Say hello to the Pedersoli .45/.410 double barrel Howdah pistol

The Pedersoli Howdah .45/.410 is an NFA-compliant repro of a Prohibition-era 12-gauge pistol killed off by the NFA (Photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

The Pedersoli Howdah .45/.410 is an NFA-compliant repro of a Prohibition-era 12-gauge pistol killed off by the NFA (Photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

Italian repro masters Davide Pedersoli & Co made sure their new homage to the Ithaca Auto & Burglar of yesteryear was on tap at SHOT Show.

The Howdah .45/.410 is a twin-barrel SxS pistol capable of firing either standard .45 Long Colt or .410 shotgun shells from its 3-inch chamber. The break-action handgun features dual triggers while the 10.25-inch six-groove barrels are rifled with a 1:48 RH twist.

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Outfitted with lacquered hand-checkered American walnut furniture and a case colored steel receiver, the Howdah is a looker.

Sights are a ramped brass bead in the front and a folding rear leaf V-notch.

Sights are a ramped brass bead in the front and a folding rear leaf V-notch.

Overall length is 17.25-inches and the weight comes in at 4-pounds. Which translates to an awkward pistol, or a sweet shotty without the tax stamp hassle, depending on how you look at it.

Overall length is 17.25-inches and the weight comes in at 4-pounds. Which translates to an awkward pistol, or a sweet shotty without the tax stamp hassle, depending on how you look at it.

Overall length is 17.25-inches and weight comes in at 4-pounds. Which translates to an awkward pistol, or a sweet shotty without the tax stamp hassle depending on how you look at it.

It could be your little friend

While Pedersoli has long marketed a black-powder percussion Howdah Hunter model that draws on 19th century English safari sidearms for inspiration, the newest Howdah is a reboot of Ithaca’s Auto & Burglar of the 1920s. That smoothbore 12-gauge pistol was forced out of production with the enactment of the National Firearms Act in 1934. However, since the Pedersoli uses rifled barrels — like the Taurus Judge for example — it does not fall under the purview of the NFA. MSRP is $1,395.

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