Design and production details
The Remington Double Derringer was made from 1866 to 1935. Production prior to 1869 had no extractors. [2] The first 100 Double Derringers have "Manufactured by E. REMINGTON & SONS, ILION, N.Y." stamped on the right side of the barrel and "ELLIOT'S PATENT DEC. 12, 1865" stamped on the left side of the barrel. (This refers to firearms inventor William H. Elliot's U.S. Patent 51,440, "Improvement in Many-Barreled Fire-Arms", which describes the key features of the original design in some detail. [3] ) After the first 100, the "manufactured by" was no longer stamped between the barrels. There are a few DDs with the marking, "Remington's Ilion NY USA" but there is no known reason for this marking. About serial 1600, an extractor was installed on the left side, between the barrels. After about serial 2400, the marking was put on the top of the barrels in two lines. "E. REMINGTON & SONS, ILION, N.Y.; ELLIOT'S PATENT DEC. 12th 1865." This is the Second Model, and is called the "Two Line," by collectors. The barrel rib top inscription changed to "REMINGTON ARMS CO. ILION N.Y." in 1888, this is the Third Model. In 1911 the marking was changed to, "REMINGTON ARMS - U.M.C. CO. ILION, N.Y." In 1921, Remington adapted a number system for every model. At this time the Double Derringer became the Model 95.
Remington manufactured more than 150,000 over-under double-barreled derringers from 1866 until the end of their production in 1935. [4] The gun was made only in .41 Short rimfire. There are four models with several variations. The first model, first variation is only the first 100 made and were marked "MANUFACTURED BY E. REMINGTON & SONS" on one side rib, and "ELLIOTS PATENT DEC 12 1865" on the other side rib. These are very rare. The second variation is marked the same without the "manufactured by". The third variation has an extractor on the left side and is referred to as a "extractor cut." The fourth variation is marked, "REMINGTONS ILLION NY" and is very rare.
The second model is marked on the top rib in two lines, "E REMINGTON & SONS ILION NY," "ELLIOTS PATENT DEC 12 1865". There are no variations.
In 1886 Remington went bankrupt and in 1888 was bought by a consortium of Hartley&Graham, and Winchester Arms Co. The company name was changed to Remington Arms Co., and beginning in 1888 all Remington guns were marked with that name. The third model was made in 6 variations, all marked, ""REMINGTON ARMS CO, ILION NY". on the top rib. The variations are determined by the font style. The first variation of the third models were serialized, but all other variations were marked in batches, not with serial numbers. After the merger between Remington and UMC Cartridge Co in 1910, beginning in 1911, the fourth models were marked "REMINGTON-U.M.C.CO.ILION,N.Y." and were serialized. Starting in 1922, all Remington guns were stamped with a two letter date code for the shipping month and year. The second variation has strengthened hinges and serial numbers that begin with the letter "L", These were marketed as the Model 95. The third and final model has no side rib and is referred to as a "monoblock". About 500 monoblocks were made through 1935, with only ten guns shipped after that.
Above information is from the book, "Dr. William H. Elliot's Remington Double Derringer." Graphic Publishers, 2008, ISBN 1-882824-35-0
In popular culture
Remington derringers often played critical roles in the exploits of James T. West, fictional Secret Service agent, in the American television series The Wild Wild West (1965 - 1969). West carried up to three derringers: one as a concealed carry backup gun to his holstered and openly carried full sized revolver. This derringer was carried either in a vest pocket or an inside pocket of his jacket. Another derringer was carried as a sleeve gun under his right shirt sleeve, and the third was broken into two parts with the barrel-chamber assembly hidden in the hollowed out heel of one boot and the frame hidden in the heel of the other. [7]
In "Judgment in Heaven" (S01E15; 1965 Dec. 22) of The Big Valley , Jarrod Barkley gives Heath a nickel plated pearl gripped Double Derringer as a Christmas present.
Paladin, of Have Gun, Will Travel (1957 - 1963), kept a Remington Double Derringer behind his gunbelt's buckle. [8]
J.B. Books, portrayed by John Wayne, uses a Double Derringer hidden in his wallet to shoot a robber who tries to stick him up at the beginning of the 1976 film The Shootist . [9]
Colonel Douglas Mortimer, played by Lee Van Cleef in For A Few Dollars More (1965), shot and killed Juan Wild aka "The Hunchback" (played by Klaus Kinski) with a Remington Model 1866 during a one-on-one standoff.
In The Simpsons episode "Simpsons Tall Tales", the characters Bart and Nelson are portrayed as Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. The two start a barroom brawl on a Mississippi river gambling boat, in which the bar patrons fire comically weak Derringer pistols. The bullets all bounce off glass bottles, glass beer mugs, glass windows and their intended victims and they escape unharmed.
In the Team Fortress 2 promotional short "Expiration Date", the character Ms. Pauling is seen holding a Remington Model 95 styled Derringer. It is also of note that the pistol seen during the animated short was originally developed to be used by the Spy class.
The Changeling, a character in the game Pathologic , uses a Remington Double Derringer as her signature weapon.
A derringer is a small handgun that is neither a revolver, semi-automatic pistol, or machine pistol. It is not to be confused with mini-revolvers or pocket pistols, although some later derringers were manufactured with the pepperbox configuration. The modern derringer is often multi-barreled, and is generally the smallest usable handgun of any given caliber and barrel length due to the lack of a moving action, which takes up more space behind the barrel. It is frequently used by women because it is easily concealable in a purse or a stocking.
Ethan Allen was a major American arms maker from Massachusetts. He is unrelated to the revolutionary Ethan Allen. His first firearm, the "Pocket rifle" was developed in 1836, and his first patent was granted in 1837.
Marlin Firearms Co. is an American manufacturer of semi-automatic, lever-action, and bolt-action rifles. In the past, the company, now based in Madison, North Carolina, and formerly based in North Haven, Connecticut, made shotguns, derringers, and revolvers. Marlin owned the firearm manufacturer H&R Firearms. In 2007, Remington Arms, part of the Remington Outdoor Company, acquired Marlin Firearms. Remington produced Marlin-brand firearms at its Kentucky and New York manufacturing facilities. In 2020, Sturm, Ruger & Co. bought the company from bankrupt Remington Outdoor Company.
The Remington Zig-Zag Derringer - or "Pepper Box", originally termed "Elliot's Pocket Revolver", was made 1861-1862 with fewer than 1,000 manufactured.
The Remington-Rider Single Shot Derringer Parlor Pistol was made by E. Remington and Sons between 1860 and 1863. Only two hundred were produced.
Thompson/Center Arms was an American firearms company based in Springfield, Massachusetts. The company was best known for its line of interchangeable-barrel, single-shot pistols and rifles. Thompson/Center also manufactures muzzle-loading rifles and was credited with creating the resurgence of their use in the 1970s.
H&R 1871, LLC, or more commonly known as Harrington & Richardson, is an American brand of firearms and a subsidiary of JJE Capital Holdings. H&R ceased independent production February 27, 2015.
The Colt Army Model 1860 is a cap & ball .44-caliber single-action revolver used during the American Civil War made by Colt's Manufacturing Company. It was used as a side arm by cavalry, infantry, artillery troops, and naval forces.
The Star Model BM is a single-action semi-automatic pistol that fires the 9 mm Parabellum pistol cartridge. It was produced by Star Bonifacio Echeverria, S.A. in Spain. Although its external appearance resembles the classic M1911, its design is different in several respects. For example, the Star does not have the 1911's grip safety. In addition, the thumb safety on the Star BM blocks the hammer, whereas it blocks the motion of the sear on a 1911 and the Star's trigger pivots on a roll pin rather than moving straight back like a 1911A1's trigger to trip the sear. The pistol is fed by an 8-round detachable box magazine.
In American English, a pocket pistol is any small, pocket-sized semi-automatic pistol, and is suitable for concealed carry in a pocket or similar space.
The .41 Rimfire Cartridge was first introduced by the National Arms Company in 1863 and was also known as the .41 Short and the .41-100. In most designations like this, the second number refers to the black powder load, though in this case it means "41 hundredths of an inch".
The Model 1908 Vest Pocket is a compact, hammerless, striker-fired, semi-automatic single-action pistol. Manufactured by the Colt's Manufacturing Company from 1908 to 1948, it was marketed as a small concealable firearm which could be easily tucked into a vest pocket for unobtrusive carry. Designed by John Moses Browning, the Model 1908 followed Browning’s earlier European version, introduced by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal as the FN Model 1906. Both pistols were chambered for the Browning-invented .25 ACP cartridge.
The Winchester Model 21 is a deluxe side by side shotgun. The shotgun's initial production run from 1931 through 1960 yielded approximately 30,000 guns. Winchester Repeating Arms Company ceased the main production line of this shotgun in 1960 and the Model 21 was sourced to the Winchester Custom Shop until the gun's retirement in 1991. New Winchester Model 21 production continues under license to Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing Company.
The Remington-Beals Model Revolvers along with subsequent models and variations were percussion revolvers manufactured by Eliphalet Remington & Sons in .31 (Pocket) .36 (Navy) or .44 (Army) caliber, used during the American Civil War, and was the beginning of a successful line of medium and large frame pistols. They are commonly, though inaccurately, referred to as the Model 1858 due to the patent markings on its New Model barrels, "PATENTED SEPT. 14, 1858/E. REMINGTON & SONS, ILION, NEW YORK, U.S.A./NEW MODEL."; although wide scale production did not start until 1861.
A handgun is a firearm designed to be usable with only one hand. It is distinguished from a long gun which needs to be held by both hands and braced against the shoulder. The two most common types of handguns are revolvers and semi-automatic pistols, although other types such as derringers and machine pistols also see infrequent usage.
The Smith & Wesson Model 1 was the first firearm manufactured by Smith & Wesson, with production spanning the years 1857 through 1882. It was the first commercially successful revolver to use rimfire cartridges instead of loose powder, musket ball, and percussion caps. It is a single-action, tip-up revolver holding seven .22 Short black powder cartridges.
The Remington Model 30 is a US sporting rifle of the inter-war period based on the military P14/M1917 Enfield rifle action, which was manufactured for the British and US governments during World War I. Initial specimens used surplus military parts with some modifications in order to consume the stock of parts, though further modifications were made as production progressed and later rifles were produced from newly manufactured parts. Most early rifles were in the military .30-06 calibre used in the M1917 but it became available in a variety of chamberings. It was the first high-powered bolt-action sporting rifle produced by Remington. Some would beg to differ as Remington made the Remington Lee factory sporting rifle from 1899-1909, 1446 were built in a variety of calibers.
A multiple-barrel firearm is any type of firearm with more than one gun barrel, usually to increase the rate of fire or hit probability and to reduce barrel erosion/overheating.
Merwin, Hulbert, and Co. or Merwin Hulbert was an American firearms designer and marketer based in New York City which produced revolvers and rifles from 1874 to 1896. The firearms were manufactured by a subsidiary company, Hopkins & Allen of Norwich, Connecticut. Merwin Hulbert's designs had influenced other gunmakers of the time, such as Meriden Firearms Co., Harrington & Richardson, Forehand & Wadsworth, and Iver Johnson.
The Remington R51 is a semi-automatic pistol announced in late 2013 by Remington Arms and was available to the market in January 2014. The R51 is a modernized version of the John Pedersen-designed Remington Model 51 pistol now chambered in 9×19mm caliber. Remington announced plans to offer the pistol in .40 S&W and other calibers. However, no other chamberings were offered by the time of Remington's bankruptcy in 2018.
