Got the scoop on Howdah!

I think we are all just too anxious to find out when, where an how much.....and when we find out that is just might be a bit out of our reach at the moment it makes the whole matter a little worse....everyone knows how much we Love our guns!
And that is all that really matters anyway :applause:
you cant ever have enough MUZZLELOADERS..period.

I do not have a dog in this fight either. So I guess this post has been about my observations. As far as I am concerned there is no fight. Just a bunch of good ole boys sitting around the fire, shooting the bull about their favorite subject Black Powder!
I think you are still missing the point. Read my posts frome top to bottom and you will see my main problem is not as much with the delivery. I have "been their done that", myself. I have been in the position of depending on someone else's delivery. I plainly stated you can't sell what you don't have!
My beef comes with the Dixie's reply to my inquiriy that I made. The reply was posted eaxctly like it was recieved.
Dear Sir:
We have not started advertising or have any information at this time on the Howdah pistols. Please contact us again mid June to see if we have indeed received these.
Thank you,
DGW
Had I been him this would have been my reply!
Dear Sir,
I am excited to hear of your intrest and the intrest of some members of the BP forum you are part of (didn't mention name of forum) in our newest pistol, the Howdah from Pendersoli!
I am sending you all the information we have on the Howdah. Enclosed as well is a price list for this item.
However at this time we are unable to be confirm date of delivery of our shipment. Therefore we are still uncertain as to the date this item will actually be available to the public.
Since you have exhibited an interest in our newest arrivial our company will be glad to put you on a waiting list for this item, if after reading information you still wish to purchase the Howdah. Contact us at blah-blah.
Thank you
Now if you don't belive it could be done that way log onto MTVC and see if they don't have a waiting list and are not willing to supply you with all information that they have about any gun in their stable, including a similar pistol.
Have we all been to Wallyworld so many time that we have come to expect and accept rude, less than helpful employees. You may have, but I for one am tired of it. The money I spend on this BP obsession is mine and I earned it the hard way. I do not appreciate the kind of service that is the norm for some companies today!
When I started this thread my only intention was too inform. However Dixie's less than helpful attitude has led to my observations. Any info I have been able to gather on this subject has been from a source other than Dixie. That seems strange since Dixie is the company that would have benefited from my intrest. Pendersoli doesn't sell to the individual or I would by pass Dixie in a heartbeat! The reason these companys are at the mercy of Italian or any overseas manufactures is because we have exported the manfacturing their, because American companies decided their was not enuough profit there!
As far as I am concerned I don't owe any company anything except my business and you have to earn that!!!!!!

Cliff, thank you for your good, honest and clear opinion. Everyone in any kind of business or service should read these words. And be inspired to better service and excellence. :hatsoff:

50cal.cliff,

I see your point.

Yes, DGW could have done much better - they are not making much of an effort to market this in advance. I still think they are justified in being reticent to commit to availability, and I think you may agree with me, but there is no excuse for not taking a more positive tone as you point out. I should have seen that sooner.

Thanks Christiaan, and all the others who were intrested in this pistol. I speak what I mean, and mean what I say! That's just the way I am. Sometimes, it may rub some the wrong way.
My only intention was to inform about the Howdah. I was excited when Pendersoli Co took the time to email me back and give me all the info they could. I was however less than pleased with Dixie's reponse.
However in the intrest of this not going any further toward left field and since I can not share any more info at this time, I am shuting this down for myself. I will however try to find out any new info available and will give out a shout in camp if I hear anything new!!
Gotta laugh, life is to short without it!! :rotf: :rotf:

Knowing the oweners of Deer Creek for over 20 yrs I can tell you one thing that may of been wrong with HOW you would of wrote the letter, DC waited for over a year for hammers for underhammers that had "be in your shop in 30 days" better than that they are getting parts they ordered made over 2 yrs ago and they stopped building them a year ago, Part 2 it is a Big maybe but one all the same Dixie may not yet know how much the guns will cost when it comes to the door. ( All that said I got E and phone call from MVT about the other one. :grin: :thumbsup: .......Fred :hatsoff:

Cliff, I got news from Pedersoli today. They did not plan on making Howdah kits as the quantities are expected to be small. But they will make a batch. Contact Dixie again and ask them to order kits. The kits might take a bit longer to get as there isn't a batch at the moment.

just heard from dixie that the howdahs are on the way. don't know which variety or where on the way they might be right now.

consistently, over the last several months, they have simply not known when the guns would be available. they have learned not to predict when they will get any item from Italy.

Hey that's great news! I was just thinking I might give them a holler myself about the end of this week. You just saved me the trouble. :applause:
Did you ask about the prices? If so can you you share any info with the rest of us? :hmm:

So...has anybody picked up a Howdah yet?

I have to be honest" I would love one but just can not see any practical use for one other than being a sea anchor of a snake gun.

The Howdah would be very neat at the range but already have .50 cal pistols and find the 20 gauge in a pistol size kind of self defeating.

I would still love to hear what others experiences have been with the Howdah if you picked one or two of them up.

Handy

You have resurrected an old post here Handy to which I basicly quit posting to. I took alot of heat because I didn't like the way Dixie handled the Howdah's unvailing and there less than enthusiatic approach with there repllies to my inquiries on the Howdah!
I will however try to up date you and share any info I can about this. On Christian's recomendation I did write Dixie and tell them that I understand that some kit were being produced and that if they were to inqure with Pendersoli that they might be able to aquire some of the kits. There reply came back that Pendersoli was not producing any kits at this time.
As for the Howdah having a practical purpose, the only ones I can truly think of you mentionded. I think it would make an awsome close range self defense gun, and a blast at the range,(pun intended)!
However I do not own one the price from Dixie is too prohibative for myself.[url] http://www.dixiegunworks.com/...14019&osCsid=ee1438775e8bd1d7bf48549ded7f6f6c[/url]
$625.00 put it totaly out of my range. I will give Penersoli this you can look at the quilty workmanship on this gun and compare it too tht one that follows from MVTV and I can see some of the costs, just not that much.[url] http://www.middlesexvillagetrading.com/PDBC.SHTML[/url]
This would be a good looking gun had they shaped the grip a little better, and I definitely like the price a whole lot better.
Well there it is Handy and I do not own one. I still can say I would love to have one but not at that price!!!!!! Maybe one day they will have a kit stateside and this might bring the price down to affordable!

Please take no offense as this is just a general observation:

The trouble with producing and marketing something like a Howdah is everyone says, "Boy, I would buy one of them if it was only available!" and "A nice big bore double barrel pistol is just what I've been looking for."

Then when it actually is produced all of the folks who were so hot to have one disappears and the company is out hundreds of thousands of dollars in engineering and tooling costs. Suppliers are also out the cost of their stock and faced with no market for the gun.

When one actually considers that this pistol has two engraved locks, two regulated barrels, a checkered grip on a real Walnut stock and the reduced value of the dollar vs the Euro, the cost isn't IMO that far out of line.

If I were to try to build one of these I could easily have over $300 in just the parts and even then, I have no way of creating the joined barrels to make it right.

Anyway, I think it is a beautifully made pistol and it is unfortunate that it needs to cost as much as it does.
Hopefully someone on our forum will be able to buy one just to let the rest of us know how well it shoots. :grin:

zonie

Zonie, I think it's a beautifully made pistol also and do appreciate the Howdah in those respects very much. I actually think the current price tag from $550 to $625 is very fair based on those criteria you mentioned.

It would not surprise me one bit if the price on the Howdah's drop as much as $50 per price point on each pistol if they do not sell well...maybe a special sale or something to get rid of inventory.

It's a shame that the fast rising cost of raw materials and energy are bringing up the cost of our sport dramatically and quickly.

Handy

Not to mention the $$ versus Euro. Everything new coming in from Italy will be more $$$ due to the exchange rate.

Ck about half way down or more for a size vs size from other maker and the price a few 100 less , but you get what you pay for. The only time I've taken mine out the last few months was to make the wild hogs/pigs run after the first aimed shot with a rifle (like in case one of these 250 to 300 pounders come running your way. Oh it is killer on rabbits if your just trying to make them explode. Fred :hatsoff: for the less bucks I got more than I expexted and its been fun but has worn off some to ,I'd hate to pay the "P"'s price for this,(from pics on site above you can see it's much bigger)just to lose the What do I do with it now"?

The pictures look like standard Pedersoli quality. I was going to review the Howdah for GUNs Magazine but my contact at Dixie retired and there doesn't seem to be any enthusiasm for the project.

Dixie has a lot of stuff that isn't easily found at other suppliers, but I think that after Turner Kirkland (founder of Dixie Gunworks) died the company is just running on the momentum he gave it.

Kinda sad.
zonie

hello,

I had the opportunity to handle a Howdah (20x20)at a show and this gun is very heavy. Much heavier than a Walker and it is not realistic for "duelist" shooting.
This point should be considered before purchase.......
Otherwise it is quite a nice gun

Regards

May be much truth to what you say. I called about getting a new gun I had bought from them fixed (the stock fell off!) and they dont carry parts for what they sell anymore even new stuff??? That aint right. Fred :hatsoff:

Zonie said:

Dixie has a lot of stuff that isn't easily found at other suppliers, but I think that after Turner Kirkland (founder of Dixie Gunworks) died the company is just running on the momentum he gave it.

Kinda sad.
zonie

Click to expand...

Yeah, they aren't what they used to be. Few of us are, but we have an excuse, and they don't. The times are changing, and I'm both sad to see some of it and glad I'm here to see any of it.