One thing that is better about the 450/400NE 3" rifles is, if you are buying an old rifle, you don't have to worry if the rifle is NITRO proofed, because the 3" Jeffery version was never offered in a Black powder cartridge. The chamber in the 3" Jef, cannot be re-chambered to take the 3 1/4", or vice-versa, without sleeving the chamber, which is easy to spot.

The 450/400 3 1/4" was offered in black powder, and NFB as well as Cordite, and other smokeless rounds, so more care must be taken when buying a rifle chambered for this round.

As far as performance goes, both CORDITE versions are one of the best, if not "THE" best chamberings available in a S/S double rifle! As others have already said, this rifle can be made light, for long foot trecs, and has a flat enough trejectory, for plains game shooting, and still is about perfect for Cape Buffalo, and is fully capable of frontal brain shots on Elephant.

While waiting for your African, or OZ buffalo hunt, this chambering is a fine North American hunting round for everything from Coyote, to Brown Bear, and general stump shooting for fun! The 3" 450/400NE is my all time favorite cartridge in double rifle, and I've had them all from 577NE down to little rook rifles.

A few yrs ago you couldn't sell a 450/400 double rifle as most double rifle shooters, who hadn't used a 450/400 simply assumed they were too small for DGR use. I bought several of them in rifles that were pristene condition, for literally thousands less that any rusty double chambered for 470NE. Too bad the word finally got out, now they garner a premium because of the chambering! I guess we who owned them talked too much!