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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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