Carries limited ammunition. Nitro Express Rifle is a large weapon in Hunt:Showdown. Ask questions too! The bullets were of cast lead and roughly the shape of a pear, with raised protrusions corresponding with the grooves in the bore. ! The two rifles mentioned above were both made by the same London gun-maker; Watson Bros, and probably dated from a similar period; circa World War One. To increase durability and strength, it features the famous Greener cross bolt and conventional double bottom bite locking system. We are the first and best forum for Double Rifles. The term "Express" was coined by James Purdey in 1856, derived from the express train, to publicise the bullet velocity of his double rifles and became common parlance for many rifle cartridges. Built in 1998. Brass, Bullets and reloading dies the 470 Nithro Express. We ship ammunition to your door via UPS ground. <p>Twenty-five years ago, from a humble manufacturing facility in Brooklyn, New York, Henry began shipments of their first rifle: an affordable, reliable, and classically styled rimfire lever action, designated the H001 Henry Classic Lever Action .22.</p> <p>Today, a quarter-century and more than a million H001's later, Henry Repeating Arms has grown to become America's leading lever . He called the No.2 an eminenty satisfactory shell and a certain killer. So, if you were hunting in India where you would be riding in a howdah on the back on an elephant, the fact that your .600 Nitro Express tipped the scales at around 16lb would not be an issue, and its effect with soft point bullets on a charging tiger would be nothing short of spectacular (as would the effect of its recoil on your shoulder). . The .450 3-inch Nitro Express . After Purdey built their first Express Rifle in 1851, the term gained traction and became universal. This is a cartridge that has been described as A real killer on practically anything and it has been a favored choice amongst both professional hunters and sportsmen for well over a century. Olympic) target. The whole has fine classic English scroll engraving. Ask questions too! 44 Africa books You should also feel free to hunt with your .500 Nitro Express. Sling swivels are attached for the fitting of a strap and a rubber Silvers pad provides a little extra length to the butt and added protection from damage, when rested on the ground, as well as a secure and comfortable fit into the shoulder. I tend to think that the fashion of having a carry rifle and an emergency stopping rifle was perhaps the result of some salesmanship on the part of gun-makers. Ten of those were the .475 (No.2) and one the original .475. Yeah, something like that. The .500 Nitro Express has been enjoying something of a resurgence in popularity and with good reason: people are beginning to discover what a superb cartridge it is. The nitro proof mark is on the side of the barrels, not the flats, best seen in the pictures showing the sides of the receiver. Provenance: The Malcolm King Collection. If you are looking for a stopping double-rifle cartridge, one with a track-record that stretches back to the nineteenth century, then the .500 Nitro Express may be for you. 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. This is a slight modification from original, with some precious metal inserted to provide a distinct visual bead. Moderator: CptCurl : 3510 . Double triggers offer reliability and permit the choice of which barrel (or load) is fired first. The barrels are hammer forged and feature a 1:15 rifling twist. In other words, one load may cause bullets to cross then diverge while other loads may produce parallel groups or begin to diverge soon after leaving the muzzle. Renowned worldwide for their handling, accuracy and durability, each HEYM rifle represents over 150-years of experience combined with the best in modern materials, machining capabilities and craftsmanship. The other issue is the need to practice with two rifles to be equally competent with both. 458 Winchester. Black powder express rifles were most effective at ranges of up to about 250 yards. Enter the forums, join as a member, its FREE, and join in the discussions. Merkel uses a combination of modern manufacturing or tooling with hand fitting, polish and barrel regulation. The sight picture is straight down the rib and the front sight shows clearly even with a dark background. Buy Danner Trail 2650 Mid 4in GTX Hiking Shoes - Men's, Brown/Military Green, 11 US, Wide, 61243-EE-11 61243EE11 available as low as $219.99. While the golden era of the double rifle has passed, fine-crafted, vintage examples (typically produced from the 1890s until the beginning of World War II) remain in high demand and command premiums that often range from $25,000 to $200,000 or more, which puts them out of reach of the average hunter/shooter. And many have been fired extensively and exhibit considerable wear. The sunken concave rib has a matted stepped front sight block with bead sight, matted stepped quarter rib with blued standing notch rear sight with gold inlaid center line and calibrated for 50 yards, J.&L. With Alfred Nobels invention of smokeless propellants the British created their own version called Cordite in 1889, and it didnt take them long to create the next version of the .500, the .500 Nitro for Black Powder, in the 1890s. The latter threw an 875 grain ball at around 1,400 fps and penetrated the same number of boards. This rifle features double triggers and selective ejectors but is also available with extractors (at less cost) for hunters wanting a quietly opening action. Today, if you order a new rifle from Westley Richards or Holland & Holland for the purpose of hunting elephant or buffalo, it will be a Nitro Express in .470, .500 or .577. At the end of testing, the rifle was beginning to wear in; however, it was still tight enough that the top lever had to be bumped slightly to completely close and lock the action and allow the rifle to be fired. So the .500 Nitro Express delivers about 30% more energy. Traditional ballistics list a .510-inch, 570-grain bullet with a muzzle velocity around 2,150 fps (as listed by Kynoch), which generates 5,860 foot-pounds. The Merkel 140-2 features a sliding tang safety. WILKINS & CO. ENGLAND signed in gold, and dolls head extension engraved with a shell. 114 Asia articles As an example the Holland & Holland double-rifle pictured above tips the scales at 10lb 13oz. This led to the .500 Nitro Express being somewhat less popular yet this was not a case of its being in any way inadequate. The case is also very fine and has minor marks on the exterior. Seen primarily in double rifles, it was adopted by most of the big British gunmakers of the day. 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. Ruger No.1-H Tropical .450/400 Nitro Express rifle review Manufacturer: Ruger A single-shot rifle may not be to everyone?s taste, but if you are a little more discerning, the Ruger No.1 is a beautifully crafted and great-looking rifle, especially in its Tropical format. Using Cordite it was not only possible to do this but also to improve on the performance of the .500 Black Powder Express. Peter bought it in New Zealand and used it in Africa in 2005 and 2018. Peter, the current owner has had it for some years and his most recent quarry was cape buffalo. Regular bullet weight is 400 grains, but 350s can also be found. However, the double eight weighed 13 1/2lbs, with the .500 weighing just 9lbs. Both are considered elephant-stopping rounds. Bote de 20 cartouches Hornady 470 NITRO Express 500 GRAINS DGX BONDED Calibre : 470 NITRO Express Poids : 32,4 grammes . . Register your details here for invitations to events and special offers from The Vintage Gun Journal, Vintage Guns Ltd 2023. The .500 NE has a maximum average pressure of 40,611 psi. A .500 Nitro Express is a rifle you can comfortably carry all day on a hunt without needing it to be ported for you by a gun-bearer, and it has a flat enough trajectory curve to be used out to 200-250 yards on non-dangerous plains game in addition to being a reliable stopping rifle against dangerous game. If you enjoy big game hunting around the world and safaris, enjoy the stories and photos and share your own. Australian company Woodleigh Bullets had become a mainstay maker of British big game rifle bullets during the hiatus and, along with cases made by Bell Laboratories, were key to keeping these dangerous game rifles shooting in the period of the 1970s and 1980s. Enjoy discussions and gunsmithing topics on building double rifles. Black Powder Express RiflesLeap forward in time and percussion gives way to breech-loading. Yes we want to publish them. 44 Africa books The Merkel 140-2 is a box lock Anson & Deeley design, which is simple, strong and reliable. A .500 Nitro Express double rifle is typically built to weigh 10.5lb-11lb. The Watson Bros is a good example of how some of the less widely understood calibres designed for sporting use, but rendered obsolete in the 1960s, as ammunition for them ceased to be listed in manufacturers catalogues, can quite easily be prepared for another lifetime of proper hunting. Recoil of the .500 NE is not nearly as severe; however, it is certainly not for everyone. Why not use it for boar shooting or elk for example? The weapon is also mounted with a bulky peep sight, greatly restricting the players vision when they use the weapons irons. The Anson & Deeley action is bolstered at the radius, which is the weakest part of a breech-loader. The real game changer was Cordite, which arrived in the late 1880s and revolutionised the nature of sporting rifles; express rifles included. The .475 and the .475 (No.2) are quite different. [1] Rigby soon solved the problems with the .450 NE which quickly became the standard big-game cartridge used throughout Britains African colonies and India. Note the test rifles firm wood-to-metal fit and rounded contact points, which help prevent stock splitting. Its easy to carry and very steady for standing, free-hand shots he said. The first double rifle forum on the net. All these calibres are in production today and can be ordered from our foremost double rifle makers, like Holland & Holland, Rigby or Westley Richards. The .500 Nitro Express ammo is a little more expensive but is certainly not going to break your bank account, especially if your bank account is capable of surviving a double-rifle size dent being made in it. He has studied the Japanese sword arts and has a long history of involvement in the shooting sports, which has included authoring submissions to government on various firearms related issues and assisting in the design and establishment of shooting ranges. From left to right: 1.17 HM2,2.17 HMR, . The difference in performance made obsolete the old bore rifles and calibres once considered best suited to deer, like .450 became dangerous game killers. 500 Nitro Express Safari double rifle features Merkels modified Anson & Deeley boxlock, Ejectors and Greener crossbolt locking mechanism. SAVE BIG on Barnes Banded Solid Rifle Bullet, .600 Nitro Express, 900 Grain, Solid Flat Nose or other Gunsmith and Reloading Equipment from Barnes. It's definitely not a long-range cartridge; when zeroed for 100 yards, the 500 grain Woodleigh slugs will drop eight inches at 200 yards. The 700 Nitro Express, like the big bore nitro express cartridges, was developed for taking dangerous big game at close range, by intrepid hunters on foot in heavy cover, using single-shot or double rifles. All Rights Reserved. Specialized craftsmen hand-fit and finish every part of a HEYM rifle"Lock, Stock and Barrel"in house to painstaking tolerances. Published by Vintage Guns Ltd on 1st March 2021. It should be noted however that at greater ranges the rifle has a chance to require additional follow up to guarantee a kill. The Elephant Rifle is a double-barreled rifle which, judging by the time period and performance, likely fires .577 Nitro Express with smokeless cordite gunpowder, a relatively new round at the time. Although still a challenge, more hunters can master the recoil of the .500 NE than the heavy stopping cartridges such as the .577 and .600 NE, making it a practical choice. The forend houses the ejectors and is attached by an Anson pushrod. Jon Branch is the founder and senior editor of Revivaler and has written a significant number of articles for various publications including official Buying Guides for eBay, classic car articles for Hagerty, magazine articles for both the Australian Shooters Journal and the Australian Shooter, and he's a long time contributor to Silodrome. 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