I surely will, if you send me your address....wait.....it might get you in trouble by shipping to you, so, I will fall on the grenade for you, friend. You can thank me later.

Hand cannon! I bet looking at that pointed at you would get all of your attention!

That same thought entered my mind as i bought it...."play with it?! Heck, I'm gonna TOTE this sucker."

Muzzle is sealed by greased patch, waterproof caps snug and firmly seated with constant hammer pressure....gun and touch hole and nipple were clean and dry before charging, 3f black powder used for surest ignition, and if you are ever worried about THAT part, can always remove nipple after charging, trickle a little 4f in the touch hole, and even put a few grains in the nipple before capping.....it WILL fire.

Tote it where?

Lofty,
You are all heart.

How does it pattern/group on the range. Looks like recoil might be of some concern.

Wayne

Tote it WHERE?....given its size, about anywhere I please. But mainly in car and on trips, easy to move without drawing attention such as a case draws, whether under a jacket/in a pack going to motel room, or whatever. Meanwhile, it goes everywhere the car goes, which is all over.

It is a CYL bore 20ga, which means a max range of circa 20yds to a 12ga 25yds, using shot. I have not owned a muzzleloading shotgun in about 10yrs, so, have not patterned this one, but expect no suprises. There are tricks to tightening patterns, and if the bores were not chromed, it could even be jug choked to get MOD, if one wanted. But 20yds is a long way out when kicking up bunnies, anyhow, so, would not bother, in any case.

It was bought mainly as a pirate pistol double barreled ball shooter, and has no problem keeping both barrels fairly centered on a target plenty good enough for close range hog or burglar, out to 20-25yds, but really needs a rear sight if one wants to "accurize".

It does admit the possibility of any barrel load combo such as buckshot in one, and ball in the other, or buck-n-ball, or even packed cornmeal rocksalt for a close range owie, but, am not gonna mess with such myself, except maybe bunnie bopping in hog turf. But, pretty much anything possible.

again, as for recoil, google "hickok45 howdah 20" and watch him shoot the thing with volumetric equiv 1oz loads...it is a fun gun to shoot, and can be loaded from mild to wild, while you are at the range...again, anything is possible with a muzzleloader. You are not restrained by a fixed ammo supply.

Guess i could tack on this admin detail in handling. Legally, a muzzleloader is unloaded when caps are removed, as for making the gun "safe" without shooting or pulling the load with a ball screw. If loaded and nipple kept sealed, it will not rust, or corrode, as unburnt powder does not have salt as does firing residue, IF the gun loaded with a clean/dry chamber and flash hole/nipple seat/nipple. I normally swab with lighter fluid to thoroughly degrease prior to a longer term load.

As for the horsepower of the thing...Anecdotally, the fellah who built my .62cal rifle kills elk every year where he lives. His guns have taken most everything in Africa, with the ball pushed to about 1900fps. And most anything most of us would hunt could be poked at 100yds with one of his rifles, with no worries.

This pistol muzzle velocity is about identical to the velocity of one of his rifles at 100yds.

Lofty,
Again,that is one interesting piece.
Originally they were called "Howdah Pistols"?????

If they were used to shoot at attacking lions/tigers while on the back of an elephant,I think that it would be plenty medicine for any other application.

Wayne

That is how they are marketing these, leading to something like 15yrs of stale "say howdy to dah howdah" and "howdah make a legal sawed off shotgun" quips.

Of course, this is a modern production gun, and nowhere near the meticulous workmanship and perfection with which caplock howdah pistols were assembled by high grade gunmakers for wealthy officers and nobility able to hunt India.

But, by modern standards, pretty danged nice to still get polished blue and wood.

Lofty,
From the photos,it looks like a pretty darn good piece to me.
Glad to see that you are giving it a good workout.

Something like that should not be just tucked away in the back of the safe.

Wayne