The big question however will not be how much energy your chosen caliber can deliver, nor how much shock power or knock-out value it has. stories. It is probably fair to say that the Nitro Express calibres transformed big game hunting in Africa, but the .470 was not the first. The Merkel 140-2 is a box lock Anson & Deeley design, which is simple, strong and reliable. 170 Vintage hunting books and articles . Point of impact was different than the 570-grain jacketed bullets, but the rifle can be sighted-in at 100 yards by drifting the rear sight assembly slightly and using the 75-yard/meter rear sight leaf. The .450-.470 caliber cartridges became increasingly popular and two heavy stopping nitro calibers appeared, the .577 Nitro Express and the .600 Nitro Express. Rigby .450 Nito Express double rifle, 1906, Class C, engraved, ejectors, express, superb accuracy, l. Rigby .450 Nitro Express. the NitroExpress.com Forums are for you. A .500 Nitro Express double rifle is typically built to weigh 10.5lb-11lb. Development work on the .600 NE most probably took place in the late 1890's . Though the Nitro Express has a short range, its shot is incredibly powerful, with an equally powerful recoil. . Double triggers offer reliability and permit the choice of which barrel (or load) is fired first. It also features a casehardened trigger plate, blued triggers, articulated front trigger, blued trigger guard with gold inlaid serial number, and casehardened pistol grip cap with hinged trap cover. Jeffery & Company introduced the .600 Nitro Express large bore caliber for hunting dangerous game at close range. Whilst the .450 cartridges could not be loaded into a MartiniHenry rifle, it was feared the bullets could be pulled and used to reload expended .577/.450 cartridges.[1]. Powerful, side-by-side, big game hunting rifle that can bring down the largest targets at mid-range. It comes in a brass cornered and leather wrapped takedown case with dark green lining on the fitted interior, two snap caps, a Westley Richards & Co. oil bottle, and a takedown cleaning rod. Swiss Schmidt-Rubin Straight-Pull Rifle Database. The term has been with us for fewer years than the concept. Though the Nitro Express has a short range, its shot is incredibly powerful, with an . Many double rifles today are regulated to sixty five yards or more. The weapon is favored for its ability to quickly kill other hunters with a single shot. So the price of .500 Nitro Express ammo is about 30% more than that for common .458 Winchester Magnum ammo and a bit over double that for .375 Holland & Holland Magnum. All the British dangerous game cartridges, and the rifles chambered for them, suffered a hiatus beginning in the late 1960s, when hunting dangerous game in Africa became less and less accessible, up until it began to be re-discovered by the 1990s. Cartridge Type: Rifle Height: 3.25" Width: 0.655" Average FPS: 2134 Average . Serial number 13636 and the 29 Old Bond Street address indicate the rifle was made before 1930. His travels have taken him to Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan and a number of other countries. Includes pivot scope mount. The present rifle, our interpretation of the serial number indicating that this was the third of a reported four total double .700 rifles made, bears the Birmingham proof date stamp for 1996. So you want to buy a SKS Rifle Excellent Choice! You can make up your own practice courses of fire but the ones created for the SSAA Big Game rifle clubs in Australia are good. The front sight is a standard gold bead. While the trajectory is less than desirable at ranges over 150 yards, consider that most . One notable example is the Merkel 140-2, with variations offered in .375 H&H Magnum, .416 Rigby, .450/400 Nitro Express (NE), .470 NE and .500 NE, which is the cartridge I selected. Yes we want to publish them. We carry Hormady Ammunition. However, if the bullet is pushed too hard by a large powder charge, the soft lead is simply stripped by the rifling and the benefit lost. The addition of the word "Nitro" stemmed from the propellant used in these cartridges, cordite, which is composed of nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine . The main difference was the wider use made of the .470 by well-known makers, while the .475 remained the preserve of but a few; Watson Bros being one of them. 44 Africa books Carries limited ammunition. 80 Africa articles Created from loading the already popular .450 Black Powder Express with cordite, the .450 NE was a fast and accurate cartridge capable of taking all African and Indian dangerous game. The top-safety slide is non-automatic, which is common practice on a dangerous game rifle, for obvious reasons. The Full-Length Sizer Die brings the case to SAAMI minimum cartridge dimensions. To increase durability and strength, it features the famous Greener cross bolt and conventional double bottom bite locking system. The bullets for this caliber are strongly constructed and will not expand explosively. - https://kentuckyballistics.com/ In today's video we try out the world's biggest elephant gun! One of the more popular cartridges is the .500 NE (3-inch) that was developed by UK-based Westley Richards around 1890. Vo strike knuckle guard and advanced grip for the Kriss Vector is designed to be a practical yet beautiful accessory for the Vector. This story really begins during the last half of the nineteenth century, when savvy professional hunters (PH), adventurers and sportsman determined that a large-caliber double rifle was the ultimate sporting gun for hunting large, heavy and dangerous game that was usually encountered at close range in brush or trees in unexplored Africa. The rifle looks like it has been cared for. The Long-Lee style action with bolt-head safety and blued dust-cover, fully-detachable magazine, figured stock with semi-pistolgrip and B.S.A. The casehardened bolstered action is signed J.&L. They are straight and beautifully machined. Nitro Express RiflesWhen smokeless powders, with their increased power to move a bullet at speed, became available, everything changed. If you are in the business of selling rifles then selling two is much better than selling just one. The Merkel 140-2 is a well-built rifle that offers reliability, power and accuracy at a reasonable price. Enjoy discussions and gunsmithing topics on building double rifles. The SSAA Big Game Rifle Stopping Double-rifle match requires 10 rounds comprising 2x shots at 50m in up to 5 minutes, then 4x shots standing unsupported at 50m in 16 seconds, then 4x shots standing unsupported at 25m in 16 seconds. Find reloading information on Nitro Express cartridges, reloading for double rifles and other rare firearms as well as modern cartridges. Between 2011 and 2018, Holts, the London auctioneers, have sold eleven double rifles of .475 calibre. 114 Asia articles We began this post considering the delightful problem of choosing a suitable cartridge for the double-rifle you might be considering purchasing. It was developed in 1988 by Jim Bell and . 47 African Sporting Gazette articles Assuming a 4 vital zone the Maximum Point Blank Range calculation comes up at 180yards, and if zeroed at 200 yards the trajectory height at 100-150 yards only slightly exceeds 4 with the Barnes Triple Shock X bullet which has a spitzer point and a ballistic coefficient of .369. LIMITED TIME!!! BUILT BY JOSEF JUST OF FERLACH, AUSTRIA, COMPLETED IN 2000, THIS IS A ONE OF A KIND DRILLINIG WITH TWO SETS OF BARRELS.FIRST SET IS .600NE X2 WITH A .500/416 ON TOP, SECOND SET IS .470NE X2 AND . Muzzle Loading Express RiflesPushing a lead ball or conical bullet down a rifled barrel provides greater stability (and therefore greater accuracy) than pushing one down a smooth bore. Today we, perhaps, favour the most recognised calibres, such as that brilliant all-rounder, the .375 H&H Magnum, which is versatile enough to employ as a stalking rifle for red deer in the UK but will also handle everything an African safari can put in front of you. Current industry maximum average pressure is established at 40,611 psi. The .450 Black Powder Express certainly paved the way, but John Rigby & Company released the smokeless version in 1898, a rimmed affair driving a 480-grain bullet of .458-inch diameter to a muzzle velocity of 2150 fps via a charge of 70 . The bullet diameter is 0.411 inches. The steel barrels are twenty-four inches long and the proof stamps indicate a maximum cordite charge of 85 grains and a bullet weight of 480. Here, we take a look at a rarely encountered dangerous game rifle. (You will find the full article about the pair of rifles pictured above if you click here). Twin-hammer action with Universal Trigger System and Combi-Cocking Device Set trigger integrated in the front trigger Slim compact steel action with reinforced sidewalls for extra strength Small Arabesques engraving Ergonomically shaped Kickspanner manual cocking device providing safe and simple operation As far as I can tell, the Nitro Express era started in 1898 with introduction of the .450 NE from John Rigby. Nicely figured walnut pistol grip stock with raised cheek- .Click for more info Seller: Cabelas Buda Area Code: 512 $10,999.99 NEW THIS WEEK! The difference in performance made obsolete the old bore rifles and calibres once considered best suited to deer, like .450 became dangerous game killers. In a good double rifle, the .450 Nitro makes a great choice for elephant, hippo and buffalo, effectively taking all three for well over a century. This is ideal; however, a rifle that groups both barrels properly within normal hunting distance is most certainly effective and adequate. By comparison a factory Winchester Model 70 Safari Express weighing 9lb and firing Hornady factory ammo with a 500 grain bullet at 2.140fps produces recoil of 65ft/lb. (To visit the web site of Max Ern and family click here). The case is also very fine and has minor marks on the exterior. Which of the two classic London sidelocks gets your vote? The other course of fire to practice is the Charging Animal which requires targets at 75m, 50m and 25m. Register your details here for invitations to events and special offers from The Vintage Gun Journal, Vintage Guns Ltd 2023. The overall condition is very good, with crisp engraving and a good deal of original colour. Black powder express rifles were most effective at ranges of up to about 250 yards. This gun is expensive, lethal, inconsistent, and endearing? Three powders were stand-out choices: Alliant Reloder 17, Hodgdon Hybrid 100V and IMR-4955. Black powder express rifles in the calibres described above, one must remember, were primarily suited to the hunting of medium game. How different are they? RIAC believes that this website is accessible to the widest possible audience pursuant to the guidelines of the Americans with Disability Act. The original cartridge is slightly tapered, whereas the No.2 is bottle-necked. This was the contemporary smokeless load for the 9.3x72R with a 196 gr copper jacket bullet at 2020 fps . It . The addition of the word "Nitro" stemmed from the propellant used in these cartridges, cordite, which is composed of nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine. Recoil of the .500 NE is not nearly as severe; however, it is certainly not for everyone. Today, we think of bullets as smooth-sided projectiles but in the mid 19th century they took many forms. The .450 Nitro Express is noteworthy for a number of reasons; it was the accepted all-around choice for hunting not only dangerous game, but all game, especially before the smaller-bore cartridges took root in the hunting world. The barrels are hammer forged and feature a 1:15 rifling twist. Youll find the SSAA Big Game Rifle rule book with all the courses of fire if you click here. Govt get out of our lives NOW! Those advantages were its ability to be used in much lighter rifles, typically around 11lb in weight, and the jacketed bullets ability to penetrate and deliver dangerous game stopping power where it did the most good. [Modern Firearm] A Joseph Bourne and Son, Birmingham Farquharson type falling block single shot big game rifle, .450 Nitro Express. While there were a number of excellent rifle cartridges developed during the black-powder era for single-shot and double rifles, the Nitro Express cartridges remain in high demand and are practical for todays hunters. Dicksons rifles were given two deep grooves, with a twist of one quarter in thirty inches. 114 Asia articles Unlike the previous missable weapon, this doesn't require solving a small . For a .500 Nitro Express double rifle weighing 10.7lb and firing the Hornady factory ammo with a 570 grain bullet at 2,150fps the recoil is calculated at 67ft/lb. During that hiatus manufacture of both .500 Nitro Express rifles and ammunition was ceased and both professional hunters and sportsmen alike had few choices other than the .458 Winchester Magnum and the .460 Weatherby Magnum. With Hybrid 100V, 105.0 grains yielded 2,115 fps and 109.0 grains of IMR-4955 powder gave 2,119 fps. .577 Nitro Express 650 Grain Cutting Edge Solids- The .577 Nitro Express is a large bore centerfire rifle cartridge designed for the purpose of hunting large game such as elephant.This cartridge is used almost exclusively in single shot and double express rifles for hunting in the Tropics or hot climates in general and is a cartridge associated with the Golden Age of African safaris and Indian . Merkel uses a combination of modern manufacturing or tooling with hand fitting, polish and barrel regulation. That hunt involved tracking the buffalo for nine hours under the Tanzanian sun and Peter commented on how comfortable the rifle was to carry, even after that amount of time. Compare a black powder express .500 with an 8-bore rifle. 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