.475 Linebaugh (Handloader issue #345)

.475 Linebaugh

The .475 Linebaugh is a powerful American revolver cartridge developed by custom gunsmith John Linebaugh during the 1980s. Linebaugh had already established a reputation for building exceptionally strong five-shot revolvers and for exploring performance levels far beyond those offered by ordinary production handguns. His earlier .500 Linebaugh was formed from shortened .348 Winchester cases, but uncertainty surrounding the continued availability of that brass encouraged him to develop a more practical alternative. The resulting .475 Linebaugh used the abundant .45-70 Government case, shortened to approximately 1.4 inches and modified to accept bullets measuring about .475 inch in diameter.

The cartridge was perfected by the late 1980s and received widespread attention after gunwriter Ross Seyfried introduced it to readers in a 1988 magazine article. Early revolvers were individually constructed by Linebaugh on strong Ruger single-action frames. These conversions generally employed custom five-shot cylinders, which provided thicker chamber walls than a conventional six-shot arrangement. The combination of the large case, heavy bullets and compact revolver platform produced a level of practical power that had previously been associated more closely with large single-shot handguns and rifles.

Although capable of firing bullets weighing around 400 grains at approximately 1,300 to 1,400 feet per second, the .475 Linebaugh was not created simply to produce impressive velocity figures. Its principal advantage was the ability to launch broad, heavy bullets with tremendous momentum and penetration. Hard-cast bullets with wide, flat noses became closely associated with the cartridge because they could travel deeply and create substantial wound channels without depending upon high-velocity expansion. These characteristics made the .475 Linebaugh particularly suitable for hunting large game and for protection in areas inhabited by dangerous animals.

The cartridge eventually progressed beyond custom Ruger conversions. Freedom Arms chambered its precision-built Model 83 revolver for the .475 Linebaugh, designating that version the Model 757, while Magnum Research later offered the chambering in its large-frame BFR revolver. Purpose-made, correctly headstamped cases also became available, eliminating the difficult process of forming brass from .45-70 Government cases. Commercial ammunition and an expanding selection of jacketed and cast bullets further transformed the .475 Linebaugh from a specialized gunsmith’s wildcat into a more accessible, though still uncommon, big-bore revolver cartridge.

The introduction of the shorter .480 Ruger in the early 2000s brought the same nominal bullet diameter to a broader group of shooters. The .480 Ruger case measures approximately 1.285 inches, compared with about 1.4 inches for the .475 Linebaugh. As a result, .480 Ruger ammunition can generally be used in a properly chambered .475 Linebaugh revolver, much as a shorter cartridge may be fired in certain longer chambers of the same caliber. The reverse is not possible, however, because the longer .475 Linebaugh cartridge will not fit a standard .480 Ruger chamber.

Full-power .475 Linebaugh ammunition produces severe recoil and requires a revolver specifically designed for the cartridge. However, its large case can also be handloaded across a broad range of useful performance. Moderate loads firing heavy bullets at approximately 900 to 1,100 feet per second are easier to control, generally pleasant enough for more sustained practice and still capable of excellent penetration. Full-power loads remain available for the cartridge’s original purpose of hunting large and potentially dangerous game. This flexibility, combined with the efficiency of its heavy, large-diameter bullets, has helped the .475 Linebaugh remain one of the most respected American big-bore revolver cartridges.

Source: Wolfe Publishing, Handloader Issue No. 345, August 2023.