Chamberlain Underhammer Pistol
E. Chamberlain · Pistol · Discontinued · 1840
Also known as: Chamberlain Underhammer Pistol, Chamberlain Boot Pistol, Chamberlain Pocket Pistol
Overview
The Chamberlain is a mid-19th-century American single-shot underhammer percussion pocket pistol made by the New England gunmaker E. Chamberlain of Southbridge, Massachusetts. Like the wider family of New England underhammer 'boot' pistols of the 1830s-1850s, it places the hammer beneath the barrel so the lock sits flush against the grip, leaving a clean, snag-free profile ideal for concealed carry in a boot top, waistcoat, or coat pocket. A single trigger doubles as the mainspring, and the cap-and-ball muzzleloader is fired by capping the nipple under the barrel and cocking the underhammer. These simple, robust personal-defense arms were favored by travelers, gamblers, and townsfolk before the self-contained metallic cartridge displaced the percussion pocket pistol.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 340 g (12.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 248 mm (9.76") |
| Barrel Length | 102 mm (4.02") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 200 m/s (656 fps) |
| Effective Range | 10 m (11 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Frame Material | Iron |
| Barrel Material | Iron |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Browned |
Calibers
- .31 Caliber Percussion (Cap and Ball) · primary — also known as .31 cal, .31 percussion, 7.9mm
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzleloader
- Features: Single Shot, Underhammer Action, Boot Pistol, Concealable
Service history
Operators
- Civilian
Production
Production years: circa 1840-1860
Individual New England gunsmith output; no production records survive. The underhammer percussion pocket-pistol form flourished roughly 1830s-1850s before metallic-cartridge pistols displaced it.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: E. Chamberlain
Discontinued: 1860
Notes
A scarce antique percussion pocket pistol. The maker E. Chamberlain of Southbridge, Massachusetts is recorded in gunmaker databases only as a producer of an 'underhammer percussion pistol'; no factory records, model name, or exact dimensions survive. Numeric specifications here are estimated from documented comparable New England underhammer boot pistols (e.g. ~.31-.36 caliber, ~4 in barrel, ~9-10 in overall) and should be treated as typical-of-class rather than measured. Earlier GunSpec data incorrectly described this as a .22 rimfire tip-up cartridge derringer; corrected here to the documented underhammer percussion pattern.
Background
The underhammer or 'boot' pistol was a distinctly New England answer to concealed personal defense. Its inverted lock, pioneered in the 1826 Fordyce Ruggles patent and popularized by makers such as Nicanor Kendall and Ethan Allen, let gamblers and travelers slip a single-shot percussion pistol into a boot top or vest. E. Chamberlain of Southbridge, Massachusetts is one of the many small regional smiths who built such pistols, recorded in period gunmaker indexes as a maker of an underhammer percussion pistol.