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A .45/70 cartridge with a 480 gr projectile at 1500 fps or less is pretty close to a .577 Howdah Snider round, also 480 grs at a similar velocity. (?) Need to check.

The .45/70 would recoil more due to the increased friction of a smaller calibre.

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All right I do not know the velocity of the .577 howdah rounds, but they did also use 70 grains of BP with a 480 gr projectile.


I have wondered, if it was legal, to cut back a Bailkal DR .45/70 to howdah pistol length barrels, say in front of the forend, then modify the stock to a pistol grip, how it would go?

Regulation would probably be non existent. Maybe using barrel wedges would work? I don't think regulation in a howdah pistol is that important. Extremely close range shooting. However it would be nice to be able to use one for real hunting at closer ranges and also good target shooting.

I have a feeling it would be quite a heavy howdah in the hand. Holding my Baikal, the action and barrel to the end of the forend does look hefty in weight.

I think the Police would think one is trying to make a "sawn off shotgun" bank robber type firearm if asking for permission ... and also of course, it is not legal to hunt with a pistol here. But such a "howdah pistol" would make a nice BGRC Howdah competition handgun. If it all worked. And cheapish as well. Maybe less than one-tenth of an original base case howdah.

As for .45, it is a sub-howdah calibre, and I do like those .577 muzzle holes as well.

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NitroX, I would expect the Howdah in .577 Snider to produce about 600fps to 700fps with the 480gr. conical "ball".
I had always thought the snider was loaded with 85gr. of powder, but that was the .577/450 Martini round, now that I think about it.
That load would be equivalent to a .577 rifle 'shot' at about 110 to 130yards, I would expect. It would not have much 'smash' but would penetrate well. It would be more effective on Tigers with one of Forsyth's exploding "shells" of 1861/3.

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Daryl


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

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