Now if a smooth bore howdah pistol could be made from a shotgun, a 24 bore, 16 bore, 12 bore sudd by side shotgun in theory could easily be used to make one. A 12 bore shotgun with hamners, barrels cut shorter, bead replaced. A smaller forend made of the existing forend. A pistol grip added.

Regulation? Would need to be tested. It might need to be deregulated, Especially for shooting ball or slugs. Shooting SGs or SSGs, effective at close range. Smaller shot of bird shot, rabbits and birds?

Add a detachable shoulder stock, how handy would that be!

A 16 bore would be more handy. A 24 bore close to an original .577 calibre and just as effective with ball

If ffffing legal ...

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One point to add.

Most shotguns MIGHT NOT be suitable for Howdah pistol conversion. The actions extend too far back in a straight line for conversion to a curved pistol grip and the required shorter trigger pull length.

Howdah pistols are NOT shotgun actions! The rear of the action is curved downwards.

The Pedersoli Howdah breech loader in .45 LC or .410 has that extremely aweful grip to compensate for using the shotgun action, where the rear of the action prevents a usual curved pistol grip. the trigger pull length would be too great.

But I wonder? Just saw a sawn off shotgun with a butt stock sawn off to the pistol grip on a TV crime show advert. If these work, why not on a Howdah? Am in deluded and my thinking wrong?

I refer again to that net howdah discussion where the pleb experts state as fact that all howdah pistols use shotgun actions. They may look similar to the plebisn mind, but howdah pistol actions have usually been specifically made for purpose. IMO and from examining the actions. .