History Of The Derringer Pistol

In the mid-19th century, the derringer was the concealed handgun of choice for officers and private citizens alike. The classic short barrel, hammer fired design was incredibly popular with travellers, gamblers, and saloon girls - securing the derringer pistol a permanent place in the folklore of the Wild West.

The Philadelphia Deringer Is Born

The Philadelphia Deringer was a small percussion pistol developed by Henry Deringer and manufactured from 1852 to 1868. A popular choice for concealed carry, the Philadelphia Deringer also earned a reputation as an assassin's pistol after John Wilkes Booth used a Deringer to shoot President Abraham Lincoln in 1865.

Despite the controversy surrounding the Lincoln assassination, consumers continued to purchase the Philadelphia Deringer, resulting in nearly 15,000 pistols produced in a 16-year period. The popularity of the Deringer would have a lasting impact on the concealed carry market for years to come.

Impact On Other Pocket Pistols

Other manufacturers quickly began making imitation pocket pistols based off of the Philadelphia Deringer to capitalize on the growing concealed carry trend. These guns were still known as Deringers (later spelled derringers) even though they departed from the original design in many significant ways. 

While retaining the same basic profile and firing mechanism, subsequent derringer pistols often featured multiple barrels for increased capacity and fired proprietary cartridges rather than the cap and ball ammunition of the original.

Purchase the Cobra Bearman .22 LR Derringer today!

Derringers In The Modern Day

A few contemporary derringer manufacturers have moved away from the single action hammer-fired design in favor of hammerless double action pistols optimized for concealed carry. That said, the single action design is arguably more popular than ever, and several companies still produce variants of the classic derringer to this day, chambered in a wide assortment of calibers. 

Purchase the Trailblazer Firearms LC2 Lifecard .22 Magnum Single Shot Pistol today!

Purchase the Bond Arms Roughneck .357 Mag / .38 SPL Derringer today!

Are Derringer Pistols Still Relevant For Concealed Carry?

Although much of the derringer's acclaim can be attributed to its place in pop culture, there are a couple niche applications for which a derringer pistol might be the best choice. Shooters would be hard pressed to find a compact firearm that conceals as well in a pocket holster, or may be had in as many calibers in such a small package.

Fans of single action handguns might opt for a derringer as a backup to a revolver chambered for the same round. Alternatively, if capacity is not as much of a concern, a derringer is a perfect deep concealment pistol for carry in non-permissive environments.

Are there better all-around choices for every day carry? Yes, absolutely. However, derringer pistols are far from irrelevant and will likely continue to be used as they were originally intended - in situations where larger guns would be less than ideal. 

Check out this awesome 1911 / Derringer pairing in .45 ACP!