.45 GAP, Law enforcement applications
Modern law enforcement as a whole has gone away from .45 caliber weapons in favor of firearms chambered in .40 S&W and 9x19mm. Despite this change, the .45 GAP has had a following amongst many law enforcement departments. Three state law enforcement agencies have adopted the .45 GAP as a replacement for their current issue 9×19mm Parabellum (New York) or .40 S&W service handguns (South Carolina and Florida).


.45 GAP, Law enforcement applications
The New York State Police, (New York Police have recently completed the transition to 45 ACP for their duty round)  South Carolina Highway Patrol, and Florida Highway Patrol have all adopted the Glock 37 and .45 GAP. However, in May 2020 the Florida Highway Patrol announced that they will adopt the Glock 45 MOS and Glock 43X as new duty weapons, which will replace the Glock 37 and 39.


.45 GAP, Law enforcement applications
Smaller agencies also applied the .45 GAP for duty carry such as the Burden, Kansas, police department who carry the Glock 37 and serve a town of 535. The Greenville, North Carolina, police department used the Glock 37, and the Berkeley, Missouri, police department also used the Glock 37.


.45 GAP, Law enforcement applications
The Georgia State Patrol carried the Glock Model 37, but has since moved to the fourth generation 9x19mm Glock 17. The South Carolina Highway Patrol also abandoned the Glock 37, but they chose the newer Glock 17 "M" chambered in 9 mm.


.45 GAP, Law enforcement applications
The Pennsylvania State Police also carried the Glock 37 from 2007, but, due to ammunition supply problems, replaced them in 2013 with the fourth generation Glock 21 in .45 ACP. After recall issues with the new fourth generation Glocks, the Pennsylvania State Police switched to the SIG-Sauer P227 in .45 ACP.


.45 Mars Long
The .45 Mars Long is an experimental centerfire pistol cartridge developed in the late 19th century. The similar .45 Mars Short used the same cupro-nickel-jacketed bullet in a case shortened to 0.66 inch. The bullet has two deep cannelures, and the case is crimped into both. The case mouth is chamfered on the outside to fit flush into the forward cannelure. The cartridge headspaces on this conical forward crimp. This elaborate bullet seating was necessary to withstand the violent feed mechanism of the Mars Automatic Pistol.


.45 Mars Long
The case has a thin rim and deep extractor groove in comparison to most rimless pistol cartridges. The Mars cartridges were publicized as the most powerful handgun cartridges through the early 20th century, but fewer than 100 pistols were made and manufacture ceased in 1907. Ballistically the cartridge falls between the .45 Super and .45 Winchester Magnum.


.45 Raptor
The .45 Raptor is a rimless centerfire cartridge developed for the AR-10 semi-automatic rifle for medium and large game hunting. Compared to similar big bore cartridges designed for the AR-15 – such as the .450 Bushmaster, .458 SOCOM, and .50 Beowulf –  the 45 Raptor offers higher velocity bullets, a flatter shooting trajectory and the ability to reliably feed hollow point ammunition.


.45 Raptor, History
Introduced in April 2014, the 45 Raptor was created by Arne Brennan. Brennan is also known for his prior work with the 6.5 PPC cartridge for long range shooting, which contributed to the development of the 6.5 Grendel cartridge. The cartridge design is owned by Brennan's company North American Sportsman, LLC.


.45 Raptor, Design and specifications
The 45 Raptor is a straight wall rifle cartridge that mimics the size of the .460 S&W Magnum. Unlike the .460 S&W Magnum, the 45 Raptor has a rimless design that improves its ability to feed in semi-automatic firearms. The rim matches the specifications of a .308 Winchester cartridge. The first 2000 pieces of cartridge brass were processed (skived extractor rim) at Satern Rifle Barrel Co. This can be verified by the .460 S&W head bunting mark on the cartridge case. Barrels also came from Satern Rifle Barrel Co. in the 5R 1-20 twist rate


.45 Raptor, Design and specifications
The 45 Raptor uses .460 S&W Magnum loading data and dies. A .308 Winchester shell holder is used during the loading process.


.45 Raptor, Design and specifications
To convert an existing AR-10 from .308 Winchester to 45 Raptor, a new barrel with extension needs to be installed. Additionally, existing magazines will need to be modified. The existing bolt and all other parts do not need to be changed.


.45 Raptor, Design and specifications
Brennan moved the feed ramp from the AR-10 barrel extension to the detachable magazines. According to Brennan, this alteration is one reason why the 45 Raptor can feed wide-mouth hollow point rounds better than competing cartridges. Standard, straight-wall magazines are modified by shortening the follower and installing an insert that includes the feed ramp. Curved magazines can accept a custom made curved insert, and are also compatible with the 45 Raptor conversion. Magazine capacity is not altered.


.45 Raptor, Design and specifications
The 45 Raptor is a relatively flat shooting cartridge to 200 yards. From muzzle to 200 yards, there is no more than a 3" rise or drop with bullet weights of 185 grains to 300 grains. This means a shooter can shoot into a 6" diameter circle at all distances to 200 yards with no hold over.


.45 Raptor, Proprietary status
North American Sportsman, LLC has filed for a trademark on the term Raptor as it relates to ammunition. In an interview, Brennan stated he has no intention of charging royalties for the use of the trademark. However, Brennan stated there will be certain requirements for anyone developing 45 Raptor products to ensure a minimum level of quality.


.45 Raptor, Sporting uses
In addition to general target shooting, the 45 Raptor is an appropriate round for hunting. According to North American Sportsman, LLC, the cartridge is acceptable for taking medium and large game including hog and deer.


.45 Raptor, Sporting uses
The 45 Raptor case uses the extractor groove from the .308 Winchester, which has a similar extractor groove to that of the .45 ACP. The 45 Raptor would therefore be usable in a S&W 460 revolver with full moon clips.


.45 Remington–Thompson
The 45 Remington–Thompson was an experimental firearms cartridge designed by Remington Arms and Auto Ordnance for the Model 1923 Thompson submachine gun, a variant of the Model 1921 with a longer barrel, with the intent of increasing the power and range of the weapon. While some variants of the 1923 were produced, the rifle and round did not find commercial success.


.45 Schofield
The .45 Schofield, also referred to as .45 Smith & Wesson is a revolver cartridge developed by Smith & Wesson for their S&W Model 3 Schofield top-break revolver. It is similar to the .45 Colt round though shorter and with a slightly larger rim, and will generally work in revolvers chambered for that cartridge; the converse is not true, since the .45 Colt case is longer. US government arsenals supplied .45 Schofield cartridges for the Schofield revolver and the Colt Army revolver to simplify their armament needs.


.45 Schofield, History
This cartridge was originally designed as a black powder round. The Schofield revolver (a variant of the Smith & Wesson Model 3) was patented in the USA on 20 June 1871 and 22 April 1873 by Smith & Wesson. It was a Smith & Wesson Model 3 that was modified, due to a suggestion by Major George Schofield, to make it easier for a cavalryman to reload while riding. While the Colt 45 had more power, the speed at which a cavalryman could reload a Schofield was less than 30 seconds, half of the time for a Colt 45.


.45 Schofield, History
By 1879, the U. S. Army had purchased 8,285 of the revolvers. Due to its reduced power and recoil compared to the Colt .45, it was easier to shoot accurately, yet still retained effective stopping power on the battlefield. It became the standard cartridge of the Army, though the Colt 1873 still was the main issue side arm of the Army.


.45 Schofield, History
The .45 Schofield cartridge was shorter than the .45 Colt. It could be used in both the Schofield and the Colt 45 Peacemaker, but the .45 Colt was too long to use in the Schofield. As a result, by the late 1880s the army finally standardized on a .45 cartridge designed to fire in both revolvers, the M1887 Military Ball Cartridge. The M1887 was made at Frankford Arsenal, and was issued only to the military. It had the shorter case of the Schofield and the reduced rim of the Colt round; as it was short enough to fit the Schofield, and its rim was not needed for the rod-ejector Single Action Army, the M1887 would fire and eject from both revolvers.


.45 Schofield, History
The Schofield was quite a popular handgun in the old west, and may have been used by General Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The effectiveness of the cartridge in battle, and its reputation for shootability and accuracy, led to the duplication of the cartridges' characteristics in the .45 ACP.


.45 Schofield, History
In the early 1880s the Benet type (internal) cartridge primer was retired and the modern Boxer type (external) primer was adopted for all future military production of revolver ammunition.


.45 Super
The .45 Super is a powerful smokeless powder center fire metallic firearm cartridge developed in 1988 by Dean Grennell, a well-known writer in the firearms field as well as managing editor of Gun World magazine. It is dimensionally similar to the .45 ACP round but has a thicker case wall and is loaded to higher pressures, which offers an average 300 feet per second (91 m/s) improvement in muzzle velocity over the .45 ACP. The cartridge was co-developed by Tom Fergerson and Ace Hindman.


.45 Super, Development history
In 1988, a Gun World article detailed Grennell's efforts to update the .45 ACP for the 21st century, a difficult endeavor due to the inherent design limitations of the veteran round. Introduced in the early 20th century, the .45 ACP has a relatively large case capacity which was dictated by the relatively low pressure powders in use at the time of its development; as a result, it operates in the modest range of 19,900 – 22,000 copper units of pressure (CUP).


.45 Super, Development history
In contrast, current day cartridges using modern nitrocellulose powders generating higher pressure can produce CUP in the 28,000 – 39,000 range. As it was originally designed for lower pressures, the .45 ACP case has relatively thin walls and weak case head and web specifications; it cannot reliably contain increased pressures. The layout of most M1911 pistols' chambers presents yet another challenge in that the case head is not fully supported in the cartridge feed ramp area; pushing the envelope in this critical area with too much pressure risks a catastrophic failure, resulting in a case bursting in the chamber.


.45 Super, Development history
To rule out such a dangerous possibility, Grennell chose to use brass formed from the stronger and more modern .451 Detonics, shortened to the overall length of the .45 ACP design. Support for the case head was also addressed by adopting a new chamber and barrel design which supports the base area of the case. Other areas of the model 1911 pistol design were also strengthened, including the addition of a heavier recoil spring and a strengthened firing pin redesigned to prevent primer material from flowing into the firing pin channel under high chamber pressures.


.45 Super, Development history
Manufacturers such as Heckler & Koch GmbH currently offer pistols rated to fire .45 Super ‘out of the box’. The Smith & Wesson Model 4506 and other models in the third generation 4500 series leave the factory with springs for the .45ACP, but feature full support for the .45 Super load when upgraded with a stronger spring. Although they will chamber, the firing of .45 Super rounds in non-rated standard .45 ACP automatics is not recommended, as doing so risks a case failure in the unsupported chamber and at the very least batters the slide and almost certainly shortens the life of the pistol.


.45 Super, .450 SMC
The .450 SMC is a .45 ACP wildcat cartridge for use in robust .45 ACP firearms that uses a modified .308 Winchester case with a small rifle primer adapted for use in modern .45 ACP firearms. Only 1911 pistols or heavier firearms with upgraded heavier springs are recommended. A small rifle primer .308 Winchester case is first cut down then resized to .45 ACP specs ,then primed with a small rifle primer as opposed to using the lower pressure pistol primer.


.45 Super, .450 SMC
Using the higher pressure small rifle primer with .308 Winchester brass designed to withstand higher pressure rifle charges, gives this .45 ACP wildcat a safe and substantial power increase to the standard .45 ACP. It supports higher pressure due to the use of a parent case originally designed for rifle charges.


.45 Super, Ballistics
A number of bullet weight and velocity combinations are offered in .45 Super, including a 185-grain (12.0 g) bullet propelled at 1,300 ft/s (400 m/s), a 200-grain (13 g) at 1,200 ft/s (370 m/s) and a 230-grain (15 g) at 1,100 ft/s (340 m/s). as well as other weight/velocities provided by Super Express cartridges and Buffalo Bore, such as 255-grain (16.5 g) at 1,050 ft/s (320 m/s).


.45 Super, Current status
Sedalia, Missouri-based Starline Brass company eventually began marketing factory-manufactured brass cases for the chambering, taking the round out of the obscure wildcat cartridge realm. In addition, Ace Custom .45's Inc. of Cleveland, Texas, trademarked the .45 Super name in 1994 and used to market factory .45 Super pistols, as well as gunsmith adaptations of .45 ACP pistols, and .45 ACP conversion kits. Ace Custom .45's Inc has since gone out of business and their website is down. Texas Ammunition, Underwood Ammo, and Buffalo Bore offer factory loaded ammunition which is marketed by Ace Custom and others. The Dan Wesson .460 Rowland will also chamber a .45 Super.


.45 Winchester Magnum
The .45 Winchester Magnum is a .45 caliber rimless cartridge intended for use in semi-automatic pistols. The cartridge is externally a lengthened .45 ACP with a thicker web to withstand higher operating pressures. The 45 Win Mag is nearly identical in dimensions and loading to the .45 NAACO developed by the North American Arms Corporation for their Brigadier pistol, developed to supply to the Canadian Army after World War II. The army ultimately did not adopt the pistol and its non-NATO standard ammunition.


.45 Winchester Magnum
The cartridge has been primarily used by small game hunters and metallic silhouette shooters.


.45 Winchester Magnum, Specifications
Although the .45 Winchester Magnum may be based on the .45 ACP and have the same Rim and Base dimensions, the .45 Winchester Magnum has no parent case. The .45 Winchester Magnum case is redrawn with thicker walls and longer case. The thicker wall dimensions of the .45 Winchester Magnum are designed to accommodate a higher internal pressure (40,000 cup) than that of the .45 ACP (18,000 cup [21,000psi or 140MPa]).


.45 Winchester Magnum, General comments
The .45 Winchester Magnum had been on the drawing board for two years before its introduction, in 1979, by Winchester. The cartridge did not gain much popularity due to the intermittent availability of the Wildey and LAR Grizzly pistols. The cartridge was chambered in the Thompson-Center Contender single shot pistols. The cartridge was also chambered for the Freedom Arms Model 83 single-action revolver via an available optional cylinder.


.45 Winchester Magnum, General comments
The .45 Winchester Magnum gained a following among IHMSA competitors as it provided the power and performance necessary to knock down targets at an extended range. The cartridge has been used by handgun hunters and is among the few semi-automatic pistol (as opposed to revolver) cartridges which have been adopted for this sport.


.45-60 Winchester
The .45-60 Winchester is a centerfire rifle cartridge intended for 19th-century big-game hunting. Nomenclature of the era indicated the .45-60 cartridge contained a 0.45-inch (11.43 mm) diameter bullet with 60 grains (3.89 g) of black powder. Winchester Repeating Arms Company shortened the .45-70 government cartridge to operate through the Winchester Model 1876 rifle's lever-action.


.45-60 Winchester
The Colt Lightning Carbine and the Whitney Arms Company's Kennedy lever-action rifle were also chambered for the .45-60. These early rifles' advantage of faster loading for subsequent shots was soon eclipsed by the stronger and smoother Winchester Model 1886 action capable of handling longer cartridges including the popular full length .45-70. The .45-60 and similarly short cartridges designed for the Model 1876 rifle faded into obsolescence as 20th-century hunters preferred more powerful smokeless powder loadings of cartridges designed for stronger rifles. Winchester production of .45-60 cartridges ended during the great depression.


.45-70
The .45-70 rifle cartridge, also known as .45-70 Government, was developed at the U.S. Army's Springfield Armory for use in the Springfield Model 1873, which is known to collectors as the "Trapdoor Springfield." The new cartridge was a replacement for the stop-gap .50-70 Government cartridge, which had been adopted in 1866, one year after the end of the American Civil War.


.45-70, Nomenclature
The new cartridge was completely identified as the .45-70-405, but was also referred to as the ".45 Government" cartridge in commercial catalogs. The nomenclature of the time was based on three properties of the cartridge:


.45-70, Nomenclature
The minimum acceptable accuracy of the .45-70 from the 1873 Springfield was approximately 4 inches (100 mm) at 100 yards (91 m), however, the heavy, slow-moving bullet had a "rainbow" trajectory, the bullet dropping multiple yards (meters) at ranges greater than a few hundred yards (meters). A skilled shooter, firing at known range, could consistently hit targets that were 6 × 6 feet (1.8 m) at 600 yards (550 m)—the Army standard target. It was a skill valuable mainly in mass or volley fire, since accurate aimed fire on a man-sized target was effective only to about 200–300 yards (180–270 m).


.45-70, Nomenclature
After the Sandy Hook tests of 1879, a new variation of the .45-70 cartridge was produced: the .45-70-500, which fired a heavier, 500 grain, (32.5 g) bullet. The heavier bullet produced significantly superior ballistics, and could reach ranges of 3,350 yards (3,120 m), which were beyond the maximum range of the .45-70-405. While the effective range of the .45-70 on individual targets was limited to about 1,000 yards (915 m) with either load, the heavier bullet produced lethal injuries at 3,500 yards (3,200 m).


.45-70, Nomenclature
At those ranges, the bullets struck point-first at a roughly 30 degree angle, penetrating three 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick oak boards, and then travelled to a depth of eight inches (20 cm) into the sand of the beach. It was hoped the longer range of the .45-70-500 would allow effective volley fire at ranges beyond those normally expected of infantry fire.


.45-70, Nomenclature, Bullet diameter
While the nominal bore diameter was .450 inches (11.4 mm), the groove diameter was actually closer to .458 inches (11.6 mm). As was standard practice with many early commercially-produced U.S. cartridges, specially-constructed bullets were often "paper patched", or wrapped in a couple of layers of thin paper. This patch served to seal the bore and keep the soft lead bullet from coming in contact with the bore, preventing leading (see internal ballistics). Like the cloth or paper patches used in muzzle-loading firearms, the paper patch fell off soon after the bullet left the bore.


.45-70, Nomenclature, Bullet diameter
Paper-patched bullets were made of soft lead, .450 inches (11.4 mm) in diameter. When wrapped in two layers of thin cotton paper, this produced a final size of .458 inches (11.6 mm) to match the bore. Paper patched bullets are still available, and some black-powder shooters still "roll their own" paper-patched bullets for hunting and competitive shooting. Arsenal loadings for the .45-70-405 and .45-70-500 government cartridges generally used groove diameter grease groove bullets of .458 inches (11.6 mm) diameter.


.45-70, History
The predecessor to the .45-70 was the .50-70-450 cartridge, adopted in 1866 and used until 1873 in a variety of rifles, many of them were percussion rifled muskets converted to trapdoor action breechloaders. The conversion consisted of milling out the rear of the barrel for the tilting breechblock, and placing a .50 caliber "liner" barrel inside the .58 caliber barrel.


.45-70, History
The .50-70 was popular among hunters, as the bullet was larger than the .44 caliber and also hit harder (see terminal ballistics), but the military decided as early as 1866 that a .45 caliber bullet would provide increased range, penetration and accuracy. The .50-70 was nevertheless adopted as a temporary solution until a significantly improved rifle and cartridge could be developed.


.45-70, History
The result of the quest for a more accurate, flatter shooting .45 caliber cartridge and firearm was the Springfield Trapdoor rifle. Like the .50-70, the .45-70 used a copper center-fire case design. A reduced power loading was also adopted for use in the Trapdoor carbine. This had a 55 grain (3.6 g) powder charge.


.45-70, History
Also issued was the .45-70 "Forager" round, which contained a thin wooden bullet filled with birdshot, intended for hunting small game to supplement the soldiers' rations. This round in effect made the .45-70 rifle into a 49 gauge shotgun.


.45-70, History
The .45-caliber Springfield underwent a number of modifications over the years, the principal one being a strengthened breech starting in 1884. A new, 500 grain (32 g) bullet was adopted in that year for use in the stronger arm. The M1873 and M1884 Springfield rifles were the principal small arms of the U.S. Army until 1893.


.45-70, History
The .45-70 round was also used in several Gatling gun models from 1873 until it was superseded by the .30 Army round beginning with the M1893 Gatling gun. Some .45-70 Gatling guns were used on U.S. Navy warships launched in the 1880s and 1890s.


.45-70, History
The Navy used the .45-70 caliber in several rifles: the M1873 and M1884 Springfield, the Model 1879 Lee Magazine Navy contract rifle, and the Remington-Lee, the last two being magazine-fed turnbolt repeating rifles. The Marine Corps used the M1873 and M1884 Springfield in .45-70 until 1897, when supplies of the new M1895 Lee Navy rifle in 6mm Lee Navy, adopted two years before by the Navy, were finally made available.


.45-70, History
Realizing that single-shot black-powder rifles were rapidly becoming obsolete, the U.S. Army adopted the Norwegian-designed .30 Army caliber as the Springfield Model 1892 in 1893. However, the .45-70 continued in service with the National Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps until 1897. The .45-70 was last used in quantity during the Spanish–American War, and was not completely purged from the inventory until well into the 20th century. Many surplus rifles were given to reservation Indians as subsistence hunting rifles and now carry Indian markings.


.45-70, History
The .45-70 cartridge is still used by the U.S. military today, in the form of the "cartridge, caliber .45, line throwing, M32," a blank cartridge which is used in a number of models of line throwing guns used by the Navy and Coast Guard. Early models of these line throwing guns were made from modified Trapdoor and Sharps rifles, while later models are built on break-open single-shot rifle actions.


.45-70, Sporting use
As is usual with military ammunition, the .45-70 was an immediate hit among sportsmen, and the .45-70 has survived to the present day. Today, the traditional 405-grain (26.2 g) load is considered adequate for any North American big game within its range limitations, including the great bears, and it does not destroy edible meat on smaller animals such as deer due to the bullet's low velocity. It is very good for big-game hunting in brush or heavy timber where the range is usually short. The .45-70, when loaded with the proper bullets at appropriate velocities, has been used to hunt the African "big-five." The .45-70 has been loaded and used to hunt everything from birds to elephants and the cartridge is still undergoing new development work.


.45-70, Sporting use
The trajectory of the bullets is very steep, which makes for a very short point-blank range. This was not a significant problem at the time of introduction, as the .45-70 was a fairly flat-shooting cartridge for its time. Shooters of these early cartridges had to be keen judges of distance, wind and trajectory to make long shots; the Sharps rifle, in larger calibers such as .50-110, was used at ranges of 1,000 yards (910 m).


.45-70, Sporting use
Most modern shooters use much higher velocity cartridges, relying on the long point-blank range, and rarely using telescopic sights' elevation adjustments, calibrated iron sights, or hold-overs. Sights found on early cartridge hunting rifles were quite sophisticated, with a long sighting radius, wide range of elevation, and vernier adjustments to allow precise calibration of the sights for a given range. Even the military "creedmoor"-type rifle sights were calibrated and designed to handle extended ranges, flipping up to provide several degrees of elevation adjustment if needed. The .45-70 is a popular choice for black-powder cartridge shooting events, and replicas of most of the early rifles, including Trapdoor, Sharps, and Remington single-shot rifles, are often available.


.45-70, Sporting use
The .45-70 is a long-range caliber, and accurate use requires knowledge of windage and elevation by minute of angle and a sense for estimating distance in these calculations. The .45-70 retains great popularity among American hunters, and is still offered by several commercial ammunition manufacturers. Even when loaded with modern smokeless powders, pressures are usually kept low for safety in antique rifles and their replicas. Various modern sporting rifles are chambered for the .45-70, and some of these benefit from judicious handloading of homemade ammunition with markedly higher pressure and ballistic performance.


.45-70, Sporting use
Others, which reproduce the original designs still take the original load, but are not strong enough for anything with higher pressures. In a rifle such as the Siamese Mauser (commonly converted to fire .45-70 due to it being the only Mauser 98 derivative designed to feed rimmed cartridges, and the limited availability of ammunition for its original 8×50mmR chambering) or a Ruger No. 1 single-shot rifle, it can be handloaded to deliver good performance even on big African game. The .45-70 has also been used in double rifles since the development of the Colt 1878 rifle and the more modern replicas, like the Kodiak Mark IV.


.45-70, Sporting use
In addition to its traditional use in rifles, Thompson Center Arms has offered a .45-70 barrel in both pistol and rifle lengths for their "Contender" single-shot pistol, one of the most potent calibers offered in the Contender frame. Even the shortest barrel, 14 inches, is capable of producing well over 2,500 ft·lbf (2,700 J) of energy, double the power of most .44 Magnum loadings, and a Taylor KO Factor as high as 40 with some loads. Recent .45-70 barrels are available with efficient muzzle brakes that significantly reduce muzzle rise and also help attenuate the recoil. The Magnum Research BFR is a heavier gun at approximately 4.5 pounds, helping it have much more manageable recoil.


.45-70, Sporting use
Only with the recent introduction of ultra-magnum revolver cartridges, such as the .500 S&W Magnum, have production handguns begun to eclipse the .45-70 Contender in the field of big-game-capable handguns.


.45-75 Winchester
The .45-75 Winchester Centennial is a centerfire rifle cartridge developed in 1876 for the newly designed Winchester Model 1876 Centennial lever-action rifle. Winchester Repeating Arms Company introduced the new rifle and cartridge at the United States Centennial Exposition. The Model 1876 rifle used an enlarged version of the famous Winchester Model 1873 action to offer a lever-action repeating rifle using cartridges suitable for big-game hunting. The cartridge and rifle enjoyed brief popularity with Gilded Age American hunters including Theodore Roosevelt, and was issued to the Canadian North-West Mounted Police and to Texas Rangers.


.45-75 Winchester, Description
Nomenclature of the era indicated the .45-75 cartridge contained a 0.45-inch (11 mm) diameter bullet with 75 grains (4.9 g) of gunpowder. Early Winchester ammunition boxes suggested reloading empty cartridge cases with government musket powder or with American Powder Company Deadshot Fg, Hazard Powder Company Sea Shooting Fg, DuPont Rifle FFg, Oriental Powder Company Western Sporting Fg, Laflin & Rand Orange Rifle Fg, or Austin Powder Company Rifle Powder FFg. Boxes also recommended casting bullets from an alloy of one part tin and sixteen parts lead and lubricating bullets with Japan wax or tallow.


.45-75 Winchester, Description
The .45-75 was shorter and fatter than the .45-70 government cartridge. Although the .45-75 was nominally superior to the popular .45-70, the weak toggle-link action with its elevator style carrier originally designed for handgun cartridges limited ability of the Model 1876 rifle to safely fire higher pressure loads intended for stronger actions. Within a decade, the Model 1876 advantage of faster loading for subsequent shots was eclipsed by the stronger and smoother Winchester Model 1886 action capable of handling longer cartridges including the .45-70 with varying lengths for 300 and 500 grain bullets.


.45-75 Winchester, Description
The Kennedy lever-action rifle manufactured by Whitney Arms Company was also chambered for the .45-75. The .45-75 and similarly short .40-60 Winchester, .45-60 Winchester, and .50-95 Winchester Express cartridges designed for the Model 1876 rifle faded into obsolescence as 20th-century hunters preferred more powerful smokeless powder loadings of longer cartridges designed for stronger rifles. Winchester production of .45-75 cartridges ended during the Great Depression.


.45-90 Sharps
The .45-90 Sharps cartridge is a black powder round introduced in 1877 by the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company. Also known as the .45 2 4/10, the cartridge was developed for hunting and long range target shooting. In the modern day, it is used for Black Powder Cartridge Rifle competitions.


.45-90 Sharps
While various bullet weights were used, a typical load for the .45-90 was a powder charge 90 grains (5.8 g) gunpowder (black powder) with a bullet weighing 400 grains (26 g). Such a load would have about 1,300 ft/s (400 m/s) muzzle velocity.


.45-90 Sharps, .45-90 Express
The .45-90 Express is a modern adaptation of .45-90 Sharps which uses the same 2.4 inch case, but uses smokeless powder loaded to pressures up to 45,000 psi. With a 26-inch barrel the .45-90 Express is capable of over 4,200 ft-lbs (5694 J) muzzle energy.


.45-90 Sharps, .45-90 Express
Many modern nitro-proofed single shot or break barrel .45-70 rifles can be easily reamed by a competent do-it-yourselfer to shoot .45-90 Express. These rifles include the Ruger No. 1, New England Firearms Buffalo Classic, and the Pedersoli Kodiak  Mark IV. When used in modern repeating firearm such as a converted Marlin 1895, Enfield, or Winchester 1886 the cartridge overall length of the .45-90 Express needs be kept to under 2.85 inches to reliably cycle through the action.


.45-90 Sharps, .45-90 Express
The .45-90 Express is well suited for hunting the largest predators including lion, grizzly, and polar bears, as well as moose, cape buffalo, bison, and elk. Although it could be considered overkill for the application, the .45-90 Express is very effective for deer hunting.


.450 Adams
The .450 Adams was a British black powder centrefire revolver cartridge, initially used in converted Beaumont–Adams revolvers, in the late 1860s. Officially designated .450 Boxer Mk I, and also known variously as the .450 Revolver, .450 Colt, .450 Short, .450 Corto and .450 Mark III, and in America as the .45 Webley, it was the British Army's first centrefire revolver round.


.450 Adams, History
The .450 was adopted for the Adams revolver in November 1868, and served until it was replaced in service in 1880  by the .476 Enfield (in the Enfield Mark 1 and 2), which was in turn supplanted by the .455 Webley cartridge in 1887.


.450 Adams, History
Originally loaded with 13 grains (0.84 g) of black powder under a 225-grain (14.6 g) bullet, it was later also offered in a smokeless powder loading. Despite the different designations, the .450 may be fired in any weapon chambered for .455 Webley, .455 Colt, or .476 Enfield.


.450 Adams, History
While not considered a suitable military round, the .450 Mark III cartridges did serve in reserve for the British armed forces as late as the First World War. The .450 Adams also proved popular among civilian users of Webley RIC and British Bulldog revolvers, being loaded in Europe, and persisting in the United States until around 1940. Both Colt and Smith & Wesson offered revolvers in .450 Adams.


.450 Adams, History
It was roughly similar in power to the contemporary .38 S&W, .41 Colt, and .44 S&W American.


.450 Adams, History
Handloaded ammunition can be made from shortened .455 Webley brass.


.450 Black Powder Express
The .450 Black Powder Express also known as the .450 31⁄4-inch BPE was a popular black powder cartridge in the late 19th and early 20th century.


.450 Black Powder Express, Design
The .450 Black Powder Express is a rimmed, straight walled, centerfire rifle cartridge designed for use with blackpowder. It was available in a number of loadings with bullets weighing from 270 to 365 grains (17.5 to 23.7 g), all driven by 120 grains (7.8 g) of black powder.


.450 Black Powder Express, Design
The .450 Nitro for Black is the same cartridge loaded with mild loadings of modern smokeless powder, carefully balanced through trial to replicate the ballistics of the black powder version.


.450 Black Powder Express, History
In 19th century Britain there were a large number of straight .450 cartridges developed of varying case lengths up to the 31⁄4-inch version. The .450 31⁄4-inch Black Powder Express was originally developed as an experimental military cartridge for the 1869 British Army rifle trials that led to adoption of the Martini–Henry rifle. The original military trial "long chamber" cartridge was loaded with a bullet weighing 480 grains (31 g), although for military use it was found to be awkwardly long and difficult to handle and to load, in response Eley Brothers developed the much shorter, bottlenecked .577/450 Martini–Henry cartridge.


.450 Black Powder Express, History
In the 1870s the .450 31⁄4-inch "long chamber" cartridge became the basis for the .450 Black Powder Express when loaded with lighter projectiles fired at higher velocities than the original. The .450 Black Powder Express was the most popular sporting Express cartridge and was manufactured in the UK, France, Germany, Austria and Canada and was readily available in both black powder and Nitro for Black versions well into the 20th century.


.450 Black Powder Express, History, Parent case
Around 1880 this cartridge was necked down to .405 inch to make the .450/400 Black Powder Express which in turn, when loaded with cordite, became the .450/400 Nitro Express which was further developed into the .400 Jeffery Nitro Express.


.450 Black Powder Express, History, Nitro Express loadings
In 1898 John Rigby & Company loaded this cartridge with smokeless cordite to create the .450 Nitro Express, the first Nitro Express cartridge.


.450 Black Powder Express, Use
The .450 31⁄4-inch Black Powder Express was one of the most popular cartridges ever devised, it was widely used to shoot deer and similar sized game, as well as large dangerous game up to and including elephant.


.450 Black Powder Express, Use
Frederick Selous owned a single barrelled .450 Black Powder Express by Alexander Henry which he used to shoot lion when low on ammunition for his favourite .461 Gibbs No 1 Farquharson rifle.


.450 Black Powder Express, Use
John "Pondoro" Taylor owned two rifles in .450 Black Powder Express, a single falling block rifle and a double rifle by Holland & Holland, with these rifles he killed elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo shooting 365 grain hardened lead bullets, and lion shooting soft solid lead bullets of the same weight.


.450 Black Powder Express, Use
The favourite rifle of the great continental sportsman Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was a .450 Black Powder Express by Alexander Henry, with which he shot running deer out to 440 metres (480 yd).


.450 Bushmaster
The .450 Bushmaster is a rifle cartridge developed by Tim LeGendre of LeMag Firearms, and licensed to Bushmaster Firearms International. The .450 Bushmaster is designed to be used in standard M16s and AR-15s, using modified magazines and upper receiver  assemblies.


.450 Bushmaster, History
The .450 Bushmaster is descended from the Thumper concept popularized by gun writer Jeff Cooper. Cooper was dissatisfied with the small-diameter 5.56×45mm NATO (.223 Remington) of the AR-15, and envisioned a need for a large bore (.44 cal or greater) cartridge in a semi-automatic rifle to provide one-shot kills on big-game animals at 250 yards. Inspired by this, LeGendre developed his .45 Professional cartridge, and later built and delivered an AR-15 in .45 Professional to Cooper.


.450 Bushmaster, History
Bushmaster requested the ammunition manufacturer Hornady to produce the .45 Professional cartridge for this project, but Hornady wanted to shorten the cartridge case and overall length to accommodate their 0.452 in. 250-grain pointed SST flex-tip bullet. Bushmaster and LeGendre approved the change from a 1.772 in. (45 mm) case and 2.362 in. (60 mm) OAL to the now standard 1.700 in. (43.18 mm) case and 2.260 in. (57.40 mm) OAL. This permitted operation in the more abundant and popular AR-15 platform versus the AR-10 platform. Also, a name change to ".450 Bushmaster" was approved.


.450 Bushmaster, Loadings and ballistics
The .450 Bushmaster makes use of .452 in. bullets because the lower impact velocities and energies would not adequately expand the heavier jacketed .458 in. bullets. The cartridge is chambered in bolt action rifles by Ruger, Savage, Mossberg, and Remington, Ruger's No. 1 single shot rifle, AR-15 rifles, as well as an AR-15 pistol by Franklin Armory.


.450 Bushmaster, Loadings and ballistics
Ballistically, the .450 Bushmaster has a rather flat trajectory out to 200 yards; if the firearm is zeroed at 150 yards, the user can expect to see a rise of 1.8 inches at 100 yards, zero at 150 yards, and a drop of 4.9 inches at 200 yards. The cartridge fits single-stacked in a standard AR-15 magazine with a single-stack follower. A 10-round AR-15 magazine body yields a four-round  magazine, a 20-round AR-15 magazine body yields a five- to seven-round  magazine, and a 30-round body yields a nine-round  magazine. Hornady, Remington and Federal now manufacture ammunition for the rifle, and Starline manufactures empty brass for handloading.


.450 Marlin
The .450 Marlin is a firearms cartridge designed as a modernized equivalent to the .45-70 cartridge. It was designed by a joint team of Marlin and Hornady engineers headed by Hornady's Mitch Mittelstaedt, and was released in 2000, with cartridges manufactured by Hornady and rifles manufactured by Marlin, mainly the Model 1895M levergun. The Browning BLR is also now available in .450 Marlin chambering, as is the Ruger No. 1. Marlin ceased manufacture of the 1895M rifle in 2009. It is not known if or when this model will be available again.


.450 Marlin, Design
While ballistically similar to the .45-70, the .450 Marlin was not developed from the .45-70. Rather, the .450 Marlin was developed from the wildcat .458×2" American, which was based on the .458 Winchester Magnum. This places the .450 Marlin in the .458 Winchester family of cartridges, though it is more easily understood as a "modernized" .45-70. It is possible to handload the .45-70 to levels that can destroy older firearms such as the Trapdoor Springfield. The .450 Marlin offers the ballistics of such "hot" .45-70 loads without the risk of chambering in firearms that cannot handle its higher pressure.


.450 Marlin, Design
The belt has been modified to prevent it from chambering in smaller-bore 7 mm Magnum or .338 Magnum rifles. The .45-70 and .450 Marlin cannot be cross-chambered, but rifles chambered for the American can be modified to fire the .450 Marlin.


.450 Marlin, Design
Visually, the case resembles that of the .458 Winchester Magnum with a wider belt. The cartridge is most useful for hunting big game at short ranges, being accurate at ranges of 150 to 175 yards (137 to 160 m). The cartridge is capable of taking any large game animal in North America including large elk, brown bear, and moose.


.450 Marlin, Design
One potential advantage of the .450 Marlin was its ability to chamber easily in bolt-action rifles, essentially becoming a ".45-70 bolt action" cartridge. This idea, however, was only utilized by one company:  Steyr-Mannlicher. However, many companies such as E.R. Shaw Inc. and EABCO have helped numerous owners convert their existing bolt action rifles to .450 Marlin, fulfilling the cartridge's inspired purpose.


.450 Nitro Express
.450 Nitro Express also known as the .450 Nitro Express 31⁄4-inch is a rifle cartridge designed for hunting dangerous game such as elephant, rhino, cape buffalo, lion, and leopard. This cartridge is used almost exclusively in double rifles for hunting in the Tropics or hot climates in general and is associated with the Golden Age of African safaris and Indian shikars.


.450 Nitro Express, Development
The .450 Nitro Express was the first Nitro Express cartridge, developed around 1898 by John Rigby. This cartridge was based on the then popular .450 Black Powder Express case with 70 grains (5 g) of Cordite and a 480-grain (31 g) jacketed bullet. Muzzle velocity is listed at 2,150 feet per second (655 m/s) with 4,909 ft⋅lbf (6,656 J) of muzzle energy. This straight case has a length of 3.25 in (83 mm) with a .624 in (15.8 mm) rim.


.450 Nitro Express, Development
Early cartridges used the black powder case that was designed for around 22,000 psi and not the 34,000 psi that the Cordite load generated. Case extraction was difficult, especially in warmer climates such as Africa and India where the cartridge was primarily used. To remedy this problem, a reinforced case was produced and Kynoch made a reduced load to lower the case pressure. Another problem lay in the sensitivity of Cordite, loads developed in the cool British climate performed differently in the tropical heat of Africa and India, resulting in excessive pressures. The manufacturers responded by developing "tropical loads" with reduced propellant.


.450 Nitro Express, Development
These initial problems led to Holland & Holland developing the .500/450 Nitro Express and Eley Brothers developing the .450 No 2 Nitro Express, both of which offered very similar performance to the original .450 Nitro Express. By the time these two cartridges appeared, the early issues with the .450 Nitro Express had been resolved, and it quickly became the most popular and widely used dangerous game hunting round.


.450 Nitro Express, Development
Following the British Army 1907 ban of .450 caliber ammunition into India and the Sudan, instead of developing their own replacement Rigby adopted Joseph Lang's .470 Nitro Express as their standard double rifle cartridge. By the time the ban was lifted the .470 NE had largely supplanted the .450 NE as the industry's most popular elephant cartridge, and Mauser's Gewehr 98 bolt actioned rifles offered cheaper alternatives to the expensive double rifles required by the Nitro Express cartridges.


.450 Nitro Express, WWI service
In 1914 and early 1915, German snipers were engaging British Army positions with impunity from behind steel plates that were impervious to .303 British ball ammunition. In an attempt to counter this threat, the British War Office purchased 62 large bore sporting rifles from British rifle makers, including 47 .450 caliber rifles, which were issued to Regiments, some British officers also supplied their own.


.450 Nitro Express, WWI service
On one notable occasion, Richard "Dickie" Cooper brought down three Albatros D.III fighters from Ernst Udet's squadron, Jagdstaffel 15, with his Holland & Holland .450 Nitro Express big-game double rifle. Cooper is recorded as saying: "I aimed well ahead of the leader. He came down like a pheasant, as did the one that followed, and I had time to reload and fire again at the third before he passed over - he also crashed."


.450 Nitro Express, Users
Prominent users of the  .450 Nitro Express include Agnes Herbert, Arthur H. Neumann, Major Chauncey H. Stigand and Denys Finch Hatton, the latter had a gunsmith rebarrel his .475 No 2 Nitro Express Lancaster double rifle into .450 Nitro Express as it was easier to find ammunition.


.450 No 2 Nitro Express
The .450 No 2 Nitro Express also known as the .450 Nitro Express 31⁄2-inch was developed by Eley Brothers in 1903.


.450 No 2 Nitro Express, Design
The .450 No 2 Nitro Express is rimmed, bottlenecked, .458-inch (11.6 mm) calibre cartridge designed for use in single-shot and double rifles, it fires a 480-grain (31 g) projectile at over 2,175 feet per second (663 m/s).


.450 No 2 Nitro Express, Design
The .450 No 2 Nitro Express has a massive 3.5-inch (89 mm) long cartridge case which has a large case capacity and compared to other similar Nitro Express cartridges has a thicker rim and heavier walls. The size of the cartridge case gives it some of the lowest chamber pressures amongst the Nitro Express cartridges which, when combined with its thick rim and heavy walls, makes it almost impervious to sticking in the chamber.


.450 No 2 Nitro Express, History
Following early extraction problems encountered with the revolutionary .450 Nitro Express which had been created by John Rigby & Company in 1898, Eley took the unusual step for the time of creating their own completely new cartridge and release it to the market in 1903, allowing all rifle makers to chamber weapons for their round. This was unusual for two reasons, the first was this cartridge has no blackpowder express forebear, the second is it was designed by an ammunition maker, as most cartridges of the period were designed by rifle makers. The .450 No 2 Nitro Express was so named to differentiate it from the original.


.450 No 2 Nitro Express, History
Ballistically, the .450 No 2 Nitro Express is almost identical to the original .450 Nitro Express and Holland & Holland's .500/450 Nitro Express also intended to replace the original. The early problems of the .450 Nitro Express were however soon resolved and the .450 No 2 Nitro Express was never as popular as its predecessor.


.450 No 2 Nitro Express, History
Following the British Army 1907 ban of .450 caliber ammunition into India and the Sudan, Eley developed the .475 No. 2 Nitro Express by necking up the .450 No 2 Nitro Express.


.450 No 2 Nitro Express, Use
The .450 No 2 Nitro Express is suitable for all dangerous game including elephant. In his African Rifles and Cartridges, John "Pondoro" Taylor states the .450 No 2 Nitro Express is as good as but no better than any other .450-.476 calibre Nitro Express cartridges in terms of killing power. Taylor further states there is a psychological appeal attached to the .450 No 2 Nitro Express, the size of the enormous cartridge giving the hunter confidence that they are carrying a deadlier weapon that one chambering a similar cartridge.


.450 No 2 Nitro Express, Use
Pondoro Taylor owned four rifles chambered in .450 No 2 Nitro Express, with them he killed several hundred elephant, scores of rhinoceros and several hundred buffalo. Other notable users of this cartridge include Philip Percival who hunted with a pair of .450 No 2 Nitro Express boxlock double rifles made by Joseph Lang, and Nripendra Narayan, Maharaja of Koch Bihar, who hunted with a large battery of rifles including a .450 No 2 Nitro Express double rifle by Manton & Co.


.450 Rigby
The .450 Rigby is a rifle cartridge designed in 1994 by John Rigby & Co. for the hunting of large, thick-skinned dangerous game animals in Africa. The cartridge is based on the .416 Rigby necked up to accept a .458 in (11.6 mm) bullet and is intended for use in magazine rifles. The cartridge should not be confused with .450 Nitro Express which was introduced by Rigby in 1898, and is a rimmed cartridge intended for use in double rifles.


.450 Rigby, History
In 1993, Paul Roberts (at that time proprietor of John Rigby & Company) was on an elephant hunt in the Zambezi Valley. Both he and his professional hunter, Joseph Wright, were armed with .416 Rigby rifles. An elephant was found and shot, but due to a misjudgment in the distance, several more rounds were required to finally bring down the elephant.


.450 Rigby, History
After this experience, Paul Roberts felt that a cartridge with a greater bullet-weight and a larger caliber, would have been more effective in that situation. Once Paul Roberts returned to the United Kingdom, he necked-up the .416 Rigby case to .458 caliber. The new cartridge fired a .458 in (11.6 mm) bullet weighing 480 gr (31 g) at a velocity of 2378 ft/s (725 m/s) from a 25 in (635 mm) barrel. The new cartridge was named the .450 Rigby in 1994. The cartridge was put into production in 1995.


.450 Rigby, History
The John Rigby & Co. was building the .416 Rigby rifles on the Magnum Mauser 98 action. Since the .416 Rigby and the .450 Rigby use basically the same case, building rifles for the .450 Rigby was rather simple, requiring only a chamber with a modification made in the collar area and a .458 caliber barrel.


.450 Rigby, Cartridge specifications
The .450 Rigby dimensions and specifications are standardized and governed by the CIP.


.450 Rigby, Cartridge specifications
The CIP recommends a bore diameter of 11.43-millimetre (0.450 in) and a groove diameter of 11.63-millimetre (0.458 in). Barrel will have a 6 grove rifling contour with a twist rate of one revolution in 420 mm (17 in) and a groove width of 3.60-millimetre (0.142 in). CIP specifies a maximum pressure of 4,000 bar (58,000 psi).


.450 Rigby, Performance
Unlike many of the modern .458 caliber dangerous game cartridges like the .458 Winchester Magnum, .458 Lott, or the .460 Weatherby Magnum, the .450 Rigby was designed to operate at more moderate pressures. Maximum pressure limits enforced by CIP is given at 4,000 bar (58,000 psi). At these pressures, the cartridge easily reaches the intended 2,300–2,400 ft/s (700–730 m/s) with the 500-grain (32 g) bullet. The lower pressures provide greater operational reliability in tropical environments where the cartridge is intended for use. Heat can cause higher than normal pressures which can lead to difficulty in extracting the spent case. In a dangerous game hunting situation such failures can result in injury or possibly a fatality.


.450 Rigby, Performance
Unlike the .458 Winchester Magnum and to a degree the .458 Lott, the .450 Rigby reaches the coveted 2,400 ft/s (730 m/s) velocity mark with the 500 gr (32 g) with ease and well under the pressure limits imposed by the CIP upon the cartridge. Handloaders can take advantage of the wide range of .458 caliber (11.6 mm) bullets available. Acceptable bullets weight range from 300-grain (19 g) to 600-grain (39 g). The 500-grain (32 g) bullet can easily reach 2,500 ft/s (760 m/s) and staying within the pressure limitation imposed on the cartridge.


.450 Rigby, Performance
Among commercial sporting cartridges, only the .460 Weatherby Magnum offers a superior performance over the .450 Rigby. However, most bullets manufactured such as those by Hornady and Woodleigh are rated for .450 Rigby velocities rather than those achievable through the .460 Weatherby. For this reason actual performance and penetration on heavy, thick-skinned game species are on par between these two cartridges. The Weatherby cartridge has a 6% greater case capacity than the .450 Rigby but operates at higher pressures.


.450 Rigby, Sporting Use
The .450 Rigby was designed primarily to take heavy, thick-skinned dangerous game animals in Africa. Due to the cartridge's performance, it would be considered a better cartridge for these game species such as African elephant, Cape buffalo, rhinoceros and perhaps hippopotamus than the usual standby cartridges used on these game such as the .458 Winchester Magnum, or even the .458 Lott cartridges especially if one were to use handloaded ammunition. When hunting these game species a bullet of a tough construction is required especially at the velocities the .450 Rigby is capable of attaining.


.450 Rigby, Sporting Use
It is important to tailor the performance to the velocity rating of the bullet with regard to this cartridge as it provides a step up in performance over the cartridges the .458 caliber (11.6 mm) bullets are manufactured for. This is especially true for soft-nosed bullets as they can open up too rapidly at velocities the .450 Rigby can attain. When hunting these game species only bullets weighing 450–600 gr (29–39 g) of a tougher construction should be used.


.450 Rigby, .450 Dakota
The .450 Dakota is a variation on the design of the .450 Rigby but predates the latter cartridge by a few years. The Dakota cartridge was designed by Don Allen and is like the .450 Rigby based on the .416 Rigby case necked up to accept a .458 caliber (11.6 mm) bullet. The .450 Dakota is considered a proprietary cartridge, the rights to which are owned by Dakota Arms Inc., Remington Arms Company and the Freedom Group family of companies. Neither the CIP nor SAAMI regulate nor have oversight over this cartridge. While dimensions of the cartridges are similar they are not identical and are not interchangeable due to the shoulder dimensions and the case length. The performance of both cartridges are almost identical. However, Dakota Arms' ammunition is loaded closer to 65,000 psi (4,500 bar).


.450 Rigby, .450 Dakota
The .450 Dakota launches a 500 gr (32 g) at 2,550 ft/s (780 m/s), a 550 gr (36 g) at 2,450 ft/s (750 m/s) and the 600 gr (39 g) at 2,350 ft/s (720 m/s). While these velocity values are greater than that of the .450 Rigby cartridge, the Dakota ammunition is loaded to near maximum pressure levels while the .450 Rigby is loaded to a pressure level far below the 4,000 bar (58,000 psi) stipulated by the CIP.


.450 Rigby, .450 Dakota
Given equal pressure level the .450 Rigby will turn out a similar performance level as the .450 Dakota cartridge; this is evident through third-party reloading data provided for the .450 Rigby. Any differences between these cartridges are strictly due to the components use and the pressure levels than due to an actual difference between the cartridges.


.450/400 Black Powder Express
The .450/400 Black Powder Express   cartridges were black powder rifle cartridges introduced in the United Kingdom in the 1880s.


.450/400 Black Powder Express, Design
The .450/400 Black Powder Express cartridges are bottlenecked centerfire black powder express rifle cartridges produced in two case lengths, 2⅜ inches (60.3 mm) and 3¼ inches (83 mm). Both cartridges were later loaded as "Nitro for Black" cartridges, the same cartridges loaded with mild loadings of cordite carefully balanced through trial to replicate the ballistics of the black powder versions.


.450/400 Black Powder Express, Design, .450/400 2⅜ inch Black Powder Express
The .450/400 2⅜ inch Black Powder Express was loaded with a bullets from 210 to 270 grains (14 to 17 g) driven by 79 to 84 grains (5.1 to 5.4 g) of black powder. The .450/400 2⅜ inch Nitro for Black was loaded with a jacketed 270 grain round nose bullet driven by 38 grains (2.5 g) of cordite.


.450/400 Black Powder Express, Design, .450/400 3¼ inch Black Powder Express
The .450/400 3¼ inch Black Powder Express was loaded with a bullets from 230 to 300 grains (15 to 19 g) driven by 110 grains (7.1 g) of black powder. The .450/400 3¼ inch Nitro for Black was loaded with bullets of 270 to 316 grains (17.5 to 20.5 g) driven by 45 to 48 grains (2.9 to 3.1 g) of cordite.


.450/400 Black Powder Express, Design, Nitro Express loadings
The .450/400 Black Powder Express cartridges served as the parent cases for the .450/400 Nitro Express cartridges, the same cartridge cases loaded with greater loads of cordite and heavier bullets to produce far more powerful rounds.


.450/400 Black Powder Express, History
The .450/400 Black Powder Express in both cartridge lengths were developed in the 1880s by necking down the .450 Black Powder Express, the .450/400 2⅜ inch Black Powder Express simply a shortened version. The .450/400 3¼ inch Black Powder Express was listed in the Kynoch catalogue of 1884 as the .450 reduced to . 400.


.450/400 Black Powder Express, History
Whilst obsolete, .450/400 3¼ inch Black Powder Express ammunition can still be purchased from ammunition manufacturers such as Kynoch.


.450/400 Black Powder Express, Use
The .450/400 Black Powder Express in both case lengths were considered good deerstalking cartridges and was usually chambered in a lightweight stalking rifle.


.450/400 Nitro Express
The .450/400 Nitro Express  is a Nitro Express rifle cartridge that is produced in two case lengths, 2⅜-inches and 3¼-inches, and is intended for use in single shot and double rifles. The latter is considered a classic Nitro Express cartridge.


.450/400 Nitro Express, Development
Both the .450/400 2⅜-inch NE and .450/400 3¼-inch NE were created by loading the .450/400 Black Powder Express cartridges of both case lengths with smokeless cordite.


.450/400 Nitro Express, Development, .450/400 2⅜-inch Nitro Express
The .450/400 2⅜ inch Nitro Express was loaded with a 400 gr. RN bullet with 42 or 43 grains of cordite and was meant for use in newer rifles chambered for the .450/400 2⅜  inch case as this loading generates greater pressure than the Black Powder Express versions of the cartridge.


.450/400 Nitro Express, Development, .450/400 3-inch Nitro Express
This cartridge is better known as the .400 Jeffery Nitro Express.


.450/400 Nitro Express, Development, .450/400 3¼-inch Nitro Express
The .450/400 3¼-inch NE conversion was not initially entirely successful, under the increased pressures of the cordite loading the long neck could stick in the chamber causing the rim to pull off at extraction, a problem not encountered under the milder black powder loadings. To counter this, the rim was increased in thickness to .042-inches. W.J. Jeffery & Co further improved the cartridge by reducing the length of the case to 3-inches and moving the neck further forward, creating the .450/400 3-inch NE.


.450/400 Nitro Express, Development, .450/400 3¼-inch Nitro Express
Additionally, the caliber had to be standardised, slight variations existed in both the rifles and the  low-pressure black powder cartridges produced by different manufacturers, the bullet diameter is nominally given as .405 inches, bore as large as .411 existed, not a significant problem in black-powder rifles. In Nitro Express loadings, an undersized bullet in an oversized bore may experience accuracy issues while an oversized bullet fired in an undersized bore may cause a catastrophic failure in the firearm.


.450/400 Nitro Express, Development, .450/400 3¼-inch Nitro Express
The .450/400 3¼-inch Nitro Express fires a 400 gr. jacketed bullet ahead of a charge of 56 - 60 gr. of cordite at a velocity of 2,150 ft/s (660 m/s). This cartridge is considered unsafe to use for older rifles chambered for the black powder version of this cartridge due to higher pressures generated by this loading. .450/400 3¼-inch Nitro Express rifles are heavier and were considered as the minimum cartridge necessary when hunting dangerous game.


.450/400 Nitro Express, Use
The .450/400 NE in both the 3-inch and 3¼-inch versions were extremely popular in Africa and India, prior to the introduction of the .375 Holland & Holland they were considered the best all-round African hunting caliber. Both cartridges were extremely popular in India with Maharajas and British sportsmen for hunting tiger.


.450/400 Nitro Express, Use
In his African Rifles and Cartridges, John "Pondoro" Taylor stated the 3-inch and 3¼-inch .450/400 NE were adequate for all African game in almost all conditions when used by an experienced hunter.


.451 Detonics Magnum
The .451 Detonics Magnum [11.5x24mm] is a pistol cartridge similar to .45 ACP. It uses a reinforced case to handle higher pressure loads. The parent case is the .45 Winchester Magnum [11.5 x 30.4mm] trimmed down to 0.942 inches [23.9 mm] long. It was deliberately made longer than the .45 ACP cartridge [11.43x23mm] to avoid accidents.


.451 Detonics Magnum
The cartridge was available with 185-grain [11.98 gram] and 200-grain [12.95 gram] bullets.


.454 Casull
The .454 Casull (/kəˈsuːl/) is a firearm cartridge, developed as a wildcat cartridge in 1958 by Dick Casull, Duane Marsh and Jack Fullmer. It was first announced in November 1959 by Guns & Ammo magazine. The basic design was a lengthened and structurally improved .45 Colt case. The wildcat cartridge finally went mainstream in 1997, when Ruger began chambering its Super Redhawk in this caliber. Taurus followed with the Raging Bull model in 1998 and the Taurus Raging Judge Magnum in 2010. The .45 Schofield and .45 Colt cartridges can fit into the .454's chambers, but not the other way around because of the lengthened case (very similar to the relationship between .38 Special and .357 Magnum cartridges, as well as the .44 Special and .44 Magnum cartridges).


.454 Casull, Specifications
The .454 Casull was finally commercialized in 1997, when SAAMI published its first standards for the cartridge. The new Casull round uses a small rifle primer rather than a pistol primer, because it develops extremely high chamber pressures of over 60,000 CUP (copper units of pressure) (410 MPa), and the rifle primer has a significantly stronger cup than a pistol primer.


.454 Casull, Specifications
The round is one of the most powerful handgun cartridges in production. The .454 Casull generates almost 5 times the recoil of the .45 Colt, and about 75% more recoil energy than the .44 Magnum. It can deliver a 250 grain (16 g) bullet with a muzzle velocity of over 1,900 feet per second (580 m/s), developing up to 2,000 ft-lb (2.7 kJ) of energy from a handgun. One Buffalo Bore loading drives a heavier, 300 grain, JFN bullet at 1,650 ft/s for 1,813 ft-lb of muzzle energy. The .454 Casull round is primarily intended for hunting medium or large game, metallic silhouette shooting, and bear protection.


.454 Casull, Specifications
The Casull cartridges were originally loaded with a triplex load of propellants, which gave progressive burning, aided by the rifle primer ignition, resulting in a progressive acceleration of the bullet as it passed through the barrel.


.454 Casull, Similar cartridges
The first commercially available revolver chambered in .454 Casull was made by Freedom Arms in 1983 as a five-shot single action Model 83 revolver that is capable of firing .45 ACP, .45 Colt and .454 Casull with interchangeable cylinders. The .460 Smith & Wesson Magnum cartridge introduced in 2005 is a lengthened .454 Casull cartridge and has the same diameter as a .45 Colt or .454 Casull. Therefore, revolvers chambered for .460 S&W will also chamber .454 Casull, .45 Colt, and .45 Schofield (.45 S&W).


.455 Webley
.455 Webley  is a British handgun cartridge, most commonly used in the Webley top break revolvers Marks I through VI. It is also known as ".455 Eley" and ".455 Colt".


.455 Webley
The .455 cartridge was a service revolver cartridge, featuring a rimmed cartridge firing a .45 bullet at the relatively low velocity of 650 ft/s (190 m/s). The result was a cartridge and handgun combination with comparatively mild recoil. The .455 MK III "cupped" cartridge was rated superior to the .45 Colt in stopping power in the disputed United States Thompson-LaGarde Tests of 1904 that resulted in the adoption by the U.S. of the .45 ACP cartridge.


.455 Webley
The .455 Webley cartridge remained in service with British and Commonwealth forces until the end of the Second World War.


.455 Webley, Variants
In addition to the Webley revolvers, the British and Canadian armies also ordered several thousand Smith & Wesson .44 Hand Ejector revolvers, chambered in .455 Webley, in a rush to equip their troops for the Great War. The urgency was such that the earliest of these were converted from revolvers already completed and chambered for .44 Special. Approximately 60,000 Colt New Service revolvers were also purchased, in .455.


.455 Webley, Variants
The Italian firm Fiocchi and American firm Hornady are currently the only commercial manufacturers of the .455 Webley cartridge (in Mk II). Hornady, RCBS and Lee produce equipment for reloading .455 Webley cartridges.


.455 Webley, .455 Webley Auto
The .455 Webley Auto Mk I cartridge was produced from 1913 to about the middle of World War II. This is a semi-rimmed cartridge for the Webley & Scott Self Loading pistols.


.455 Webley, .455 Webley Auto
The early version of the cartridge (c.1904) had a shorter 21.7mm semi-rimmed case with a narrow rim and a pointed bullet. A later improved version of the cartridge (c.1910) was similar except it had a 23.54mm long case and a round-nosed bullet. The Mk 1 service round (c.1913) was identical to the 1910 version of the cartridge except it had a thicker rim.


.455 Webley, .455 Webley Auto
The Mk 1 cartridge's bullet headspaced on the rim. It was loaded with a 224 grain cupro-nickel-jacketed bullet with a muzzle velocity of 700 feet per second. Various sub machine guns were tested using this cartridge however none were adopted.


.455 Webley, .455 Webley Auto, World War One use
The Webley & Scott pistol was sold to the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Navy during World War I. There were also some Colt M1911 pistols chambered in .455 Auto  purchased by the Royal Navy. Although not a standard sidearm or a standard service cartridge, a few Colt M1911 "British service models" chambered in .455 Auto were sold commercially to British navy and army officers through outfitters. The service ammunition came packed in seven-round boxes stamped "not for revolvers" to prevent confusion.


.455 Webley, .476 Enfield
Despite the apparent difference in caliber name, .476 Enfield was quite similar to the .455 Webley. The .476 had a 0.05 mm (0.002 in) shorter case than the .455 Mark I and could be fired in weapons regulated and marked as safe for the caliber, such as the Webley "WG Army" model. This had a cylinder that was long enough to accommodate the significantly longer cartridge in which the bullet swelled out to .476" beyond the case. It would not chamber in any government-issue .455 Webley Marks I–VI. The .450 Adams (1868), .476 Enfield (1881), and .455 Webley Mk. I (1891) British service cartridges all featured a case diameter of .476 inch [12.09mm].


.455 Webley, .476 Enfield
From left to right: .450 Adams, .455 Webley Mk I, .455 Webley Mk II cartridges


.455 Webley, .476 Enfield
M1911 pistol "British Service Model", which uses the Webley Auto Mk I cartridge. The weapon is stamped with ".455" on the slide and the underside of the magazine


.458 Express
The .458 Express is a .458 diameter (caliber) cartridge developed in South Africa. It is also referred to as the .458 3-inch.


.458 Express
Other .458 cartridges are the very popular .458 Lott, .458 Winchester Magnum and 450 Watts. Weatherby made the .460 Weatherby which is still one of the fastest commercial cartridges available on the market in this category.


.458 Express
This unique cartridge originated in Africa, accommodating harsh African conditions, and less efficient South African rifle powders. It has a broad spectrum of reloading options and is capable of long-range, flat trajectory shooting, or close-up Big Five hunting shots, using the heaviest of bullets available in this caliber.


.458 Express, Development
A range of .458 caliber cartridges have been developed since the 1950s; the .458 Express being developed in 2000 . The .458 Express is developed in South Africa by Professor Koos Badenhorst of Haenertsburg in the Limpopo province of South Africa.


.458 Express, Technical information, The case
The .458 Express uses a straight wall belted case as seen in the .458 Winchester Magnum (458 Win Mag). The case length is 2.99 inches (76 mm) compared to the 2.50 inches (64 mm) of the .458 Winchester Magnum and the 2.80-inch (71 mm) case of the .458 Lott. See "Cartridges of the World - 10th Edition"


.458 Express, Technical information, Case Capacity
The volume of water contained in a .458 Express case is 111 grains compared to the 103 grains of the .458 Lott and 92 grains of water in the .458 Winchester Magnum case.


.458 Express, Technical information, Caliber
.458 diameter bullets are used in the .458 Express. The .458 Express is described by Dr. K Robertson in "Africa's Most Dangerous". He is also the author of "The Perfect Shot".


.458 Express, Permission
All rights for publication was obtained from Prof. Koos Badenhorst as the developer and architect of the .458 Express.


.458 Express, Permission, The .458 Express Story
ISBN 978-0-620-42754-8 Author: Werner Booysen. In this book the history of the .458 Express, development of the caliber and other interesting information are discussed.


.458 HAM'R
The .458 HAM'R is a large bore, centerfire rifle cartridge, designed for use in AR-15 style rifles. Wilson Combat, owned by Bill Wilson (developer of .458 HAM'R), sells a .458 HAM'R chambered, AR-style firearm named the WC-12, which is between the sizes of the AR-10 and AR-15 platforms. AR-10 platforms with lowers that can accept an AR-15 cartridge are also capable of safely firing the .458 HAM'R.


.458 HAM'R
It is very similar to the .458 SOCOM, but is designed to operate at greater pressures, offering greater range in flatter trajectory. The cartridge uses an AR-15 sized magazine, but the cartridge pressures require a bolt, barrel, and receiver designed for pressures of the AR-10 platform.


.458 HAM'R, Designer
The cartridge was designed by Bill Wilson, of Wilson Combat.


.458 Lott
The .458 Lott is a .458 caliber rifle cartridge designed for the purpose of hunting large, thick-skinned dangerous game animals in Africa. It is based on the full length .375 H&H Magnum case blown out and shortened to 2.800 inches (71.1 mm).


.458 Lott
The .458 Lott was designed in response to perceived inadequacies and problems encountered with the .458 Winchester Magnum. The cartridge provides a distinct step up in performance over the .458 Winchester Magnum. A-Square, Česká Zbrojovka/Brno, Hornady, and Ruger have been instrumental in the cartridge's rise in popularity.


.458 Lott, Cartridge history
The .458 Winchester Magnum was designed in 1956 and was an immediate commercial success. It was a more economical alternative to the English double rifles that were considered the standard rifle type for dangerous game hunting in Africa. The .458 Winchester Magnum was designed to emulate the performance of the .450 Nitro Express in a standard-length bolt-action rifle. However, it soon became apparent that the .458 Winchester Magnum was not performing as anticipated. Several factors contributing to its less than stellar performance in Africa: clumping of its compressed powder charge and use in 20–22 in (510–560 mm) barrel rifles.


.458 Lott, Cartridge history
Jack Lott, a big-game hunter and writer from the US, had an adverse encounter with a Cape buffalo in Mozambique in 1959 in which he sustained injuries. He had been hunting with the then new .458 Winchester Magnum. This experience convinced him that a cartridge more powerful than the .458 Winchester Magnum was required when hunting dangerous game in Africa. After the encounter he began a search for a big-bore cartridge which would suit his needs perfectly.


.458 Lott, Cartridge history
Not finding a cartridge that would fit his needs, he designed a cartridge which he felt would meet his requirements in a dangerous-game cartridge. Jack Lott's original drawings of the cartridge were done on a napkin at a diner. The first cases for the new rifle cartridge were fireformed from .375 H&H Magnum brass into a chamber by using .458 caliber (11.6 mm) bullets which had their bases re-sized .375-inch (9.5 mm) so as to fit in the mouth of the .375 H&H Magnum. This method of fireforming left the newly formed cases slightly shorter than the parent cases.


.458 Lott, Cartridge history
The resulting cartridge is named the .458 Lott in his honor. A similar method was used by David Miller and Curt Crum to create cases for their early custom .458 Lott rifles. The creation of the cases began with the casting of a .458 in (11.6 mm) bullet with a .375 in (9.5 mm) shank and which weighed around 260 gr. This bullet was seated on a .375 H&H Magnum case containing 30.0 gr (1.94 g) of Hercules 2400 powder with some polyester material used as a wadding to hold the powder charge against the primer.


.458 Lott, Cartridge history
This set-up was then fire-formed in rifle with a .458 Lott chamber. The fire-formed cases were then run through a .458 Winchester Magnum full length re-sizing die with a set off of .125 in (3.2 mm). Once this was accomplished cases were trimmed to 2.790 in (70.9 mm) tumbled clean. Unfortunately for Miller and Crum, this method of fire-forming of brass led to severe gas cutting into the neck area of the .458 Lott fire-forming rifle after only 200 rounds.


.458 Lott, Cartridge history
In 1989 A-Square became the first company to offer the .458 Lott as a commercial cartridge. At present, the 465-grain (30.1 g) Triad (Monolithic Solid, Dead Tough and the Lion Load) for the .458 Lott cartridge is available from the company. A-Square also championed the successful SAAMI standardization of the .458 Lott cartridge which took place in 1995. They currently offer the A-Square Hannibal and Caesar rifles chambered for this cartridge.


.458 Lott, Design and specifications
The objective behind the design of the .458 Lott was to provide a greater case capacity over the .458 Winchester Magnum so as to provide better performance and less compression of the powder charge. The .458 Lott achieved both these objectives by its lengthened cartridge. Furthermore, as the Lott cartridge is in essence a lengthened .458 Winchester Magnum, converting a .458 Winchester Magnum to .458 Lott involves in many cases a simple re-boring of the chamber and if required, a lengthening of the magazine.


.458 Lott, Design and specifications
The .458 Lott was standardized by SAAMI in 1995 based on specification provided by Arthur Alphin and A-Square LLC. According to Arthur Alphin, the cartridge length was standardized at 2.800-inch (71.1 mm) and the chamber length at 2.810-inch (71.4 mm) because there were many converted rifles in the field that were chambered for the original Jack Lott length. The specifications published by SAAMI reflect this fact.


.458 Lott, Design and specifications
The specifications for the .458 Lott call for a cartridge which gradually tapers. However, A-Square and few other ammunition manufacturers provide a ghost shoulder for the cartridge which was not included in the specification as standardized by SAAMI. Arthur Alphin chose not to include the ghost shoulder to remain true to Jack Lott's wishes and to honor his memory. The ghost shoulder serves to provide better retention of the bullet in the case under recoil. Like A-Square .458 Lott cartridges, Barnes .458 Lott brass bears a ghost shoulder for this very same reason.


.458 Lott, Design and specifications
SAAMI recommends a 6 groove rifling contour with each groove being .150-inch (3.8 mm) wide. Distance between lands is .450-inch (11.4 mm) and between grooves is .458-inch (11.6 mm). Recommended rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 1-14 in.


.458 Lott, Design and specifications
Since Lott was an influential big-game hunter and writer the cartridge gained some attention with professional hunters in Africa. The .458 Lott was soon commercialized by A-Square as a proprietary cartridge. CZ chambered the cartridge in their BRNO ZKK 602 rifles based on the Magnum Mauser action. However, the Lott remained fairly obscure at least in the United States until Ruger offered the cartridge in their Ruger M77RSM Mk II rifles to the American public in 2002. Since then there has been a slow but steady movement away from the .458 Winchester Magnum towards the .458 Lott among professional hunters heading to Africa.


.458 Lott, Design and specifications
The .458 Winchester Magnum is ubiquitous in Africa. While one might not be able to easily find ammunition for the big Weatherby or the Nitro Express cartridges, due to its popularity one would be able to find .458 Winchester Magnum cartridges. In an emergency, the .458 Winchester Magnum can be fired in the chamber of a .458 Lott.


.458 Lott, Performance
By 1970 Winchester was forced to deal with the clumping of the compressed powder charge which had been resulting in improper ignition and poor performance. Winchester's remedy was to lessen the compression of the powder column. The result was a .458 Winchester Magnum that was now attaining only about 1,950-foot-per-second (590 m/s). This was 200 ft/s (61 m/s) below what Winchester's original design specifications intended. The .458 Winchester Magnum was originally supposed to duplicate the performance of the .450 Nitro Express which could fire a 500 gr (32 g) bullet at 2,150-foot-per-second (660 m/s).


.458 Lott, Performance
On the other hand, the .458 Lott is designed to provide about 200–300-foot-per-second (61–91 m/s) more velocity than the .458 Winchester Magnum. The performance goal does not just match but exceeds the original performance specifications of the .458 Winchester Magnum. The cartridge is capable of firing a 500-grain (32 g) bullet at 2,300-foot-per-second (700 m/s) from a 23-inch (580 mm) barrel such as the Ruger M77. This capability easily exceeded the performance that was expected of the .450 Nitro Express and the .458 Winchester Magnum. The Lott cartridge was a distinct step up from the .458 Winchester Magnum and the .450 Nitro Express cartridges. The .458 Lott is also considered a better cartridge for dangerous game hunting than the .470 Nitro Express when judged by its effects on big game.


.458 Lott, Performance
Due to its development and purpose, the performance of the .458 Lott is often compared with that of the .458 Winchester Magnum. This is inevitable as the latter was the cartridge which the .458 Lott was designed to replace.


.458 Lott, Performance
The .458 Lott is able to attain over 2,300-foot-per-second (700 m/s) with a 500-grain (32 g) jacketed bullet at safe pressure levels from a 23–24-inch (580–610 mm) barrel. In comparison, many ammunition manufacturers load the .458 Winchester Magnum to velocities between 2,050–1,950 ft/s (620–590 m/s). Hornady's Superformance ammunition being an exception which uses powder blends which at present remain proprietary. The .458 Lott is capable of reaching a velocity of 2,150-foot-per-second (660 m/s) with the 600-grain (39 g) bullet which is greater than the velocity reached by Hornady's 500-grain (32 g) Superformance .458 Winchester Magnum ammunition.


.458 Lott, Performance
With lighter bullets of 300-grain (19 g), it is able to achieve a velocity of about 2,850 ft/s (870 m/s). These energy and velocity values provide the .458 Lott cartridge a gain of between 50–100 yd (46–91 m) over the .458 Winchester Magnum in distance. This performance increase provides better penetration and stopping power than the .458 Winchester Magnum against dangerous game.


.458 Lott, Performance
However, the mono-metal bullets fall short of this velocity threshold due to the need to seat the bullets deeper owing to the length of the bullets and the need to stay within the maximum overall length specification of the cartridge. This is because the lower mono-metal bullets have a higher length to weight ratio than conventional bullets. Manufacturers such as A-Square have chosen to load slightly lighter bullets 465-grain (30.1 g) instead of the 500-grain (32 g) bullets.


.458 Lott, Performance
The straight tapered case of the .458 Lott provides greater flexibility in reloading to lower velocities than bottlenecked cartridges. The ability to reload ammunition to lower velocities with lighter bullets can provide shooters with ammunition with less recoil than the full power .458 Lott ammunition. Nyati Inc., a big bore ammunition manufacturer, has taken advantage of this flexibility and offers ammunition featuring a 500-grain (32 g) copper jacket bullet at 1,100-foot-per-second (340 m/s). They also offer intermediate power ammunition for the .458 Lott as well.


.458 Lott, Performance
Handloaders can take advantage of the wide range of bullet of useful weights are available in .45 caliber for the .458 Lott cartridge. Bullets ranging from 300–600 gr (19–39 g) can be loaded for the Lott cartridge. This, together with the ability to load the cartridge to lower power levels, easily adds to the versatility of the .458 Lott. .458 Lott velocities range from 3,000 ft/s (910 m/s) with the 300 gr (19 g) bullet and 2,150 ft/s (660 m/s) with the 600 gr (39 g) bullet.


.458 Lott, Performance
Spitzer bullets with better ballistics such as the Barnes X or TSX bullet provides better down range performance over the more conventional .45 caliber (11.6 mm) bullets. The .458 Lott does well with hardcast lead bullets. With these bullets the Lott can be loaded to the power level of the original .45-70 Government cartridge. which was a 405 gr (26.2 g) bullet at 1,330 ft/s (410 m/s).


.458 Lott, Performance
What the .458 Lott lacks in velocity and energy compared to the .450 Rigby or the .460 Weatherby Magnum, it more than makes up for by virtue of its versatility. Larger volume cases such as the .460 Weatherby Magnum do not do well with powder charges below the recommended minimums. This is due to the erratic ignition and hangfire issues experienced when large capacity cartridges are loaded with small powder charges. The Lott has no such issues and takes well to lower powder charges.


.458 Lott, Sporting usage
The .458 Lott was designed to be an African dangerous game rifle cartridge particularly for use against heavy, thick-skinned dangerous game such as elephant, Cape buffalo and rhinoceros. It is considered an ideal cartridge for hunting African dangerous game and is capable of taking game from elephant to the duiker. Acceptable bullet weights for the .458 Lott range from 300-to-600-grain (19 to 39 g). The range of available bullets provides the flexibility to customize loads for specific game species.


.458 Lott, Sporting usage
Elephant require a bullet of a tough construction which will not deform easily. The bullet must be able to penetrate heavy bone and exit from all possible angles. These requirement reduce the useful choices to solid bullets. This is especially true if the classic brain shot is contemplated when hunting elephant where the bullet must penetrate through the honeycombed bone structure of the frontal area of the elephant's skull.


.458 Lott, Sporting usage
Bullets which are chosen must have sectional densities of over .300 while a sectional densities of .330 are preferred so as to provide the necessary penetration on these, the largest of the terrestrial mammals. Premium solid bullets from A-square, Barnes, Hornady, North Fork or Woodleigh weighing in the range of 450–550 gr (29–36 g) are all capable of holding together without much deformation and penetrating to the brain. With lesser FMJ bullets only heart, lung or shoulder shots should be considered.


.458 Lott, Sporting usage
Cape buffalo and rhinoceros, though heavily boned and tough are mostly hunted with soft point bullets although FMJ and solid bullets are chosen by some hunters. Again as with elephants, premium bullets of a sturdy construction should be chosen. The bullet chosen must be able to break through bone and penetrate to the vitals. Soft points similar to the A-Square Dead Tough, Barnes TSX, Hornady DGX and the Woodleigh Weldcore Soft Nose are examples of these bullets. The .458 Lott has ample power to spare on these species.


.458 Lott, Sporting usage
While the .458 Lott is capable of taking lion and leopard, it is considered overly powerful for the big cats. Lighter, soft point bullets which rapidly expand or fragment at higher velocities are usually recommended for the big cats. A-Square Lion Load bullet or soft points manufactured for the .45-70 Government fills this niche for the .458 Lott.


.458 Lott, Sporting usage
The manufacture of spitzer style bullets in the .45 caliber has generally been a recent trend. These bullets provide better ballistic coefficients than the more common round nose or flat nosed bullets available in this caliber. The better ballistic coefficients translate to better longer range performance. Loaded with lighter bullets with better ballistic coefficients at higher velocities the .458 Lott can be used as a medium-range plains game rifle cartridge.


.458 Lott, Sporting usage
In North America, it would make a fine big bear and bison rifle. However apart from these species, North American big game does not require cartridges similar to the .458 Lott. Those who reload ammunition are able to take advantage of the .458 Lott's performance flexibility to tailor their ammunition to the species of game they wish to hunt.


.458 Lott, Rifles and ammunition
Since there are several rifle actions manufactured that are capable of handling the full length magnum cartridges such as the .375 H&H Magnum, it is not surprising that the .458 Lott has been chambered in several rifles. The .458 Lott cartridge's maximum overall length is only .3 in (7.6 mm) longer than the standard length magnum cartridges like the 7mm Remington Magnum and the .300 Winchester Magnum. For this reason several rifles, which were formerly chambered for cartridges like the .375 H&H Magnum and the .458 Winchester Magnum, were easily converted to the .458 Lott early on when .458 Lott rifles were only available as a custom offering. These conversions required no more than a re-boring or a re-barreling and perhaps a magazine extension if required.


.458 Lott, Rifles and ammunition
The Mauser style action has long been favored by African hunters. It is considered a highly reliable action for its ability to function dependably under adverse and stressful conditions. Many rifle makers like CZ, Hartmann & Weiss, Heym, Holland & Holland, Mauser, Kimber, and Westley Richards are turning out rifles made on the Magnum Mauser 98 action in this cartridge. CZ's Brno ZKK602 was one of the first rifles manufactured which was chambered for the .458 Lott. CZ currently produces the CZ 550 American Magnum rifle in that chambering. The Heym Express and Kimber Caprivi are also manufactured for the .458 Lott cartridge. Mauser makes .458 Lott rifles in several models in their M 98 and M 03 rifle lines.


.458 Lott, Rifles and ammunition
Non -Mauser action rifles for the .458 Lott are produced by A-Square, Blaser and Weatherby. A-Square's Hannibal and Caesar rifles are built on Enfield P14 actions. Blaser manufactures the Blaser R8 Safari PH and Safari Luxus rifle models in the .458 Lott chambering. Weatherby offers the .458 Lott cartridge in the Mark V Deluxe and also through their custom shop. Ruger chambers the .458 Lott in the Ruger No. 1 Tropical Rifle. Several other manufacturers also offer rifles chambered in the cartridge as a regular or custom offering.


.458 Lott, Rifles and ammunition
An advantage that the .458 Lott offers over more voluminous cartridges such as the .450 Rigby, .460 Weatherby or the .505 Gibbs is that it can be easily adopted in currently mass-produced and thus commonly encountered rifle actions with little or no modification of the bolt face. For this reason, it is a much more economical alternative to cartridges which need larger action types and larger bolt faces. The cartridge's popularity is due in large part to the wide availability of affordable rifles which are or can easily be  chambered for the cartridge.


.458 Lott, Rifles and ammunition
Due to the popularity of the .458 Lott as a hunting cartridge there are several sources of ammunition. A-Square, Double Tap, Federal, Hornady, Kynoch, and Norma are among several manufacturers of .458 Lott ammunition. Most ammunition manufactured for the cartridge is loaded with a 500 gr (32 g) bullet at 2,300 ft/s (700 m/s) which has become the industry standard for the cartridge.


.458 Lott, Criticism
There has been some criticism of the cartridge for its inability to reach the so-called magical 2,300–2,400 ft/s (700–730 m/s) velocity (with some powders) some hunters, especially those who hunt large animals, believe is required for maximum penetration on dangerous game, the end result is that no scientific proof has been made on this subject, and it is likely accepted because of the older bullets that will not retain their weight at high velocity. This is a particular concern outside North America where only particular lines of cartridge powders are available, sometimes of local manufacture. While the Lott achieves this velocity, the powders used may not be available in most locales.


.458 Lott, Criticism
This is particularly true in many African nations. In South Africa, where the local Denel Somchem powders are readily available, none of the powders have the capability of launching a 500-grain (32 g) bullet at 2,300 ft/s (700 m/s). This led to the creation of a new cartridge named the .458 Express by its designer Dr. Koos Badenhorst. The new design uses a 3-inch (76 mm) cartridge made from basic .458 brass based on the .375 H&H Magnum case head. This case provided the capacity necessary using Somchem powders such as S321 and S335 to drive the 500-grain (32 g) to 2,300 ft/s (700 m/s).


.458 Lott, Variants
Prior to the arrival of the .458 Lott there were a few other .45 caliber (11.6 mm) cartridges with similar performance levels based on the full length .375 H&H Magnum case such as the .450 Ackley Magnum, .450 Barnes Supreme, .450 Mashburn Magnum and the .450 Watts Magnum. There are only minute variations between these cartridges. Most .458 Lott chambers will accept the .450 Watts cartridge as the chambers are reamed to accept a 2.850-inch (72.4 mm) cartridge. The .458 Lott chamber will not accept an improved cartridges like the .450 Ackley Magnum and the .450 Barnes Supreme. Depending on chamber dimensions it may accept the Watts version of the cartridge. However strict SAAMI compliant chambers will not accept the .450 Watts Magnum and any attempt to discharge it in such a chamber will invariably result in higher pressures and catastrophic failures may result.


.458 Lott, Variants, .450 Ackley Magnum
The .450 Ackley Magnum was designed in 1960 by Parker Otto Ackley. The .450 Ackley Magnum can be considered an improved cartridge in comparison with the .458 Lott. The cartridge has minimum body taper ending with a small shoulder. Case capacity and performance is slightly greater than that of the .458 Lott resulting in less 50-foot-per-second (15 m/s) in velocity at equal pressures. Chamber will accept the Lott and Watts cartridges. The .458 Winchester Magnum can be fired in the chamber in an emergency. The .450 Barnes supreme cannot be fired in the chamber of the .450 Ackley as there are minute dimensional differences which may prevent the cartridge from chambering. A-Square currently loads this cartridge with a 465-grain (30.1 g) bullet at 2,400-foot-per-second (730 m/s).


.458 Lott, Variants, .450 Watts Magnum
The .450 Watts Magnum was designed by Watts and Anderson of Washington State. The .450 Watts Magnum is similar to the .458 Lott with the exception of case length which is 2.850-inch (72.4 mm). While the case capacity is slightly more than that of the Lott cartridge, the maximum overall cartridge length is the same. As this is the case, once the bullet is seated case powder capacity is almost identical. A .450 Watts Magnum chamber will accept the .458 Lott cartridge without issue. The .458 Winchester Magnum can be fired in the chamber if required. The .450 Watts can be fired in the chambers of the .450 Ackley Magnum, .450 Barnes Supreme and the .450 Mashburn Magnum chambers. Firing the case in an improved chambers similar to that of the Ackley or the Barnes cartridges will result in a slight reduction in performance.


.458 SOCOM
The .458 SOCOM (11.63×40mm) is a moderately large round designed for a specialized upper receiver that can be mounted on any AR-15 pattern lower receiver. The 300-grain (19 g) round offers a supersonic muzzle velocity of 1,900 ft/s (580 m/s) and 2,405 ft⋅lbf (3,261 J), similar to a light .45-70 but with a much smaller case.


.458 SOCOM, History
Prompted by the lack of power offered by the 5.56 NATO cartridge used in the M4 carbine and the M16 rifle, the .458 SOCOM came about from informal discussion of members of the special operations command, specifically Task Force Ranger's experience that multiple shots were required to incapacitate members of the opposing force in Mogadishu during Operation Gothic Serpent. Many Somalis would chew the drug Khat all day and the effects of the drug would both curb their appetite (in a country plagued by famine) and increase their pain tolerance. Marty ter Weeme of Teppo Jutsu and Tony Rumore of Tromix designed the cartridge in 2000 and Tromix was contracted to build the first .458 SOCOM rifle in February 2001.


.458 SOCOM, History
The project sponsor set forth a number of specific requirements namely that the cartridge had to fit in the M4 carbine and be capable of firing heavy-for-caliber projectiles at subsonic velocity using suppressors. During the development phase, various other cartridges were considered and proposed to the project sponsor, but rejected as not meeting all the requirements. The cartridges considered were 7.62×39mm, 9×39mm Grom, .45 Professional (which has since become the .450 Bushmaster), and .50 Action Express. At the time, the .499 LWR cartridge was still in development phase and had not been chambered commercially.


.458 SOCOM, History
The .45 Professional was ruled out because, in an interview with industry press, the developer of said cartridge stated that steel proprietary to General Motors was used in the bolts and extractor to withstand the high operating pressures. The .50 AE and .499 LWR were ruled out because in 2000 only two bullets were offered in .501 diameter, both developed as pistol bullets for the .50 AE and not heavy enough for the subsonic suppressed role.


.458 SOCOM, History
Research had indicated that a short belted cartridge called the .458 × 1.5" Barnes had been adopted for use in suppressed bolt-action rifles for use in SE Asia during the Vietnam War. It was shown as effective in terms of ballistics, firing a 500 grain bullet subsonically, but not ideally suited for its role due to the size and weight of the platform. Combined with the wide selection of bullets available in .458 diameter, this cemented the choice of caliber.


.458 SOCOM, History
The cartridge case design was finalized based on discussions with Tony Rumore at Tromix suggesting a lengthened .50 AE case would work well in the magazines as well as be the largest diameter case to be able to feed through the barrel extension. The initial prototype brass still bore the .50 AE head stamp and this has caused some confusion, as the SOCOM case is longer with a narrower rim. The .50 AE rim diameter was reduced from .514 inch to .473 inch for compatibility with other platforms, primarily bolt-action rifles.


.458 SOCOM, History
The .473-inch/12mm-diameter rim was designed in 1888 for the German Commission Rifle chambered in 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge, and is arguably the most common rim size globally, as all bolt actions chambered in cartridges derived from that shell, such as .30-06 Springfield, .308 Winchester or cartridges derived from them share this rim size. The case length was chosen to be compatible with the Barnes 300-grain X Spitzer bullet. The final case design has base and rim dimensions identical to the .425 Westley Richards, although making .458 SOCOM cases from it is impractical due to the high cost of .425 brass. In 2009, Barnes developed a new bullet specifically for use in the .458 SOCOM, the 300 grain Tipped Triple Shock X, also known as the TTSX or TAC-X.


.458 SOCOM, History
As noted above, the cartridge was designed to be 100% compatible with the M4 platform. This included the buffer, buffer spring, NATO magazines, many aftermarket .223/5.56 magazines, and magazine well. In .223/5.56 caliber, cartridges stack in a staggered (double stack) fashion. However, with the much larger .458 SOCOM, rounds "single stack" without any modification to the standard GI magazine feed lips or follower. A standard 20-round 5.56mm NATO magazine can hold seven .458 SOCOM rounds and a standard 30-round 5.56mm NATO magazine can hold ten .458 SOCOM rounds.


.458 Winchester Magnum
The .458 Winchester Magnum is a belted, straight-taper cased, Big five game rifle cartridge. It was introduced commercially in 1956 by Winchester and first chambered in the Winchester Model 70 African rifle. It was designed to compete against the .450 Nitro Express and the .470 Nitro Express cartridges used in big bore British double rifles. The .458 Winchester Magnum remains one of the most popular large game cartridges, and most major ammunition manufacturers offer a selection of .458 ammunition.


.458 Winchester Magnum, History
The .458 Winchester Magnum was designed for hunting dangerous game animals by emulating the performance of powerful English double rifle cartridges in a bolt-action rifle. The use of a bolt-action rifle offered hunters a cheaper alternative to the big-bore double rifle, and ammunition could be manufactured using available tooling. The .458 Winchester Magnum soon became a success as dangerous game hunters adopted the cartridge. Soon game wardens, wildlife managers, and professional hunters switched to the .458 Winchester Magnum as their duty rifle. The cartridge would become the standard African dangerous game cartridge in short order.