Josh

There is much speculation as to the actual bore size of sir samuel Baker's holland single barrel 2 bore "jenna El Mootfah" (child of a cannon).

The rifle was probably one of a pair built for him by Harris Holland in 1861-62. One of which now resides in the Royal Geographical Society in London.

Measurements taken from it reveal a bore size of round about 1 inch, in essence not a 2 BORE.

The custodians of the Museum confirm a 1 inch bore, the barrel itself having 3 grooves each5/16" wide to mate up with the simjilar grooves on the steel pointed lead bullet it utulised.
The bullet diameter was .998" and weighed 5.75 ounces (2438 grains) It is believed, although unconfirmed, that the exploding shell was a variant of the steel pointed bullet, but contained upto 1/2 an ounce of fine grained priming powder.

The main propellant charge was said to have been 12 drams of black powder.

Being a single barrel the weight was a modest 17 lbs, far less than that of a double rifle using the same charge and bullet weight, this would in all probability account for the severe recoil described by Baker.

To have been a 2 bore a bullet weight in theory of 3500 grains would have been in order, a number of authorities have cast doubt as to the existence of a full 2 bore due to the lack of any surviving example.

Baker did refer in his book "Ismailia" to having had 2 muzzle loading Holland half -pounders that carried an iron lead-coated explosive shell, one of these he named his "Baby". It is possible that he used 3,500 grain bullets in a 4 bore ahead of a large propellant charge of black powder, again this would have generated severe recoil in suck a light!! rifle, he also avers to having firred such a charge only a few occassions as the recoil was to fierece even for him.