.450 Express?

[paulsj]

Is .450 designed for 480gr bullets and cordite powder same as .450-400 3&1/4 inch? Thank for all help.

 

[Llama Bob]

I'm confused - the .450/400 Nitro express is a bottleneck cartridge with a .405" bullet. It's not the same thing as a .450 NE (3 1/4") which is a straight wall with .458" bullets.

 

[CraigC]

The .450/.400 is the .450 Nitro Express necked down to .40 caliber. In the old gunland of Great Britain, they put the parent cartridge first.

 

[PabloJ]

There used to be large enough number of these made during the Golden Age, so called to be quite confusing. Those include .450/400 3&1/4", .450/400 3", .450/400 2&3/8" with bullet diameter of .410. The .450 No 2, .450 3&1/4" with bullet diameters of .458. It's game for advanced collector where ammo availability condition and name of side of action and inscribed on barrels can mean difference of many thousands in price. Need chamber casting or have someone knowledgeable look over piece before proceeding. Kyamco and Wolfgang Romey (found in US as Westley Richards ammo), Hornady make cartridges for some of these. The "freight train express" or NE is more desirable with typical sample throwing 400gr to 500gr slug at about 2100+/-100 fps. To me it would make no difference if the gun is .470, .475 no. 2, 500/465, .450/400 as long as I can buy commercially loaded ammo. No cartridge available means less desirable gun because one can not shoot pumpkins or tree stumps for fun.