The Southern Pistol — The Derringer

Generically, the Deringer pistol, or “Derringer” as it came to be known, is a small defensive pistol of large bore. Gun maker Henry Deringer, listed in the Philadelphia City Directories as early as 1811 at 29 Green Street, did not at first achieve fame as a maker of pocket pistols. His Ml808 U. S. military holster pistols are eargerly sought after by collectors; they command prices that now range into the “fabulous” category. He moved to 374 North Front Street in 1813, remained there until 1823. Presumably from the Front Street shop he shipped at least a few of the 2,000 Model 1817 flintlock Common Rifles he contracted to supply the United States on April 3, 1821. This lot was evidently a continuation of business which began with his making Common Rifles of the 1817 pattern on a contract dated July 23, 1819. Even before this time he had a contract of 1814 to furnish 980 rifles to the Government, while, in December of 1828, after moving to a new factory “entry from 93 Race Street,” he agreed to supply 600 Hall breech-loading rifles. Due to production difficulties, Deringer asked permission to change this order to 400 muskets of the M1816 pattern. Although it is believed some or all were delivered, no Deringer muskets of this lot have been located.
In 1842 or ’43, the plant was relisted due to renumbering of that part of town, and became known as 612 North Front Street. In 1843, he undertook again to supply the Government with pistols, of the Navy Boxlock percussion pattern. Flintlock rifles by Deringer, while highly prized, are relatively common; flint pocket pistols by him are unknown. An explanation may be that the percussion system was well established by 1820 among sporting gun users, while governments clung to flint and steel for 20 years thereafter.
Deringer sporting guns, or defense pistols, included large holster or duelling types, but all followed a form borrowed from the English pocket pistols of the 1830’s.

Small as the palm of his hand, John Wilkes Booth affected the deadly big-bore, .44 caliber Deringer pistol which put end to shooting War of ’61-’65.

The back action lock was adopted as standard. While it removed wood from the curved portion of the handle, it left more wood under the barrel and in general permitted a stronger stock where it counted.
Big pistols, other than Government models, had octagon barrels, and ramrod ribs below. As the size got smaller, the barrel got rounder, retaining the top flat but being formed smoothly without the octagon corners through the rest of its dimension. A style point carried through most pocket Deringer pistols was a silver plate set forward of the lock and below the nipple bolster, to protect the stock from cap burning. Most Deringer arms, like that with which Booth assassinated Lincoln, were easily concealed pocket pistols shooting round bullets of approximately .40 to .45 bore. With barrels hardly longer than two calibers, in the smallest specimens which have survived, they were rifled; and truly rifled with grooves, not just notched at the muzzle like some of the cheap Belgian or English single shots of the period. But holster pistols as large as .54 and tiny vest pocket Deringers of .36 caliber are recorded.
The variety of even the “genuine Derringer,” as trade agents advertised old Henry’s pistols, leads one to suspect that his failure on the Hall Rifle contract was because he simply could not or would not adhere to John Hall’s strict requirements of interchangeability in all the parts.
Genuine Deringer pistols of pocket size so far as is known were always sold in pairs; almost always (if new) equipped with a powder flask, common single ball mould, and little chamois draw-string or tie end pouches to preserve the pistols in the pocket from lint and tobacco grains. But though sold in matched pairs, it is fair to say as regards the system of their manufacture, that no three Deringer pistols were ever alike.