Someone Talk Me Out of a Howdah

[Coinneach]

I have the pedersoli howdah in 20 20. With that smooth bore you can shoot a solid round ball or shotgun pellets. That gives me the most options. If you haven't held one in your hands do that before you buy. The howdah pistols are very nose heavy and unless you are very strong they will be uncomfortable to hold or shoot. I added the shoulder stock to mine to make it a very light and fast handling shotgun. Without the butt stock I would not have kept it. I have hunted pheasant with mine and it works fine as long as you keep your shots at a very close distance. With the butt stock it is light and easy to carry in the woods and being so short is no trouble to maneuver through thick brush.

I know this is a very late reply, for those nose heavy ML pistols, extend your other arm hand knuckles uppermost, well back from the muzzle and under the stock, to support the whole, its practical and safe.

 

[Rudyard]

I know this is a very late reply, for those nose heavy ML pistols, extend your other arm hand knuckles uppermost, well back from the muzzle and under the stock, to support the whole, its practical and safe.

Since the principal use for a Howda gun was to stave of an attack by a Tiger desirus of chomping lumps out off the riders . Not too unreasonable since the Riders where out to barrel him or her ( The Mahout has little say in the matter he's busy with steering the Elephant ' Who probably would prefer not to be wandering through Tiger habitat in the first place) The Howdah not that spacious and loaded with Sahibs & Maharaja's armed with big bore rifles Hence the plan to have handier big bore pistols short range 'Stoppers' sort of thing . how useful as a shot gun or pressing need to down Bounding Roo's. from the back of a ute Is a bit hard to envision but if you like Howdah pistols then go for it. I once shot Roos on a big Queenland Station with a 500 BP Express Double by Lang bit over kill but I kept it on the station till the Govt decided to stifle the hithertoo free use of whatever you had . No good reason just to keep in fashion with the other anti gun states .
Regards Rudyard

 

[Coinneach]

Since the principal use for a Howda gun was to stave of an attack by a Tiger desirus of chomping lumps out off the riders . Not too unreasonable since the Riders where out to barrel him or her ( The Mahout has little say in the matter he's busy with steering the Elephant ' Who probably would prefer not to be wandering through Tiger habitat in the first place) The Howdah not that spacious and loaded with Sahibs & Maharaja's armed with big bore rifles Hence the plan to have handier big bore pistols short range 'Stoppers' sort of thing . how useful as a shot gun or pressing need to down Bounding Roo's. from the back of a ute Is a bit hard to envision but if you like Howdah pistols then go for it. I once shot Roos on a big Queenland Station with a 500 BP Express Double by Lang bit over kill but I kept it on the station till the Govt decided to stifle the hithertoo free use of whatever you had . No good reason just to keep in fashion with the other anti gun states .
Regards Rudyard

Seriously ol mate, can you please start a thread here of your history relevant to your travels and muzzle loaders ?

I really do believe it would well received, if I may sugest a title "Rudyards IF, and I did" (referring to you of course).

 

[Coinneach]

The person wielding the REAL howdah pistol was advised to push it into the tiger's open mouth until it would go no further, and then 'touch off' both barrels. The substantial recoil of, say, TWO military issue Snider or even .450 Black Powder Express cartridges going off simultaneously would have been the very least of your concerns.

Imagine trying to push a pistol into a raging Tigers mouth, "gawd almighty I've lost my arm" !

 

[Rudyard]

Seriously ol mate, can you please start a thread here of your history relevant to your travels and muzzle loaders ?

I really do believe it would well received, if I may sugest a title "Rudyards IF, and I did" (referring to you of course).

Dear Coinreach I am greatly gratified that you consider my rambling ranting so favourably I have done a lot of gun related wanderings ,Not quite up the Selous or Baker but similar guns. I actually restored a large bore purpose made big game gun probably better suited than the Two Duck guns Selous started with. But the scarcety of Rhino & Elephant in NZ rather rules out humping such a gun .No such creatures where released here but they did bring in Wapiti & Moose even Possums & Wallabies along with Starlings & Minor birds , Thar Chamois, & 'Captain Cookers' the wild pigs. All of witch got stuck in and went forth & multipied .( I am surrounded by mountains full of Deer blocking my view I've complained to the council their blocking my view but they refuse to move them. Some thing about their earth moving budget . Burocrats always find an excuse!).I did go to India to buy old falling blocks & double rifles But I never went on' Shikar' I did buy two old doubles from HRH Nagod who when we visited had just got back to his palace in a short wheel base Land rover & his bearers had poles adorned with the pigs his Boxlock Army & Navey 450/400 cordite had dispatched ' Shikar' modern style. I mean Elephants & Howdahs are all very regal but think of the feeding and subsequent clean up !. His Nibs held court in the porch by hurricane lamps , I played' Tourist tag along ' but was shewn the goodies . I played dim but my eyes summed them up well enough .so a deal was struck and I took to UK the 450/400 cordite Cased Jefferies ' Best 'double side lock & a wonderfully old Lancaster slide & Tilt Under lever Hammer oval bore in some 500 or so cal ,cased .The rear sight went up to 2,000 yards great long ladder in English & Hindi .Now youde be hard pressed to SEE an Elephant at 1,000 yards .But I've always suspected that such sights are more down to the engraver than any range testing . Both made it to Heathrow The guns being antigue didnt rate duty . "Bit of the Raj coming home "the Customs man says , but my flasks & other goodies added up to more than I had which was a whole10 $ US . So I say" Hang onto them & Ile come back couple of days to pay you ". He' says " I see,'' don't come it too often bugger off " so away I go ..I don't think you can ever plan such adventures they just happen .
Regards Rudyard
PS I found an article of that visit with HRH Nagod Ile try ad a pic shews the rear ladder sight If you contact TobJohn with an E or PM he can send you my yarn about travels in West Africa in 1964/5 a draft of my intended book

 

[Coinneach]

Dear Coinreach I am greatly gratified that you consider my rambling ranting so favourably I have done a lot of gun related wanderings ,Not quite up the Selous or Baker but similar guns. I actually restored a large bore purpose made big game gun probably better suited than the Two Duck guns Selous started with. But the scarcety of Rhino & Elephant in NZ rather rules out humping such a gun .No such creatures where released here but they did bring in Wapiti & Moose even Possums & Wallabies along with Starlings & Minor birds , Thar Chamois, & 'Captain Cookers' the wild pigs. All of witch got stuck in and went forth & multipied .( I am surrounded by mountains full of Deer blocking my view I've complained to the council their blocking my view but they refuse to move them. Some thing about their earth moving budget . Burocrats always find an excuse!).I did go to India to buy old falling blocks & double rifles But I never went on' Shikar' I did buy two old doubles from HRH Nagod who when we visited had just got back to his palace in a short wheel base Land rover & his bearers had poles adorned with the pigs his Boxlock Army & Navey 450/400 cordite had dispatched ' Shikar' modern style. I mean Elephants & Howdahs are all very regal but think of the feeding and subsequent clean up !. His Nibs held court in the porch by hurricane lamps , I played' Tourist tag along ' but was shewn the goodies . I played dim but my eyes summed them up well enough .so a deal was struck and I took to UK the 450/400 cordite Cased Jefferies ' Best 'double side lock & a wonderfully old Lancaster slide & Tilt Under lever Hammer oval bore in some 500 or so cal ,cased .The rear sight went up to 2,000 yards great long ladder in English & Hindi .Now youde be hard pressed to SEE an Elephant at 1,000 yards .But I've always suspected that such sights are more down to the engraver than any range testing . Both made it to Heathrow The guns being antigue didnt rate duty . "Bit of the Raj coming home "the Customs man says , but my flasks & other goodies added up to more than I had which was a whole10 $ US . So I say" Hang onto them & Ile come back couple of days to pay you ". He' says " I see,'' don't come it too often bugger off " so away I go ..I don't think you can ever plan such adventures they just happen .
Regards Rudyard
PS I found an article of that visit with HRH Nagod Ile try ad a pic shews the rear ladder sight If you contact TobJohn with an E or PM he can send you my yarn about travels in West Africa in 1964/5 a draft of my intended book

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Thank you sir, you've certainly had a rich life Rudyard.
PM sent.