While surfing web found this unique pair of Lancaster double rifles listed on Erickson & Erickson. Thought that it might be interesting for big bore fans.

http://www.gameguns.com/gunofthemonth2.htm

The term Oval Bore is often mentioned with Lancaster rifles. What does it mean? It is described on this link but I am not clear.

Further there is some filling device and a mixture to fill HP bullets with. Could someone elaborate it? Some kind of exploding bullets?

Saad

A beautiful old pair of rifles!

If you were to cut the barrel you would see that the bore was an oval. If you cut the barrel a few inches farther you would see an oval but the axis of the oval would be rotated slightly. If you again cut the barrel a few inches farther you would again see an oval bore but the axis of the oval would be rotated an additional amount. The most similar rifling today would be that used by Heckler&Koch, their polygonal rifling which has abore shaped as a hexagon with rounded corners.As for the exploding HPs there was a time when they filled the HP with powder which in theory would detonate and open theHP on impact. THey didn't work well ,a modern HP is much more consistant.

Mete,

Thanks for info. Didnt that oval cause gas leakage past the bullet? Do such barrels have rifling too? I mean grooves and lands like ordinary rifles.

Saad

The soft lead bullets should seal perfectly. There is no rifling(lands and grooves )in the oval bore , not necessary. I am very familiar with the H&K polygonal rifling and that certainly seals and and provides excellent accuracy.

Oval bore rifles are generally short range Black powder rifles, the respond best to hollow based lead bullets. This is indicated by the word Howdah in the name. If you don't already know, a HOWDAH is the rideing basket on top of an elephants back to get the hunters above the tigers in the long grass. The hollow base blows out to fit the bore. This "OVAL" bore is done the same way regular boreing is done. first the rifle is bored out round, then a two sides cutter is drawn through which reshapes the bore to very slightly oval,as it is twisted to form the rate of twist.

There are several types of rifleing that when encountered by those who don't know, are thought to be regular rifleing but worn out! The Berdan rifleing is another one like the oval, but more like standard boreing.

These are two very nice rifles with all the trappings that came with them, and are fine examples of those rifles made for the Majarajas. Most were unusual in one way or another, reflecting the taste of the owner. This most times is limited to decoration, but some even wanted their own cartridge as well, like the 600/577 REWA, a special cartridge made for the Maharajah of Rewa. Also listed as the 600/577NE, was made by necking down the 600 NE down to take the bullet for the 577NE, a rare duck on the collector's market in a factory round!

Ah! The subtle blend of black powder smoke and the spirit of khaki floats upon the air. Nostalgia, imperial excess and splendid panapoly abound. Though I'm more inclined toward Jim Corbett's mano-a-mano approach to Indian big game from a personal standpoint, it is impossible to discount the Maharajah's sense of style. What a wonderful pair of old rifles!