Remington derringer

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Byron Quick

Staff In Memoriam
I have an old Remington derringer. It is a rimfire that I believe has a .41 caliber bore. The only marking is on the top rib: Remington Arms Co. Ilion, NY. I vaguely remember seeing a couple of rounds for this derringer as a child. It seems the casings were made of copper instead of brass. Any ideas what I've got? The derringer has no finish but no rust. It's not going anywhere for it belonged to my great grandfather. The only heirloom I have.

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Byron Quick
 
Yep, it should be .41 RF. I think Navy Arms has ammo in stock if you want to shoot it.

It should be a o/u double bbl. pistol which opens by swinging the barrels upward from the breech.

There were several things that made them not the greatest pistol for defense, the round was a real pipsqueek, and the pistol wanted to land on its hammer with the barrels facing the person that dropped the gun.

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Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"
 
That's it, Jim. A succinct description of the balance. Do you know what years the derringer was produced?

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Byron Quick
 
Spartacus, according to the old Blue Book, you have a Rem. Over and Under Derringer Type Three. They were made from 1888 to 1911. Value ranges from $200 (10%) to $750 (95%).
 
Another thing you need to know. Don't shoot it, even with low power ammo. Those derringers tend to break at the top lug where the screw goes through, and they are then not feasbily repairable. Keep it for an heirloom but buy a better gun for shooting.

Jim
 
Glenn, indeed it was. The Type 4 was produced until 1934 but it was marked differently. We are talking about Spartacus' derringer and that models years are as stated above.

Also, Spartacus, FYI the finishes available were blued or nickel. I don't know if you can tell which one you have. I have seen old blued guns where the bluing is completely gone and it is hard to tell what the original finish was.
 
Jim, one of the two top lugs is already broken so I was not really tempted to shoot it but thanks for the tip.

Mal, ALL of the original finish is gone from this derringer but I would think it was blued. Mainly because I've never seen a nickel plated gun with all of the finish gone. There always seems to be a patch or two left.

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Byron Quick
 
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