Recently I acquired a sealed bow of 100 Winchester primes. I know that they are old, but just how old and what time period they fit in are a question I'd like some help with. Being that they are marked for both Black or Smokeless powder makes me think that they were made well before WW, maybe even before WW1. Would like to hear from any one who may help with placing the time period.
                            thank you, Sendaro

Phil Sharpe's Complete Guide To Handloading has some interesting info about how the fit of Win brass primer pockets and Win primers were different than the fit of Rem brass primer pockets and Rem primers back in those days.

Sendaro wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2017 at 8:32pm:

I've tried to sell empty boxes on ebay from a later era and I'm lucky if I get $3 each.

With the transition of Kings & DuPont's Lesmok Semi Smokeless in approximately 1894 and then Smokeless in the US, the black powder shooters complained loudly that black powder primers on the market wouldn't ignite the semi & smokeless powers on the market.  Semi Smokeless powders were stopped being produced primarily in 1920 and a little later
So as to the age of the primers, it fits into the period late 1890's to 1920.  Exact age?  Might want identity the lot number and call Winchester

Note: The first smokeless powders were made in 1846, when both nitrocellulose (gun cotton) and nitroglycerine were first developed in Europe.  When exactly introduced in the US?  But Browning invented the Winchester 1894 for smokeless propellants with the dual locking lugs

Quote:

John Boy,
Dual locking lugs on a Winchester 1894?

There is a color picture of a label for Winchester primers (same colors as your box) on the back cover of WRACo Cartridges, Vol. 2.  Book dates from 2002.  No information about back cover photos in the book.

My guess is pre-WW1 era.  Maybe 1910?

I posted a general inquiry on the International Ammunition Association forum.  Boxes of primers like that are quite collectible.

Further digging says the 2 1/2 W was cataloged from the 1890s to the early 1920s, maybe not produced after WW1.  Commercially, it seems to have been loaded in the BP loads of larger BP cartridges; 38/56, 38/72 etc.

Make of it what you will...   the following is from Winchester Catalog No. 82, 1920 Edition:

No. 1W.     Win. Improved Primers for Black and Smokeless Powders.     Adapted to .32 Extra Long, .22, .32, .38 and .44 Win., 38 Extra Long, .44 Evans and .45-70 Marlin Cartridges.
     
No. 1 1/2W.     Win. Improved Primers for Black and Smokeless Powders.     Adapted to .32 S.&W., .32 Short Colt, .32 Long Colt, .38 Short Colt, .38 M.&H., .38 Long Colt, .38 S.&W., .41 Short Colt, .41 Long Colt and .44 M.&H. Cartridges

No. 2 1/2W.     Win. Improved Primers for Black and Smokeless Powders.     Adapted to Military and Sporting Cartridges.

No. 3W.     Win. Improved Copper Primers for Black and Smokeless Powder Cartridges and New Rival and Nublack Paper Shells.

New No. 4.     Win. Primers for Win. “Leader” and “Repeater” Shells with Smokeless Powders.

No. 5.     Win. Improved Primers.     Adapted to .25-35 Win. And .30 Win. Cartridges.

No. 5 1/2.     Win. Improved Primers.     Adapted to .32 Win. Special, .33 Win., and the Win. High Velocity Cartridges .38-55, .45-70, .45-90, and .50-110.