The wide-spread adoption of the metallic cartridge shortly after the close of the American Civil War signaled a massive step forward in firearms technology. Many iconic cartridges emerged during the period between 1865 and 1890, cartridges like the 45 Colt, the 38-40 WCF, and the 44-40 Win, just to name a few.
However, two of the most iconic lever action rifle cartridges developed during this time were the 45-90 Winchester Center Fire (WCF) and 45-70 Government.
The 45-70 has endured the test of time and is still in use today as a hunting round while the 45-90 has fallen into relative obscurity and is typically only seen in antique firearms or at Cowboy Action Shooting competitions.
In this article we will examine the similarities and differences between these two big bore lever gun cartridges that arguably won the West.
Learn more in our latest ammunition guide at Ammo.com.