Double Barrel Shotgun Pistol

J

JohnHL

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While perusing this Forum, one of the "side ads" I frequently see is for the above mentioned "Double Barrel Shotgun Pistol". :eek:

I haven't seen any threads or posts about this.

Anybody KNOW anything about them?

John?
 
Are you talking about Howdah pistols? Back in the day the British gun trade produced "Howdah" pistols there were basically cut down 20ga sxs shotguns with a pistol grip. They were built to be used by royalty in India when tiger hunting. They would hunt tigers from the Howdah (basket on the back of an elephant) and surround the tiger. On occasion the tiger did not find this agreeable and they would leap onto the elephant to escape (or eat the people trying to shoot them). The howdah pistol was built so that you would have something that you could use against said angry tiger when it was on top of you. Traditionally they would shoot a lead ball.

temp-Image0-C2a-XH.avif
 
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For a true SxS double barrel pistol, you’ll have to settle for a Cobray 410.
 
Back in the 1920s-or thereabouts-there was a very short barreled 20 gauge double with a pistol grip known as a "whippit". I don't recall who made it, but it did seem to fill a need of some sort. I recall seeing an article with pictures in one of the gun rags back in the 1960s/1970s.

I kind of suspect that the name had to do with it's short range application. If a threat presented itself, you'd whip it out and take care of business. I expect that the NFA pretty much killed the market except for LLEA.
 
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Back in the day -over in Thailand a Buddy of mine met an Air America Guy.
The AA Dude was carrying a sawed off Japanese S by S 20 Ga on a GI pistol belt.
Barrel length was about 10 inches. The stock had been reshaped into a Pistol grip. A butt mounted swivel ring was snapped onto the pistol belt.
 
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Pre-NFA, H&R made the Handy Gun, a single shot shotgun pistol. There was also the Marble’s Game Getter, an O/U handgun/shotgun pistol. No such double barrel shotgun pistols that I remember. I have fired several H&R Handy Guns, but a long time ago.

I would have absolutely no interest in owning a Diablo.
 
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Ithica auto burglar was also made in other more limited shotgun cartridge versions . Our sw fl sheriff had a 12ga version that I have seen him load and fire at hunt camp .
 
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The Ithaca made Auto& Burglar 'Gun'
They were made on both the Flues Model and the later NID model sxs.

IIRC, special ordr gauges incl 410, 16 and 28

Cresent Firearms made a similar SxS break-open short bbl'd 'shotgun' w/ pistolgrip stock about the same time.
I've seen it in 20ga, I don't know if they were made in other gauges.

They register as an AOW the same as the Ithaca A&B Gun (if original)
Cresent also made a single shot breakopen pistol in 410.

The Whippet term was applied to most any cut down shotgun of that era (betw the Wars). Usually carried under a coat on a short over the shoulder sling.

Stevens did use the name as a Model/Name of one of their 94 single shot shotguns in .410 but it had full length bbl and stock.

Remington's Model 17-P (police) factory model 20ga pump shotgun had that name attached to it as well.
Pistol grip stock, short bbl (13"..?) You could even get it from the factory with a
"Bridgeport' rig and belt attachment for handy carrying under your trenchcoat.
 
A friend took a modern over and under and cut it to 8 "and cut the stock into a pistol grip. He permitted it so it was legal. My grandson and his buddy shot it, once. Out of respect for the poor firearm, I refused to toudh it. I told my friend that if he ever got near one of my guns with a hacksaw, I'd cut off something he held dear.
 
Glenn R. McMannly said:
Do you mean the Ithaca auto and burglar 20 bore?
Click to expand...
Back in the 70's our department had the Auto & burglar 20 gauge double barrel pistol/shotgun with a black holster and kept it in the Sgts office. You could actually check the weapon out and carry it on your belt during shift (in lieu of the M58 .41 mag).
This practice was later discontinued after certain citizens complained that it was too "intimidating". It was kept in Sgts office and used for coyotes, etc. Last time I saw the weapon, it was in the trunk of a Detective's car.
 
Clyde Barrow used the "whippit" term for Bonnie's Remington 11 20ga auto. (And he used "scattergun", but that referred to his cut-down BAR because it made people "scatter".)

I've also seen the term "bonanno" used for a cut down single-shot break-open, with the implication that this was a Sicilian thing...
 

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I see ads for these popping up all the time.

12 gauge, black powder, 209 primers, no FFL required.

As long as you can get your business done with two big shots it would seem to be pretty effective.
 

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Thanks to everyone for their responses.

What attracted my attention was what seemed to be someone dropping two 12ga. cartridges into the breech.

Hardly surprising that an ad might be deceptive. ;)

I am loathe to click on some of these ads in fear of nefarious intentions.

Being as it is a muzzle loader explains everything.

Thanks again!

John
 
Back in the day Thomson would make any barrel you wanted for your Contender or Encore. I have a 14” 410/45 barrel. I always wanted to inquire about a 10or12” 12 ga barrel. Just long enough to get past forearm
 
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