Forums.NitroExpress.com

Earlier this year I won at auction a Charles Lancaster double rifle. Jones underlever. Hammers. 26" damascus barrels. With an early, probably German, scope base in the rib, but no scope or rings. The auction company is in Italy, and this is my second antique firearm purchase from them. They handle the export to the USA, and the gun shows up from UPS like any overseas purchase. A very simple transaction, made slightly more annoying by the new tariffs we're doing here (which aren't exactly helping our economy right now.) Anyway, this one had a 10% tariff whereas last November's 1874 Dickson 16bore was duty free.

While awaiting that rifle's permits to come through on the Italian side, another Charles Lancaster double rifle popped up on Gunbroker here. For those of you not familiar, Gunbroker is an online only auction platform for selling firearms here in the USA. Sellers fees are less than typical auction houses and there are no or nearly no buyer's fees besides sales tax.

This second Lancaster is also a hammer gun with a Jones underlever. 28" steel barrels and an engraved steel butt plate. This one had a Prince of Wales grip and non-rebounding locks, whereas the earlier gun had a steel capped pistol grip and rebounding locks. Both rifles are higher grade guns, and this newer rifle, while being in much better condition, had a lot of older style components.

So I lucked out with a low bid on that second rifle and it also was inbound. Both showed up the day before we got home from a multiweek RV trip to Colorado from the east coast. The Italian rifle, listed as a 450BPE turned out to be a 500/450 3.25", while the Gunbroker rifle is a standard 450BPE in 3.25".

The Italian rifle needed a minor repair to the buttstock for damage incurred in transit, and a replacement for the fossilized recoil pad, so today was the first day I had either of them out to the range.

Range results with the 450BPE were really solid with loads I'd put together for an Edward Lang boxlock double. Those used 4198, kapok and either a 300gr .452" JHP or a 350gr .458" LFN bullet. Both shot high, with the lead projectiles making a 1.5" group for 4 shots, albeit at only 22yds (what I had to work with at our muddy range.) Velocity with the heavier bullet was still faster than the jacketed 300gr bullet thanks more powder and the advantage lead seems to have over jackets.

Accuracy for the 450BPE was excellent. High by 2-3" but still a tight group, particularly with the .458" bullet, with a short range (22yds) group of 1.25". Happy to see usable results so early, but that's been what I've seen since venturing into nitro-for-black land.

I need to load up some 450BPE rounds with jacketed .458" loads (I had used the smaller .452" bullets while loading for the tight bores on the Lang.)

For the 500/450, I'm trying my first attempt at fireforming. I am looking to blow out Jamison brass in 500/416 (which is 3.25") to 500/450 3.25". My initial attempts would have been great for hunting moths or houseflys, but my little load of 10.5gr of Unique did nothing to blow out the shoulders and neck to what I need. More powder is on deck.

Pics to follow

Chris

Edited by CJF (05/08/25 08:17 PM)