×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Infantry Arms Warships & Submarines Military Pay Chart (2023) Military Ranks
Advertisements
HOME
INFANTRY
MODERN ARMIES
SPECIAL FORCES
COUNTRIES
MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE
BY CONFLICT
BY TYPE
BY DECADE
AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
EARLY YEARS
Infantry Small Arms / The Warfighter

Deringer (Derringer Pocket Pistol)


Concealed-Carry Pocket Pistol [ 1825 ]



Derringer - note double R - became the generic name for a class of concealable small pistols following the original Deringer-family designs.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/19/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]
Advertisements
The word "derringer" was a generic name for super-compact pistols of the 19th Century. The title stemmed from the surname of the father and son gunsmith team made up of Henry Deringer, Senior and Henry Deringer, Junior. The pair plied their trade out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from the early part of the century into the late 1860s. Despite their name becoming associated with the handy, concealed-carry pistol, their trade also involved rifles and dueling pistols though it is their pocket designs that were openly copied throughout the industrialized world. For reasons lost to history, the name of the weapon "derringer" adopted a second "R" unlike the actual "Deringer" family name. Henry Deringer, Jr survived until 1868 to the age of 81 by which time the family business had suffered enough to close down forever. No patent was ever filed for the derringer designs which proved popular with the masses.

Generally, derringer pistols were large-caliber weapons utilizing very compact frames. They were often of single-shot or even twin-shot configurations actuated by a trigger pull and a flintlock or percussion cap arrangement (the latter seen in later models). Due to their compact size, they were perfect guns for concealment in a coat pocket, or a lady's purse, and useful in extremely close-range confrontations. Deringer produced their small pistols in matching pairs typically delivered in ornate showpiece boxes (consistent with pistols of the period). Each design varied in caliber and barrel length.

Derringer pistols have proven equally popular in Hollywood Westerns where the gambler or hero usually carries one, or a pair, in a spring-loaded contraption hidden under the sleeve or simply in a leg boot though it is reasoned that their use in real life was far more conventional.

According to sources, derringers were used to a certain extent in the American Civil War despite their not being true "military-minded" weapons.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.
Advertisements

Specifications



Service Year
1825

Origin
United States national flag graphic
United States

Classification


Concealed-Carry Pocket Pistol


Henry Deringer Sr, Henry Deringer Jr. - USA
(View other Arms-Related Manufacturers)
National flag of the United States United States
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
Pistol / Sidearm
Compact design for close-quarters work or general self-defense.


Overall Length
90 mm
3.54 in
Barrel Length
76 mm
2.99 in
Sights


Front Fixed


Action


Flintlock- or Percussion-based System

Percussion Cap
Utilizes the percussion cap system of operation to actuate ignition of propellant; much like a child's cap gun, small explosive caps are set upon nipples and these are actuated by a falling hammer previously cocked.
Flintlock
Popular system of operation for some 200 years preceding the percussion cap, this action involves a piece of flint rock and falling hammer to generate sparks / ignition, therefore lighting propellant charge to drive ammunition from the chamber down the barrel and out through the muzzle.
(Material presented above is for historical and entertainment value and should not be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation - always consult official manufacturer sources for such information)


Caliber(s)*


.45 cal

Rounds / Feed


Variable, typically single-shot
Cartridge relative size chart
*May not represent an exhuastive list; calibers are model-specific dependent, always consult official manufacturer sources.
**Graphics not to actual size; not all cartridges may be represented visually; graphics intended for general reference only.
Max Eff.Range
30 ft
(9 m | 10 yd)
Rate-of-Fire
1
rds/min


Derringer - Base Series Designation


Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2


Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective campaigns / operations.

Images Gallery



1 / 1
Image of the Deringer (Derringer Pocket Pistol)
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.


Advertisements




Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies


2023 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons.

View day-by-day actions of the American Civil War with CivilWarTimeline.net. View day-by-day actions of World War II with SecondWorldWarHistory.com.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)