On August 27, 1867, Remington firearms designer William Elliot received US Patent #68,292 for a single shot breechloading cartridge derringer design. The patent was for an “Improvement in Hammer for Breech-Loading Fire-Arms.” The exceptionally simple design, with a minimum of moving parts made the face of the hammer the breech face of the pistol. Cocking the single action, spur trigger pistol revealed the chamber at the rear of the barrel, allowing a cartridge to be inserted. Pulling the trigger dropped the hammer and breech face plate on the hammer nose made sure the cartridge was fully inserted into the chamber and sealed the rim in place against the rear of the chamber. The deep concealment pocket pistol was made without a rear sight and included only a brass post front sight. Sights were essentially irrelevant because even though the 1.5” barrel (nominally 2.5” from the muzzle face to the breech face) was rifled, it was unlikely to stabilize the stubby large bore .41RF bullet in flight, so the gun was clearly intended for “up close and personal” use. The pistol entered the Remington product line in 1867 and approximately 9,000 of the guns were produced by the time production ended in the mid-1880s. The pistols were intended to be sold as pairs, but no factory casings of the guns are known. However, some variant retailer cased sets are known. Like many of the guns in the Remington product line, the Remington Elliot Derringer was a victim of the bankruptcy and reorganization of company that took place circa 1886-1888, after which Hartley & Graham of New York City were the new owners.

The majority of production was made a with iron frames and a blued finish, with smooth two-piece walnut or rosewood grips. However, the guns were also produced with nickel finishes and special-order finishes like silver and gold plating. Special order grips like mother of pearl and ivory were also available at additional cost. A period print ad for the pistols circa 1880 noted that the guns were sold in pairs for $7.00 ($3.50 each) with the standard blued finish. Nickel plated frames and blued barrel guns were $7.75 per pair and fully nickel-plated guns were $8.50 per pair. Ivory grips were an additional $8.00, and mother of pearl were an additional $12.00! Considering that a standard pair of pistols was $7.00, or $3.50 each, a set of ivory grips cost slightly more than the guns themselves and the mother of pearl grips cost almost twice as much! Bear in mind that the grip prices were for two sets, since you were buying a pair of pistols. Basic factory engraving was an additional $4.00 per pair; however extensive engraving was more. Standard markings were two lines on the barrel which read:

REMINGTON’S, ILION, N.Y.

ELIOTT PAT. AUG. 27, 1867

The only other markings were the serial number on the bottom of the frame, bottom of the barrel and usually written inside both grips.

Offered here is a VERY GOOD condition example of a Remington Elliot Single Shot Derringer. The gun is serial number 6464 and has matching numbers on the barrel, frame and in pencil inside both grip panels. The barrel retains clear and legible markings, and the serial numbers are clear, except for the first number on the frame which does not appear to have been struck, so the frame number actually reads “464.” The pistol retains some strong traces of blue on the barrel, mostly on the top and bottom quarters with the sides showing little finish. The barrel retains about 20%-30% of that thinning blue, mixed with an attractive plum brown patina. The frame retains no finish and has the same moderately oxidized plum brown color found on the sides of the barrel. The hammer and trigger both retain some nice traces of fire blue and are very attractive. The two-piece smooth walnut grips are pencil numbered to the gun and fit perfectly. The grips show some light to moderate wear with some minor marks and dings from carry, handling and use. The pistol’s action works exactly as it should, with the half-cock position keeping the firing pin just off the cartridge rim but keeping the cartridge in place in the chamber. Fully cocking the pistol requires some effort as the mainspring has to be able to resist the force of the cartridge detonation and keep the breech closed during firing. The bore of the pistol is about good. It is moderately oxidized with scattered light to moderate pitting and fully visible rifling.

Overall, this is an attractive example of a relatively scarce Remington Elliot Single Shot Derringer that displays nicely and is reasonably priced. The gun would be a fine addition to any collection of 19^th century cartridge derringers, particularly one that concentrates on Remington firearms or the concealment pistols that were popular with gamblers and other ne’er-do-wells of the American “Old West” era.