Pedersoli Howdah Hunter Pistol
Davide Pedersoli & Co. S.r.l. · Pistol · In Production · 1995
Also known as: Howdah Hunter, Pedersoli Howdah, Howdah Hunter Percussion Pistol
Overview
The Pedersoli Howdah Hunter is a modern black-powder muzzleloading pistol built by Davide Pedersoli of Italy as a reproduction of the large-bore side-by-side howdah pistols carried by 19th-century British hunters and colonial officers in India and Africa. It pairs two side-by-side percussion barrels with twin locks and double triggers, chambered in the rifled .50 caliber shown here (also offered in rifled .58 caliber and smoothbore 20 gauge). Loaded from the muzzle with loose black powder and a patched round ball and fired by #11 percussion caps, it delivers heavy close-range stopping power in the tradition of the tiger-defense pistols it emulates.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2300 g (81.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 450 mm (17.72") |
| Barrel Length | 285 mm (11.22") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 2 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 230 m/s (755 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 299 J (221 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 457 mm (17.99") |
| Number of Grooves | 12 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .50 Caliber Ball · primary — also known as .50 caliber percussion ball, 12.7mm round ball, .50 caliber patched round ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzleloading
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Side By Side Double Barrel, Twin Percussion Locks, Double Triggers, Color Casehardened Furniture, Brass Bead Front Sight, Optional Detachable Shoulder Stock
Service history
Operators
- Black-powder hunters and reenactors
Production
Production years: 1995-present
Produced in series by Davide Pedersoli & Co. as a commercial black-powder reproduction; no unit totals published.
Origin
Country of origin: Italy
Designer: Davide Pedersoli & C.
Notes
Barrels are broach-rifled with 12 grooves and a 1-in-18 inch twist in the .50 caliber version. Furniture (locks, buttcap, wedge plates, trigger plate, trigger guard and tang) is color casehardened; the front sight is a brass bead. An optional detachable shoulder stock converts the pistol into a short carbine. Recommended starting load is roughly 25 grains of 2Fg black powder behind a .490 round ball with a .010 patch.
Background
The original howdah pistols were a hunter's last word against a wounded tiger clawing up onto the elephant-back platform, and Pedersoli's reproduction lets modern shooters feel that same thunderous, smoke-belching close-range authority.