Jump to content
SASS Wire Forum

Odd headstamp...


Recommended Posts

By all appearances, this is a reg'lar ol' .25-20 case, but stamped "Savage 25-20 Hi. P."

So, what does it mean? Hi Power? Hi Pressure? Hi Performance? Was it a hotter loaded .25-20 "magnum"?

I found a couple references to it online, but no explanation as to what "Hi. P." meant.

Recon I'll put it on the shelf with the rest of the odd cartridges collection. :)

 

If someone has a current "Cartridges of the World", could you take a look and see if it's listed separate from the .25-20 Marlin, .25-20 Winchester, and .25-20 Single Shot, or perhaps mentioned in the descriptions of one of these?

Savage.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi 3 Foot,

My most current edition is #5 (1985) There is the 25-20 listed as a modern cartridge, no mention anywhere about a 25-20 Marlin, or 25-20 High power.

In the obsolete section there is a 22 Savage Hi power, but the case dimensions are completely different from the 25-20.  Book also gives complete honors to Win for the development of the 25-20.  Marlin is only credited with making rifles chambered for it after Win developed it.

Jeb

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The book "Marlin Firearms" by William Brophy, probably the leading expert on Marlin firearms, claims UMC produced the .25-20 in 1893 for Marlin, who chambered it in their 1889, then in the new 1894 the next year, and then Winchester picked it up in 1895. He also says the 1889 .25-20's were not a standard production rifle, but were available in the deluxe version *only* with pistol grip and checkering in .25-20 on request. When Winchester picked it up, they changed the shoulder angle very slightly, so it wouldn't chamber in the Marlin, and called it the .25-20 WCF. Early Marlins are marked ".25-20 M", mine included.

Original UMC/Marlin cartridge on left and the later Winchester on the right.

25-20Cartridges.jpg

25-20Marlin.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.