Newtons Arms Company

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Welcome to the Newton Cartridge Reloader Association, where we try to keep Newton cartridges alive!
As might be expected with old cartridges, there is a lot of mystique, mystery, and unfortunately miss
information associated with these cartridges. We try to provide correct historical and factual information to
hand loaders of these fine old cartridges in the hopes of keeping the old rifles chambered for them shooting,
and perhaps cause new rifles to be built in these calibers. A barrel chambered for .308 or .30-06 may be
re-chambered to .30 Newton. Round here we say..... try it, you might like it!

Here is a little excerpt from a famous firearm historian and author that sums up Mr. Newtons cartridge
credits and time line.
"Newton had designed the 22 High Power for the Savage Arms Company to use in the Model 99 in 1912 and
the .250/3000 for the same company in 1915. His .30 Newton was made by necking down the 11.2mm Mauser
cartridge to .30. It was called the .30 Adolf Express after Fred Adolf, a German-born Genoa, New York, custom
rifle maker. Adolf made some rifles for it. Later when Newton himself was manufacturing rifles he had .30
Newton cases drawn for him by Union Metallic Cartridge Company (Remington) at Bridgeport, Connecticut.
The .30 Newton blazed many trails. Besides being the first .30 caliber magnum, it was the first American
cartridge with the sharp 25 degree shoulder now seen on the .338 Winchester Magnum, the .264 Winchester
Magnum, and the 7mm Remington Magnum. The cartridge also had the large head of the later belted
magnum line, the minimum body taper fashionable in case design today, and the overall length like the
present short magnums." - From Jack O'Connor's book "The Hunting Rifle" 1970.

The following is a list of original cartridges designed by Charles Newton
Much of the information derived from the 1916-1917
Newton Arms Co. Catalogue 14th edition
Based on the 1895 Winchester 25-35 cartridge necked down. In 1911 Savage
Arms bought the design and named it the .22 Savage High Power, or "The Imp",
as it became known.

Later known as the 250 Savage, the original loading used an 87grain bullet with
an advertised 3000 fps muzzle velocity.

Based on the 7mm Mauser case of 1892 necked down. Not offered after the
company was reorganized following the war. Used .228 diameter bullets.

Based on the .30 Gov't/ 30-06 case necked down to 25 caliber. Never offered
commercially. Adopted by Remington in 1969 as the .25-06.

Based on the .30 Gov't / 30-06 case necked down and the shoulder pushed back.
Patented 1914. Americas only commercially manufactured 6.5mm cartridge until
the .264 Winchester Magnum in 1958.

Based on the .276 British experimental Pattern of 1913 military cartridge.

Based on the .30 Newton case necked down. The 1923 catalogue stated, "The
.280 is a new addition to the Newton series. In fact, the .280 may be said to be
everybody's rifle, as well as the all around rifle."

German gunsmith Fred Adolf necked the11.2x72 Schuler cartridge to .30 caliber.
He later modified the rim, head and neck dimensions and called it the Adolf
Express. The .30 Newton was inspired by the Adolf Express cartridge, with an
improved rim configuration and different, head, neck and case length dimensions.
The 1917 Newton Catalogue state the original Adolf Express case "used a foreign
shell necked down and required Berdan primers."

The 1917 Newton catalogue states on page 54, "The .33 Newton cartridge we
have decided to abandon as there very little demand for it, most sportsmen who
wanted anything more powerful than our .30 caliber are taking the .35 caliber."

The 1917 Newton Catalogue states, "Is the most powerful which we manufacture."
It boasted 4925 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle, with less felt recoil and a
lighter weight rifle than a .450 English elephant gun.

Based on the .35 Newton case necked up to .405 caliber. Not listed in the
catalogue, but contained in the 1919 Newton chamber dimension chart.
The original Newton Arms Company operated at 506 Mutual Life Building, Buffalo, N.Y. Soon renamed the Newton Arms Corporation, operations were
moved to Brooklyn N.Y. and the Woolworth Building. It fell into receivership during the war. The firm of Kirtland Brothers & Co., 90 Chambers Street
N.Y.,N.Y. purchased the remaining rifle inventory and marketed them for $45. After the war, it was reorganized as the Chas. Newton Rifle Corporation.
Following it's bankruptcy, it was reorganized as the Buffalo Newton Rifle Co. Featured rather prominently, a buffalo head on catalogues and letter head
served as the new company logo. A new cartridge, the .280 Newton, was introduced, and rifles were offered in the now popular .30 Gov't / .30-06 caliber.
This final company would go bankrupt in 1929, just before the stock market crash in October of that year.
With the demise of the Buffalo Newton Corporation, Newton rifles would never be produced again. The Great Depression had finally
scuttled the works of a true Pioneer of cartridges and innovative rifles. Western Cartridge Company would drop the last of the Newton
cartridges, the .256, from their catalogue after 1938. Speer's first hand loading manual, published in 1954, contained load data for the .256
and .30 Newton. Complete Guide To Handloading by Philip Sharpe contains load data on .256, .30. .33, .35, and .40 Newton.

Following World War II, Richard Speer, a great admirer of Charles Newton, produced a limited run of "Forged From Solid" brass cases in
original Newton designed calibers. He would also "create" some new Newton calibers in the spirit of what he believed Charles Newton would
have naturally done, had he still been alive.
Richard Speer's creation, necking the .30 Newton case down to the popular .270 caliber.

Richard Speer's re-creation. Based on the 9.3x64 Brenneke. Listed in Newton's
chamber dimension chart, but never offered commercially.

Richard Speer's re-creation; introducing new brass on the market for the first time since
Western dropped production in 1938.

Richard Speer's re-creation; introducing new brass on the market for the first time since
Western dropped production in 1938.
Copyright 2004 Intellectual property of the Newton Arms Company & Newton Cartridge Reloader Association
(Intellectual defined as those who prefer slide rules, filing cabinets and books to i-pads and x-boxes)
Fighter and inventor to the end. In October 1924 John Meeker, head of the lending group, took control of the Newton Company. In
January 1925, Mr. Newton succeeded in replacing him by legal action. Meeker did manage to take the parts on hand at the company for
some 260 rifles to Somerville, New Jersey, where he assembled them into completed guns.......under the Meeker name! He produced a
catalogue and everything - the Meeker Rifle Co.
The Buffalo Newton Co. would close due to financial trouble in mid 1929. Mr. Newton was already working on his latest invention, the Newton
LeverBolt Rifle.
After the company closed, he tried to get Marlin Firearms to produce his new design, but this venture would fail when Mr. Newton could not
procure enough orders for the gun. Probably just as well, the stock market would collapse later that same year. Mr. Newton died a few years
later at the age of 62.

Update: The Newton LeverBolt rifle is to be produced by a private arms maker, and 2 prototype rifles will be on display at a 2009 Reno Show.
This excerpt is from an original 1923 Newton catalogue:
"There are two kinds of rifle powders, those containing nitro-glycerine and those which do not. The W.A., Lightning, Sharpshooter, Unique, Infallible and
Bulls-eye powders contain the nitro-glycerine, and the Dupont series of powders, which are designated by numbers, do not. The nitro glycerine powders
compare with the Dupont series as a stick of pitch pine compares with a stick of oak or maple. They burn faster and give off more heat, due to the
nitro-glycerine in them having the same effect as the pitch in the pine. These powders are too hot for use in strictly high power rifles.
Summarizing, the Ordnance Department demonstrated that by using a nitro-glycerine based powder such as W.A. loaded to produce only 46,000 pounds
pressure would ruin a rifle barrel in only 600 rounds. By using a powder free from nitro-glycerine they retained an accuracy life of 15,000 rounds when
loads were at 50,000 pounds pressure."
.22 Newton
. 90 gr.

.256 Newton
100 gr.
108 gr. Cast
120 gr. Cast
123 gr
125 gr. Cast
129 gr.
140 gr.
150 gr.

.30 Newton
110 gr.
120 gr.
150 gr.
172 gr.
180 gr.
200 gr.
220 gr.
225 gr.

.35 Newton
200 gr.
220 gr.
250 gr.
275 gr.