Pocket Pistols

Is that a pistol in your pocket? In 1806, Henry Deringer established a firearms factory in Philadelphia and began manufacturing weapons for the U.S. Army. Although he originally supplied long guns, he became well known for precision dueling pistols. The demand for smaller handguns eventually led to Deringer’s pocket pistol, which peaked in popularity in the 1850s.

The rise of the pocket pistol

Hollywood added to the mystique of firearms, and most people easily associate a pocket pistol or derringer with saloon gamblers, concealed carry, and frontier-era drama. Derringers appearing suddenly in saloon fights are as iconic as the rinky-tink piano going silent when shots are fired.

Henry Deringer did not patent his pocket pistol, leaving the door open for other gun makers to cash in. The old black powder Remington .41 rimfire double derringer is often cited as the classic, recognizable design influenced by Deringer’s original creation. The weapon has a stacked over-and-under barrel design, a spur trigger, and a bird’s head grip.

How derringers worked

A spur trigger has no forward guard strap. It is essentially an elongated button enclosed on the sides by metal, unlike a hanging trigger with a guard. The derringer is cocked by pulling the hammer to the rear. Many designs have both half-cock and full-cock positions.

Derringers are commonly associated with the smallest handgun for a given caliber, but examples can range from .22 Short to .45 Long Colt and even .410 shotgun loads.

One common misconception is that both barrels of a double derringer fire simultaneously. They do not. Each barrel fires separately, and the firing pin toggles between upper and lower chambers as the hammer is cocked.

The modern derringer

The bird’s head grip may have become popular for concealability and comfort. Those who carried derringers generally did not want to advertise the fact. The compact shape made them easier to conceal, though whether the design helps control the tiny weapon remains open to debate among enthusiasts.

The Lincoln assassination pistol

Although many well-known people carried derringers, the most infamous example is the pistol used by John Wilkes Booth in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The pistol was manufactured in Deringer’s factory and was a .44 caliber single-barrel cap-and-ball muzzleloader approximately six inches long overall, with a barrel about two and a half inches in length.

Such pistols were usually sold in pairs, but the twin to Booth’s pistol has never been found. Booth dropped the derringer in the Presidential Box at Ford’s Theatre after shooting Lincoln. Decades later, rumors circulated that the weapon on display had been stolen and replaced by a replica.

An FBI forensic investigation in 1997 concluded that the pistol on display was the genuine assassination weapon. For readers wanting more detail, see the FBI archive article: The Case of Abraham Lincoln's Assassination Pistol.

About Thomas Rowe Drinkard

Thomas Rowe Drinkard was born and reared in Alabama, graduated from the University of North Alabama, served as an Army officer, completed parachute school, and was selected for U.S. Army Special Forces.