.30-30 Winchester - Rifles and Handguns Chambered in .30-30

Rifles and Handguns Chambered in .30-30

The .30-30 is by far the most common chambering in lever action rifles such as the Winchester Model 1894, the Savage Model 99, and the Marlin Model 336. Mossberg also came out with quite a few lever action rifles in the chambering, the Mossberg model 472, 479 and the newer 464. You can also find these Mossberg rifles under the brands of Western Field (sold through Montgomery Wards as the M72). The 472 was only produced from 1970 to 1979, and the 479 until 1983 - both of which are rare and often confused as the Marlin 336. There is even a sought after Roy Rogers edition with a gold trigger, butt plate and Roy Rogers signature on the stock. Rossi of Brazil has recently started offering what is essentially a clone of the Marlin 336 series in .30-30 as well. Winchester produced a simplified and more economical version of their popular Model '94 through Sears and Roebuck under the Ted Williams name, and through Western Auto under the Revelation label. The cartridge's rimmed design, medium length, and moderate pressure work well for the typical lever action design. The rimmed design is also well suited for various single-shot actions, so it is commonly found there as well. Rimmed cartridges are chambered in bolt action rifles, but .30-30 bolt actions are uncommon today, despite being quite effective in the field. “At one time Winchester turned out the Model 54 bolt-action repeater in this caliber, but it was a decided failure, chiefly because the man desiring a bolt action preferred to take one of the better and more powerful cartridges. However, in this particular caliber, the .30 WCF cartridge proved to be decidedly accurate.” In addition, rimmed cartridges typically don't feed well with the box magazines normally found on bolt-action rifles. Other examples of bolt action rifles offered in .30-30 Winchester are the Stevens Model 325, the Savage Model 340, the Springfield/Savage 840, and the Remington 788.

In the sport of handgun metallic silhouette shooting, the .30-30 has had some success. The Thompson Center Arms Contender pistol, with its compact frame and break-open action, is ideally suited for cartridges of the .30-30's size. With proper loading, the .30-30 will produce velocities of nearly 2000 f/s (610 m/s) out of the short 10 inch (25 cm) Contender barrel, though recoil and muzzle blast are strong from the short barrel. The longer 14-inch (36 cm) barrel results in significant reductions in felt recoil (due to increased weight) and muzzle blast, with higher velocities, especially if factory loaded rifle ammunition is used. Magnum Research offers their five-shot BFR revolver in .30-30.