.577 Nitro Express

.577 Nitro Express
Production history
Produced	1880
Variants	.577 Nitro Express 3",
Specifications
Parent case	.577 Basic
Bullet diameter	.585 in (14.9 mm)
Neck diameter	.608 in (15.4 mm)
Base diameter	.660 in (16.8 mm)
Rim diameter	.748 in (19.0 mm)
Rim thickness	.072 in (1.8 mm)
Case length	2.75 in (70 mm)
Overall length	3.70 in (94 mm)
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy 750 gr (49 g) lead 2,000 ft/s (610 m/s) 6,663 ft⋅lbf (9,034 J)
Source(s): The Handloader's Manual of Cartridge Conversions, Book by John J. Donnelly, Stoeger Publishing, 1987, ISBN 978-0883172698 p. 683

The .577 Nitro Express is a cartridge in the Nitro Express series of big-game ammunition. It's also known as the .577 Nitro Express 2.75" and there is a variant called the .577 Nitro Express 3". The .577 is notable as the standard caliber of professional ivory hunters in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

History

It began as a black powder round, and then became a smokeless round. It fires a 750 grain bullet (about 48.6 grams) at a muzzle velocity of around 2050 feet per second (625 m/s), depending on the type and amount of powder used. Rifles chambered in .577 Nitro Express are still in production, and are made by companies including Heym, Holland & Holland, and James Purdey.

See Also

.577 Snider .577/450 Martini-Henry

References

• Cartridges of the World 4th Edition, Book by Frank C. Barnes, DBI Books, p. 248