A Howah Pistol was a large-calibre (typically rifle calibre) handgun, often with two or four barrels, used in India and Africa during the period of British Colonial rule in the mid-to-late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, typically for defence against Tigers, Lions, and other large, dangerous animals that might be encountered in the jungles or remote areas. Multi-barrelled designs were initially favoured for Howdah pistols because they offered faster reloading than was possible with contemporary revolvers, which had to be loaded and unloaded through a gate in the side of the frame.