[superc]

Okay, when I was a little kid, I had a toy percussion pistol, double barrel, grip like a an old flintlock or Harpers Ferry percussion, but two hammers, great big muzzles. Plastic stock and metal handle. It used Greenie stick em caps for the bang, but it was a cool psitol even when I was out of caps. For the longest time I looked for something real, looking like that toy (which I realize now was probably in a house I sold back in 93). I never found a real gun looking quite like that, until this week when Navy Arms sent me their email ad and OMG, such Deja Vue when I saw their Howdah pistol.

That was it! The toy was so similar to the Howdah it could have been copied from it. It probably was of course, not the new Italian pistol of course, but some similar gun from that period.

Now my problem, doing research I realize that while the Navy Arms version is .50 caliber rifled, I learn that the same firm makes a 20 gauge smooth bore (sold elsewhere, a little cheaper than the NA version).

Financially my wallet says I can only buy one. So, my choice is .50 rifled, or .60 smoothbored. I am leaning to the 20 gauge (toying with adding a fiber optic sight and deeming it my new 'bump in the night' pistol.

What's your opinion of these things?

[Hawg]

It would be fun to play with but I wouldn't use one as a defense gun. I'd go with the 20 gauge. IMHO the rifled barrels on a SXS pistol would be about as useless as tits on a boar hog.

Cabela's: Davide Pedersoli Howdah Hunter 20 GA. Pistol

[c3shooter]

Not to rain on your parade, but that IS a caplock muzzleloading 20 g- and while I like my charcoal burners, it would NOT be my choice as a defensive arm.

BTW, about 3 hours ago, I was looking at a REAL Howdah pistol- caliber .577 Snider. NRA Museum in Fairfax VA.

[hiwall]

A friend of mine has a vintage pistol very similar. His is a 15m/m pinfire. I made him up some cartridges that were reloadable and we have shot it many times. It's pretty cool.

[thdrduck]

The 20 g would make a great "snake" gun loaded with #8 shot! I sure wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of it if used for home defense and loaded with something a little bigger.