I keep coming back to the idea of building a Ruger No. 1 in Victorian fashion, with good irons, an English walnut stock and 28-inch barrel. I had originally contemplated a salute to Selous, in .461 Gibbs No. 2.
But the cost of scaring up a proper .461/.470 Metford-rifled barrel, plus reamer, dies and so forth quickly turned this idea into a budget breaker.
So I am looking back through the list of British black powder express cartridges from the era and consulting Sir Samuel Baker (and Graeme Wright) in the matter.
My short list includes three chamberings:
.450 3 1/4 BPE; .500 3-inch BPE; and .577 3-inch BPE.
The first two make a certain sense, but too closely resemble the bigger Sharps and post-Sharps chamberings to offer any particular advantage, to my twisted way of thinking.
But the .577 3-inch intrigues me. Baker thought very, very highly of this round in a double rifle with a 570-600-grain bullet over six drams -- 164 grains -- of black for heavy game up to Cape buffalo.
I have come very close to this load in a muzzleloading Pedersoli .58 double rifle, and found the recoil quite manageable.
Neither brass, nor dies, nor a reamer should be hard to come by, and there are a number of barrels to choose from, leaving the primary question to be settling on a twist rate.
I would not be interested in making this perform as a .577 Nitro. Rather it would be a "pure joy of it" rifle that could launch a thumb-sized chunk of lead at up to 1700 fps or so, emitting a great cloud of sulphurous smoke and a satisfying boom -- and could be loaded down to Snider-class velocity with 5744 for clean and joyful plinking.
Anyone care to poke holes in my latest Anglophile fantasy -- or shout "huzzah"?

Hi Bill,

I have had the same idea with a long barreled #1 rifle, chambered for the 11,15x60R Mauser 71 round.
But, I have new brass, bullets and reloading dies for this round. Reamers I can borrow from Triebel guntools here in Germany.
But at the moment I'm broke. And I got there as an idea with a 6,5x47 sniper rifle ...
http://buema-hochwang.de/PSG-Walkuere-AICS

Martin

Ausgezeichnete Idee!

After some poking around on the Net, it looks like Krieger makes a .575/.585 barrel with 1:30 twist that finishes to 28 inches. I suspect this would do nicely. They also offer this caliber with Henry rifling, which is an intriguing prospect, although they suggest this is for paper-patched bullets; I would want to be able to shoot both PP and grease-groove.
Added a modest incentive to the project by ordering a bag of in-stock .577 NE brass from Captech/Jamison.

Go for it; twist rate? As you know from your MLs, it doesn't take much to stabilize a .58 caliber projo.

Sounds like a plan is coming together.
My Henry rifled guns shoot both PP and greasers just fine.
I was thinking that if you went with a Martini Henry take off barrel, you may find one close to the bore and groove of a Gibbs barrel albeit with Henry instead of Metford rifling.

You're liable to have over a years wait for the Henry rifling like I did. They do a run once a year.

Mike: I have an e-mail in to them asking about that very thing.
Huvius, by the time a fellow cleaned up the .577-450 chamber on a Martini take-off, my guess is you'd be well into the knoxform with little if any left to thread for the Ruger receiver.

Mike: Just heard back from Krieger. They did their annual run last month.

HUZZAH!!! Howzzat Bill? Sounds like a grand idea to me!

Henry rifliing. Let me tell you my experience with the one rifle I own with Henry rifling. It's a Reilley double in 500 BPE, Jones underlever, very, very good condition but not pristine. I'd give the bores 90%-95%. With Hawk jacketed bullets or hard cast naked bullets and smokeless powder it shoots exceedingly well, 2-2 1/4 in. composite groups at 50 yards. Change the propellant to black powder, (it is a black powder era rifle, approx. 1880), and softer cast grease groove bullets, or harder cast grease groove bullets or Hawk bullets and anything resembling a group ceases to exist. Every person I know who has fooled with Henry rifling tells me they believe it would shoot great with paper patch bullets and I suspect they're right...but that is a step in loading BP ammo I have been loathe to add for close on to 30 years. If I ever want it to shoot good with black and cast I may have to submit to paper patching.

I did correspond with one gentleman who told me he hollow bases his grease groove cast bullets and they shoot fine. I believe he opined the hollow base acted somewhat like a Minie' ball where the skirt flared and engaged the rifling better. Makes sense but I have yet to try his method.

I know Henry rifling can shoot, heck, with a NFB load and any reasonable bullet mine does. I suppose what I'm getting at is you might have to paper patch Henry rifling.

I love your idea and cartridge choice.

Thanks 9.3. I think that, given the long delay for a Henry-rifled barrel, I will go with a conventional tube.

Were it me, I would go with the .577/.500 No. 2 Express. The cartridge just plain has class.

quote:

I would go with the .577/.500 No. 2 Express. The cartridge just plain has class.

But it aint a 577! :-)

Loud, that's a very cool number. I am looking for a bit more OOMPH if and when called for.

Well, either you use a regular barrel or see if they have a 50 cal tube with the Henry rifling.

Have you considered the 577/500 Magnum? It's a 6 dram load the same as a 577 BPE.

Mike: Think I will stick with the .577. I have a lot of experience with the .58s in muzzleloaders and Sniders. Dies run just over $200 and there are plenty of reamers.

You might contact Joe Williams at Oregon Barrel Co. He does Henry rifling in .45 Caliber. He may do a .577 for you as well.

I wonder if .58 caliber mini-balls could be fired from a .577 BPE cartridge.

SKB: I had forgotten about Joe. He made me a barrel some years ago.
Grenadier, I am sure some of the many .58 minie molds will work.

Here's a lineup:
From left, .45-70, .461 Gibbs No. 2, .50-90 Sharps, .577 3-inch BPE.



I am still loving that Gibbs.

OK Billie here's the deal! You need a full time job, you have way too much time on your hands!

Ray, there is iron in your words.

I have a 500 BPE, great cartridge and mine is very accurate. Years ago I had a 45-120-3 1/4 Sharps, about like the 450-3 1/4, definitely go 577 BPE. I mean, how cool izzat?!?!?! Stock the Ruger like a Henry on a Farquharson(sp) and you're there....but I'm a bit twisted too.