Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa A-Square

Let me qualify first: No African experience, No future African hunt possibilities and finally addicted to,classic African hunting novels. So now that is off the table,let me ask.

Years ago like early 1990’s I had a big yacht customer who when not cruising Mexico and the NW Passage was hunting internationally. He had a big bore ( don’t recall cartridge ) rifle ordered and built by A-Square. Never heard of them and he was a guy who had half dozen Weatherby Rifles but told me this rifle was a different animal. Anybody have and hunt with them, opinions, history etc.

Rick

I don't know the whole story (some here do) but I believe the guy that started it, Art somebody was not well liked around the gun world? Anybody want to chime in?

Art Alpin started A Square. He developed his own proprietary cartridges, most notably probably the .577 Tyranosaur, which is simply a ridiculously huge bolt action cartridge that he chambered in his ‘Hannibal’ rifle. It’s way too much cartridge for 99.9% of all hunters and the damn rifle must have weighed 16-18 pounds. Too heavy to carry and too much recoil for anyone shooting it.

He also developed his own bullets. He had a special Lion Load bullet that was designed for cats and other thin skinned game. They were generally regarded as poor bullets, especially when they failed on a lion. Too fragile.

I don’t recall why A Square failed. They ceased operations in 2012. Art Alpin was a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Army and taught military history at the United States Military Academy at West Point, during his career.

Wow this is interesting. Had no idea

Rick

A- Square Company was started by Arthur B. Alphin. Editor of an outstanding reloading book called "Any Shot You Want". He was director of the Materiel Testing Directorate at Jefferson Proving Grounds which accounts for the superb technical content of his book. The Hannibal rifle was built on surplus Model 1917 rifle actions. Alphin's reputation was sullied by the numerous creditors left unpaid upon the closure of A-Square Company in 2012. In 2011 Alphin became the full time caregiver of his wife which was probably why A-Square was sold to the Sharps Rifle Company. A-Square held the patent 4811666 for the monolithic solid bullet. The Hannibal rifle was available in more cartridges than the .577 Tyranosaur. It was very heavy because of features like the heavy barrel contour, steel plate welded magazine box, etc. The somewhat freakish looking stock contributed to the excessive weight but it was very well designed to mitigate recoil. I am certainly not man enough to haul that weight around Africa chasing cape buffalo.

Back in the early '90s, at the first gun shop I worked at, we ordered a Hannibal in .500 A-Square for a customer. It was one heavy, bulky sumbytch, but handled recoil pretty well. I shot it a fair amount, helping him fireform some brass. He had some feeding issues with it and I spoke to Alphin a few times on the phone. He was not the most warm and fuzzy guy I ever talked to, and was pretty adamant that there could be no issues with a rifle he had built. We sent it back and he eventually got it to feed properly.

So as I said before this thread has been very informative as I apparevntly tapped the right group with answers. So wondering what kind of money were these rifles bringing as compared to Weatheby’s finest. I never saw my customer shoot this rifle but do recall it was a big butt ugly rifle

Rick

I'll be nice but Art Alpin couldn't design a stock that was worth cow dung. And he got crosswise with the ATF due to crappy bookkeeping. And he deserved what got (in my opinion). He had a Napoleon complex that would have made Napoleon blush.

Sorry but he contributed very little (pun intended) to the shooting world.

Bob, thanks for the additional color. That’s interesting information. I’ve had an opportunity to shoot one of the 577 Tyrannosaur rifles at a friend’s in-house gun range, while I was visiting him on my way to Zambia. I politely declined as I have no interest in damaging my shoulder on my way to Africa.

He made me the same offer under the same circumstances. I also declined"…

I have a 500 A2, It is said Art thought up this round, if that is so he is a genius. The easiest 500 to make, fireform 460 Weatherby load up and go. Put it in a BRNO 602 like mine and go hunting.

"Sorry but he contributed very little (pun intended) to the shooting world."
Wilson have you read "Any Shot You Want"? I never met the man and I am sure your characterization of his personality is accurate. I would not want to have a beer with him but his technical grasp of exterior ballistics, interior ballistics, Africa cartridges and bolt action rifles is more than a "very little contribution to the shooting world".

I handled one of those and it was truly substantial. Bigger than I expected.

I made acquaintance with Art Alpin, and both statements, in my estimation are true. A2 would custom make ammo to order, and I ordered several hundred dollars worth of 400/450 specified 55grn Cordite equivalent. My rifle is regulated for such. I received “hot” ammo, probably 60grn Cordite equivalent. Didn’t regulate in my gun, came out 2250 gps, which is 100 fps over 60 grn load- hot!

I called umpteen times and was told “The Colonel will get back to you”. My ass he will! 6 months of that and I was determined to see him at SCI. I went by the booth and introduced myself. Ol’ Col. Art (although retired he insisted upon being addressed by his rank and title, so I insisted he address me as Doctor. That evened the playing field. He proceeded to play Big Shot, “Yeah, you’re the who called about some ammo”

“Yeah, about a dozen times over 4-6 months. Never heard back”

He ignored that and told me he was busy so come back at 5:00. Came back, he was gone. Asked staff. “the Col. has a dinner meeting tonight”

The Col. was too busy to talk to me the next day. I talk to staff about my issue. They conceded I needed to talk to the Col., come back at 5:00.

Came at 4:30. Patiently waited until 5:45 as he was doing”business”. He occasionally glanced my way to see if I was still hanging around. Finally, he and whomever he was chatting with walked out of the opposite end of the booth and exited the exhibit hall.

I reached back and threw 6 wallets of his defective ammo through his exhibit sign, and in a very loud voice exclaimed what an orifice he was and which sexual positions were suitable for his self pleasure.😡

Some of the remaining exhibitors nearby burst out in applause and offered me a cocktail. It seems “The Colonel was not popular with his peers and exhibit neighbors.😁

Never did get the issue sorted out. My order copy was slung in the booth, so they knew who to contact if they disapproved of my hijinks.

So, in my opinion, A2 was an egotistical jackass puffed up in self importance. His .470 Capstick and that .577 Trans were marketing stunts. As Wilson points out, his sticks were unaesthetic slabs of wood that looked produced by an amateur stock maker.

“Any shot You Want” is a worthy reference book. I have often wondered which of his staff did all the research and wrote it for him. I am absolutely convinced he was too self important and too busy playing mover and shaker to put in the hours to compile that book.

On my 1 and only cape Buffalo hunt, I bought a Hannibal in 500 A2.

I shot my buff broadside, through the shoulders, at 40.yards...with a 570 grain X bullet, about 8,000 ft-lbs worth.

Ph said it hit the ground so hard, it bounced!

Impressive cartridge!


Andy3

I recall seeing articles about his rifles, and was unimpressed. I did order some of his .30 solid bullets in the late 80/early 90s time frame. They were harder to stop than anything else I ever shot.

Saw some of his ads and claims. The guy seemed like a 40 cent piece...

Art still owes me money.
Been waiting about 30 years. Any day I'm sure.

Had a Hamilcar in 358STA. Recoil was nice, but what a pig.

I never met him but his shop was in my wife’s hometown. Here’s an local newspaper article: Article

Have a 500 and 495 A2, in my own custom rifles. both are more than generally useless cartridges. The less popular 495 A2 is actually more pragmatic. I’ve been broken by heavy recoiling guns to the point they forever changed my perspective on shooting. His 600 gr lion load hamburgerized a lot of critters.

Hatari: Everyone that I can remember who met him and I've got to believe every customer who ever attempted to work with him has exactly the same thoughts. Your experience as a customer has been recited many, many times on this and other discussion boards. It was a good day when he closed his shop for good. Shame that the little man didn't settle his accounts, but I am sure in his little mind it was his right to shaft anyone who believed in him.

As we used to say, Art stood on the shoulders of giants.... just so he could lie to your face.