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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Handguns
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SAFARIKID
.275 member


Reged: 08/09/05
Posts: 83
Loc: Savannah,Ga. USA
HOWDAH .577 Handgun?
      #37960 - 22/09/05 03:26 AM

Any one have any info on these,ballistics or availability?I am looking to purchase one,Thanks!

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Lots of BIG Bores!

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577Enfield
.275 member


Reged: 18/12/04
Posts: 90
Loc: BC-Canada
Re: HOWDAH .577 Handgun? [Re: SAFARIKID]
      #37964 - 22/09/05 06:01 AM

I have seen the odd one on the various antique gunshop webpages over the last couple years. Some were doubles, and some were Snider-Howdah singles. These were all in .577 Snider(.577x2" black powder round) Is that sort of what you are thinking? or a modern smokeless howdah?

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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26994
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: HOWDAH .577 Handgun? [Re: SAFARIKID]
      #37968 - 22/09/05 08:00 AM

The only .577 Howdah pistol I'm familiar with (passing familiarity, that is) is in .577 Snider. That would be a 480 to 500gr. bullet and 85gr. rifle powder.(BP)
: Some years ago, Guns and Ammo published an aritcle on a couple Howdahs.
: The side by side was a 12 bore and the .577 was a 4-barrel.
: Recently, here, there was a posting with side by side .577 Snider pictured.

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Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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577Enfield
.275 member


Reged: 18/12/04
Posts: 90
Loc: BC-Canada
Re: HOWDAH .577 Handgun? [Re: DarylS]
      #37969 - 22/09/05 08:11 AM

I have a Snider-howdah stock, but no barrel/lock etc. so I drop my carbine parts into it to shoot it. So it's a really long barreled howdah pistol. It is slow twist so I use 320gr round balls and 430gr conicals mainly with 70 grains of black. The side by side howdahs in 577 Snider are a great find, very expensive....

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Poacher
.224 member


Reged: 18/08/05
Posts: 11
Loc: Sunny Florida USA
Re: HOWDAH .577 Handgun? [Re: 577Enfield]
      #37976 - 22/09/05 09:45 PM

Yesterday (9-21-05) a 577 Snider DB howdah by Holland & Holland was auctioned off at Holts. If you go to Holts website you may view color photos of the pistol. It is chambered, as were most, for the .577 Snider Short as opposed to the full length rifle round. The two howdahs that I presently own are marked .577 Snider (Sht.). This is a pretty rare round but can easily be made by trimming the standard rifle case. One of mine was made by Williamson-London, and the other by Lyon & Lyon - London and Calcutta. I also own a cased set of 15 bore (.69 caliber) Mortimer howdahs that are rifled and fire a 550-600 grain lead ball. My Lyon & Lyon howdah will chamber and fire the full length rifle round but of course it should be loaded down to pistol specification. The Holts pistol was estimated to fetch 3,000-5,000 pounds and was sold once before at Butterfields in October 2004 bringing $7350.00. These weapons are great examples of hand-held "magnum" power of a time long past. They are rare and valuable and not near as common as the .577 Enfield chambered 4-barrel Lancaster type "howdahs" that are grossly under powered for there intended purpose. These hammerless 4-barrel Lancaster pattern pistols were made strictly for personal protection against men hence the pip squeek .577 Revolver chambering. The Mortimer set was used by their original owner Capt. Robert Kirkwood to dispatch Maori warriors in the New Zealand Wars. Cavalry officers who could afford such a set saw their real value as DB horse pistols to kill a Tasmanian Devil or a Dervish or to at least ham string an opponents horse in a cavalry charge. These big pistols killed far more people than tigers. Regards, Poacher.

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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26994
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: HOWDAH .577 Handgun? [Re: Poacher]
      #37980 - 23/09/05 07:07 AM

All of the "ISSUE" .577 Snider ammo I've seen in Canada, was of the short case.
: If memory serves, 24 bore shotshell hulls can be used for brass.(noted in 1970's era G&A or Shooting Times magazine article)

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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577Enfield
.275 member


Reged: 18/12/04
Posts: 90
Loc: BC-Canada
Re: HOWDAH .577 Handgun? [Re: DarylS]
      #37981 - 23/09/05 07:23 AM

the short 1 5/8" Snider case was used a lot in the cadet carbines and some howdah pistols. I have seen several Snider howdahs chambered for the 2" Snider case, but most of these were converted from Snider-Enfield rifles so that is why, but a few SxS pistols too.

24 gauge brass does work, I use some in my rifles, just trim to length, size and fire form etc. works fine.

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