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Wednesday December 11, 2024

How much does the world’s most expensive bullet cost?

The Holland & Holland Nitro Express is an elephant gun that can cost $100,000, and it fires what is the most expensive bullet

By Web Desk
September 21, 2022
(Representational) Gold and silver bullet.— Unsplash
(Representational) Gold and silver bullet.— Unsplash

The most expensive bullet in the world is the   Holland & Holland .600 or .700 Nitro Express, costing around $140.

The Holland & Holland Nitro Express is one of the most expensive game rifles.  It is an elephant gun that costs at least $100,000. This powerful gun is a side-by-side double rifle that loads two rounds.

The .600 was last made in 1975, making it a highly valuable collector's cartridge. 

In 1985, a man named Willian Feldstein went up to the manufacturers and said he would pay anything for them to make four H & H Nitro Express rifles in .600 and other calibers made especially for him. The company refused because they wanted to preserve the collector's appeal. 

Feldstein remained steadfast and went to the company's board of directors who also said, "not no, but heck no".

He was one undeterred hunter, though. He kept persisting and asked the company to make him a .700 caliber which did not exist at the time. 

H & H made extremely powerful guns out of wood with intricate engravings. Feldstein loved to shoot with such a  heavy-duty weapon.

The company finally agreed to consider the hunter's plea and asked him to draw up the specs after which they would consider building a rifle for him.

Feldstein had a vision in his mind. "The bullet would leave the muzzle at 2,000fps and generate more than 9,000 ft-lbs of energy,” American Rifleman quoted him as saying.

The gunsmiths believed such a gun would weigh around nine kilos and could hurt anyone that came in its way.

With four years of hard work, Feldsmith was finally able to shoot with his .700 rifle, then costing $100 per round.

By January 1990, a  double sidelock Holland & Holland Royal de Luxe prototype was completed, said American Rifleman.

Today, the model can cost around $400,000 and upwards. Only 17 have been manufactured till now and the 18th is under construction.