Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

Derringer Question

Cooch
Need a derringer. 38 Special. Any suggestions on waht to buy and how much I should pay?
0

Comments

6 comments

Date Votes
  • Cooch
    A friend of mine is working for this older gentelman, cleaning out a garage for him. He found several pistols in a drawer and asked me to find out if any of them are worth salvaging. They are in varying stages of disrepair, down to one small semi auto that is a rusted piece of junk. I will be asking about several but this one was the first to catch my eye.

    It is a 4 barrel derringer with a rotating firing pin. I found a schematic for it at Numrich..It says that it is a replica Sharps 4 barrel derringer. Given the age of some of these other guns I am not sure that it is a replica.....anway, since I have not the ability to post a pic, this is my best description.

    - This is a 4 barrel derringer of .22 cal (not sure if short, L or LR)

    - The barrels are one piece and blued with serial # 312XX on the underside.

    - The frame is brass and marked "C. Sharps Pattent 1859" and 2 check marks on the left side of the frame and a matching serial number at the base of the grip.

    - The grips are plastic with a floral type of design.

    I am interested in knowing if this has any collecter value. The condition is fairly rough but it is shootable. My idea is more to clean it up and mount it in a shadow box. Just don't want to screw the guy if this is a real collectable. Thanks in advance for any help.

    NRA Life Member
    0
  • dcinffxva
    Without having any pics to go by this is just a good guess, but it's most likely a Sharps model 1A. They tend to run about $250.00 in good condition.
    0
  • drsck
    Please see the current auction #36349590. This seems to be what you have. The picture will give you an idea regarding the condition of yours and you can adjust the price accordingly. Best of luck
    0
  • Cooch
    That auction is what prompted my questions. That one has wood grips while the one that I have has plastic. The one shown at gunparts also has plastic grips.

    I also need to get the flat mainspring and gunparts does not list it. Any ideas?

    NRA Life Member
    0
  • Cooch
    bump for help finding the mainspring


    NRA Life Member
    0
  • ballardpacific
    The original Sharps 1A had, I believe, gutta percha grips -- a sort of early plastic, generally black, shiney originally and dulling with age. Miroku of Japan made a dandy copy of the 1B model, which featured a safety. You could not close the action with the hammer anywhere but half-cock, thus saving lossa thumbs. The 1B is similar but different in appearance to the 1A. These are nice little guns, and you can shoot it with the no powder cb caps, but nothing else!

    If it is a Miroku, and I think it is an original, it will take standard velocity 22 ammo. The originals were also uniformly in 22 short, a cartridge that has been around since 1855 or so.
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity