In the interest of tryin to contribute sumthin, figured I'd offer this
The Model 1894 Winchester actually appeared before the complete demise of the black powder era. It was originally chambered for the .32-40 Winchester and the .38-55 Winchester, two black powder cartridges of long standing. Then the Model 1894 greeted the smokeless powder era with better steel in its barrel. It is interesting to note that the original 1894 action was strong enough for smokeless powder pressures and needed no strengthening modification, as long as the improved barrel steel was used. This is generally true of Browning’s designs. They were somewhat “overbuilt.” Neither the Model 1885 Single Shot nor any of the lever actions needed any modification, other than stronger barrel steel, to move into the smokeless powder era. Interest in the ’94 as a hunting arm, and in the lever action as an icon of disappearing frontier America, propelled it through the twentieth century with several million editions produced and sold.
It came from here
http://ataleoftwothirties.com/?page_id=1036
but I wouldn't know whether it's accurate. Guess this is why/how the 30-30 came to be? Cheers, Doug