Someone Talk Me Out of a Howdah

[Enfield58]

I've always wanted a Howdah but could never think a practical reason for getting one.

However, I could never think of too many practical reasons for any of my black powder guns except for the fact that they are extremely FUN.

I'm thinking of getting a Howdah but can't make up my mind on whether to get a 20 X 20, a .58 X .58, a .50 X .50 or a 20 X .50.

Does anyone have any experience with the Pedersoli Howdah? If so, what do you think?

I should probably save my money or get something else; ...right?

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Enfield,
I've not seen a repro that looks close to the real ones.
A nice one would be a double in say 14 gauge.
Mind, a lot of flint pistols for Howdah work were singles, and looked for all the world like duelling pistols but in 14 or maybe 16 gauge. Some May have been as small as 20, but others were 12 -10 bore.

I think a cross-bred with different calibres/bores would be overly complicated to use when sitting in a howdah.

If I was making one, it'd be 14 -10 bore I think. Ball size is important with big cats, over penetration.
The original idea, was that the pistol could use the same size ball as the long gun, and for this howdah work, a 12 or 10 gauge ball was popular in the earlier period.

 

[Juice Jaws]

Yes you need one. As a matter of fact you need one of each size.

 

[Enfield58]

Yes you need one. As a matter of fact you need one of each size.

You are not helping me. Do they make shoulder holsters for those pistols? Or what about a drop-down leg holster?

Why did I start this thread? [bumps head against key board]

PS: I was thinking how quickly I could load both barrels with a paper-cartridge-buck & ball load. [bangs head twice against key board]

 

[Enfield58]

Enfield,
I've not seen a repro that looks close to the real ones.
A nice one would be a double in say 14 gauge.
Mind, a lot of flint pistols for Howdah work were singles, and looked for all the world like duelling pistols but in 14 or maybe 16 gauge. Some May have been as small as 20, but others were 12 -10 bore.

I think a cross-bred with different calibres/bores would be overly complicated to use when sitting in a howdah.

If I was making one, it'd be 14 -10 bore I think. Ball size is important with big cats, over penetration.
The original idea, was that the pistol could use the same size ball as the long gun, and for this howdah work, a 12 or 10 gauge ball was popular in the earlier period.

I once held a 4 bore rifle. If you spoke while looking down the barrel, you could hear your echo.

 

[Pete G]

Get one and then tell US why we should not get one.

If it were me I'd go 20 x 20.

 

[Enfield58]

Get one and then tell US why we should not get one.

If it were me I'd go 20 x 20.

Let me guess; you to, have fantasies about how fast you could load a paper-cartridge-buck & ball load?

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Enfield,

This one is a 14 bore, but handles very nicely. Converted from flint, and not a Howdah pistol, just a normal traveling pistol.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I've not seen a repro that looks close to the real ones

OH, I don't know, I'd say that although not embellished, that this,


Is rather close to these originals,


and,


Granted probably not the same gauge as the originals, but the Pedesoli is not that far off, is it?

LD

 

[rafterob]

The only thing stopping you would be if you should really be spending that money on food. If that's not the case, then there is a Howdah in your future!

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Dave,

I know what you mean, not That far off, but if you look at the repro from all angles and look at the originals, you will still see where they miss it.
You show some very nice originals there!

RafteRob,

But if the pistol could be used to put food on the table.....it Could counteract the expenditure!

 

[Enfield58]

Loyalist Dave is a purveyor of Howdah porn! Damascus barrels! Why did he have to show me Damascus barrels?

Why do I dream of seeing exploding watermelons through a cloud of smoke? It's a dream I have every night about 1:00 AM.

I'm usually dressed in khaki wearing a pith helmet. Sometimes, I am dressed like Indiana Jones. He didn't have a Howdah pistol but he was in India.

In my dreams, there's also a beautiful blonde who wants me to save her from the charging watermelon that is about to explode. Our khaki outfits match.

You guys don't think that's weird; do you?

 

[Enfield58]

Enfield,

This one is a 14 bore, but handles very nicely. Converted from flint, and not a Howdah pistol, just a normal traveling pistol.
View attachment 5045

How much shot and powder does it take?

 

[missionary5155]

Grretings
There are as usfull as a 20 gauge trade rifle. Load it with shot for small game, load buck shot for bigger critters and patched load round ball for downright stop some thing dead.
I know a feller who keeps one by his bed side (Lizard) and has no fear he cannot deal with anyone who comes through his back door. He calls it his "legal sawed off".
I have shot our Military flintlock "horse pistols" loaded with buck and round ball. They range from .60 to .69 and are plenty accurate out to 30 yards with patch RB. 20 yards #2 buck would be devastating to any creature.
Having two shots... what a versetile hand gun. They will still do in tigers in India if applied correctly.

 

[Enfield58]

Grretings
There are as usfull as a 20 gauge trade rifle. Load it with shot for small game, load buck shot for bigger critters and patched load round ball for downright stop some thing dead.
I know a feller who keeps one by his bed side (Lizard) and has no fear he cannot deal with anyone who comes through his back door. He calls it his "legal sawed off".
I have shot our Military flintlock "horse pistols" loaded with buck and round ball. They range from .60 to .69 and are plenty accurate out to 30 yards with patch RB. 20 yards #2 buck would be devastating to any creature.
Having two shots... what a versetile hand gun. They will still do in tigers in India if applied correctly.

I've shot 500 grain Minie balls out of my 1803 Harper's Ferry pistol before.

I even killed a goat for dinner with it. We didn't have to bleed it.

You haven't live till you shot a 500 grain Minie ball out of a flintlock pistol.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I know what you mean, not That far off, but if you look at the repro from all angles and look at the originals, you will still see where they miss it.

Well other than the lack of a sliding safety as seen on the first two, and I think perhaps the 3rd is a breech loader (presented by accident by myself) there are other examples out there. Pedersoli did not embellish theirs as much as the others and one has a steel, mechanical rammer, but again, I think this is much closer to extant Howdahs than is the Pedersoli SLP Bess to the actual Bess commonly used in the colonies during the AWI, and much much closer than the Pedersoli trade gun is to an actual trade gun.

LD

 

[FishDFly]

I've always wanted a Howdah but could never think a practical reason for getting one.

However, I could never think of too many practical reasons for any of my black powder guns except for the fact that they are extremely FUN.

I'm thinking of getting a Howdah but can't make up my mind on whether to get a 20 X 20, a .58 X .58, a .50 X .50 or a 20 X .50.

Does anyone have any experience with the Pedersoli Howdah? If so, what do you think?

I should probably save my money or get something else; ...right?

Nope!!!!

Okay, I do not have one, yet.

My wife thinks they possess sex appeal for some reason, she likes the look of them and I agree.

The original use was for close encounters, I do not see much use for one for hunting here with round balls, especially over 25 yards or so.

Okay to answer your question, I would ditch the .58, to much recoil. The 20x20, now we are talking about a squirrel pistol or consideration to the 20X.50. The choice there is a dilemma, having trouble focusing on the 20X.50.

Okay, how to carry one? What comes to my mind would be a sling around the grip and barrels, similar to a rifle sling. I believe there are some slings that just might work.

Where I hunt there is a lot of yaupon in the woods and carrying a long barrel rifle is out of the question. Most trees do not exceed 75', well within the pistol's use for shot. Okay, also seems perfect for rabbit hunting.

It is on my want list and will be filled at some point.

To quote a former boss, "The one with the most toys wins".

 

[rodwha]

Seems to my thinking that the 20 ga would be the most versatile unless you wanted to fire conicals, but with that large of a ball why would you need one?

They also have an attachable shoulder stock if that sweetens the deal for ya:

https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index...WP0960+PEDERSOLI+HOWDAH+HUNTER+SHOULDER+STOCK

 

[Enfield58]

Seems to my thinking that the 20 ga would be the most versatile unless you wanted to fire conicals, but with that large of a ball why would you need one?

They also have an attachable shoulder stock if that sweetens the deal for ya:

https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index...WP0960+PEDERSOLI+HOWDAH+HUNTER+SHOULDER+STOCK

I knew it was a matter of time before someone brought up the shoulder stock. [banging head with hammer now]

 

[rodwha]

I knew it was a matter of time before someone brought up the shoulder stock. [banging head with hammer now]

I agree with Pete G. I think you should get one and tell us why we should not.