Shortly after the American Civil War, a New York dentist-turned-firearms inventor named William H. Elliot designed a revolutionary pocket pistol to fire the .41 Short rimfire caliber metallic cartridge. At the time, it was the most powerful small handgun cartridge on the market. This compact but hard-hitting pistol was immediately embraced by riverboat gamblers, ladies of the night, messengers, travelers, shopkeepers and anyone else who needed an easily concealable, large-caliber weapon for self defense. Its novel design featured twin, over-and-under barrels that swung open from a top hinge for loading and cartridge extraction, a "spur" trigger and large, comfortable grips. This was one, but not the first, of the more than 130 firearms patents Dr. Elliot would be granted over the last half of the nineteenth century. The Elliot’s Over/Under Derringers were made by Remington from 1867 to 1935, with the barrel address changing as the name of the company changed, and with the address moving from the web between the barrels to the top rib. They made over 150,000 and they were offered in either blue, nickel, or a combination of the two.
This particular example is a Type III (aka Model ) 4 variant produced between 1912-1935, as indicated by its simple "REMINGTON ARMS - UMC ILION, NY" address stamp on the top barrel rib . It is in phenomenal condition; featuring about 98% of its original blued finish.
Mechanically, this pistol is perfect. The hammer holds solid on full and half cock, and the camming action of the firing pin works as it should. The extractors also work and are not rusted in place like many other Model 95s of this vintage. Interestingly, this pistol bares the earmarks of a careless Remington employee - during the final polishing of the pistol before bluing, a heavy-handed factory employee polished through the thin portion of the lower frame. Considering that this was a relatively inexpensive pistol, and the "polish-through" didn't impact the gun's ability to function, the factory opted to continuing finishing the gun, despite the factory blemish. While this may have been annoyance to the gun's original owner, it serves a cool reminder to us modern collectors, of the unique "human element" that went into firearm manufacturing of the late 19th/early 20th Centuries!
The original hard rubber grips are very good with no cracks or chips.
The bores are both very good with no rust or pitting.
This iconic pocket pistol is sure to be the joy of anyone's derringer collection, and its excellent condition means it will be a sound investment for years to come.
Despite the fact that this pistol was produced after 1899, the fact that it is chambered in an obsolete caliber which is no longer being manufactured still classifies it as an "antique"; meaning it can be shipped directly to it's new owner without the need to be transferred through an FFL holder!
