POTD: The Holland & Holland .577 Howdah Pistols
In this Photo Of The Day, we’re taking a closer look at the Holland & Holland Howdah pistols, chambered in .577. According to the source, it fires a 480 gr bullet at 800 fps, a bullet and recoil which is sure to feel on both sides of the barrel.
The caption from Holland & Holland reads:
“From our Brevis Collection, an extremely rare, matched pair of Howdah Pistols, chambered in .577 from the late 1800’s. Originally intended for defence against lions, tigers and any other dangerous animals one might encounter whilst hunting or exploring in remote areas.”
In the article (link below) the writer Bradley Johnson asks a rhetorical question: “Where is the fun in practicality?” If I was hunting tigers from the top of an elephant in India, where the tigers were known to jump up to the little box you’re sitting in (called howdah, hence the name of the pistol) I’d probably try to find something more modern, but at the time this was considered the best solution.
