If I remember right, Kirton's book includes photos of several Gibbs ammunition boxes and they are all as Ganyana describes - i.e., no caliber markings, only "Gibbs No. 1" or "Gibbs No. 2" on the boxes.

I seem to remember that the Gibbs cartridge drawings included in the book show a bullet diameter of 0.453 inch for both the No. 1 and the No. 2, although I could be wrong.

I will have to check later.

EDITED TO ADD: Kirton's published drawings and information from a Gibbs bullet mold indicate that both the Gibbs No. 1 and No. 2 were as follows:

Groove diameter = 0.461" (although Kirton says that the early rifles seem to have been 0.460")

Bullet diameter = 0.453"

The bullets were used with 0.008"± paper patches to make up the difference between the bullet and bore diameters.

Very much like the bullets used for the Short Chamber Boxer-Henry .45 Caliber, a/k/a .577-.450 Martini-Henry, although those were slightly larger.

quote:

Originally posted by Ganyana:
I got one hell of a lot less than that when I 'sold' the rifle through Holts 4 years back...they actually sold it below the reserve price and I still hold the providence and Photo's linking it to Johannes Colenbrander and thence Selous - I didn't hand it over becuase conditions were not met but I couldn't get the gun back to Zim

If the new buyer frequents these forums...I am open to negotiation....After all- I got it from Colenbranders grandaughter as a present for trying to rescue her son (killed by North Koreans/5th Brigade) But I went down to the compound to try and help, and we actually got him out alive but he died in the truck on the way to the hospital

It sold for £23K
Gutted - I was in the room in 2007 and outbid by a phone bidder. I remember the bidding starting higher than the top estimate, but a reserve was never mentioned. I would have tried harder to win it if it hadn't been for my wife - still haven't forgiven her! I can't believe the buyer has just turned it around for a quick profit. I would have cherished it forever!