NOTE: This revolver is currently for sale in our store and on our website.
No representation of the “Old West Saloon” is complete without a vest clad gambler sitting at a card table, armed with his Remington Derringer. These iconic guns were made, relatively unchanged, from 1866 until 1935. They shoot a low powered rimfire 41 Short cartridge, with an estimated muzzle velocity of 425 feet per second.
We recently acquired the gun pictured here on one of our buying trips through the Western US. Coming out of Reno, NV, it came from the family of a pawn shop owner who kept under the counter as the store defense gun from the 1920’s to the 1950’s. After that, it was dropped in a drawer and only saw the light of day recently. When we purchased it, it even had what appears to be the original ammunition chambered!
Operation is single action, meaning the hammer must be manually cocked before each shot. Upon cocking, the firing pin indexes to a barrel, and when the gun is recocked the firing pin moves to the opposite position to fire the next barrel.
A manual extractor is fitted on the left side to be thumb operated to eject spent shells. A latch on the right side of the gun swings down and forward to release the barrels to tilt upward for ejecting and reloading.
Offered in both blue and nickel finishes, and with wood, hard rubber, pearl, or even ivory grips, there are a wide variety of variations on the market for this gun. Since Remington did not generally serialize their guns until late in production, nailing down an exact production date can be a challenge. Most guns are found with a 3 or 4 digit “batch number” on the bottom of the barrel, and under the grips. The best way to date a gun is via the markings on the top of the barrel, which changed often during production.
While beyond the scope of this article, some key dates to remember are in 1888 Remington was acquired by Hartley & Graham, and the barrel markings were changed to “Remington Arms Co, Ilion NY,” then in 1911 the markings were again changed to “Remington UMC CO Ilion, NY.” Between 1888 and 1910, there are multiple variants of the Remington Arms stamp, giving some clue as to the general date of the gun.
The gun itself is a standard blued model with the “Remington Arms CO Ilion NY” marks on the top of the barrel. A batch number is under the barrel, and repeated under the grips. By font and style, it appears to have been manufactured in a batch of approx 8,000 guns between approximately 1904-1910. It’s fitted with what look to be original factory pearl grips, and is in overall excellent condition with mirror bright bores, plus it is mechanically excellent. There is some toning on the lower frame where it was handled, but overall this is an amazing example of an iconic Remington Derringer.
Also included was a full box of 41 Short rounds manufactured by US Cartridge Co between about 1880 and 1900. Ammunition for these guns is long obsolete, and only made in small batches by specialty ammunition manufacturers. Additionally, original ammo is collectible and oftentimes too valuable to shoot.
Finally, it’s worth noting that these guns often suffer from cracked hinges at the barrels. This was a week spot that tended to break from overuse or misuse. Always check to ensure a Remington Derringer isn’t cracked or broken (or repaired) when contemplating a purchase. A cracked hinge can lower the value by 50% or more, so be sure of what you’re buying!
More Images:
Do you have an item like this one that you are interested in selling?
We purchase collectible firearms and military antiques every day at Pony Express Firearms – please contact us today if you would like to sell your item!