Original Item: Only one available. Now this is a pistol that really brings back the romance of "Big Game Hunting" during the early British Victorian Era. These very large bore pistols were originally made for close range use in a Howdah, which is the box compartment that sat on the back of an Elephant and used in tiger hunts throughout India and Nepal.

Officers would pursue this sport using high power sporting rifles to shoot their game from these locations of safety. Once in a while a tiger fought back climbing up the side of the Elephant to confront the Howdahs occupants. Therefore, the Howdah pistol was specially made to handle really substantial loads of powder together with a real tiger stopping Ball over .50". Hopefully the hunter found time to lean over the side of the Howdah and shoot the invading tiger at point blank range for if not, he was quickly the tiger's lunch!

These were usually made in England, and sold to officers or other well-off people, and they became popular not just for Tiger hunting, but also for self defense. The name Howdah however stuck, even though many were never destined to be used while hunting tigers.

This is a very nice example of a Victorian Double Barrel Howdah Percussion pistol, in the standard "Side by Side" configuration. It is completely unmarked externally, so we assume it was made somewhere on the European continent, but it could possibly be British, or made in India, at the time controlled by Britain. We were able to get the barrel off, but there are no markings of any importance underneath.

The measures about 13 ½ inches in overall length, with 7 ⅜ inch long .696" caliber double barrels, which we believe were originally 14 bore, but now a bit worn. The longer length of this example would suggest it definitely has a good chance of being actually intended for "Safari" use. It features a lovely checkered wooden grip, and features all brass fittings, which have some lovely simple line engraving on them. This includes the butt plate, which also has a lovely lanyard loop on the bottom, to prevent it being lost should it fall out of the "howdah". The lock plates and hammers are engraved as well, making this a very decorative example.

The pistol has a lovely patina, with the barrels still faintly showing the spiral laminated steel pattern, with the rest of the iron worn showing a similar aged patina. Both locks are still functional, however the left lock will not hold securely at half cock, and both sides have a half cock that is too close to the cap nipple cones to be of any use. The cones themselves are quite worn, showing much age and powder burn, with the tops being crushed. The pistol even comes with an original iron ramrod, which features a cleaning pick on the end.

A very nice example of a Victorian Era Howdah big bore side by side pistol, with a lovely patina of age. Ready to research and display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: circa 1850
Bore Diameter: 14 Bore about .696"
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Barrel Length: 7 ⅜ inches
Overall Length: 13 ½ inches
Action: Percussion lock side action
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded

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IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

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Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.