505 Gibbs
Encyclopedia
The 505 Gibbs cartridge was designed by George Gibbs
in 1911. The cartridge was originally known as the .505 Rimless Nitro Express or simply as the .505 Rimless. CIP refers to the cartridge as the 505 Mag. Gibbs in their publications. It is a .50 caliber (12.8 mm) rimless bottlenecked cartridge intended for magazine rifles.
the lower pressures provided a greater safety and reliability margin.
The .505 Gibbs has a unique bullet diameter of 0.505 in (12.8 mm) while most other .50 caliber bullets have diameters of 0.51 in (13 mm). Barnes Bullets and Woodleigh Bullets are a few of bullet manufacturers who produce component bullets for reloading in this caliber. Woodleigh Bullets does not recommend impact velocities of over 2250 ft/s (685.8 m/s) for their .505 caliber 525 gr. Weldcore bullets.
Ceska Zbrojovka (CZ) currently manufactures the Safari Classics rifle for this cartridge. Doumoulin Herstal SA of Belgium offers the cartridge in their White Hunter model. Modern semi-automatic rifles are also available in this cartridge from Vigilance Rifles.
As of 2009, A-Square
, Norma
and Kynoch
are offering loaded ammunition in 505 Gibbs.
The CIP requires that a barrel have 5 grooves, twist rate of a bore Ø of one revolution in 406 mm (16 in), a bore Ø of 12.55 mm (0.494094488188976 in) and a groove Ø of 12.8 mm (0.503937007874016 in) with each grove measuring 5.33 mm (0.209842519685039 in) wide. The recommended pressure for the .505 Gibbs is 2700 bar (39,160.2 psi).
's novel The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber
.
George Gibbs
George Gibbs may refer to:*George Gibbs, 1st Baron Wraxall , British member of parliament and peer*George Gibbs, 2nd Baron Wraxall , British peer and kidnapping victim...
in 1911. The cartridge was originally known as the .505 Rimless Nitro Express or simply as the .505 Rimless. CIP refers to the cartridge as the 505 Mag. Gibbs in their publications. It is a .50 caliber (12.8 mm) rimless bottlenecked cartridge intended for magazine rifles.
General Information
The .505 Gibbs has a case capacity of 178 gr. This cartridge was originally loaded with 90 gr of cordite and 525 gr bullet at 2300 ft/s (701 m/s) for 6166 ft.lbf of kinetic energy. While the .505 Gibbs has a greater case capacity than most modern cartridges, it is loaded to lower pressures. The C.I.P. recommends a pressure standard of 2,700 bars (39,160 p.s.i.) for the cartridge. As .505 Gibbs was intended for hunting dangerous game in a tropical environment and due to the temperature sensitivity of corditeCordite
Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom from 1889 to replace gunpowder as a military propellant. Like gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance...
the lower pressures provided a greater safety and reliability margin.
The .505 Gibbs has a unique bullet diameter of 0.505 in (12.8 mm) while most other .50 caliber bullets have diameters of 0.51 in (13 mm). Barnes Bullets and Woodleigh Bullets are a few of bullet manufacturers who produce component bullets for reloading in this caliber. Woodleigh Bullets does not recommend impact velocities of over 2250 ft/s (685.8 m/s) for their .505 caliber 525 gr. Weldcore bullets.
Ceska Zbrojovka (CZ) currently manufactures the Safari Classics rifle for this cartridge. Doumoulin Herstal SA of Belgium offers the cartridge in their White Hunter model. Modern semi-automatic rifles are also available in this cartridge from Vigilance Rifles.
As of 2009, A-Square
A-Square
A-SQUARE COMPANY, LLC is a manufacturer of rifles, ammunition and bullets based in Chamberlain, South Dakota in the United States. The company is one of 19 that are members of the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturer's Institution. The company's focus is on its firearms for hunting large...
, Norma
Norma (company)
Norma Precision is a Swedish manufacturer of ammunition located in Åmotfors, in the province of Värmland, just 20 km of the Norwegian border. It is commonly referred to as simply Norma.- History :...
and Kynoch
Kynoch
Kynoch was a manufacturer of ammunition, later incorporated into ICI but remaining as a brand name for sporting cartridges.-History:Kynoch was established in Witton in Birmingham in 1862 by Scottish entrepreneur George Kynoch when he opened a percussion cap factory in Witton. In 1895 he built an...
are offering loaded ammunition in 505 Gibbs.
Design & Specifications
The .505 Gibbs is one of the most voluminous cases designed. The large volume was required as the cartridge was designed to burn cordite as its propellant. CIP has published specifications for the cartridge.The CIP requires that a barrel have 5 grooves, twist rate of a bore Ø of one revolution in 406 mm (16 in), a bore Ø of 12.55 mm (0.494094488188976 in) and a groove Ø of 12.8 mm (0.503937007874016 in) with each grove measuring 5.33 mm (0.209842519685039 in) wide. The recommended pressure for the .505 Gibbs is 2700 bar (39,160.2 psi).
Sporting Use
The .505 Gibbs is a niche cartridge, designed for a single purpose and has little use outside this purpose. The cartridge was designed for hunting heavy, dangerous game such as elephant, cape buffalo and rhinoceros.In Literature
The cartridge's claim to fame was its use by the fictional character, Robert Wilson, the hunter of Ernest HemingwayErnest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
's novel The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber
The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber
"The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" is a short story by Ernest Hemingway. Set in Africa, it was published in the September 1936 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine concurrently with "The Snows of Kilimanjaro"...
.
See also
- .500 Jeffery.500 JefferyThe .500 Jeffery is a caliber of rifles that first appeared around 1920, and was originally introduced by the August Schuler Company, a German firm, under the European designation "12,7x70 mm Schuler" or ".500 Schuler"...
- .500 Nitro Express.500 Nitro ExpressThe .500 Nitro Express is a .510 caliber big bore hunting cartridge. It was designed for use in single shot and double rifles. The cartridge is available in two lengths: a and a version...
- .500 No. 2 Express.500 No. 2 ExpressThe .500 No. 2 Express is a British centerfire fire rifle cartridge....
- .577/.500 Magnum Nitro Express.577/.500 Magnum Nitro ExpressThe .577/.500 Magnum Nitro Express is a British centerfire fire rifle cartridge.Designed as a black powder round in the mid-1880s, it was based on the .577 Nitro Express, necked down to .500" , and was later offered in a smokeless version. While it resembles the .500 No...
- .577 Tyrannosaur.577 TyrannosaurThe .577 Tyrannosaur or .577 T-rex is a type of cartridge developed by A-Square in 1993 for big game hunting in Africa. The .577 contains a diameter Monolithic Solid Projectile which when fired moves at producing of muzzle energy. The production model from A-square is based on their Hannibal...
- .50 BMG.50 BMGThe .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge...
- List of rifle cartridges
- 12 mm caliber12 mm caliberThis article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the to caliber range.*Length refers to the cartridge case length.*OAL refers to the overall length of the cartridge.*Bullet refers to the diameter of the bullet....