Original U.S. "Southerner" Single Shot Derringer by Brown Mfg. Co. in .41 Caliber Rimfire - Matching Serial 3443

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely example of one of several .41 caliber single shot pocket pistols, usually referred to as "Derringers", after the legendary pocket pistols made in Philadelphia before the civil war. The National Arms company had made one of the early examples, which featured a rotating barrel based on a 1861 patent held by Daniel Moore. This company was later purchased by Colt, who continued production. However they were definitely not the only company that made pistols like this.

Merrimack Arms & Manufacturing Co. of Newburyport, Mass. patented their own design for a "Derringer" in 1867 as a competitor to the National Arms pistol, and it was honestly a much better design. Instead of the rotating barrel, it instead pivoted to the side, with an ejector removing the spent cartridge. They marketed the pistol as the "SOUTHERNER", intended to appeal to customers in the South, hoping to take advantage of markets farther from the large firearms industry in New England. They manufactured about 6,500 of these pistols between 1867 and 1869.

In 1869, the company was reorganized as Brown Manufacturing Co., and they would go on to produce 10,000 more of the pistols between 1869 to 1873. Of note is that this design anticipated Colt's "Thuer" model or "New Model" Derringer, which was not released until 1875, five years after they purchased National Arms, and was based on a similar concept.

This example is very good condition, showing wear from service and cleaning, which has removed the bluing on the barrel, and also removed the plating from the frame, except for a bit under the grip scales. It really looks great, with a beautiful golden patina on the brass frame. There is just a bit of past peppering on the barrel, now removed. There is no sign of refinishing, just how we like to see them, and the barrel markings are still clear. The top of the barrel still bears a large SOUTHERNER marking on the top. The left side of the barrel still shows the Brown Manufacturing address and patent markings:

BROWN MF'G. Co.
NEWBURYPORT. MASS.
PAT. APR. 9. 1867.

The pistol is marked with serial number 3443 on the bottom of the grip, which is a bit faint. This same number is stamped onto the bottom of the barrel, ejector, and on the inside of BOTH grip scales. That makes this a very nice "ALL MATCHING" example, with no parts swapped out over the years!

The action opens and closes correctly when the button on the bottom of the frame is pressed, and the hammer must be in the half or full cock position for it to open. The ejector is present and fully functional, actuated by rotating the barrel. The bore of the barrel does still show signs of rifling, however it is definitely in fair to poor condition. It looks like the pistol was probably not cleaned after use, and black powder combined with moisture and time resulted in rust pitting over most of the interior surface, in contract to the exterior. The grips look to be rosewood, and are in very good service used condition, showing a lovely color with exterior wear, but no major chips or cracking.

A lovely concealable pocket pistol from the late 19th century, ready to display!

Specifications:

Years of Manufacture: 1869-1873
Caliber: .41cal
Ammunition Type: Rimfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 2 1/2 inches
Overall Length: 4 7/8 inches
Action: Pivoting Barrel
Feed System: 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.