Deringers

Deringers are small pocket pistols named for the American gunsmith Henry Deringer. He established a gun shop in Philadelphia in the early 19th century and developed compact percussion pistols intended for concealed carry and personal defense. Deringers were typically single-shot, with short barrels and percussion ignition. They were made in modest calibers, commonly around .41 to .50, and featured simple wooden or horn grips. Their portability and straightforward design made them popular with civilians and travelers in the 1800s.

In design and production terms, Deringers were mass-produced in various models during the percussion era. The pistols were valued for ease of use and reliability rather than long-range accuracy. Although most versions were single-shot, the term “derringer” later became a generic descriptor for a wide range of small, concealable pistols, including multi-shot variants produced by other makers. The name Deringer became associated with a particular class of small, hand-weapon pistols rather than a single fixed configuration.

The most famous historical association is with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. John Wilkes Booth used a Philadelphia Deringer, a .44 caliber percussion pistol, to shoot Lincoln in 1865. The weapon’s notoriety helped cement the Deringer name in popular culture as a symbol of a small, easily concealed pistol.

Decline and legacy: With the transition to cartridge-armed pistols and changing manufacturing techniques, percussion-era Deringers faded from common use by the late 19th century. Today, genuine Deringers are collectors’ items and are often studied for their historical significance, while modern reproductions and similarly styled pocket pistols remain available from various makers.