Howdah pistol
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In the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, English firearms makers manufactured pistols in calibers considerably larger than what is common today. Some of the larger pistols, with two and four barrels, came to be known as “howdah” pistols, after the sedans mounted on the backs of elephants that hunters rode in, when hunting in India. While designed for use in the “gravest extreme” against dangerous game like tigers, British officers adopted them as well in the far flung outposts of the Empire. Demand for these potent weapons outstripped supply and gun makers responded with revolvers in calibers as large as .500 to fill the need. Firearms like these were one source of inspiration for the .44 Magnum. A 1996 movie called The Ghost and the Darkness featured a "Howdah" pistol in some scenes.
