The Howdah Pistol: A Glimpse into the Empire’s Wild Legacy

A Morning in the Tropics

The wind is blowing through the trees that morning. In the distance, you hear peacocks while the sun beats down on your ivory-coloured suit. It feels warm—typical for the tropics—and you feel the sweat build-up on the brim of your pith helmet.

It happens faster than you could ever imagine. A flash of orange and golden light shoots up through the bush. That snarl and growl sends chills deep into your soul as you ready your double rifle. You raise the .450/400 in anticipation—you don’t even remember aiming, let alone firing both barrels.

He’s climbing up the elephant now.

In a split second, you make a decision: he’s too close to reload. You drop your rifle, draw your secondary gun, and fire into the mass of orange claws and teeth that will soon overtake you. When the smoke clears, a tiger lies halfway in your basket. You take a breath—and reload.

Tiger Hunting in the Jewel of the Empire

Put yourself in the shoes of a sportsman in the far reaches of the colonies in the late 19th century. India was the crown jewel of the Empire. Hunting tigers from elephants was considered by many to be the pinnacle of sport. The tigers would be driven towards shooters perched atop trained elephants, guided by skilled handlers. It was a simple concept—yet a very dangerous one. Tales of tigers crawling onto the elephants to reach the hunters were not uncommon.

This was the era of black powder express cartridges and large-bore double rifles. With only two shots before needing to reload, having a backup gun wasn’t just wise—it was essential. Tigers move quickly and, if not hit precisely, can remain a deadly threat before they expire. The natural companion was a pistol—shorter, easier to manoeuvre, and ideal for close-quarters combat.

Enter: The Howdah Pistol

The howdah pistol became a staple almost overnight. Named after the basket (or howdah) one sits in atop the elephant, the pistol began life in muzzle-loading form as a smaller, handheld version of the double-barrelled percussion rifles of the time.

As cartridge firearms became more widespread, howdah pistols evolved alongside rifles. By the late 19th century, they were the trusted backup of choice for sportsmen travelling abroad across the far reaches of the Empire.

Why Not Just Use a Revolver?

A fair question: why not opt for a revolver? They hold more rounds, reload faster, and are generally lighter. The answer? Penetration power.

Let’s take the .455 Webley revolver cartridge, the standard-issue sidearm of the British Empire. It fired a 265-grain bullet at around 700 fps. By modern standards, that’s anemic—but it was the best they could achieve with black powder and within the pressure limits of revolver designs of the day.

Now ask yourself: is this the loading you’d want to stop a charging tiger with? Probably not.

Compare that to a howdah pistol chambered in .577, launching a 480-grain bullet at 800 fps. You simply couldn’t get that kind of stopping power from a revolver using black powder.

Designs and Variants

Most howdah pistols were side-by-side break-actions, though various opening mechanisms existed—Jones rotary underlevers, side levers, and top levers. The most intriguing examples were even four-barrelled variants. While they came in a variety of calibres, the .577 and .450 cartridges were especially popular.

Were they practical? For their time—absolutely. In today’s world, modern big-bore revolvers have largely replaced them. But where’s the fun in practicality?

The magic of howdah pistols is in their uniqueness. They’re time capsules from a golden age of adventure and danger, one most of us only dream about.

The Ghost and the Darkness

Like many Americans who fell in love with hunting in Africa, I was introduced to the howdah pistol through cinema—The Ghost and the Darkness. This 1990s film adaptation of The Man-Eaters of Tsavo by Colonel John Patterson is a must-watch.

Colonel Patterson, an engineer in the British Army, was tasked with building a railway bridge in Uganda. Construction halted when man-eating lions began terrorising the workers. In the film, Patterson (played by Val Kilmer) is joined by a fictional professional hunter, Remington (played by Michael Douglas), to stop the lions—believed to be the vengeful spirits of dead witch doctors.

What elevates the film for gun enthusiasts? Remington is armed with one of the coolest cinematic howdah pistols: an over/under percussion variant complete with a folding bayonet. That firearm alone is reason enough to watch.

For Those Born a Century Too Late

If you’ve read this far and your next Google search is for “Howdah pistol for sale,” then welcome—you’re in good company. It’s the perfect gun for those of us born 100 years too late and forced to live in the modern era.

After all, the thrill of the hunt isn’t just in the chase—it’s in the tools, the stories, and the legacy they carry.