Original U.S. Hammond "Bulldog" .44 Rimfire Pocket Pistol by Connecticut Arms & Mfg. Co. Serial 2267 - circa 1866

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.

This example looks to have seen long use on the frontier, and has a lovely peppered patina on much of the exterior. Due to this the address marking on the top of the barrel is mostly worn away, with only parts of the city and state visible:-

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

[CONNECTICUT ARMS & MANF'G Co N]AUBUC 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 under the grips with serial number 2267, indicating it was made during the second half of production, probably circa 1867. We were not able to see serial numbers on other components, however we do not know if they were usually numbered.

This example is in very nice "frontier worn" condition, with the original blued finish replaced by a peppery oxidized patina over much of the exterior due to long exposure to the elements. There is a bit of past pitting in a few areas, but overall it is still solid and has a great look to it. The original "gutta percha" composite grips are in very 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 ejector correctly to present and snap back when the breech is fully opened. The bore shows clear lands and grooves, but the finish is somewhat peppered, showing past fouling and past oxidation, now cleaned away.

A very nice example with a great "frontier used" look! Ready to 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

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