Make: Remington

Model: Remington-Elliot Ring Trigger .32 Derringer, 

Serial Number: 23436

Year of Manufacture: circa 1863 - 1888 (Flayderman’s)

Caliber: .32 Rimfire

Action Type: Double Action Only 4 Barreled Derringer with Under Barrel Lever Top-Break Barrel Cluster

Markings: The underside of the barrel assembly above the frame and the frame under the barrel assembly are marked “23436”. The left side of the barrel cluster is marked “MANUFACTURED BY E. REMINGTON & SONS ILION, N.Y. The right side is marked ELLIOT’S PATENTS MAY 29 1860 – OCT 1 1861”.

Barrel Length: 3.25”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a small half-moon blade fixed to the front of the top barrels. The rear sight is a “V” notched groove in the top of the frame.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece smooth wood panels. There are a couple of faint marks from handling and storage. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Fine Plus condition as Antique

Type of Finish: Originally Blue, Now Mostly in the White

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bores are bright with strong rifling. There is no notable erosion or pitting. The Bores rate an 8.5/10 in this writer’s opinion.

Overall Condition: This Ring Derringer retains less than 10% of its metal finish. The surfaces have worn white. There is discoloration from previous oxidation, the most noticeable is on the barrel cluster. The most noticeable and enjoyable remaining blue is located on the trigger bar and other safe areas.There are scuffs and light marks, likely from handling. There are a couple of little tiny nicks near the butt. There is standard operational wear. The wear appears honest. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly disfigured with a usable slots. The markings are semi-worn but legible.Overall, this handgun rates in about Very Good condition as Antique.

Mechanics: The action does appear to function correctly, the ring must be pushed all the way forward to engage the cocking mechanism. There is a plunger that locks up the barrel assembly, it is below the barrel. The trigger must be pulled completely to the rear to fire, if it does not touch the metal behind it it will not go off. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None

Our Assessment: Shortly after the American Civil War, a New York dentist-turned-firearms inventor named William H. Elliot designed a revolutionary pocket pistol to fire the .41 Short rimfire caliber metallic cartridge. At the time, it was the most powerful small handgun cartridge on the market. This compact but hard-hitting pistol was immediately embraced by riverboat gamblers, ladies of the night, messengers, travelers, shopkeepers, and anyone else who needed an easily concealable, large-caliber weapon for self-defense. Its novel design featured twin, over-and-under barrels that swung open from a top hinge for loading and cartridge extraction, a “spur” trigger, and large, comfortable grips. This was one, but not the first, of the more than 130 firearms patents Dr. Elliot would be granted over the last half of the nineteenth century. To manufacture his new pistol, Dr. Elliot contracted with the E. Remington & Sons arms firm in upstate New York, which by 1867 had been in the gunmaking business for more than fifty years. The Remington Double Deringer, as it has become known among collectors, was sleek, simple, sturdy, effective, and inexpensive. One of the guns that followed was a four or five-barreled derringer with a ring trigger and a rotating firing pin. This model was made in both .22RF and .32RF and was referred to in Remington’s literature as Elliot’s Patent Repeating Pistol. Others referred to it as a ring trigger derringer and others as a pepperbox. This derringer is chambered in .32 Rimfire, the more elusive of the two models although approximately 17,500 guns were produced in this chambering.The derringer is in about Very Good condition as Antique with good mechanics and nice markings. This is very innovative design and worth in a spot in any collection of derringers and pocket pistols.