Howdah pistol???

[trent/OH]

Sorry, no pictures, but I saw at a gun shop this morning when a guy brought in an old 72 caliber percussion pistol (not a flintlock conversion) and was trying to figure out what it is. The stamps on the barrel and the word London indicate it is British. It had no soghts at all, had a belt clip on the left side, appeared to take a musket-size cap, and was a single barrel. Every picture I've seen of a Howdah was double barreled, but that's only a few pics.

Any idea what I was looking at? I suggested he go to Friendship next month and ask around.

 

[SAJones]

Most of the large bore caplocks generically called "Howdah pistols" that I've seen were single shots. Many collectors call them Howdahs, even if they never saw the back of an elephant in India. Many years ago I saw a collecton of them somewhere, but they have never enjoyed much interest.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

could have meant to be used as a 'howdah' but there were many of them sent to the US also as well as Canada and other places.

 

[Wes/Tex]

"Howdah" was actually the term for the carriage on the elephant's back, the pistols got that name by obvious reasons. Not all Howdah pistols were doubles but the extra barrel was a nice insurance policy if that big striped kitty decided to climb on board! :shocked2: Tigers are unpredictable critters at best.

 

[Zonie]

"Howdah"?
Hell, I thought you guys were saying "Howdee", like they do down in Texas! :rotf:

I could just hear them now, "Don't look so pale when your ah lookin down tha barrel of my Howdee pistol stranger!"

Now I'll have to revise my thinking and picture some guy sitting in a little house on top of an Elephant with a Tiger flying thru the air at him while he says, "Howdah get into this mess?" :rotf:

No doubt about it, the Howdah is a serious gun for serious business.

zonie

 

[Wes/Tex]

"Howdah"?
Hell, I thought you guys were saying "Howdee", like they do down in Texas! :rotf:

I could just hear them now, "Don't look so pale when your ah lookin down tha barrel of my Howdee pistol stranger!"

Now I'll have to revise my thinking and picture some guy sitting in a little house on top of an Elephant with a Tiger flying thru the air at him while he says, "Howdah get into this mess?" :rotf:

No doubt about it, the Howdah is a serious gun for serious business.

zonie

You forgot..."Repell Boarders!!!" :haha:

 

[colmoultrie]

Some of the earlier British military percussion pistols remained large caliber. The Model 1842 - I believe - was around .69 cal, if memory serves.

 

[trent/OH]

So where can I see pictures of some of these early British percussion military pistols???