Howdah Pistol - Double-Barrel Pin-Fire

[vintage hunter]

Don't know what the heck I'd do with it but I would like to have one of those M-H pistols. They just look neat.

[browningautorifle]

I'd love to have a full collection of these sort of guns. This one included, for sure. I'd be trying brass straight walled cartridges in it until I found something that was a bit bigger than the common 410 shotgun and could be found at a gunshow...cast a conical bullet and probably paper wrap it. Load with a Pyrodex load, very light, some Dacron wad over top...and a large pistol primer. I should think that would work fine. Bullets are available in such a wide range of sizes, I'll bet a pistol bullet for black powder use could be found.

[dttuner]

Slugging the Barrel, Muzzle:

(breech slugs are in the freezer right now)

Note: My calipers are cheap. Could very well be off by .001"

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cqvs93al-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4dfasrzf-1.jpg

Breach:

[browningautorifle]

So at least both bores and breeches are constant and the same...don't know what cartridge could be used. I used Fiocci 28 ga shotgun shells in .577 Snider before I could get brass cartridges. Maybe a .410 shotgun shell as an expedient...still don't know what bullet.

But I suppose you have no intention of shooting it? Maybe I'm the only one here that would...?

[vintage hunter]

Maybe I'm the only one here that would...?

I'd have to shoot it too Jim if it were mine.

still don't know what bullet

How about a RB of suitable diameter seated against the rifling followed by a .444 Marlin case filled with pyrodex and a card wad for a mouth seal?

[Patrick Chadwick]

Try a .44 S&W Russian cartridge!

Or, in case you have to adapt another .44 case:

Case length 0.970"*
Case diameter 0.457"
Rim diameter 0.515"
Bullet diameter 0.430"
Bullet weight: 200-260 gns. Pure to fairly-soft lead. I use 5% tin.**

Total cartridge length 1.430"

The S&W Russian was very popular at the time, and, just in case you feel like loading and firing a few,
NO nitro!
NO duplex loads!***
-BLACK POWDER ONLY!

*There may be a slight step about 1" in from the recoil shield/face.

** No harder. The bullet slugs up a bit in the chamber, even more when it hits the forcing cone/throat, and is then swaged down to fit the rifling. Bullets that are too hard will not obturate, thus leading to WORSE performance than with soft bullets.

*** The rate of onset with nitro is too high for the old bangers. The pressure does not build linearly, but at an increasing rate as more powder starts to burn. This causes an "acceleration of the acceleration" (rate of onset) that can not only bulge but shatter the steel. Non-scientifically: the pressure builds up much faster than the bullet can get out of the chamber and relieve the pressure spike.

[UNPROFOR1994]

@dttuner: Can you give your measurements in mm too? I see you can change the settings to mm on your tool.

[Patrick Chadwick]

@dttuner: Can you give your measurements in mm too? I see you can change the settings to mm on your tool.

0.468" = 11.88mm

If you want to make up trial loads: use BP, Swiss No2 (FFFg)

But first check the operation of the barrel catch - it looks very worn to me.

[UNPROFOR1994]

@Peter Chadwick: I was thinking about one of the old 11mm revolver calibers too. But the depth (2,238) of the chamber is not correct. Maybe the chamber was changed at one point?

[Patrick Chadwick]

@Peter Chadwick: I was thinking about one of the old 11mm revolver calibers too. But the depth (2,238) of the chamber is not correct. Maybe the chamber was changed at one point?

Wow! 2.238" = 56.8mm.
That's a real rifle-cartridge length. Far too long for a pistol.
BTW, where does it say that the chamber depth is 2.238" - I can't see it?


However, there may be some uncertainty as too where the chamber proper stops, and where a possibly burnt-out throat begins. From the photos, the chambers do not seem to be well-defined.
Dttuner, I suggest you take a piece of wood dowelling turned down to 0.46"/11.7mm and see how far you can insert it into the chamber.