1. What is the modern equivalent of a Medford Express rifle made by Gibbs in 450 caliber? He was using "an ordinary express bullet, the hollow plugged with a peg of soft wood, and only backed by 3 1/2 drachms of powder".

2. Is this a cartridge rifle or a black powder rifle?

3.What is the modern equivalent of a "Whitworth rifling 10 bore single"?

4. Is this a cartridge rifle?

Thanks in Advance,
Ski+3

quote:

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Originally posted by SkiBumplus3:
I have been reading "A Hunter's Wanderings in Africa", by Frederick Courteney Selous and am perplexed by his rifles.

1. What is the modern equivalent of a Medford Express rifle made by Gibbs in 450 caliber? He was using "an ordinary express bullet, the hollow plugged with a peg of soft wood, and only backed by 3 1/2 drachms of powder".

2. Is this a cartridge rifle or a black powder rifle?

3.What is the modern equivalent of a "Whitworth rifling 10 bore single"?

4. Is this a cartridge rifle?

Thanks in Advance,
Ski+3

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I'm no expert in these things, but that doesn't always keep me from taking a WAG now and then

Express rifles were black powder rounds that used lighter then std bullets for higher velocities. Within the last year or two, Handloader has had some articles on a few of them.

I'm guessing it is a black powder cartridge rifle. Dram loads are for blackpowder, though shotguns did adopt the "drams equivalent" loads for smokeless rounds.

The whitworth rifled 10 ga single sounds like a 10 gauge rifle.

I hope thats at least 1/2 right.

For niches, the 450 would probably be an all round medium bore equivalent, and the 10 bore a big game/light stopper weapon of the day.

I haven't read his books but a blind guess is the 450 mentioned is a blackpowder cartridge breechloader.

Don't know about the 10.

Karl.

Modern equivalent would be a Hagn in your choice of calibers, but I would recomend something in the neighborhood of .45-120 Sharps as components and data are readily available. (you said 'equilavent' of a Gibbs Farky so I don't include the ruger #1) But for what you will spend putting something like this together, you can buy a vintage anglo farky chambered in a cartridge you can still get components for, a .450-.400 for nitro would be a nice setup for instance.

10 bores are out there as well, I believe the one you are speaking of is a break action hammer gun with underlever. (think of a SxS action with only one barrel).

If you are interested for pure nostalgia go for it, but keep in mind that Selous himself has been quoted as saying that should he have had a good .375 magazine rifle, or .400 nitro double, he would have slewn twice as many elephant.

Also, Selous' actual quote was that if he had been armed with a .303 British he would have slain twice as many buffalos. Selous never adopted the big nitro express cartridges.

The ten bore probably fired round balls, belted balls or stumpy conical balls (look like cap and ball revolver bullets) at a velocity between 1300 and 1600 fps. Sir Samuel Baker was also fond of rifles of this caliber but his were special made and very heavy. The .775 Rigby (900 gr bullet at ~1600+ fps) was an attempt to make the transition to cartridge arms but it did not last. Other than a custom built muzzle loader (eg by October Country) there is no modern equivalent.