Derringer pistol: device and specifications

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:55

Development of lands in the Wild West and the American gold rush caused the emergence of various kinds of adventurers in the United States. In search of a better life, they came here from across the ocean and were not averse to enriching themselves at the expense of the local population, which, in turn, sought to protect themselves and their property. During this difficult time, a weapon designed for self-defense - the "derringer" - gained great popularity among the consumer. The gun proved to be an effective means of self-defense for those who led a peaceful life and did not want to become a victim of crime.

Origin of the name

The derringer pistol was designed in the nineteenth century by the American gunsmith Henry Derringer, who owned an arms factory in Philadelphia that made flintlock pistols and rifles. Over time, capsule rifles began to be produced immediately by order of the US Armed Forces. The company gained its greatest fame after the release of a small single-shot pistol. Philadelphia derringer pistolwas compact, very reliable and inexpensive. Due to this, he was in great demand among the population of America. For weapons, cartridges of caliber 11.2 mm were intended. American actor John Booth shot Abraham Lincoln with this pistol.

What were the advantages of the weapon?

The derringer pistol, despite its solid caliber, was very compact. Due to the short barrel and small handle, which did not fit all the fingers, the owners of pistols managed to hide the weapon in their pocket.

Flaws

The derringer pistol did not have high accuracy when firing. The range of destruction from his bullet was also low. At the same time, this weapon was quite enough to hit a person sitting at the card table or in the cockpit of a stagecoach.

Pistol efficiency

The weapons designed by Henry Derringer are not taken seriously today. But during the years of the "American fever", in conditions of poorly developed medicine, gunshot wounds from these pistols had sad consequences: getting into the body, a small and low-powered shellless bullet often brought gunpowder and grease into the wound, causing sepsis. Therefore, this pistol was often used as a serious argument in a dispute or conflict.

About followers

Success of weapons designed by HenryDerringer, led to the emergence of his imitators, one of which are pistols designed by former dentist William Eliot. Wanting to promote his product, he used an already promoted trademark. The term "derringer" today refers to any non-self-loading compact pistol. After the conclusion of the Eliot agreement with the arms manufacturer Remington, a new pistol of the derringer line, the Remington Double Derringer, appeared on the shelves next to other samples of civilian weapons.

After William Elliot acquired Patent No. 51440 for his firearms in 1865, he and Remington began design work to create a new design of the derringer type. Between 1866 and 1935 one hundred and fifty thousand Remington Double Derringers were made.

Derringer pistol: device

The device of this pistol is represented by a frame and two barrels. They are located in the same vertical plane and are connected to each other in a single block. They are mounted on a hinge at the top of the frame. On the right side of the pistol there is a locking lever, which, when turned, locks the lower protrusions of the barrel units.

The double-barreled derringer pistol is equipped with a non-self-cocking single-action trigger mechanism and an open-type trigger. Inside it is a flat firing pin. The pistols have special mechanisms containing a spring and a ratchet. During the shooting they provide a changestriker positions. After each cocking of the hammer, the striker is able to move and alternately strike the primers of the cartridges contained in the two barrels.

For the mainspring, the developers provide a curved shape. Its location was the inside of the handle, in which it is connected to the trigger with a leash. With the help of the ejector, spent cartridges are removed.

How was the reloading and reloading of the pistol?

In order to equip a weapon, the owner had to do the following:

• unfold the lever blocking the receiver units;
• raise block;
• load two ammo chambers;
• return block to previous position;
• turn the locking lever to block the lower protrusion of the barrel unit;
• cock the trigger.

After these steps, the gun is ready to fire. Reloading was carried out after opening the locking gate and removing the spent cartridges. The extractor was intended for this purpose.

External design features

The Remington Double Derringer pistol was produced in various versions. The "cheeks" of its handle could be made of wood - walnut and rosewood. Some craftsmen used ivory to make "cheeks". There were variants of pistols with conventional grips containing simple rubberized diamond-shaped notches. In all versions, the handle of Remington Double Derringer pistols resembled a bird's head.

In the process of manufacturing pistol frames and barrel blockscraftsmen used nickel plating and burnishing techniques. Some individual pieces had a special bronze finish and decorations that were applied by engraving. Remington Double Derringer concealed carry was ensured through special accessories and weapon cases.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the Remington Double Derringer

• The size of the pistol was 124 mm.
• Weapon weight - 312 grams.
• The bullet had a muzzle velocity of 210 m/sec.
• The rifled barrel had five left-handed rifling.
• The bullet was equipped with black powder, the charge of which was 0.8 grams.
• Chuck caliber - 41 mm.
• The function of sighting devices was performed by the front sight and the rear sight. Their location was the upper part of the barrel block.
• Produced in the United States.

Application

At the start of World War II, the production of compact pistols was discontinued in the United States. But "derringers" along with revolvers and self-loading pistols were used by European partisans.

After the end of the war, the derringer pistol under the Flaubert cartridge became an effective means of self-defense used by card players, women of easy virtue, messengers, travelers and merchants. Weapon models of this class are also called "ladies". Often, American police officers used pocket pistols as spares. Today, "under the patronage of Flaubert" are also createdrevolvers. According to reviews, the derringer is the ideal option for self-defense.

The flare pistol used for starting firing, in its external design is very similar to the multi-barreled weapon of the breaking type of the "derringer" class. This, according to some owners, is another advantage of these pistols, since when meeting with patrol officers, the “combat” “derringer” can be easily imagined as a signal one. Due to the simplicity of design, reliability and ease of use, derringer pistol models are very popular with a wide range of consumers.