The 600 Nitro Express double-rifle remains as one of the best “life insurance” stopping rifles for use when the situation of the hunter is potentially life threatening: and among the best of the double rifles chambered for this cartridge are those from British gunmaker Westley Richards.
Fast Facts
- The 600 Nitro Express was the ultimate stopping rifle cartridge during the golden age of big game hunting.
- The cartridge was chambered in single-shot and double rifles and used primarily in Africa and India.
- Among the makers of 600 NE double rifles Westley Richards stand out as among the top tier of British “best gun” makers.
- A Westley Richards 600 NE double rifle with their Droplock action is coming up for sale by Rock Island Auction at time of publication.
The 600 Nitro Express is a sporting rifle cartridge that has earned a near legendary status for itself. During the golden age of big game hunting both in Africa and India it was the cartridge for the hunter who wanted the best in stopping power at adrenaline pumping short range, and in thick cover.
It was typically not used as the hunter’s carry rifle, that role was taken by something lighter such as a double rifle in 450/400 Nitro Express or a 404 Jeffery bolt action for example.
The 600 Nitro Express was regarded as a stopping rifle, tipping the scales at around 16lb it was carried by a trustworthy gun-bearer and taken up by the hunter when the need arose.
They were used for any dangerous game, be it lion or tiger, rhino or hippo, buffalo or gaur, and elephant of course. The ammunition was made in two bullet styles: a full metal jacket solid, and a soft point with a scored jacket to ensure good expansion on a softer quarry such as the big cats.
600 Nitro Express rifles were and still are “life insurance” rifles: and to get the benefit of their life insurance properties the hunter needed to practice with the rifle so they could use it competently and instinctively if the need arose.
It’s worth remembering that in the era into which the 600 NE was introduced there was a population of older hunters who had used the black powder stopping rifles such as the 8 bore and the 4 bore: rifles that needed to weigh upwards of 13lb for an 8 bore and around 20lb for a 4 bore.
Recoil of the 600 NE is heavy as one can imagine. My experience of shooting a 600 NE is limited to a single shot rifle and it impressed on me the need to train with it in order to get good results. Some say the recoil is more of a long hard push than a sudden jump but I think I’d liken it to being given a playful whack across the chest by an elephant’s trunk.
If you have a penchant to own and use a 600 Nitro Express then I’d suggest that your best experience is most likely to come from a well made British double-rifle. The British mastered the art of the big bore double rifle and despite such rifles weighing around 16lb they have surprisingly good balance and provide the fast handling characteristics these rifles need to have.
At the top tier of British gunmakers with a wealth of experience in making rifles of this class stands Westley Richards.
Westley Richards have a two hundred year history of making “best guns”, and of making dangerous game double rifles. Their trademark double gun action is their Droplock action, which places the rifle’s locks in the center of the action rather than the sides, and which enables their easy removal for cleaning and maintenance via a hinged door/plate on the bottom of the action.
A beautiful example of a Westley Richards 600 NE double rifle is coming up for sale by Rock Island Auction at their August 2026 Premier Auction.
This rifle was custom made for William “Bill” Feldstein who is famous as the co-creator of the 700 Nitro Express cartridge with Jim Bell.
His Westley Richards 600 NE was made in the traditional way on a scaled up Droplock action with dolls head top extension. The blacked chopperlump barrels are 25 inches long with a beaded blade fore-sight on an island base with a flip-up moon bead and an engraved Westley Patent flip-up sight protector. The rear sight is a single standing express rear sight regulated at 50 yards.
The Alan Brown engraving on this rifle is restrained and superbly executed. It features four game scenes: The left side of the action is adorned with a black rhino trotting along on the savanna, the underside shows a bull elephant charging towards the observer coming out of cover, the right side has a trio of cape buffalo bulls with two of them looking at the observer, and on the trigger guard a lion standing in the high grass.
The stock has a length of pull of 14¾ inches and is made of walnut of beautiful figure, with an ebony fore-end tip and leather covered recoil pad.
The marking on the barrel show that the rifle is regulated for the 110 grains of Cordite load with the 900 grain bullets. Weight is a sensible 16lb 11oz.
The sale is scheduled for August 22, 2026.
Rock Island Auction describe the condition of this rifle as follows: “Excellent overall, retaining 99% original black and brushed bright finishes with minimal handling evidence, crisp engraving, some slight edge wear on the recoil pad, and sharp checkering on the stock and forend. Mechanically excellent. The case is excellent with minor storage type wear.“
Picture Credits: All pictures courtesy Rock Island Auction.
Jon Branch is the founder and senior editor of Revivaler and has written a significant number of articles for various publications including official Buying Guides for eBay, classic car articles for Hagerty, magazine articles for both the Australian Shooters Journal and the Australian Shooter, and he’s a long time contributor to Silodrome.
Jon has done radio, television, magazine and newspaper interviews on various issues, and has traveled extensively, having lived in Britain, Australia, China and Hong Kong. His travels have taken him to Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan and a number of other countries. He has studied the Japanese sword arts and has a long history of involvement in the shooting sports, which has included authoring submissions to government on various firearms related issues and assisting in the design and establishment of shooting ranges.
