CONTINUED
Hardcastle’s Hired Gun
by Charles Blanksteen
In 1907, the British government banned the .450 cartridge in India and Sudan to prevent locals from using these powerful cartridges in the single-barrelled Martini-Henry military rifles. As India and Sudan represented a large market for sporting rifles, many .450 double-barrelled rifles were sold off and became available “for hire.”
While double-barrelled rifles were also made by the high-end London companies such as Purdey or Holland & Holland, these were much more expensive, selling between £100 and £120 per rifle and would not be available for hire. Note that a skilled worker at this time earned about £100 a year. In contrast, the Greener Facile Princeps model in 1907 cost about £50. After the .450 cartridge ban, these rifles were sold on the secondhand market for £25 and were a much more affordable choice.
Shooting with these guns was an expensive sport. A heavy game cartridge such as the .450 nitro express cost around a shilling each, or the equivalent of $10 per shot in 2026. For many, “hiring” a rifle for a few pounds a month became an attractive alternative. It is likely that the rifle hired by Hardcastle was the Greener Facile Princeps model .450 nitro express rifle with 26” barrels and weighing 10.5 pounds. It was a well-balanced popular choice by hunters for heavy game including rhinoceros.
WHO IS CHARLES?
Charles Blanksteen, SOCB, BSI (“Cavendish Square”) has been a Sherlockian since age 11. He began writing pieces for the Baker Street Journal, The Magic Door, Canadian Holmes, The Watsonian, and The Sherlock Holmes Society of London later as an adult. He has lectured on things Holmesian and Victorian at many events including Silver Blaze at The Bootmakers of Toronto; Saratoga at the Races; and the British Empire Conference at Bear Mountain. He has just published the final novel of a trilogy, The Detective and a Woman, which follows The Seamstress and the Colonel and The Ripper Dilemma. In his alternate universe, Charles spent his career as a healthcare consultant. Charles and wife Joan reside in New York City and Millbrook, New York.