dupont No. 2
This orange label Full Patch offering is using the older type graphics and call-outs but the side label is dated Sept 1914.
Somewhat resembling the purple label from 1912, This Nov 1914 Smokeless load offers the Lead Bullet.
Noting the ".44 Winchester Smokeless Lead Bullet" on the side label, this end label now sports the new white outlined "W" without the bullet photo.
1915-1917
WWI
Smokeless Powder
Export for Britain during WWI.
"Cartridge S.A. Ball .44 inch Mark I" was approval CIW 2197 in June 1915 for Naval service and shown in Lists of Changes Paragraph 19506 dated November 1917. Some 20,000cartridges shipped. 14.5gr smokeless powder loading (not black powder) with a 200gr lead bullet.
The early boxes are the "half-split" "two-piece box" but later reported export boxes from 1920-1930 may have the K-code K4406T (Black Powder) and are of the 1920's two piece full cover design. These early boxes show a side seal label and should date to about 1927 which is the date for the "OILPROOF" call-out. To be even more confusing, some other boxes have no side labels at all.
Reported 1914 dated Winchester packet supplied to the Royal Navy.
Actually headstamped ".44 DUMMY"
The earliest pressures I have seen are noted in 1917
WRA Co. Cartridge Engineering Office, Definitive Proof Pressures, 1917
14 Feb 1917
44 Win. for Model 73' - Service Pressure 13,000 (cup), Proof Pressure 16,500 (cup)
44 W.H.V. for Model 92' - Service Pressure 18,000 (cup), Proof Pressure 23,500 (cup)
1915-1919
Black Powder
Oct 1915 Full Patch should have a green side label, same as the previous Full Patch from 1914.
Those Colorful Winchester Cartridge Box Lables
Before we continue I wanted to insert a little information on the box top labels. To keep folks from getting confused on what was what, they ingeniously colored the labels. The following is from Giles & Shuey
Green - Black Powder - Lead
Red - Smokeless - Lead or Soft Point
Orange - Smokeless - Full Patch
Yellow - Smokeless - Soft Point - High Velocity
Lavender/Pink - Smokeless - Full Patch - High Velocity
Gray/Gray-Green - Lesmok - Any
Tan, red print - Smokeless - Any Blank or Proof Loadings
Tan, black print - Black Powder / New Primed Empties - Blank, Military, Special order loadings
1919
Smokeless Powder
Dupont No. 2
This last half-split two-piece boxes for the 44-40. The top label is dated Sept 1919 and sports the older side label and the white out-lined "W".
1920-1927
Smokeless Powder
Dupont No. 2
This new Full-Cover Two-Piece box has a top label that wraps around the ends and onto the bottom of the box. This "1920" box shows the same date until the next change in 1928. Winchester also started using a cartridge K Code.
K4412T
K4412T
1920-1927
Smokeless Powder
Dupont Sharpshooter
44 W.H.V.
Continuing from 1903, pretty much just the labels changed, Winchester switched from small primers to large primers about 1928. The call-outs are still obvious for what these should be used in...not for use in pistols or weak action rifles like the 73'. This later box still offering 20gr of Sharpshooter powder and eventually reported to produce up to 18,000cup. The special sight adjustment sticker is said to have been applied after 1930.
K4414T
K4414T
1941 Winchester Ammunition Guide (last offered)
Code: K4414T (Winchester) M/92 Special, W.H.V.
RIFLE VELOCITY: Muzzle-1,570fps/100 yrds-1,220fps/200 yrds
Energy: Muzzle/1,095 lbs, 100yds/660ft lbs, Mid-Range Trajectory inch/yds: 2.2/100, 11/200, 30/300
* "Not adapted to pistols or revolvers or to Winchester Model 73' rifles."
As you already know the boxes don't stop in the 1920's or 30's.
Winchester stopped making the interesting color label dated boxes, transitioning between 1928 and 1938. During and after 1928, the boxes had date codes as they do today. I finally have this code information and will be posting such information in the future along with more box top photos. Check back to see updates of missing designs. The "From-To" dates are approximate at best.
1928-1958 Winchester began dating their boxes in a code format and repeated the code every ten years. This code was typically stamped in ink on the inside of the flap.
Pre-"1959" - Some of these "Design Dates" had names and below are some of those names.
"1928", "1932", "1939", "1945" and "1946". The Western "Bullseye" box style closes out the pre-1960 style boxes.