Holy Howdah!

I was recently looking at the Dixie Gun Works site looking for some new plunder for the upcoming season and this little monster caught my eye:

Get this . . . it's a double-barrelled pistol that comes in 20 gauge, .50 caliber, or with one barrel of each. Though it's a little outside of of the mountain man period, it is percussion, so it would slide at some less strict events. I dare you to whip it out on a pistol shoot or walk . . .

At a cost of $550-625, it certainly isn't cheap - and with two 11 1/2" 20 gauge pistol barrels - it ain't subtle, either!

The original Howdah Pistols were designed to defend a hunter - most likely a Victorian-era British noble, soldier, or imperialist - from his howdah - the carriage on top of the elephant that the more well-to-do set used in the later 1800s.

This one would make a great back-up pistol for hunting dangerous game in North America. Someone be sure and drop me a line and let me know what exactly this kind of game would be . . .

It would also be a great way to defend your camp or lodge from the random mountain man after your jug or maybe even a way to rival your neighbors' late night cannon hijinks - with blank loads of course.

More on Howdah pistols on wikipedia.

The pistol on Dixie Gun Works' site. And Pedersoli's website.

It's not period-correct for the Rendezvous, but you are sure-as-Hell welcome to bring one into my camp. :)

- Many Rifles.