Fantasy time, at leeast for most of us.

You win lotto, a big win and decide to commission a double rifle maker to build your own Howdah handgun.

The design is to be something like the one recently posted.

6 1/2in. rifled barrels
overall length 13 1/4in
weight approximately 3 1/4lbs.

Yes it is a bit dated but so is hunting from the back of an elephant.

I do think hammers are an absolute requirement. Otherwise a modern form of decocker/cocker. Comment?

I do like the .577 calibre. But what cartridge would you have it made in? The orignal .577 Snider bp? Or what modern cartridge would do similiar in smokeless?

Maybe a custom .577 NE considerably shorted? Any ideas?

A .500 and .450 range might also be fine, even to a .375?

For example I have already mentioned a .45/70 might make a dandy modern howdah cartridge choice. Similar case capacity to a .577 Snider.

Rimmed is pretty much essential.

Any cartridge choice must have reasonable recoil. A full NE powered handgun is just ridiculous. So include estimates of velocity and recoil in such a weight handgun and barrel lenght.

Please comment.

Which maker and why?