.450 Nitro Express 3 & 1/4″ by Hornady, 480 grain Solid (DGS) “Not the 450-400 Nitro Express!” One Cartridge Not a Box

Description

One Cartridge not a Box: .450 Nitro Express 3 & 1/4″ case by Hornady USA, factory loaded using new Hornady brass 3  & 1/4″ long cases with a “HORNADY 450 NE”  Head-Stamp and loaded with a 480 grain DGS* for *Dangerous Game Solid Projectile.

History of the 450 Nitro Express cartridge:
The .450 Nitro Express (NE) holds the historic distinction of being the first “Nitro Express” cartridge ever created, introduced by John Rigby & Co. in 1898. Its development marked a revolutionary shift in dangerous-game hunting, moving from black powder to modern smokeless propellants.
Origins and Design
The Black Powder Parent cartridge was the older .450 Black Powder Express 3¼-inch case. The “Nitro” Revolution: The key innovation was the use of Cordite, a smokeless double-base propellant. This allowed for much higher velocities—roughly 2,150 feet per second with a 480-grain bullet—compared to the 1,400–1,600 fps of black powder rifles.
Naming: The term “Nitro Express” was coined to describe the high velocity (Express) achieved using Corite or nitrocellulose-based powder (Termed Nitro Express or Black Power Express).
Teething Troubles and Variations
Early versions faced issues because the original brass cases, designed for lower black powder pressures (~22,000 psi), struggled with the higher Cordite pressures (~34,000 psi).
Extraction Issues: In tropical climates like India and Africa, the heat caused excessive pressure, leading to cases sticking in the chambers.
Solutions: To fix this, manufacturers like Kynoch reinforced the brass cases and developed “tropical loads” with slightly reduced charges.
Competing Designs: The initial problems led others to create “improved” versions, such as the .500/.450 Nitro Express by Holland & Holland and the .450 No. 2 Nitro Express by Eley Brothers.
The 1907 Ban and Decline
In 1907, the British government banned .450 caliber rifles and ammunition in India and Sudan.
The reason for this was done to prevent local insurgents from using sporting bullets to reload expended .577/.450 Martini-Henry military cartridges. The Legacyof this ban directly led to the development of the .470 Nitro Express, which bypassed the law by being slightly larger but ballistically similar. By the time the ban was lifted, the .470 NE had replaced the .450 NE as the industry standard.
Military and Notable Use
World War I: The British War Office purchased .450 NE rifles to counter German snipers hiding behind steel plates, which standard .303 rounds could not penetrate.Aircraft Kills included British officer Richard “Dickie” Cooper famously used a Holland & Holland .450 NE double rifle to shoot down three German Albatros D.III aircraft during the war.
Famous Hunters:
Iconic hunters like Frederick Courteney Selous (the inspiration for Allan Quatermain) and Theodore Roosevelt used various iterations of these large-bore cartridges.
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Additional information

Weight	0.1 lbs