View source for .475 Nitro Express

{{Short description|Rifle cartridge}}
{{Notability|Product|date=February 2022}} 
{{Infobox Firearm Cartridge
|name= .475 Nitro Express
|image=
|caption= 
|origin= Britain
|type= Rifle
<!-- Service history -->
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|used_by=
|wars= 
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|designer= 
|design_date=
|manufacturer=
|production_date=
|number= 
|variants= 
<!-- Specifications -->
|is_SI_specs=
|parent=
|case_type=rimmed straight
|bullet=.483
|neck=.507
|shoulder=
|base=.545
|rim_dia=.625
|rim_thick=.045
|case_length=3.25
|length=3.98
|rifling= 
|primer= Boxer
<!-- Ballistic performance -->
|is_SI_ballistics=
|bw1=480
|btype1=
|vel1=2175
|en1=5040
|bw2=500
|btype=
|vel2=2125
|en2=5030
|bw3=
|btype3=
|vel3=
|en3=
|bw4=
|btype4=
|vel4=
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|balsrc=Barnes.<ref name="barnes">Barnes.</ref>
}}
The '''.475 Nitro Express''' is a British [[rifle]] [[Cartridge (firearms)|cartridge]] developed in the early 20th century.

==Design==
The .475 Nitro Express is a slightly tapered, non-bottlenecked [[Rim (firearms)|rimmed]] cartridge very similar in appearance to the [[.450 Nitro Express]], that is designed for use in [[single-shot]] and [[double rifle]]s.<ref name="Wieland"/>

Original loadings fired a {{convert|480|gr|g|abbr=on}} projectile at a listed speed of {{convert|2175|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}}, these loadings are still available, additionally [[Westley Richards]] have a  {{convert|500|gr|g|abbr=on}} loading with a listed speed of {{convert|2125|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}}.<ref name=Wieland475>Wieland, ".475 Nitro Express".</ref>

==History==
It is believed the .475 Nitro Express was introduced around 1900, well before the British Army [[Nitro Express#1907 British ban|1907 ban of .450 caliber]] ammunition into [[India]] and the [[Sudan]] which saw the development of the ballistically very similar [[.500/465 Nitro Express]], [[.470 Nitro Express]], [[.475 No 2 Nitro Express]], and [[.476 Nitro Express]].<ref name="Wieland475"/>

Firearms historians remain unclear who developed the .475 Nitro Express,<ref name=Wieland>Wieland, "Nitro Express".</ref> it is likely that a combination of companies going out of business and merging, along with records being lost or destroyed during the [[London blitz]] will mean the origins of this cartridge will never be known.<ref name="Wieland475"/>

The .475 Nitro Express has never enjoyed the success of any of the cartridges listed above, largely because it was never adopted by any of the major rifle manufacturers. Due to this, rifles in this calibre have always been rare, generally from lesser known makers such as W.W. Greener, Army & Navy and Manton of Calcutta.<ref name="Wieland475"/>

==Use==
The .475 Nitro Express is considered a good large-bore round, suitable for all big game, its power is very similar to the [[.470 Nitro Express]]. Ballistically it is almost identical to the [[.450 Nitro Express]], with a larger diameter bullet; whether this is an advantage remains in dispute.<ref name="barnes"/>

==See also==
*[[Nitro Express]]
*[[List of rifle cartridges]]
*[[13 mm caliber]]

==References==

===Footnotes===
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* Barnes, Frank C, ''Cartridges of the World'', ed 13, Gun Digest Books, Iola, 2012, {{ISBN|9781440230592}}.
* [http://www.kynochammunition.co.uk/cartridge%20collection.html Kynoch Ammunition, "Big Game Cartridges", ''www.kynochammunition.co.uk''], [https://web.archive.org/web/20150527033406/http://www.kynochammunition.co.uk/cartridge%20collection.html archived], 18 January 2017.
* [http://ezine.nitroexpress.info/NickuduFiles/ASG-PDF/PULP1069.pdf Wieland, Terry, "Nitro Express: The Big Bang of the Big Bang", ''ezine.nitroexpress.info/NickuduFiles/''], retrieved 31 December 2014.
* [http://ezine.nitroexpress.info/NickuduFiles/ASG-PDF/JRigby.pdf Wieland, Terry, "The .475 Nitro Express: A mysterious and under-rated orphan", ''ezine.nitroexpress.info/NickuduFiles/''], retrieved 22 November 2016.

==External links==
* [http://www.cartridgecollector.net/475-nitro-express-3-%C2%BC ".475 Nitro Express ({{frac|3|1|4}}")", ''www.cartridgecollector.net''], retrieved 16 December 2016.

{{DEFAULTSORT:475}}
[[Category:Pistol and rifle cartridges]]
[[Category:British firearm cartridges]]