origin of .243 win

jaegermister

Anyone have info on the development of this cartridge? Was it developed along with the model 88 or as a independent project?

Mobuck

I think Warren Page was in there somewhere. The Sooper Pooper?

XXCross

The 243 was developed by Winchester Repeating Arms. A Model 70 was the first "test bed" for the cartridge and the Bbl was marked " .236 bore X 308". I had access to that rifle for several years after it was purchased at auction from Bill Jaque.

drl50

I believe it was first introduced by Winchester in the Model 70 and model 88 rifles in 1955.

45er

F. Barnes states all the above in his books & Fred Datig wrote as developed from a necked down .308-Win.

v35

The 243 like some other current and obsolete factory cartridges were
"borrowed" wildcats.
Warren Page developed the .240 Page Pooper by necking down the 7.62 Nato which Winchester borrowed and renamed .308 Winchester.
Winchester kept the 7.62 Nato shoulder angle which was little different from the Page. The angle change was arbitrary though it may show some improvement in high speed chambering in automatic weapons.
In another case, Winchester borrowed the .219 Ackley Improved Zipper
and renamed it the .225 Winchester, now obsolete.
The change they made there was to thin the rim to work in a 30-06 boltface.
The Govt swiped the .222 Win Mag, lengthened the neck slightly,
and it became the .223/5.56.
The idea for the 88 also wasn't Winchesters'. That concept along with mechanical drawings of the action were also borrowed in a conference
between Winchester Reps and a high school kid who went at it wrong...
Me. I'm glad it became obsolete but not that it's a collector's item.

RCrosby

What v35 said. Originally, Warren P. (and probably some others),
commercially, W-W.

jaegermister

Thanks much...carry on.