Original U.S. Excellent Hammond "Bulldog" .44 Rimfire Pocket Pistol by Connecticut Arms & Mfg. Co. Serial 547 - circa 1865

Original Item: Only One Available. This is an American classic in .44 Rimfire, the cartridge used in the early HENRY Lever Action Rifles! What a punch these must have had!

The story goes that Doc Holiday's part time girlfriend, Big Nose Kate, once drilled some gambler a new belly button with one of these powerful pistols. Using Hammond's "Bulldog" patent, these were made by the Connecticut Arms and Manufacturing Company. Records show production was between 1865 and 1868 and that total production reached fewer than 8,000 units. We originally thought these were produced into the 1870s, however per a historian customer, Connecticut Arms ceased production in 1868 following a mortgage default. This was the result of poor sales, resulting in a large unsold surplus, so the pistols continued to be sold as new through the 1880s, even though they were made over a decade earlier.

The top of the barrel still has clear maker address markings:

CONNECTICUT ARMS & MANF'G Co NAUBUC CONN.

There are also mostly clear patent markings on the rotating breech:

PATENTED OCT. 25 1864

The pistol is marked on the on the grip frame with serial number 547, indicating it was made very early in production, probably during 1865, the first year of production. We also noted that 547 is written on the inside of both grip scales with pencil. We were not able to see serial numbers on any other components, however we do not know if they were usually numbered.

This example is in excellent condition, probably the best that we have ever seen. There is still lots of the original bluing present on the barrel, and the breech block and frame still show some of the original case coloring, which very easily wears away. There is no major peppering or other oxidation we can see, just some "water stains" on the barrel, which were cleaned away. The original "gutta percha" composite grips are in good condition, with strong checkering and a slightly faded brown color on the exterior. They are in great shape, with no cracking or chunks missing, definitely a rarity.

The chamber on these pistols is opened by setting the hammer at half cock and pressing the small stud sight on the top of the frame directly behind the hammer. The breech can then be rotated left to extract the spent cartridge and load a fresh one. This example is fully functional, with the sight releasing the breech, which rotates down and actuates the extractor / ejector correctly to present, after which the cartridge can be removed. We checked the bore, and it is in excellent condition, showing a bright finish with crisp lands and grooves. There is just a bit of scattered oxidation, and it doesn't look like this pistol saw much use at all! Probably the best bore we've ever seen on a Hammond Bulldog.

A fantastic example of a rare U.S. single shot pistol, ready to research and display!

Specifications:

Years of Manufacture: 1865-1868
Caliber: .44 Henry
Ammunition Type: Rimfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 4 inches
Overall Length: 8 inches
Action: Exposed Hammer
Feed System: Swivel Breech Single Shot

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.