Henry Deringer Jr was born in Easton PA in 1786 to German parents. As a young man he apprenticed to a gunsmith, then spent 1808 working in the Virginia Manufactory making guns, and then open his own business in 1809 at 612 North Front Street in Philadelphia. He remained there until his death in 1868, making a great many guns. Early on his work was largely in flintlock muskets, both for the Army and the commercial trade, but he became best know for his single-shot percussion pocket pistols. These guns became synonymous with his name, a feat not even accomplished by Samuel Colt.
Deringer’s pistols were available in a range of caliber form .31 to .50, but .41 was most common. Barrel length was also widely variable, from barely over an inch to 4 inches or more – but between 2 and 2.5 inches was typical. These were popular guns for self defense, easily carried in a coat pocket and generally sold in pairs. A flintlock of such a size was just unfeasible to conceal in a pocket, but the advent of the percussion system made these guns eminently practical. Obviously the most famous use of one was in Booth’s assassination of President Lincoln, but the guns were very popular before that.
In addition, Deringer became a part of trademark law when he filed suit against a sales agent, A.J. Platt, in San Francisco. Platt handled his inability to get enough pistols from Deringer to meet demand by setting up production of his own copy, complete with the marking “Deringer Philadel”. Deringer’s trademark infringement case was successful, and created a precedent for awarding a judgement based on the lost revenue suffered by the plaintiff – in Deringer’s case, $1,700 instead of his initial demand for $15,000.\
Incidentally, Platt’s response after losing the case was to find a man in Philadelphia named “Derringer” and license his name, so that he could continue to make guns that his customers would not recognize as being counterfeits. This would be the basis for a further lawsuit today, but Deringer died in 1868 before pursuing the issue farther.
Before Deringer, the typical pocket pistol, either flintlock or percussion-fired, was what is now known to collectors as a “muff” pistol.
https://collectorsfirearms.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/798083.jpg
This one is by Greener, Newcastle.
Typical features included folding triggers (Yes, this is where Samuel Colt got the idea for the Paterson trigger), and often “screw barrels”, allowing the (rifled) barrel to be breech-loaded.
The name derived from the idea that ladies could carry one or two such pistols concealed in their hand muffs and deploy them if confronted.
Derringers (The generic term for the Deringer-type pistol) superseded them by the 1850s, even in England and on the Continent. The derringer was less mechanically complicated and therefore more reliable.
clear ether
eon
I can think of two other men whose name is an entire class (rather than series/maker) of gun: Claude-Étienne Minié, and Carl Friedrich Gauss. Minié ball rifles aren’t really immediately distinguishable from general muzzle loading rifles with just external examination (short of knowing the model or other indicators of era), and the second didn’t actually directly make the gun named for him (and the differences between “Gauss”, “rail”, and “coil” is lost on most people).
I would add Gatling for that, which become applied to guns with rotating cluster of barrels, also including these not designed by doctor Gatling.
True, that’s a good pick.
Really nice video. How much are they selling them for?
How did Remington spell Deringer on their double barrel flip up gun?
My early 20th Century Remington doesn’t use the word on the pistol itself but it’s original box says “Remington Double Derringer” on the outer label and the instructions inside the lid.
Remington used the ‘Derringer’ spelling. This even though their pistol postdated Mr. Deringer’s demise. One can never be too careful around both loaded guns and litigous lawyers
For the first century Colt both as an individual and later as a company made every effort to have the name become the generic term for revolvers and then for handguns in general. He had some success, there are multiple examples of journalistic and fictional use of the term. I have a series of magazine adverts from the early 20th century that do it very explicitly. When pistols came along, they called them the “Automatic Colt” and early ones are so marked.
I was told that in France during the first half of the 20th Century “Browning” was often used to refer to any small semi-automatic pistol.
Largely because pretty much every manufacturer from the various Spanish makers in the Eibar region to DWM itself were churning out unlicensed copies of FN and Colt brand Browning designs.
Strictly speaking they were all “Brownings”, just with different tradenames.
clear ether
eon
True.
Wheelocks. Aye. Might be able to be used again, in away for wee guns. Who’s ever seen a phone that “Old one eh, now.” not a flip phone! Retro. But a rotating one? “Same sort of idea – but the key pad rotates away from the screen. Aye that.” Now, if you think about it, that could rotate a wheelock mech, and provide a pistol grip. Wind it – rotation thing, fold the frizzen thing; offset pistol grip – Pull trigger “Pops out” handle folds level with barrel (Sprung by said rotation also) engages wheel, BANG!!! Smokeless, .224 Boz type round two barrels modern bullets. Load via barrels and plug two bits, held together by the case “No cartridge” Point, body armour. No case, more room for powder. All ti, bar barrells. Point blank lark, aiming for .224 Boz hit – Aim smaller gun.
Smaller package that I think, than using cases. Might fire both at once, depending on what one can do with the spring. Need a rotary spring “Wheelock” and and flat one in the handle to, engage said wheel with you holding the grip. Spark, fizz, BANG!!! Should work.
I mean you hold the “Handle” offset’ish, pull trigger – It then levels, barrel/Frizzen thing. BANG!!! 4″ Barrells. Plug a sleeve, which you drop the barrel in – Breech loading “Muzzle loader” but I think, might be small light and pack a punch. Charge – Smokeless .224 Boz one, same’ish bullet, breech load like.
“(…)Smokeless .224 Boz one, same’ish bullet, breech load like.”
So how you want to prevent gas escape if you do not want to use case?
Point – Bet that is more power, for less space. Hence, the point; target market, thus… Derringers.
Sounds quite snappy that doesn’t it… He he, er, build it up towards .224 Boz the structure etc, etc… Reckon able to though. death to body armour.
Titanium will help, he he.
Modern day, last ditch bayonet, with PLA body armour, pitcanny rail it, like a laser, feck knows. Worlds going worse. He he…
Maybe one barrel,could use the lower space for mech… Lock like… 10mm case Boz eh, hee…
Not shit though, that would be the teeny tinest way to unleash .224 Boz is the actual point. I think. Modern Wheelock.
BANG!!! Aye it’ll work.
Should do it Americans, I am British.
“(…)tinest way to unleash .224 Boz is the actual point(…)”
Then, if you are NOT limited to use its’ default primer, make it electric-fired.
“(…)snappy(…)”
Do you described snaplock XOR wheellock fire-arm?
Name segment was very interesting detail !
I thought with passing decades, people mistakenly added R in a word/surname.
Just come back that to me, now; sat here I thought… “Out the blue” Wonder if wheelocks, could be used in some sort of derringer. Oh well, reading me saying this prior, suppose makes more sense. Beer eh. Still, not a “bad” layout, idea.