Well, Peter, etal., anyone who narrowed the date for the 0.30 Winchester and the 0.25-35 were correct. The cartridges were "strickly smokeless cartridges" and were released as a pairing with the new nickel steel tubes Winchester was beginning to offer as standard. August 1895 looks to be the date of the Winchester Catalogue publication, but here may be one of the oldest non-Winchester published ads:
http://books.google.com/books?id=PRSgAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA2-PR57&dq=25-35+winchester&lr= .

Note that the cartridge is 0.30 Winchester Smokeless and both are loaded with their designated powder grains, smokeless no doubt.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Last edited by ellenbr; 06/13/09 07:49 PM.