Southerner Derringer
Merrimack Arms & Manufacturing Co. · Pistol · Discontinued · 1867
Also known as: Southerner, Merrimack Southerner, Brown Southerner
Overview
The Southerner Derringer is a single-shot, pivoting-barrel pocket pistol chambered in .41 Short Rimfire. Patented by Merrimack Arms & Manufacturing Co. of Newburyport, Massachusetts in 1867, it swings its barrel to the side for loading and uses a side ejector to remove the spent cartridge, an arrangement that anticipated Colt's later Thuer-system pistols. Marketed under the 'SOUTHERNER' name to appeal to Southern buyers, it featured a brass frame and rosewood grips. Production passed to Brown Manufacturing Co. in 1869.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 200 g (7.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 121 mm (4.76") |
| Barrel Length | 60 mm (2.36") |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Single Shot |
| Muzzle Velocity | 130 m/s (427 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 71 J (52 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 5 m (5 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Brass |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Rosewood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .41 Short Rimfire · primary — also known as .41 Short, .41 Rimfire Short, .41 Rimfire
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Pivoting Barrel, Side Ejector, Spur Trigger, Rosewood Grips
Service history
Operators
- Civilian market · adopted 1867
Production
Estimated total produced: 16,500 · Production years: 1867-1873
~6,500 by Merrimack Arms (1867-1869) and ~10,000 by Brown Manufacturing Co. (1869-1873)
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Discontinued: 1873
Notes
Merrimack Arms built roughly 6,500 examples between 1867 and 1869; after reorganization as Brown Manufacturing Co., a further ~10,000 were produced through 1873. Some later examples used a steel frame. Barrel and overall lengths varied slightly between makers (roughly 2 3/8 to 2 1/2 inch barrels).
Background
Named the 'Southerner' to court customers in the post-Civil War South, this discreet pocket pistol was typical of the small concealable rimfire derringers carried for personal defense in the late 1860s and 1870s.