The Lost Stopping Rifle

Hi Mak: I want to correct a few of your assumptions if I may. First of all when the "Dark Continent" was still young to many of the colonial Brits who dared travel it's wild unknown and search for extraordinary animals like elephant and rhino  or lion and buffalo most of the preferred stopping guns were single barrel ,often smooth-bore, large(really large) caliber guns shooting huge balls of lead. 8 and 6 and even 4 bore guns were the preferred and some of the hunters surely dreaded touching off a charge but did so anyway.Once cartridge guns became available calibers like 600 and 500 were common since it still took some big bullets to down a big animal. When smokeless powder came along calibers like 450, 416, 400 and 375 were established as stopping rifles and then the double rifle came along and the famous English gun makers did a fair business supplying the British gents bound for Africa or India with them. Today there are several single shot rifles and even shotguns that could still qualify as stopping guns. The Ruger Number One comes to mind. Hope I helped a bit, Merry Christmas! Chris S

A Merry Yule to you and yours, Chris.
First off, if we are going to turn back to the black powder era, which was not my wont, we are going to find ourselves right in the midst of both inception and development of effective arms, period. The development of a recognizable rifle designed primarily as a stopper did not come till much later. Most of the black powder era was composed of creating and refining various single shot designs. It wasn't even until the tail end of this period that effective repeaters were born, and yes, bullets and charges were increased to the point of audacity, but the fact is and was that black, even great black, has a velocity ceiling, and to add more is just creating more smoke. Thus, the effectiveness of black ammunition is ultimately capped. 1800 fps is about the upper limit, and barrels-a key aspect to any stopper-were quite intentionally made long to squeeze the most out of tepid velocity black powder ammunition.
No, the stopping rifle did not manifest itself until the advent of smokeless powder, together with the action strength to withstand modern pressures. Perhaps this was due to a greater specialization appearing in society at large, perhaps because the call of the stopper was never heard by more than a few.
So, where did the first genuine stoppers arise? Most likely, it was not Africa, but India, which saw enterprising and intrepid British officers modifying guns to handle quickly in the scorching jungles, and deliver a blow with authority. Of the earliest examples I've seen, all were above .41 caliber, all sported shortened barrels, and all had some inventive work done to provide them with open sights.
I certainly do not share your opinion that shotguns, or single shots can qualify as stopping rifles.
I don't know if the stopping rifle finds any more favor today among the masses of riflemen and women than it ever did, but it seems that where cover is thick, and shots come surprisingly fast, in those places where animals of appropriate size, ferocity, and armament still roam, the stopping rifle should still find a home. 

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/702963/Be...
There is a whole series dating back a year or so about development.
Chris S

Wellllllll-interesting project, but sort of like reinventing the wheel.
Suppose it shows, given enough money, determination, and time, the task, whatever it might be, can be hotly pursued.
Chris, I really think that this is beyond the scope of what I'm discussing here, which is a particular type of rifle suited for a pretty specific purpose, under pretty specific conditions, which has largely vanished from the realm of modern rifles.
Merry Christmas to you and all who might be reading this!

NotIndia, but Ceylon. I recommend a read of Sir Samuel Baker's Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. His regular rifle was his 3 ounce. But, his stopper was his 8 ounces named Baby. Of course he was a large, tall, stalwart man.
My stopper is modeled after the one used by George Bird Grinnell while exploring the future Glacier National Park. He sent a Rem. rolling Block #1 to England and had it made into a .577 Nitro express. Truly impressive with 750grain bullet and 71 grains SR4759.
However, should you want a light stopping rifle in double barrel persuasion, check out Navy Arms.
Mike

Speaking to one currently manufactured item that could, and even should be considered a stopper-the Marlin guide gun.
Once available in three propitiatory and historic big bore cartridges, the guide gun made fans of a number of intrepid woods bummers who I knew in my more nefarious days. As an American interpretation of the stopping rifle premise, it was of course in lever action, and of course drilled and tapped for a number of fine sight options. The first examples wore barrel ports, which was frowned upon by the cognoscenti as unnecessary and loud, but did indeed work as designed and intended.
No even slightly different offering can go without controversy, and the guide gun had its share of detractors, most of whom never understood the purpose of the rifle in the first place.
Looks like it is currently only offered in 45-70, which certainly fits the bill for most, if not all the US and Canada. Light, at a tad over 7lbs empty, and straight gripped, which makes for a very fast mount, the guide gun should certainly be added to the list today of one of the very few production pieces living up to the term "stopping rifle".