The .500 S&W cartridge looks like an excellent contender. Except for one feature. It's name. No apologies a pukka howdah pistol cartridge needs an "imperial" named cartridge.

Smith & Wesson just leaves me flat. Fine in a revolver. But not in an Anglo-Indian Howdah pistol.

But easily solved. Do a "creedmoor". "Reinvent" an existing cartridge with a new name. Just Mahe the case slightly longer or shorter, shorter would be easier, and one could have a .500 Howdah Nitro Express. Don't even bother to change the brass case .... Just recognise the .500 Howdah Nitro Express is based on the ....

If I win lotto and have a British gunmaker make me a new Howdah pistol, I've always thought of shortening a .500 NE or a .577 NE case into a pistol length case. The handgun would need to not be overly large and heavy in the action and must have hammers. Do any Brit gunmakers still make guns with hammers? God forbid if one might need to go to Ferlach !!!

A detachable buttstock to make it truly versatile.

And it must be regulated.