I read that in 1907 England aproved a law banning the entrance of any .450 ammo in India to avoid that any bullet could be use in the Martini-Henry some rebels have by those dates, because of this, gunmakers developed new cartdriges and the .470 and .465 were born.

Is this true?
L

You need to address this question to Ray Atkinson. I understand that he actually fought in Sepoy Revolt in 1858.

BTW, I have a .475 N.E. 3 1/4" that is nothing but the .450 N.E. with less taper and a .483 caliber, 480 grain bullet instead of the "prohibited" .458... obviously nothing but a change to get around the problem of the "indigenous population" supposedly pulling bullets from "sporting" rifles and using them in old .577/.450's.

Not sure the year was 1907, but your issue raised is basically correct. It also had the Sudan involved.

Thanks gentlemen. For me was quite a surprise.

It is interesting to see that the developing of such a great/popular and specific DG cartdrige like the 470 NE, was due a political situation and not because hunting requirements.

L

Actually that is correct...I did do a term in that little revolt...

Yes, the doubles evolved into the 470 and 450-400 as a result of that little bit of legislation by the Indian gov. A ridiculas law but then things have not gotten any better in that country of little reasoning, but nice people...

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Actually that is correct...I did do a term in that little revolt...

Yes, the doubles evolved into the 470 and 450-400 as a result of that little bit of legislation by the Indian gov. A ridiculas law but then things have not gotten any better in that country of little reasoningng, but nice people...

Ray, that country of little reasoning was Great Britton, not India! This was done at the request of the British army, to keep the Indians from haveing good bullets for loading their .450 rifles.

The 470, 465, and others were done so the barrels on existing doubles could be simply re-bored, and re-regulated for a new cartridge. The 465 was simply the 500/450 NE, or 500/450 No1 re-board and throated for the larger bullet. This is why you find a lot of double rifles with conflicting proof marks, or obliterated marks, then re-marked. India, and the Sudan were the only place where this law was made, but those were the two most common destinations for all double rifles! Double rifle in Africa in 1907 were rare, and most were in India!

The 450/400 3 1/4" BLP was listed in the Kynoch catalog in 1886, and the 3" Jeffery version the 450/400 3" was introduced in 1896 a full 11 years before the 1907 ban on the .450!

Damn Ray, you were there, you should have known that!

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Actually that is correct...I did do a term in that little revolt...

...and you're still quite revolting!