Most Powerful Pistol

What is the most powerful traditional black powder pistol, not revolver. Is it the Pedersoli Howdah?

I would say the "Diablo" with the Howdah a close second!

I don't think the Diablo is traditional, so the Howdah takes it.

howdah

Yes sorry traditional then Howdah would be the most powerful. Just thinking about it hurts my wrist.

Nope. These babies are available from 12mm to 30mm bores. 30mm would be 1.18 inch bore.

That thing looks like a handheld grenade launcher.

zimmerstutzen said:

Nope. These babies are available from 12mm to 30mm bores. 30mm would be 1.18 inch bore.

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WAIT!! Before you showed this I thought I had seen everything. Pretty cool.

My Lyman,54 loaded with 80 grains FF is kinda like a really short carbine. Hang on tight....

zimmerstutzen said:

Nope. These babies are available from 12mm to 30mm bores. 30mm would be 1.18 inch bore.

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now that is a pistol with an attitude!!! what make is it, who made it?? and no trigger guard.

zimmerstutzen said:

Nope. These babies are available from 12mm to 30mm bores. 30mm would be 1.18 inch bore.

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That's a German saluting pistol for firing blank rounds to welcome the birth of the Christ child and for welcoming the New Year. The pistols are called " Handböller: hand-held, short-barreled saluting guns". They are only fired for the half hour between 11:30 PM and midnight on Christmas Eve as a signal to come to Midnight Mass and on New Years. Then the pistols fall silent for another year. I don't think that they should count as a powerful pistol.

https://rove.me/to/bavaria/christmas-and-new-years-eve-shooting

It is my understanding those are only used as signal guns, no projectile.

Probably the 1855 Dragoon pistol

Or possibly one of the Pedersoli AN IX .69 flintlock pistols, just due to the sheer size of the ball and a probably 50 grain powder charge

zimmerstutzen said:

Nope. These babies are available from 12mm to 30mm bores. 30mm would be 1.18 inch bore.

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Now THAT'S what I call the ultimate pocket pistol!

Grenadier1758 said:

That's a German saluting pistol for firing blank rounds to welcome the birth of the Christ child and for welcoming the New Year. The pistols are called " Handböller: hand-held, short-barreled saluting guns". They are only fired for the half hour between 11:30 PM and midnight on Christmas Eve as a signal to come to Midnight Mass and on New Years. Then the pistols fall silent for another year. I don't think that they should count as a powerful pistol.

https://rove.me/to/bavaria/christmas-and-new-years-eve-shooting

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Well you are mostly right. They are primarily salute-blank firing pistols. I have a handboller in 10 ga and with a barrel of 1.95 across the flats have fired patched balls. The maker's suggested charge for blanks is 22 GRAMS of powder, (not grains) In fact the salutes in Berchtesgaden are traditionally at sunset on December 24, but now are fired every Sunday of advent as a tourist attraction. BTW, the club in that town has over 1100 members and their own gathering hall. Other clubs shoot at midnight on New Years Eve (known as Sylvester) . The practice began as a way for sentries on Mountain passes to signal valley folk of approaching enemies. Later to signal the coming of important people like Kings, Bishops, and at Christmas eve the coming of Christ. In Austria, the ling salute guns are frequently known as Prangerstutzen.. I also have a 24 ga Handboller. and am building a 1 inch bore shaftboller.

The practice goes back to at least the late 1500's. There are records of towns buying powder for their salute guns in the early 1600's.

In many of the German states, salute guns must be proof tested by government labs every 5 years with the proof test date stamped right on the barrel. Imagine, some of these are many decades old and they must be running out of room on the barrel for stamping the information.

At one time about 30 years ago, there was a salute group in the midwest to fire these at the opening of fairs and parades., but I think they have disbanded.

dont you just luv how thy pound that wood plug in !!

Well there are the old style flintlock and percussion pistols that were made in .60 or up to .75 caliber. I tend to call them pirate pistols as pirate leaders often carried a brace of them when boarding a vessel. I have a .69 cal version that is fun to shoot. I have a .69 cal bullet mold that casts 750 grain Minnie balls. It can throw them at around 600 fps. Yes recoil is pretty stiff with the minie balls.

Ref Black Powder Pirate Flintlock Pistol

hanshi said:

Now THAT'S what I call the ultimate pocket pistol!

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Should carry nicely in an ankle holster!