510 Nitro Express

Historical Notes:

The 510 Nitro Express is the brainchild of Bob Schniedmiller and custom gun maker D'arcy Echols. Bob grew up in the West and from an early childhood developed a passion for buffalo hunting. He read virtually everything he could get his hands on and dreamed of owning a 50 Sharps. As Bob grew up, the boyhood dreams remained and his interests broadened to include the Dark Continent of Africa. On Bob's first trip to Africa, he carried a 50-90 Sharps, with which he took a Cape buffalo, but the  performance of the 50-90 left much to be desired. After his return. Bob met D'arcy Echols and thoughts of building a bigger, more powerful rifle were discussed. Bob had hoped to build a 500 Nitro, but the brass supply for that particular cartridge was drying up fast. He had a good supply of Sharps 50-140 3.75 inch brass, but D'arcy was not keen about  building a custom rifle for  an obsolete cartridge. They compromised. They used the same basic case design as the 50-140 3.75 inch Sharps with modern bullets and powder to achieve or better 500 Nitro Express ballistics. Bob suggested they call the new cartridge the 510 Echols Express, however, D'arcy did not favor the idea. They finally settled on the 510 Nitro Express. The rifle was built on a Martin Hagan falling block action and proved to be superbly accurate. Originally the rifle was built without a muzzlebreak. However, recoil was so heavy that the forearm was torn off with the first shot. The barrel was then so equipped and Bob claims it is now a pussycat.

General Comments:

The 510 Nitro Express is a superb cartridge for anyone desiring a single shot rifle for dangerous game. This cartridge and rifle combination can offer plenty of power without having to go to the expense of a double rifle. Though many hunters shy away from the thought of a single shot rifle for dangerous game, there is still a strong following for the single shot. For those not wishing to spend the time and money for a custom rifle, the Ruger No 1 action would probably be an excellent choice for this cartridge.

Source: Cartridges of the World

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