Rifle · CIP
.450/400 Nitro Express 3 1/4 inch
An earlier 3.25-inch variant of the .450/400 Nitro Express for double rifles.
- Caliber
- 0.4098″ · 10.41 mm
- Introduced
- 1899
- Case
- Rimmed
- Parent
- .450 Black Powder Express
- Primary use
- Hunting
- Status
- Discontinued
- Introduced
- 1899
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Inventor
- Various British
- Manufacturer
- Kynoch / various
- Standard
- CIP
- Status
- Discontinued
- Availability
- Collector
- Case capacity
- 120 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:16
- Primer
- Boxer Large Rifle
- Case type
- Rimmed
- Max pressure
- 42,786 psi, CIP transducer
- Eff. range
- 150 yd
- Max range
- 5050 yd
- Recoil
- 61–65.2 ft·lb
Ballistics
Published velocity/energy data isn't available for .450/400 Nitro Express 3 1/4 inch — an obsolete/collector cartridge. Parent case: .450 Black Powder Express.
Performance
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
CIP TDCC · approximate| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 10.41 | 0.410 | ~ |
| Neck ⌀ | 11.15 | 0.439 | ✓ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 12.65 | 0.498 | ✓ |
| Shoulder angle | 5.6° | — | ✓ |
| Base ⌀ | 13.84 | 0.545 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 15.85 | 0.624 | ~ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.07 | 0.042 | ✓ |
| Neck length | 24.13 | 0.950 | ≈ |
| Case length | 82.55 | 3.250 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 100.33 | 3.950 | ~ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .450/400 Nitro Express 3 1/4 inch is highlighted below.
Factory loads
Being verified
Advertised FPS, energy, and BC are withheld until loads clear verification.
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Lineage
History
An early variant of the .450/400 family of Nitro Express cartridges, using a 3.25-inch case rather than the standard 3-inch version. Developed in the Edwardian era for African dangerous game in double rifles. The longer case provided slightly higher velocity; now superseded by the standard 3-inch version.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .450/400 Nitro Express 3 1/4 inch use?
- .450/400 Nitro Express 3 1/4 inch typically uses a 1:16 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .450/400 Nitro Express 3 1/4 inch?
- .450/400 Nitro Express 3 1/4 inch uses a 0.4098″ (10.41 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .450/400 Nitro Express 3 1/4 inch still in production?
- .450/400 Nitro Express 3 1/4 inch is discontinued; typical availability is collector.
- What is .450/400 Nitro Express 3 1/4 inch used for?
- .450/400 Nitro Express 3 1/4 inch is primarily used for hunting.
- What is .450/400 Nitro Express 3 1/4 inch based on?
- .450/400 Nitro Express 3 1/4 inch is derived from the .450 Black Powder Express case.
Sources & provenance
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 19 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →
