Hi all, I found an original Howda online and should have it by next week. It's an 1800's belgian made 73 cal!!! double 10" bbls, underlever, engraved. discriptions says Mechanically perfect. I imagine I'll have to take a chamber cast and see what I can make brass out of. Maybe 12ga brass? I'll probably have to make my own bullet mold also. I can't wait to shoot it.

I have all the parts for my 470 NE project ordered now. Except for the sights. Pac-Nor says 6weeks on the barrels.

Doin the Happy Dance!!!!

Where did you get it? And how much was it.

We need to see photos of that one!!!!

I've always wondered what those go for also. Please share if you can.

Here's a link to a quickie webpage.
http://www.geocities.com/idahobronco/howda.html
The free webspace doesn't allow for remote access or I'd post the pics here.
Actually, I found it on GunBroker.com. It was about 1/10th what I thought it might be. I waited until the last minute, then put in a huge bid and kept refreshing the page looking at others chip away at my bid until they all gave up. I was really nervous watching the clock tick down. I hope to have it delivered by next week. I'll take a chamber cast to see what I can make brass out of. Then see about making a bullet mold for it. I can't wait.

Doin the Happy Dance.!*!*!*!*!*!

I don't want to take a motrin before shooting it. I want the whole experience.

On a side note, my aquantance in Norway, Calibros,who is building the 45-70 Howda sent me a pic the other day. He was at the range testing loads. On a 420gn above 1500fps the recoil fired the second barrel. He's got a huge lump on his forehead!!! It's really big. It must have hurt something fierce! I'll put a page together on his howda when I get a chance. He's put a stronger spring in and cut the sear engagement deeper.

I can't wait to shoot this beast.
I would imagine that load data would be non-existant for this cartrige. maybe a casefull of IMR5010 to start with. Should be low pressure and low velocity. In my 45-70 it doesn't even burn all the powder. Maybe a half case full and the rest filler.

Any thoughts on loading?

Lar45:
Loading pin-fire cartridges is not as easy as it sounds, unless you can get some original hulls to start with. Most original cartridges are worth more as collectors items these days. I have strong recollections of an article in an Australian shooting magazine some years ago about home-made pin-fire shotgun cartridges, I'll see if I can find it and post details. From memory, the writer used grammophone needles to make the pins, and a modified base-wad to hold a berdan primer!

Meanwhile, good luck with it. These things are always interesting!

Yes Please send any details you have.
idahobronco@aol.com
thanks

Marrakai & Lar45,
I was thinking the same thing when I saw the Pinfire action. The easy part of this whole thing is getting the gun made. To shoot it is a whole other story. 'Small' pinfire rounds (9mm or so) sell from between $10-$25 A SHOT.
For brass, you could possibly lathe turn some brass with the spec's from your chamber cast and modify the hammers with their own 'pins'. You could also use a shotgun #209 primer on the shell as I know some .577 Snider shooters use them with great success.

-Bullet mould
-Brass
-Dies
These are not going to be easy, but definately keep us informed.

I am jealous.

Do you know where I can get one too?

The guy I got this one from deals in lots of old antiques, he says he rarely if ever get's them in this size. He does run accross them in 9mm on accasion. I did find a source for new 16 and 12ga pinfire shotgun hulls in the UK. I'll have to see if they fit after a chamber cast. I do have a lathe and mill in the garage, so turning some out of brass stock might not be a bad idea. I was thinking about leaving the brass extra thick to aid in the strength department. And maybe haveing a screwing fireing pin with a standard primer at the bottom to be hit by the hammers. I could mill and thread it to have it seat flush with the outside of the case. Then maybe cut a slot in the end of a screwdriver to screw it out afterwards for reloading. Dan at www.mountainmolds.com might be able to make a mold for me on his CNC machine. I'll probably try to make one myself first. I have a rough jig built for the lathe.

Here is a brass idea that Butch Searcy mentioned once. If you would ordinarily need filler on top of the powder charge, instead you can make the brass with super-thick walls so that the internal capacity of the brass equals the desired powder charge. Then no filler would be needed. For example, on a 700 nitro using the orignal loading, the case was only 5/8 full (so I hear). Instead, the brass could be made so that the case walls were thick enough that the charge filled the case right to the base of the bullet.

In a light pressure caliber, I doubt you would even need to re-size the brass.

That's kind of what I was thinking. And boreing a sholder inside for the bullet to seat against.

My Howda finally showed up today. It's in really great condition and the action is really tight, everything works great. The chambers are a little rusted though.
I started making some cases from 50 BMG brass tonight on the lathe.
pics here:
http://members.fortunecity.com/howda/howda.html
I tried some muzzle loader caps in it and they went pop every time. I was doing some bullet mold boreing practice a little while back and ended up with a 62cal mold. I'll just rebore it to 70 cal, then I should be ready to shoot in no time.

This gun feels really nice to hold and points well. It fits perfectly in my gun bucket holster that I picked up for cowboy shoots.

500, I'll bring it down when I come to shoot your 500 NE.

I doubt if I'll be able to sleep tonight.

Once I get all my loading stuff built, I'm planning on making a presentation case for it.

Lars,
Great lookign gun. I just perused your site, and the cases look tremendous.

I assume the primers will just be seated(drilled) into the new cases deep enough for the pins to hit, right? Rather than having to worry about any alignment issues, in a hurry up and shoot situation.
jeffe

The 50 BMG cases I made last night are probably similar to the original Pinfire cases in that the primer is on the inside of the case and the pin extends through the side of the case into the cup of the primer which is turned upside down. When chambered the pin is in a slot on the top of the chamber. The rear sight slides back to cover the pin and allow the hammers to sit on it safely. The gun is cocked and the sight slid forward to shoot. When the action is opened the sight is slid backwards to push on the pins and extract the spent cases. I used some hemostats to hold the muzzle loader cap in the case while pushing the pin down to hold it in place. It went pretty easy. I've heard suggestions of useing a drop of locktight on the pin to hold it in the case and help keep it water tight. I'll have to play with this part more. I think I'll make up several 50 MBG cases to play with and then look into turning some from scratch from brass round bar. I want to get a bullet mold built and start shooting it some though. I'll post updates as I go along.

Hi all, I almost had a bullet mold made tonight, but my boreing bar slipped while cutting the front drive band. I cast a few anyway to see what it might look like. It came out at 810 gns. I stuffed one in a case and took some pics.

I'll have to make a new set of blocks later and try again. Hopefully my boreing bar will cooperate theis time. I'm almost ready for powder!!

Is it just the hammers that keep the pins from being launched into space when the main powder charge lets go, or do the pins have a step machined into them to keep them in the case?-Rob

It's just the hammers that keep the pins in place. I shot it tonight. I only had one finished round of brass and some of my almost bullets. I loaded one up real light. 5 gns of 700x and the 810 gn bullet. I was going to Mom's for her birthday in the country, so we just hung a target on the shooting post and lit it off. Mom was ready with the camera as I one handed it at the target, the hammer fell and went click!!. The pin had come partway out and let the primer come out from under neath it. Dad and I pulled the bullet and reseated the primer under the pin. The next time it went off. The velocity must have been real slow, because the bullet bounced off of the post! At least I didn't start too high and blow it up. I'm going to make up a portable loading tool and take it all to the range to try more loads. I'll try to have several cases built first though. I contacted Ross Seyfried about load ideas. I read that 577 Snider article, food for thought.

I still have to let the wife know that I bought it. I didn't want to ask first and have her say no. It's easier to ask for forgiveness, than permission isn't it?