I have a Pedersoli 58cal Howdah. I initially bought the 58x58 thinking rifled barrels were "better" but Ive been reconsidering that 20gax20ga would not only better and also more historically correct. Concerning accuracy, I never looked for accuracy more than 10 feet, as that seemed about when Id want to fire if in a "Howdah situation"

Ive been trying to talk myself out of a big bore cartridge for a T/C Contender or Encore as a modern Howdah. It would be a simple barrel swap as I own a couple Encores, so something like 500SW is do-able; but I keep coming back to 1. its only a single shot, so it loses some of the mystic of a double barrel and 2. WHY?

The why is the big question. Ive been charged a couple of times by various animals (2 and 4 legged). As for the 4 legged ones a Wild Boar took some offense at me when a buddy wounded it with a bad archery shot. In THAT I would have loved a Howdah but a single round of 44mag (from a T/C Contender) dropped it at 6 feet. So yeah a second shot option would have been comforting. In 2016 I hunted a female lion that had gone rogue. We were tracking her, when she turned back on us and I made the shot at 20yards with a double 470. At that distance Im not sure I would have been able to drop the rifle and pull a pistol assuming the second shot from the rifle failed.

Conversely, "WHY" has never been a requirement for wanting a gun. Im sorta intrigued by the Pedersoli 410/45LC Howdahs. The Alaska model would be mine now if it didnt have the rubber covered grip and had blued barrels. The grip on the other version is a copy of the Ithaca Auto and Burglar---its NOT comfortable. Perhaps in 410 it might be better; but in 12ga its hopelessly un balanced.

I keep being drawn to the Diablo 12 ga muzzle loader, then I look closer and say Noooooooo! That could be such a good gun but it fails in so many ways. The grip is some silly version that looks more at home on a Thompson SMG and its too short. Likewise the barrels are too short. Then theres the issue that it only has one hammer that you have to re-cock and switch to the unfired barrel. I do like that it has a pivoting breach (like a cartridge gun) and closes to keep the percussion caps from being dislodged. Also using 209 primers is a good idea BUT none of those make up for the bad design

Ive also toyed with legally purchasing or manufacturing a sawed off shotgun as a Howdah. I think 28ga (or better yet 24ga) would be just about perfect with brass shells and round balls. Id prefer a hammer gun and Id dearly love an O/U.