This is a super rare little pistol.  Its an early .41 Caliber Remington Type 1 Derringer made without an extractor.  "Made c. 1865, it is estimated that fewer than 300-400 weapons (of this type)  were produced." P. 110 Remington Firearms: The Golden Age of Collecting by Robert Ball.  Left side of barrel rib is marked "E. REMINGTON & SONS. ILION. N.Y."  Right side:  "ELLIOT'S PATENT DEC. 12 1865". This gun is so early that it actually pre-dates the commercial process for nickel plating which didn't come about until the late 1860's at the earliest.  Instead, this Derringer was factory silver plated; a rarity in and of itself.  This may have been special order as the books we have only mention nickel and blued finishes.  The grips are the early wood panels made of rosewood.  The little german silver escutcheons around the grip's retaining screws are works of art by themselves.  If that isn't enough already, this just keeps getting better.  The topstrap is inscribed with the name of a previous owner "C.H. MILLARD".  The C.H. Millard we found in our research was a Union Leader for the UAW back during the 1930's and 40's.  While we can't confirm he was the actual owner with 100% certainty, the pieces do somewhat loosely fall into place...a depression-era  Union Boss would have clearly shown a need for protection.  Furthermore, given his position and status, this may have been given to him as a token of appreciation from some of his constituents.  And finally, this inscription itself while quite old, appears to be somewhat more contemporary than the weapon itself. 

Overall condition grades to NRA Antique Very Good Plus to Fine.  Barrels retain 60% original silver plating that is slightly tarnished underneath the frame.  The cast frame has traces of original silver out in the open but quite a bit hiding underneath the grips.  The hammer and barrel latch have most of their original fire blued finish intact.  Grips are in fine condition with some thinning original varnish remaining.  Both .41 Caliber bores are in excellent shape...still bright and shiny with minimal corrosion.  No rings or bulges.  Action works properly with the firing pin still operating back and forth to upper and lower barrels each time the hammer is cocked.  The notoriously fragile Remington barrel hinge is still solid with no cracks or repairs.  A really nice example of a super-scarce O/U Remington that may prove to have an interesting past.  This one deserves more research.

Item# 9172

SOLD