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BPEBuff
.275 member


Reged: 24/03/10
Posts: 61
Loc: Norfolk, England
Recently aquired John Wilkes 450/400 3" Nitro DR
      #182646 - 27/05/11 08:00 PM

Gents,

Thought you may wish to see a recent aquisition of mine. I have long admired the 450/400 3" cartridge and I am pleased it is being chambered in modern firearms like the Ruger and being loaded again by Hornady. This old warhorse has done it all and is noted for it's penetration. A good friend, who recently anchored a few pachyderms with it in Africa, swears by it - plenty of down range power (4000+ ft/lbs M.E.) without punishing the shooter too badly! Whilst the recoil is stout, it is readily back on target for a second barrel. Craig Whitsey, at John Wilkes in London, has confirmed that #5799 was built in 1913. I have been able to dig up a little history; she spent the first half-century of her life in India and came back to England in the late 1950s for refurbishment at Westley Richards and a few careful owners since. Technically, she has 26" barrels, is a non-ejector with side clips and weighs 10lb 12 oz. Barrel upper surface marked
JOHN WILKES 31 GERRARD STREET LONDON W and lower surface 400 EX 3" CASE 60GR CORDITE 400GR BULLET.
Wood on this gun is nicely figured, the case contains some old snap caps, a blued steel foresight protector and a vintage sling with proper hooks
Using 1960's vintage Kynoch 400gr solids, she prints both barrels into 3" at 25 yards with the group about 1" high of the aiming mark - hopefully this will make her 'dead on' at 50 yards when I get the opportunity? My main reason for buying the gun is (a) I'm nuts about double rifles! (b) It was for sale. (c) I could (just) afford it. (d) I hope to shoot boar with it in Poland sometime soon. (e) Life is to damn short!.

Special thanks to CptCurl for helping get past a glitch and put my post on here.

Regards

Garry.


















Edited by CptCurl (28/05/11 11:28 PM)

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FATBOY404
.400 member


Reged: 14/11/09
Posts: 1730
Loc: QLD
Re: Recently aquired John Wilkes 450/400 3" Nitro DR [Re: BPEBuff]
      #182648 - 27/05/11 08:36 PM

Great work mate.
450-400 would be my choice for a double.

Thanks for posting.

--------------------
"WHATEVER BLOWS YOUR HAIR BACK"

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Mike_Bailey
.400 member


Reged: 26/02/07
Posts: 2289
Loc: GB
Re: Recently aquired John Wilkes 450/400 3" Nitro DR [Re: FATBOY404]
      #182649 - 27/05/11 08:39 PM

A grand old girl, love the flip up sight for 400 yds...I canīt see that far ! best, Mike

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kamilaroi
.400 member


Reged: 18/12/04
Posts: 1803
Loc: sydney, new south wales, Austr...
Re: Recently aquired John Wilkes 450/400 3" Nitro DR [Re: Mike_Bailey]
      #182651 - 27/05/11 08:55 PM

a worthy and honest piece of work.

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Ben
.400 member


Reged: 22/08/08
Posts: 1917
Loc: Northern Territory, Australia
Re: Recently aquired John Wilkes 450/400 3" Nitro DR [Re: kamilaroi]
      #182653 - 27/05/11 10:18 PM

Have fun!

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BPEBuff
.275 member


Reged: 24/03/10
Posts: 61
Loc: Norfolk, England
Re: Recently aquired John Wilkes 450/400 3" Nitro DR [Re: Ben]
      #182655 - 27/05/11 10:39 PM

Gent's,

I forgot to mention the bores are really bright, rifling is square and sharp which no doubt contributes to it being well regulated with factory ammo. My thanks to Craig Whitsey of John Wilkes who supplied me with a batch of Kynoch ammo at Ģ2 a pop, which is fine by me. I do reload other calibres but I may just keep buying the factory Kynoch for this one as long as I can find it or if that dries up, there's always the Hornady fodder!

Garry.

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mehulkamdar
.416 member


Reged: 09/01/04
Posts: 3688
Loc: State of Ill-Annoy USA.
Re: Recently aquired John Wilkes 450/400 3" Nitro DR [Re: BPEBuff]
      #182660 - 28/05/11 12:43 AM

Beautiful rifle, Garry! Congratulations and hope to see some hunting / shooting pics too whenever you find time.

Thank you very much for sharing!

--------------------
The Ark was made by amateurs. Experts built the Titanic.

Mehul Kamdar

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CptCurlAdministrator
.450 member


Reged: 01/05/04
Posts: 5273
Loc: Fincastle, Botetourt County, V...
Re: Recently aquired John Wilkes 450/400 3" Nitro DR [Re: mehulkamdar]
      #182712 - 28/05/11 11:27 PM

Oh I love that double. I can see myself owning a .450/.400 3" some day. Thanks for posting.

Curl

--------------------
RoscoeStephenson.com

YOUR DOUBLE RIFLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.



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Cinghiale
.333 member


Reged: 15/04/08
Posts: 406
Loc: Northern Territory
Re: Recently aquired John Wilkes 450/400 3" Nitro DR [Re: CptCurl]
      #182714 - 28/05/11 11:39 PM

Stunning well acquired!

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Buchsemann
.333 member


Reged: 12/12/08
Posts: 439
Loc: Wisconsin, USA
Re: Recently aquired John Wilkes 450/400 3" Nitro DR [Re: Cinghiale]
      #182744 - 29/05/11 01:41 PM

BPEBuff,

Nice acquisition. As I type I can only imagine what your guns sights may have been focused on during her life in India.

Waiting to see how she does at fifty yards,

Buchseman

--------------------
Happy the man, and happy he alone,
He who can call today his own:
He who, secure within, can say,
Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today.

- John Dryden

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ozhunter
.400 member


Reged: 18/08/04
Posts: 1692
Loc: Sydney, Australia
Re: Recently aquired John Wilkes 450/400 3" Nitro DR [Re: Buchsemann]
      #182835 - 30/05/11 08:27 PM

A beautiful rifle you have there. At 10lbs it should be a pussy-cat to shoot.
I just love those short fore end stocks. Any possibility for you to measure the fore end stock?

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BPEBuff
.275 member


Reged: 24/03/10
Posts: 61
Loc: Norfolk, England
Re: Recently aquired John Wilkes 450/400 3" Nitro DR [Re: ozhunter]
      #182853 - 31/05/11 12:59 AM

ozhunter,

The forend wood (not including metal furniture) measures exactly 7". Recoil is not quite a pussycat, about twice my .303, but still lighter than a .577 DR. The worst recoil I ever experienced was a lightweight bolt gun in .505 Gibbs, I shot it once and didn't care for another round!

Regards

Garry.

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