The development of land in the Wild West and the American gold rush led to 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, who, 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 consumers. The gun turned out 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 name
The Derringer pistol was designed in the nineteenth century by the American gunsmith Henry Derringer, who owned a flintlock pistol and rifle manufacturing company in Philadelphia. Over time, capsule rifles began to be produced right there by order of the US Armed Forces. The enterprise became most famous after the release of a small single-shot pistol. The Philadelphia Derringer pistol was compact, very reliable and inexpensive. Due to this, he was in great demand among the American population. For weapons intended ammunition caliber 11, 2 mm. American actor John Booth from this pistol was shot dead by Abraham Lincoln.
What advantages did the weapon have?
The gun "derringer", despite its solid caliber, was very compact. Due to the short barrel and the small handle on which all the fingers could not fit, the owners of the pistols managed to hide their weapons in their clothes pockets.
disadvantages
The gun "derringer" did not have high accuracy when firing. The range of defeat from his bullet was also low. At the same time, this weapon was quite enough to get into a person sitting at a card table or in the booth of a stagecoach.
Gun efficiency
Weapons designed by Henry Derringer are not taken seriously today. But during the years of “American fever”, under the conditions of poorly developed medicine, gunshot wounds from these pistols had sad consequences: getting into the body, a small and thin shell-free bullet often carried gunpowder and lubricant into the wound, causing sepsis. Therefore, this gun was often used as a serious argument in a dispute or conflict.
About followers
The success of the weapons developed by Henry Derringer led to the appearance of his imitators, one of which are pistols designed by former dentist William Eliot. Wanting to promote his product, he used an already promoted brand. The term “derringer” today refers to any non-self-loading compact pistol. After concluding an agreement with Eliot arms manufacturer Remington, on the shelves next to other samples of civilian weapons, a new pistol of the Derringer line appeared - the Remington Double Derringer.
After William Elliot acquired the patent No. 51440 for his firearms in 1865, he and Remington began design work to create a new type of derringer. In the period from 1866 to 1935. One hundred and fifty thousand units of the Remington Double Derringer were manufactured.
Gun "Derringer": device
The device of this gun is represented by a frame and two barrels. They are located in one vertical plane and are connected to each other in a single unit. They are mounted on a hinge in the upper part of the frame. On the right side of the gun there is a locking lever, which, when turning, locks the lower protrusions of the barrel blocks.
The double-barreled pistol "derringer" is equipped with a single-acting non-self-cocking trigger mechanism and trigger, which refers to the open type. Inside it is a flat striker firing pin. The pistols have special mechanisms containing a spring and a ratchet. During firing, they provide a change in the position of the striker. After each cocking, the hammer is capable of moving and striking one at a time at the capsule of cartridges contained in the two barrels.
For the mainspring, the developers have provided a curved shape. The place of its location was the inside of the handle, in which it is connected with the trigger with a leash. Using the ejector, the shot cartridges are retrieved.
How was the equipment and reloading the pistol made?
In order to equip a weapon, the owner had to perform the following actions:
- deploy the lever blocking the barrel blocks;
- lift the block;
- load two rounds of ammunition;
- return the block to its previous position;
- by turning the locking lever to block the lower protrusion of the barrel unit;
- cock the trigger.
After these actions, the gun is ready to fire. Recharging was carried out after opening the locking bolt and removing the spent cartridges. An extractor was intended for this purpose.
Features of external design
The Remington Double Derringer pistol was produced in various versions. The "cheeks" of his handles could be made of wood - walnut and rosewood. Some craftsmen used ivory to make the “cheeks”. There were options for pistols with conventional handles containing simple rubberized diamond-shaped notches. In all variants, the pistol grip of the Remington Double Derringer resembled a bird's head.
In the process of manufacturing pistol frames and barrel blocks, the craftsmen used nickel and burnishing techniques. Some individual specimens had a special bronze coating and decorations that were applied by engraving. Thanks to special accessories and weapon cases, the comfort of hidden wearing the Remington Double Derringer was ensured.
The performance characteristics of the Remington Double Derringer
- The size of the gun was 124 mm.
- The mass of the weapon is 312 grams.
- The bullet had an initial speed of 210 m / s.
- The rifled barrel had five left-leaning rifling.
- The bullet was equipped with black powder, the charge of which was 0.8 grams.
- Cartridge caliber - 41 mm.
- The function of sights was performed by the front and rear sights. Their location was the upper part of the receiver unit.
- Country of Origin - United States.
Application
At the beginning of World War II, the production of compact pistols was discontinued in the United States. But the "derringers" along with revolvers and self-loading pistols used European partisans.
After the war, an effective tool used for self-defense by card players, women of easy virtue, messengers, travelers and merchants was the gun "derringer" under the "Flaubert cartridge". Weapon models of this class are also called "ladies". Often, American police used pocket pistols as spare. Today, "under the patron Flaubert" are also created and revolvers. According to reviews, as a self-defense, the “derringer” is the ideal option.
The signal pistol, used for starting firing, in its external design is very similar to a multi-barrel weapon of a critical type of "derringer" class. This, in the opinion of some owners, is another advantage of these pistols, since when meeting with the officers of the patrol service, the “combat” “derringer” can easily be presented as a signal. Due to the simplicity of design, reliability and ease of use, the “derringer” type pistol models are very popular among a wide range of consumers.