The Howdah Pistol was a large-caliber handgun used in India and Africa from the beginning of the nineteenth into the early twentieth century. It was typically intended for defense against large animals that may be encountered. The earliest howdah pistols were flintlock designs, and it was not until about 60 years later percussion models in single or double barrel configuration were seen. The first breech-loading howdah pistols were little more than sawn-off rifles. By the 1890s and early 1900s, cartridge-firing and fully rifled howdah pistols were in normal, everyday use. Multi-barreled breech-loading designs were later favored over the original muzzle-loading designs because they allowed for faster reloading than contemporary revolvers.