The .450 Black Powder Express is a rimmed, straight walled, centerfire rifle cartridge designed for use with blackpowder. It was available in a number of loadings with bullets weighing from 270 to 365 grains (17.5 to 23.7 g), all driven by 120 grains (7.8 g) of black powder.[1][3]
The .450 Nitro for Black is the same cartridge loaded with mild loadings of modern smokeless powder, carefully balanced through trial to replicate the ballistics of the black powder version.[2]
DimensionsEdit
HistoryEdit
In 19th century Britain there were a large number of straight .450 cartridges developed of varying case lengths up to the 31⁄4-inch version. The .450 31⁄4-inch Black Powder Express was originally developed by Alexander Henry[4] as an experimental military cartridge for the 1869 British Army rifle trials that led to adoption of the Martini–Henry rifle. The original military trial "long chamber" cartridge was loaded with a bullet weighing 480 grains (31 g), although for military use it was found to be awkwardly long and difficult to handle and to load, in response Eley Brothers developed the much shorter, bottlenecked .577/450 Martini–Henry cartridge.[5][6]
In the 1870s the .450 31⁄4-inch "long chamber" cartridge became the basis for the .450 Black Powder Express when loaded with lighter projectiles fired at higher velocities than the original. The .450 Black Powder Express was the most popular sporting Express cartridge and was manufactured in the UK, France, Germany, Austria and Canada and was readily available in both black powder and Nitro for Black versions well into the 20th century.[1][3][7]
Illustration of the .360, .450/400 & .450 Black Powder Express cartridges.
UseEdit
The .450 31⁄4-inch Black Powder Express was one of the most popular cartridges ever devised, it was widely used to shoot deer and similar sized game, as well as large dangerous game up to and including elephant.[1][3]
John "Pondoro" Taylor owned two rifles in .450 Black Powder Express, a single falling block rifle and a double rifle by Holland & Holland, with these rifles he killed elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo shooting 365 grain hardened lead bullets, and lion shooting soft solid lead bullets of the same weight.[3]
The favourite rifle of the great continental sportsman Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was a .450 Black Powder Express by Alexander Henry, with which he shot running deer out to 440 metres (480 yd).[9]
^ abImperial War Museums, ".450 Black Powder Express 31/4 inch, copper tubed", iwm.org.uk, retrieved 23 October 2017.
^Jason Atkin, "The short chamber Boxer-Henry .45 caliber cartridge", martinihenry.com, retrieved 7 December 2017.
^Imperial War Museums, ".450 Black Powder Express 31/4 inch, hollow point", iwm.org.uk, retrieved 23 October 2017.
^Frederick Courteney Selous, Travel and adventure in South-East Africa, Rowland Ward & Co., London, 1893.
^W.A. Baillie-Grohman, Sport in the Alps: in the past and present, Adam and Charles Black, London, 1896.
External linksEdit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to .450 Black Powder Express.
Cartridgecollector, ".450 3 1⁄4" Coiled Black Powder Express", www.cartridgecollector.net retrieved 16 December 2016.
Cartridgecollector, ".450 3 1⁄4" Drawn Black Powder Express", www.cartridgecollector.net, retrieved 16 December 2016.
Cartridgecollector, ".450 3 1⁄4" Nitro for Black Powder", www.cartridgecollector.net, retrieved 16 December 2016.
August 26, 2023
black, powder, express, topic, this, article, meet, wikipedia, notability, guidelines, products, services, please, help, demonstrate, notability, topic, citing, reliable, secondary, sources, that, independent, topic, provide, significant, coverage, beyond, mer. The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia s notability guidelines for products and services Please help to demonstrate the notability of the topic by citing reliable secondary sources that are independent of the topic and provide significant coverage of it beyond a mere trivial mention If notability cannot be shown the article is likely to be merged redirected or deleted Find sources 450 Black Powder Express news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message The 450 Black Powder Express also known as the 450 31 4 inch BPE was a popular black powder cartridge in the late 19th and early 20th century 1 450 Black Powder ExpressTypeRiflePlace of originUnited KingdomProduction historyDesigned1870sSpecificationsCase typeRimmed straightBullet diameter 458 in 11 6 mm Neck diameter 479 in 12 2 mm Base diameter 545 in 13 8 mm Rim diameter 624 in 15 8 mm Rim thickness 040 in 1 0 mm Case length3 25 in 83 mm Overall length4 11 in 104 mm Case capacity136 3 gr H2O 8 83 cm3 Primer typeKynoch 40Ballistic performanceBullet mass type Velocity Energy270 gr 17 g Lead copper tubed 1 975 ft s 602 m s 2 340 ft lbf 3 170 J 310 gr 20 g Lead solid 1 800 ft s 550 m s 2 240 ft lbf 3 040 J 325 gr 21 g Lead copper tubed 1 775 ft s 541 m s 2 280 ft lbf 3 090 J 350 gr 23 g 2 150 ft s 660 m s 2 340 ft lbf 3 170 J 365 gr 24 g Lead solid 1 700 ft s 520 m s 2 340 ft lbf 3 170 J Source s Barnes 1 Kynoch 2 and Taylor 3 Contents 1 Design 2 Dimensions 3 History 3 1 Parent case 3 2 Nitro Express loadings 4 Use 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksDesign EditThe 450 Black Powder Express is a rimmed straight walled centerfire rifle cartridge designed for use with blackpowder It was available in a number of loadings with bullets weighing from 270 to 365 grains 17 5 to 23 7 g all driven by 120 grains 7 8 g of black powder 1 3 The 450 Nitro for Black is the same cartridge loaded with mild loadings of modern smokeless powder carefully balanced through trial to replicate the ballistics of the black powder version 2 Dimensions Edit History EditIn 19th century Britain there were a large number of straight 450 cartridges developed of varying case lengths up to the 31 4 inch version The 450 31 4 inch Black Powder Express was originally developed by Alexander Henry 4 as an experimental military cartridge for the 1869 British Army rifle trials that led to adoption of the Martini Henry rifle The original military trial long chamber cartridge was loaded with a bullet weighing 480 grains 31 g although for military use it was found to be awkwardly long and difficult to handle and to load in response Eley Brothers developed the much shorter bottlenecked 577 450 Martini Henry cartridge 5 6 In the 1870s the 450 31 4 inch long chamber cartridge became the basis for the 450 Black Powder Express when loaded with lighter projectiles fired at higher velocities than the original The 450 Black Powder Express was the most popular sporting Express cartridge and was manufactured in the UK France Germany Austria and Canada and was readily available in both black powder and Nitro for Black versions well into the 20th century 1 3 7 Parent case Edit Around 1880 this cartridge was necked down to 405 inch to make the 450 400 Black Powder Express which in turn when loaded with cordite became the 450 400 Nitro Express which was further developed into the 400 Jeffery Nitro Express 1 Nitro Express loadings Edit In 1898 John Rigby amp Company loaded this cartridge with smokeless cordite to create the 450 Nitro Express the first Nitro Express cartridge 1 5 Illustration of the 360 450 400 amp 450 Black Powder Express cartridges Use EditThe 450 31 4 inch Black Powder Express was one of the most popular cartridges ever devised it was widely used to shoot deer and similar sized game as well as large dangerous game up to and including elephant 1 3 Frederick Selous owned a single barrelled 450 Black Powder Express by Alexander Henry which he used to shoot lion when low on ammunition for his favourite 461 Gibbs No 1 Farquharson rifle 8 John Pondoro Taylor owned two rifles in 450 Black Powder Express a single falling block rifle and a double rifle by Holland amp Holland with these rifles he killed elephant rhinoceros and buffalo shooting 365 grain hardened lead bullets and lion shooting soft solid lead bullets of the same weight 3 The favourite rifle of the great continental sportsman Ernest II Duke of Saxe Coburg and Gotha was a 450 Black Powder Express by Alexander Henry with which he shot running deer out to 440 metres 480 yd 9 See also EditExpress weaponry List of rifle cartridges 11 mm caliber other cartridges of similar caliber size References Edit a b c d e f g Frank C Barnes Cartridges of the World ed 13 Gun Digest Books Iola 2012 ISBN 9781440230592 a b Kynoch Ammunition Big Game Cartridges www kynochammunition co uk archived 15 August 2016 a b c d e John Taylor African rifles and cartridges Sportsman s Vintage Press 2013 ISBN 978 1 940001 01 2 Triumph and Tragedy RifleMagazine a b Imperial War Museums 450 Black Powder Express 31 4 inch copper tubed iwm org uk retrieved 23 October 2017 Jason Atkin The short chamber Boxer Henry 45 caliber cartridge martinihenry com retrieved 7 December 2017 Imperial War Museums 450 Black Powder Express 31 4 inch hollow point iwm org uk retrieved 23 October 2017 Frederick Courteney Selous Travel and adventure in South East Africa Rowland Ward amp Co London 1893 W A Baillie Grohman Sport in the Alps in the past and present Adam and Charles Black London 1896 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to 450 Black Powder Express Cartridgecollector 450 3 1 4 Coiled Black Powder Express www cartridgecollector net retrieved 16 December 2016 Cartridgecollector 450 3 1 4 Drawn Black Powder Express www cartridgecollector net retrieved 16 December 2016 Cartridgecollector 450 3 1 4 Nitro for Black Powder www cartridgecollector net retrieved 16 December 2016 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 450 Black Powder Express amp oldid 1129945400, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
