Southerner Deringer
Brown Manufacturing Company · Pistol · Discontinued · 1867
Also known as: Southerner Derringer, Brown Southerner, Merrimack Arms Southerner
Overview
The Southerner Deringer is a single-shot pivoting-barrel pocket pistol chambered in .41 Short Rimfire, produced in Newburyport, Massachusetts during the late 1860s and early 1870s. To load, the barrel pivots to one side to expose the breech for a single cartridge. It was offered with either an iron or brass frame, a blued barrel, a spur trigger, and walnut or rosewood grips. Compact and easily concealed, it was a popular gambler's and traveler's defensive arm of the period.
Specifications
| Overall Length | 124 mm (4.88") |
| Barrel Length | 64 mm (2.52") |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 130 m/s (427 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 71 J (52 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 10 m (11 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Brass |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .41 Short Rimfire · primary — also known as .41 Short, .41 Rimfire Short, .41 RF
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot
- Features: Spur Trigger, Pivoting Barrel, Single Shot
Production
Estimated total produced: 16,500 · Production years: 1867-1873
Approximately 6,500 produced by Merrimack Arms & Mfg. Co. (1867-1869) and roughly 10,000 by the successor Brown Manufacturing Co. (1869-1873).
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Discontinued: 1873
Notes
The barrel's left side was stamped with the patent date 'APRIL 9, 1869'. Iron frames were blued or case-hardened; brass frames were typically silver-plated. Standard barrel length was 2.5 inches, though some examples were fitted with longer 4-inch barrels.
Background
Production began under Merrimack Arms & Manufacturing Co. before passing to the Brown Manufacturing Company of Newburyport, Massachusetts. Surviving examples often show considerable holster and pocket wear, evidence that these little pistols were genuinely carried rather than merely kept as curiosities.