Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only 460 Guns & Ammo?

There is a nice rifle for sale locally in a cartridge I have never seen before. It is a 460 Guns & Ammo (or G&A). This Mauser looks well done in a utilitarian way. But there is no dies along with it! Is there a good source for the dies or would it make more sense to rebarrel it to a 404 Jeffery?
Thanks for your thoughts.

The 460G&A is an interesting foot note in history. If the workmanship is good and you enjoy reloading then go for it. If you need to ask, then it is probably not for you. There is no longer any need. This round goes back to the bad old days of too small 458win mag and too big 460 weatherby. The 458 Lott has put an end to that. We can all sit around and argue "how many angels fit on the head of a pin" or simply purchase from an adequate list of 458 mags. There is also a factory 450 rigby. That makes four to choose from.

There is also a long list of 40 calibers which might have been mentioned in print in the bad old days. I never saw guns or ammo in any big 40 back in those times. We can also argue all day and not get anywhere, 45 vs 40. For my 2c the 40's are a better balance of power and recoil to get the job done. Sweet spot rounds: Rigby, Remington, Jeffrey all get it done, just right. So yes, I would rather have a 404 than a 460. You could include the 450/400. That is just a shade closer to 375HH performance in mild pressure rimmed round. Who would have though the day would come we could choose from among all these options?

Looks like RCBS makes dies. Google is your friend. All the way from South Africa, and a quote:

http://www.gunsite.co.za/forums/showthread.php?20234-460-G-amp-A-on-a-ZKK602



another google hit, lands me on 4HCD. Another source, less money. I have used these dies on 505 with good results:



https://www.ch4d.com/products/dies/caliber-list?filter-col=caliber&filter=460

Catalog says not available. I expect they will make you a set of you call. Low demand would be an understatement.

The 460 G&A is a great 458 bore cartridge that easily gets an honest 2400 FPS. Nothing wrong with the purchase as long as you reload.

If it's a well assembled gun that feeds properly from the mag I wouldn't hesitate to get it at the right price.

There is much to be said if you're going to dark continent to hunt the big five of a chambering that has factory ammo and properly stamped brass. But for NA use and general big bore fun IMHO I'd take the 460 G&A over the 458 Lott as you really have to push the Lott to get 2300 fps with 500's, the 460 G&A will get you there with ease.

I'd put the money into dies before rebarreling. Much better selection and availability of .458" bullets than .423" bullets. For the cost of the gun and rebarreling I'd just buy a 458 Lott.

The 460 G&A is a really great 45 cal. rifle cartridge. Norma made head stamped cases. The parent is the 404. George Hoenig built most of the rifles. It was favored by Jeff Cooper and Rbt Peterson, the publisher of Guns & Ammo magazine.

I don't know anything about the 460 G&A but do know that I contacted CH4D about making dies for a different caliber last winter and their backlog time was over a year!

Here is a Brno 602 custom built rifles with multiple dies sets for sale on gun broker

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/770479750

He might let a set of dies go? Or buy a 2nd gun? Or not, it is a coincidence to see the listing. Nice item.

A person could contact the owner just to exchange information.

Col. Cooper’s heavy rifle, which he named “Baby”, was a 460 G&A built by George Hoenig. I think it had a 21” barrel and went over 10.5#. Was built on a ZKK602 action. Hoenig made a special floor plate which allowed the magazine to hold 6 cartridges in the magazine. My old business partner had Hoenig build a 460 on a 602 but his “only” held 5 down because he used the original floor plate.

I had one made by Rifles Inc on a pre-64 M70 action. I used it on Buff in Tanzania in 2008. It was certainly "one up" on a 458 Win Mag....great buffalo round.

I would not fool with it. Get a .458 Winchester instead. Ammo is a lot more available, especially if the airline loses yours. And the Winchester can be loaded to within 70 fps of he Lott at equal pressures.

A Cape buffalo bull weighs slightly less than a western Canadian moose. If you place your bullet right, with a .458 WM, Lott, or a .375 H&H, it will die. If you don't, it won't.

All the G&A (or for that matter the .460 Weatherby) adds is more leaping blasting, torquing and in general more flinching and worse bullet placement as a result. The G&A has the additional disadvantage of scarce ammo and dies, and probably lower resale value.