The Model 1894 Winchester.  The gun that--perhaps even more so than the Colt Peacemaker--symbolizes America and the West.  The gun that hunters have used to put more meat on the table than any other.  The gun that is no more.

By now everyone should know the news that was announced in January:  that Winchester will no longer be producing certain guns, including the Model 94 line.  Some of us still find it hard to believe.  It has been with us so long that I guess many of us assumed it would always be there.  Many gun owners, such as myself, will probably now be scrambling to add a Model 94 to their collections, even if it's just a battered second-hand .30-30 (and what's wrong with that?).

NOTE:  The purpose of this post is not to provide a comprehensive history of Winchester firearms, nor even of Winchester lever guns.  (A brief historical timeline of Winchester firearms can be found at the Winchester website).  The purpose of this post is only to give an overview of the many cartridges used in the Model 94, from its beginning up to new cartridges used in modern models.  Cartridge images are courtesy of Winchester, and although size will vary by your screen resolution, they are in scale with each other.  Not all cartridges are pictured.  Representative ballistics are only an average or nominal performance and are not meant by me to be the final word on how any cartridge performs.

And my usual disclaimer:  I am not an expert on these matters.  The history of cartridges is, to me, perhaps more interesting than the history of the firearms themselves.  Ever since Winchester made the big announcement, I have been half-assedly looking into this subject and I decided to put it all down in an orderly fashion.  If I have made any errors or omissions, I expect to be corrected.

.25-35 Winchester
 
Developed by Winchester and introduced in 1895 for the Model 1894 rifle.  One of the first smokeless powder sporting cartridges developed in the United States.
Bullet weight:  117 grains
Muzzle velocity:  2230 fps
Muzzle energy:  1292 ft-lbs

.30-30 Winchester

Developed by Winchester and introduced in 1895 for the Model 94 rifle.  Along with the .25-35, it was one of the first smokeless powder cartridges.  Arguably the standard American deer cartridge, though by modern standards many might consider it less than perfectly suited to the task.  In the last years of the 19th century, the .30-30 and other cartridges such as the .25-35 revolutionized rifle shooting by using smokeless powder and relatively small-bore bullets at relatively high velocities.  At the time of its introduction, it was quite likely the flattest-shooting cartridge most hunters had ever seen.
Bullet weight:  150 grains
Muzzle velocity:  2390 fps
Muzzle energy:  1902 ft-lbs

.32 Winchester Special

Another of the first smokeless powder designs, introduced in 1895 for the Model 94.  In Winchester's own words, the .32 Special was "offered to meet the demand of many sportsmen for a smokeless powder cartridge of larger caliber than the 30 Winchester and yet not so powerful as the 30 Army."  Although ammunition is still made by Winchester and some of these old guns are still floating around, it's one of those cartridges that never really caught on, probably in part because of the enormous and immediate popularity of the .30-30.
Bullet weight:  170 grains
Muzzle velocity:  2250 fps
Muzzle energy:  1911 ft-lbs

.38-55 Winchester

Originally developed by Ballard in 1884 for their Ballard Perfection No. 4 rifle.  Winchester later chambered their Model 94 for it, although the Winchester version reputedly used cases that were not as strong as those used for the original Ballard.  Eighty-some-odd years later, Winchester used it as the basis for a new cartridge, the .375 Winchester.
Bullet weight:  255 grains
Muzzle velocity:  1320 fps
Muzzle energy:  987 ft-lbs

.44-40 Winchester

Another very popular cartridge which symbolizes the American West, it was originally developed as a black powder cartridge for the Winchester 1873 rifle.  Colt quickly began manufacturing revolvers for this cartridge, and the combination of a Winchester rifle and Colt revolver that both used the same cartridge solidified its popularity with people who needed to put meat on the table as well as defend themselves on a wild frontier.  Winchester later chambered their to-become-legendary Model 1894 rifle for this already legendary round.
Bullet weight:  200 grains
Muzzle velocity:  1190 fps
Muzzle energy:  629 ft-lbs

.357 Magnum

The famous .357 Magnum was a joint venture of Smith & Wesson and Winchester, originally intended for S&W revolvers, and was introduced in 1935.  Winchester later chambered their Model 94 for it.  It is based on the .38 Special cartridge lengthened by about 1/10 of an inch.
Bullet weight:  158 grains
Muzzle velocity (handgun/rifle):  1235 fps/1830 fps
Muzzle energy (handgun/rifle):  535 ft-lbs/1175 ft-lbs

.44 Magnum

Developed by Smith & Wesson and Remington and introduced in 1955, based on a great deal of preliminary work done by Elmer Keith.  Although intended for a Smith & Wesson revolver (the Model 29, I think), it swiftly acquired a reputation for both power and accuracy and many long guns have been chambered for it, including the Model 94.
Bullet weight:  240 grains
Muzzle velocity (handgun/rifle):  1350 fps/1760 fps
Muzzle energy (handgun/rifle):  970 ft-lbs/1650 ft-lbs

.444 Marlin
Introduced in 1964.  Although this cartridge was originally made by Remington for the Marlin Model 336 lever-action, Winchester later produced a Model 94 for it.  The .444 is essentially an extension of the .44 Magnum, using the same caliber bullet with a longer case that can pack a larger charge of powder.  The purpose was to provide a .44-caliber round that provided better hunting performance than the .44 Magnum.
Bullet weight:  240 grains
Muzzle velocity:  2350 fps
Muzzle energy:  2942 ft-lbs

.375 Winchester

A Winchester-developed round that was introduced in 1978 for the Model 94 Big Bore carbine.  It was based on a shortened .38-55 case but is made with heavier brass to withstand higher pressures.
Bullet weight:  250 grains
Muzzle velocity:  1900 fps
Muzzle energy:  2003 ft-lbs

.307 Winchester

Development by Winchester began in 1980, but it was not available until 1983, when it was introduced and a Model 94XTR Angle-Eject was produced for it.  This was an attempt to provide a cartridge close to the performance of the .308 Winchester--but still use the standard configuration of the Model 94 lever gun.  The .307 is a rimmed cartridge that uses a .308-caliber bullet, but was named .307 in order to prevent confusion with the rimless .308.  The .307 is slightly less powerful than the .308, and doesn't retain velocity as well because the flat-pointed bullet necessary in a tube-fed lever gun isn't as aerodynamic.
Bullet weight:  180 grains
Muzzle velocity:  2510 fps
Muzzle energy:  2519 ft-lbs

.356 Winchester

Developed alongside the .307 during 1980-83, this rimmed cartridge was named .356 to avoid confusion with the rimless .358 Winchester.  This round was intended to provide .358 performance in a Model 94 lever gun.  The .356 is slightly less powerful than the .358.  Like the .307, downrange performance suffers because of the flat-pointed bullet.
Bullet weight:  200 grains
Muzzle velocity:  2460 fps
Muzzle energy:  2688 ft-lbs

7-30 Waters
Introduced in 1984 for the Model 94XTR Angle-Eject rifle and carbine.  Developed by Ken Waters by necking a .30-30 cartridge down to 7mm to improve on the performance of the .30-30.
Bullet weight:  120 grains
Muzzle velocity:  2700 fps
Muzzle energy:  1943 ft-lbs

.450 Marlin
Developed jointly by Marlin and Hornady for the Marlin 336 and introduced in 2000.  Winchester also produced some late-model 94's for it.  Based on both the .45-70 and the .375 H&H Magnum, it is a belted round that, according to many, is simply a commercialized version of a wildcat cartridge developed by Frank Barnes in 1962, and which he dubbed the .458x2" American.  The wildcat was created by shortening a .458 Winchester Magnum case from 2.5" to exactly 2".
Bullet weight:  350 grains
Muzzle velocity:  2100 fps
Muzzle energy:  3420 ft-lbs

.45 Colt

Another round that epitomizes the Old West, the .45 Colt was introduced in 1873 and was originally a black powder round for the Colt Peacemaker revolver.  Like many other popular handgun loads already mentioned, several models of long guns have been chambered for it, including the Model 94.
Bullet weight:  225 grains
Muzzle velocity:  960 fps
Muzzle energy:  460 ft-lbs

.480 Ruger
Developed by Hornady and Ruger (or perhaps, developed by Hornady and named by Ruger) and introduced in 2001, this is the first cartridge to carry the Ruger name.  It also has the sad distinction of being the last cartridge for which a Model 94 was produced.  Originally intended for Ruger's big Redhawk hunting revolver, it was a natural for use in a long gun, as many other revolver rounds were before it.  It was created with the intention of providing a sort of intermediate cartridge that would have more energy than the .44 Magnum but less recoil than the .454 Casull.  It is actually the same caliber as the .475 Linebaugh and can be fired in revolvers chambered for that round.  It was given the .480 name for distinction, and is less powerful than the Linebaugh cartridge.
Bullet weight:  325 grains
Muzzle velocity:  1329 fps
Muzzle energy:  1275 ft-lbs

NOTE:  Hornady produces LEVERevolution ammunition for the .30-30, .444 Marlin, and .450 Marlin.  This ammunition uses a bullet with a pointed elastomer tip, which is supposed to provide better downrange performance while still being safe to carry in a tubular magazine.

So there you have it.  If I missed anything, let me know.

UPDATE:  See also Winchester 94 update:  the .219 Zipper.
UPDATE #2:  See also Winchester 94 update #2:  .32-40 WCF.

References:
The .480 Ruger, in Perspective
450 Marlin
Hornady Ammunition
Winchester Firearms
Winchester Ammunition
Guns & Ammo Magazine
Cartridges of the World
Ammoguide.com

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