Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Lee Jurras's "Howdah" cartridges

The little red box in the garage said "Norma Bullets," but I was sure that something else was in it.

Sho' 'nuff!

A set of Lee Jurras's "Howdah" cartridges, those big chunks that make Lee's special "Howdah" pistols, built on Contender frames, two-handed killers for the biggest critters.

And Oh! the memories!

Lee brought 'em all � .375 to .577 � over to Prescott (1978), and we shot 'em all except the .375. Both hands � preferably somebody else's � were mandatory, and gloves were emphatically recommended options.

A visiting former friend of mine stood off to the side sneering. When we invited him to shoot one (I don't remember which one), he thrust it forward with his ungloved right hand in good pistol-match form and with his left hand in his pocket, fired.

The pistol snapped his straight arm immediately vertical (didn't give it time to bend at the elbow) and twisted out of his hand right above his head. It went several yards end-over-end into a snow drift.



Lee had planned to make our mutual buddy Hal Swiggett a special "Howdah" pistol for whatever cartridge Hal preferred � thinking, of course, whichever one of Lee's insanely huge, ultra-light-howitzer "Howdah" cartridges Hal preferred. But Hal said "Oh, .45-70, I guess."

Lee routinely test-fired each of his pistols before he shipped it � including, of course, the one that he gave Hal. Said that the .45-70 version was very mild in comparison. I've never fired a .45-70 Contender, but I've fired all but the smallest of Lee's "Howdah" cartridges, and I have no doubt that the .45-70 is milder.

Cabelas is selling a double barreled 20 gauge percussion "howdah" pistol. A couple weeks ago I watched a flurry of feral pigs in front of my blind, and wondered what I might do with one of them, loaded with lots of buckshot...

Haven't heard that name in years. Lee owned the old Super-Vel ammunition company back home in Indiana when I was kid, I remember well my dad and his buddies talking about Super-Vel ammo.

Lee is a distant neighbor, formerly and presently in eastern New Mexico. I'm eagerly hoping to see him here at next summer's Campfire shindig. Wife is ailing, alas.

I guess if I were sitting on an elephant's back and a tiger was climbing up to get in the saddle with me, I'd want the one that was a fuzz bigger than the .45-70. Recoil be damned.

That said, if I were shooting one at dirtrocks, the .45-70 ought to do.

Bingo!

I've got a book in storage by Dean Grennell, don't remember the title, but it was entirely on handguns, their cartridges, and reloading, but it had a pretty large section devoted to T/C Contenders. One whole chapter I believe, was devoted to Lee Jurras's Howdah cartridges.

I believe he said that he's spent an afternoon shooting something like several hundred full-power .44 magnums (giving the bullet weight & velocity), but touching off one of the Howdah cartridges (also giving the bullet weight & velocity- which seemed almost comparable) made the .44 seem so tame.

I loved that book. It introduced me to a lot of cartridges I'd never heard of. I found the .257 Sabercat ("Sabrecat" perhaps?) to be a particularly sexy-looking case. If my memory serves me correct, it's developed from a 30-30 case. He also whetted my appetite for a .357 Maximum barrel on the Contender, which he abbreviated as the R-Max.

The author's writing style, while having a lot of information, also incorporated a great, dry sense of humor, somewhat like McManus or Capstick- at least I got a lot of laughs. I recall that he had several Contender frames in somewhat consecutive serial numbers something like: 22222, 33333, 55555, etc. and threw out the idea that he was loosely looking for the ones in between.

Ol' Dean had an always ready, quick, and quirky wit. For instance, he called our mutual friend John Amber "John Fossilresin." I don't remember any article or conversation that wasn't speckled with his sometimes subtle but always special species of wit.

And he flat knew handguns and how to handle 'em.

In 1957, I had Ruger Super Blackhawk number 1226. Didn't need another one but suddenly got that urge when I met the guy who had number 1227. Offered to buy him a new one in exchange for his well used number 1227, but the sumbitch wouldn't go for it, even with a bit of "boot."

I always thought it would be neat to have two Jurras Howdah barrels for my Contender.
I wanted a .475 Jurras and a .416 Jurras. Just something about those monsters.
I really hope that he can make it to Quemado next summer.

Somewhere I have a photo of me in the Holland and Holland shop in NYC holding one of a pair of 500 NE (I think, maybe BPE) Howdah pistols. Think they wanted a cool million for the pair.

IIRC, Lee's barrels weren't available separately.
I've e-mailed him to find-out.
If he still makes 'em, he may be willing to install 'em on your Contender frame, but even if he still makes 'em, I doubt that he'd sell 'em loose.

I didn't figure he ever sold them that way. I just know that the all up pistol were unobtanium for my budget.

Thank you for checking on it Ken.

I have about 2 boxes of the 45 ACP, 190 grain version.

MM

Ken, can you post a picture of the cartridges? I collect them, and would love to see them.

Don't have pictures, and my cameras are a bit beyond me right now. I'll try to remember to take 'em (the cartridges) down to the Campfire shindig near Sierra Vista next month.

May also have a set of RCBS dies for one of 'em. Will look next time I'm close to my boxes of dies.

L.J. sure was enamored of POWERFUL ammo, carried hie "Police Only" stuff back in the revolver days of working as a Peace Officer.

I dont suppose you would sell them as a set?

That'd be the best way, wouldn't it? Maybe the only alternative to consider.

But I'd have no idea re $$.

Honestly, the cartridges are only worth what someone will pay, but, depending on how many there are, that could be a substantial amount. A lot depends on the headstamp, and rarity of the brass...

I will shoot a PM your way and we can chat about it. Sound good?