Single shot Pistols and Derringers

James Reid 'My Friend' Knuckle Duster Pocket Revolver .22 rimfire 7 shot. Silver plated brass frame with brightly blued cylinder, the hammer was also blued, but in this example it is somewhat rusty. The weapon depicted is lightly engraved, but others can be found with extensive and deep engraving. The 'My Friend' was also available in 5 shot .32 short rimfire cal or 5 shot .41 short rimfire. An example exists that has a 1 7/8" round barrel added to the frame, which makes it look more like a conventional revolver than a pepperbox, another description lists an optional 48 mm barrel. The weapon was produced between 1868 & 1882 by James Reid in the upstate New York factory in the Catskill Mountains. Engraving normally consists of scrolls on either side of the frame, a checkered shield pattern on the back of the frame with scrolls on the back of the frame and border engraving on the top. The top strap is stamped on the left side above the cylinder with the words... MY FRIEND PAT'D DEC. 26, 1865.

Remington Arms Double Derringer... This was the most popular breech loading Derringer (about 150,000 were made, plus many copies) and was the favourite of riverboat gamblers. Deadly at up to 50 ft, the Model 1866 'over and under' was chambered for two .41 rimfire rounds. The superposed double was widely used in Wild West times by gamblers, saloon girls and ladies and has become the 'most recognisable' Derringer.

The .41 rimfire cartridge was created for used in small Derringer type pistols. The .41 rimfire round was very slow, 13 grains of black powder propelling a 130 grain lead bullet at 425 feet per second, yielding a muzzle energy of 52 ft lb.

The forerunner of the Remington Double Derringer was designed and patented in late 1865 by Dr. William Elliott, in 1866 this design was adopted and manufactured by Remington and had a 71 year production run from 1866 to 1937.