Marrakai - Thanks for your exposition of the term "Magnum", as is relates to sporting rifle ammunition.

If I may go a step further?

John Rigby gave his definition of "Magnum Express" in reponse to a request by J.H. Walsh ("Stonehenge"), editor of "The Field", and subsequently published in "Modern Sportsmans Gun & Rifle", in 1882, as;

"Those rifles which carry bullets heavier than 400gr. and fulfill other conditions might be called Magnum Express".

While, the concept of the early "magnums" bottle-neck shape being similar to a champagne bottle may explain the origin of it's use in this context, I'm sure you will agree that the English Gun Trade were not long in deviating from Rigby's definition.

Paradoxically, it was probably Rigby himself that first stepped outside his own definition by using the term for modern high velocity Nitro cartidges with his introduction of the .350 Rigby Magnum in 1908, thus pre-dating Hollands use of the term for their .375 Magnum by about 4 years, closely followed by Westley Richards (.425 Westley Richards Magnum in 1909, Gibbs (.256Gibbs Magnum in 1913), Jeffery (.303 Magnum in 1919).

Holland's, being the superlative marketers they were, simply applied the term to everything they developed.

Perhaps Winchesters' use of the term "magnum", is in fact more in line with Rigby's original definition, by virtue of it's bullet weight rather than it's shape?