Rifle · Obsolete / Non-standard
.500 Black Powder Express
Early British .500 black-powder express case; root of the .500 Express family that produced the .500/450 and .500/465 Nitro Express cartridges..
- Caliber
- 0.51″ · 12.954 mm
- Case
- Rimmed
- Status
- Obsolete
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Standard
- Obsolete / Non-standard
- Status
- Obsolete
- Availability
- Collector
- Case type
- Rimmed
- Eff. range
- 100 yd
Ballistics
Velocity only, no drag model: no published ballistic coefficient is on file for .500 Black Powder Express, so this is the shape gravity alone gives the advertised velocity. Drag would steepen it. The tool below solves real loads through their published G1 or G7 model.
Open in Ballistic Compare- Parent case
- —
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input (no published BC for this cartridge yet).
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
Wikipedia · approximate| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 12.95 | 0.510 | · |
| Neck ⌀ | 13.59 | 0.535 | ~ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Shoulder angle | n/a | ||
| Base ⌀ | 14.73 | 0.580 | ~ |
| Rim ⌀ | 16.76 | 0.660 | ~ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.40 | 0.055 | ~ |
| Neck length | n/a | ||
| Case length | 76.45 | 3.010 | · |
| Overall length | 86.11 | 3.390 | ~ |
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. .500 Black Powder Express is highlighted below.
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.
Firearms chambered in .500 Black Powder Express
1 model in the database chamber .500 Black Powder Express. Browse all →
Lineage
Connected reference
History
Early British .500 black-powder express case; root of the .500 Express family that produced the .500/450 and .500/465 Nitro Express cartridges.
FAQs
- What bullet diameter is .500 Black Powder Express?
- .500 Black Powder Express uses a 0.51″ (12.954 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .500 Black Powder Express still in production?
- .500 Black Powder Express is obsolete; typical availability is collector.
Sources & provenance
- Reference DBI Books (Barnes & Amber) — Cartridges of the World — Frank C. Barnes & John T. Amber (1972 ed.) · velocity, grain weights, bullet ⌀
- Secondary Wikipedia — .500 Black Powder Express · year, velocity, grain weights, bullet ⌀ archived
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →