Make: Henry Deringer
Model: Medium Pocket Pistol
Year of Manufacture: 1850-1868
Caliber: .54 Caliber
Action Type: Back-Action Single Shot Percussion
Barrel Length: 4 1/2"
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade fixed to the barrel. The rear sight is a "V"-notch integral to the breech-plug/tang assembly.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grip is one checkered walnut with pewter and silver-plated fixtures including shield-shaped thumb-plate. The grip cap is missing. There is provision for mounting a ramrod, none is present. There are scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches. There are a couple of more notable dings on the bottom-left at the edge of the checkering. There is a small loss at the bottom edge of the lock. There are no cracks. Overall, the grip is in Very Good condition as Antique.
Type of Finish: Case Color, Browned Faux-Damascus, Gold Bands on Breech-Plug
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is gray with well defined rifling. There is erosion scattered through the bore with infrequent pitting. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 5-6/10.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 15% of its metal finish. The barrel's finish has mostly worn to white or gone to a light patina. The exposed case color is mostly muted with a little figuring still visible. There is some strong color on portions covered by the stock. The gold bands on the breech plug are intact. Silver fixtures have darkened. There is some light oxidation. The screw heads range from sharp to disfigured with usable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good condition as Antique.
Mechanics: The action functions Correctly. We did not fire this pistol. As with all used items, a thorough cleaning may be required to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None. Please note, no ramrod included.
Our Assessment: Henry Deringer has a somewhat unique place in firearms history. While many guns have been copied, not many names have come to represent a whole genre of firearms, with derringer now referring to nearly any small, short-barreled percussion or cartridge pistol. When he began producing pocket-size flintlock and, very soon, percussion pistols, Henry found an untapped market for his "Philadelphia Deringer". Deringer's own production was fairly limited, relative to the demand, though he also felt no need to patent his guns. They were simply using a normal percussion lock, with their size being their distinguishing quality. Soon, there were dozens of imitators. Some used their own brand name, some came up with creative misspellings of Deringer's name, and some even brazenly placed his name on their own products. These last stood a good chance of being sued by Mr. Deringer, with one case making it all the way to the Supreme Court. The pistols proved quite popular for personal defense, but also gained some notoriety after the use of one by John Booth in his assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
This example is more scarce, designated as a "Medium Pocket", though you would need a big pocket! It is .54 caliber with a 4 1/2" barrel, just a little too small for the designation "Dueling Size". The pistol proper markings and features for a genuine Henry Deringer produced in Philadelphia, showing light wear for its age. It retains strong mechanics and relatively light wear in the stock, though it is missing the cap on the bottom of the grip. As a larger version from the maker of the most famous pocket percussion pistols, this would make a neat addition to any collection. Please see our photos and good luck!
