Hey guys. I don't own a .30-40 but I sure do have a desire to try and understand the earliest smokeless powder developments. I understand that the US Government started this with the 30-40 and selected 25 powders for tests. It would seam this started in about 1892 and maybe ended up with what we know as W-A 30, introduced to the public in 1897...as W-A 30. Sifting through what data I could fine with early powder companies, I thought I would post this generically here and see what I can learn.

I have a headache!

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!!

Knute1 wrote on Sep 12^th, 2019 at 12:13am:

You .30-40 Krag buffs already know this information, this is mainly for my brain and to learn more. It shows the early testing of smokeless powder by the US Government. They used the 30-40 Krag, of which a powder had not even been adopted yet for service.

Smokeless powders had been around since at least 1882-1885 but seem to be used in shotguns.

The US Government obtained a large supply of Wetteren powder and I think they or someone purchased the rights from the company? Hard to follow but it is in the 961 page report. The Wetteren powder was used as a "standard" to which further powders would be tested.

Nine powder names would be used but some powder companies sent updated samples which would lead to nearly 25 over all tests.

1. Wetteren - Purchased from Cooppal & Cie, Liege Belgium. Used as the testing standard.
2. Smokeless Powder Company Limited, London
A) Rifleite
B) S.R.
C) S.V.
3. B.N.F. - Procured from Hotchkiss Ordinance Company in 1882
4. Peyton - California Powder Company, Santa Cruz California. Plant explosion was the demise and what was left went to Dupont in 1903, operated after 1906 then to Hercules? Powders named to replace Peyton for the 30-40 are unknown to me at the moment. That is the information I am looking for. By this time, I think it was Sharpshooter
5. Leonard - Various powder samples, from Salem
A) Sample "N" and "J", submitted March 1893
B) Samples "J" and "N" submitted April 1893
C) No. 7
D) 13A
C) United States
6. Dupont - a redish Brown colored powder of small regular grains
7. Axtell - New York, Samples 1, 2 and 3
8. Troisdorf - (SS Smokeless Shotgun cira 1900 also used in the 44-40). Eventually marked by Laflin & Rand till 1900
9. Alters - Sweat Home, Ark.

Dates of testing were between Spring 1892 and Spring 1893.

Tests included in Report to Chief Of Ordinance Oct 1st, 1893

Of those powders, Peyton and Leonard were reported to be the two superior powders. It is of these two powders as to what was (at least) to be offered to civilians by 1897 as, what would appear to be W. A. 30 under several labels and names through turnovers of powder companies during those years. It looks as if the early W-A powder was of the Cordite filaments "stick type" but eventually formed into a disc type from what I understand as W.A. 30 by 1897.

Eventually Sharpshooter powder was of the same formula but smaller grains. Sharpshooter was a great powder for the 44-40.

madsenshooter wrote on Sep 13^th, 2019 at 2:01pm:


Yes, I have that already, great information there!

no, I am looking to see exactly what the military decided to use for powder after that testing. I have yet to read other Reports which might eventually tell.