Howdah

[freedom475]

Howdah pistol.........does anyone have one of these things?

I'm weakening fast!...someone talk me out of this....Now Cabela's carries them so they are a much better deal then when your only choice was DGW.

[Pepe Ray]

Reminiscing;
One of Ross Seifried's articles caused me to allow a brief vision to pass my view--
very briefly ---a long time ago.
It's too soon. Sleep on it for a time. They won't sell them all out.
Pepe Ray

[freedom475]

So I'm the only one that thinks this would be just the most fun big boar pistol out there????

I think this is just a "must have" to go with my 72 cal Kodiak,

Smooth bore....what should I expect for accuracy with this if I buy it??

Thanks guys

freedom475:Fire:

[James C. Snodgrass]

[smilie=1:If you were weak enough you bought the Kodiak ,I would guess your gonna get it when you do post pics. I remember the article by Ross and his cost of one I will get mine when I hit the lottery.

[freedom475]

I've looked for the Seyfried article but I cannot find it....anyone know a link that might get this for me?

Thanks
Freedom

[Boz330]

So I'm the only one that thinks this would be just the most fun big boar pistol out there????

I think this is just a "must have" to go with my 72 cal Kodiak,

Smooth bore....what should I expect for accuracy with this if I buy it??

Thanks guys

freedom475:Fire:

Accuracy, no problem, stick the muzzle in the tigers mouth and pull the trigger. They were called howdah pistols because it was for dealing with tigers in your howdah, where the rifle was a bit awkward.:Fire: Pip pip cheerio!!!!!!!!!!!
Actually it would probably be a hoot. Go for it, then a range report although I doubt the zoo will let you check group size on their tigers.

Bob

[Ghugly]

Seems to me that facing a 500 pound tiger at point blank range, in mid leap, would require more nerves than accuracy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8Ynebb2fhg The howdah pistol would sure beat the two sticks this guy has.

[Old Ironsights]

Mine's a custom .720 (12ga), but Cabelas is selling the Pedersoli 20ga variant...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y180/MrMisanthrope/PiC.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y180/MrMisanthrope/IMG_1909.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y180/MrMisanthrope/IMG_1908.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y180/MrMisanthrope/IMG_4558.jpg

I shoot patched .690 RB or extracted slugs (see above) from it...

[Pepe Ray]

Freedom 475
I apologize for yankin' yer chain. :) I felt so badly that I had to go to my den/dump to search my clippings for the article. Wasn't even sure that I'd clipped it, only that I recalled reading and lusting for the pistol.
Lo and behold I found it. Guns & Ammo, June '93. Titled "Giant Stoppers" was a comparison between a 16 ga. Howdah and a .577 Thomas Bland 5 shot revolver.
It would be a 6 page scan.

I've no idea if G&A would have this in electronic files nor how to find them if it were so.

Ball's in your court.
Pepe Ray

[Maven]

Didn't LAR45 write a series of posts on how he made one of those?

[Buckshot]

Didn't LAR45 write a series of posts on how he made one of those?


.............Did he end up finishing it and posting pics? IIRC it was in the works, but ..............

..............Buckshot

[northmn]

As stated the Howdah was used to discourage tigers from jumping into the tree blind or climbing up the elephant to get at you. Its a double barrel so I do not know how it is regulated but since it has only a shotgun bead for a front sight you are not going to win any 50 yard matches with it. With a stiff load it will also kick like hades. The British gentlemen developed some real hand cannons such as the 577 revolver because they insisted on getting int tight places and wanted to survive. The 577 was supposed to slow down a determined Zulu and the Howdah was used for that type of purpose hunting dangerous game also and was typically of a large gauge. 12 not being uncommon. Looks like a lot of fun, if you have the itch sooner or later you will need to scratch it.

Northmn

[scrapcan]

Buckshot and Maven,

I remembered seeing a website with pictures but for the life of me I have not been able to find it. I think we shoud linvite him into this thread for his story, I know it is out there.

Isn't it the handcannon in his avatar? Wasn't it a 470NE or something on that order?

Jeremy

[lar45]

Hi, life's been rather busy and I haven't been here as much as I'd have liked.

my website and pics are www.lsstuff.com/howdah
the 70 cal is http://www.lsstuff.com/howdah/howda.html
Calibros in Norway built a 45-70 http://www.lsstuff.com/howdah/calibros.html

I do have a 470 double rifle about 90% done, for a few years now. lol

http://www.lsstuff.com/howdah/pics/howda/18mm5.bmp

http://www.lsstuff.com/howdah/pics/howda/18mm6.bmp

My 70 cal and pair of 577s are Pinfire. It's been interesting getting the 70 cal to shoot. It is very tight and 100% complete. I've tried turning down 50 BMG cases, but have found that 16 ga plastic hulls cut to 1.6" work very well.
I've ground off the top of a spent shotgun primer to use as a cup to hold a muzzle loader no. 11 cap. then drill a hole next to the rim for a short steel pin to go down into the muzzle loader cap.
I've been loading 50 gns FFg with a fiber wad and then a Lee 12 ga 1oz slug. The plastic case keeps everything tight and inplace. It also makes for fairly easy reloads at the range.
Velocity with 50gns is around 500 fps and the 2 barrels shoot fairly close to each other, but about 12" high at 10 yards.

[Digital Dan]

Lar, that sounds like a Seyfried recipe for breathing life into a pinfire. How are you these days?

[lar45]

I'm doing much better thanks. Still have a few bugs to work out, but getting around much better than I have in years.

Ya, I wrote Mr. Seyfried a few years ago when I got it and wanted to start loading. He printed the letter in Reloading(I think) He said something about writeing a pinfire article, but I never did see it happen.
He did have some good suggestions for it. The twist is real fast, don't remember what right now, so It was made for shooting a conical slug instead of round ball.

I'll have to take some time and get the 577s going. One has a short chamber about 1.4" and the other is about 1.8" ish(if I remember correctly). 28 ga brass fits the chambers perfect.

[scrapcan]

Lars,

thanks for your postings. I remembered going to your site and reading and looking at the pictures, I am glad that I remembered correctly.