It's hard not to raise an eyebrow at an alleged recent statement from an Oklahoma robbery suspect. weapon of choice. According to some in Oklahoma news agencies including VKTULA 24-year-old man was arrested Dec. 6 by Tulsa police after allegedly robbing a liquor store using what officers described as an “antique musket.”
Authorities soon detained the suspect and charged him before releasing some additional details about the weapon.
“For those wondering, the firearm likely dates back to the mid-1800s and is a single-shot striker-fired Derringer pistol. It was also called a 'muff pistol' or 'pocket pistol,'” Tulsa police said. posted on social networks December 8th.
According to a firearms historian Michael HelmsLaw enforcement's initial assessment is a bit off the mark—whether you spell “Derringer” with one “r” or two.
“Derringer” properly refers to a pistol made by Henry Deringer, a Philadelphia gunsmith who earned a reputation for his compact striker pistols, says Helms. Popular Science. “Deringer's name became widespread when one of his pistols was used to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. Over time, the name 'Derringer' became an umbrella term for small striker pistols.”
While cautioning that it is difficult to evaluate a historical firearm from a single photograph, Helms saw no direct evidence that the weapon was an exact replica. Tulsa police were correct in identifying this as impact pistol. These types of guns are loaded from the muzzle with a ball and powder and ignited using a primer. At the same time, there is something striking about the crime scene evidence.
“This gun is a little different and a little rarer; it’s a hammer gun,” Helms said. Common weapons from the mid-19th century usually had hammers located either on the top or on the side. As the name suggests, jackhammers have a trigger located underneath the barrel of the weapon.
“In this case, the hammer is attached to the front trigger, which was used to 'cock' the gun. The trigger behind it would release the hammer and fire the shot,” he added.
Underhammer pistols are not associated with any one person or era, but firearms historians pay tribute to this fact. popularization of Nickenor Kendall. The gunsmith lived in Vermont in the 1840s and 1850s. developed my own hammer safety bolt after his own gun misfired while trying to shoot a squirrel
“With the development of the metal-cartridge revolver in the late 1850s, gun design changed significantly, and by the 1860s and 1870s, striker-fire design (and striker-fire design in general) was largely obsolete,” Helms said.
Today, hammer guns are often considered collector's items. Helms noted that while many American and, like some European gun manufacturers, “dabbled in these designs”, they were late to the development of the striker-fired pistol and did not influence wider gun production.
Although he said the overall design of the weapon is “pretty generic”, he suggests it could have been produced Ethan Allen. Not to be confused with a furniture company or leader of the Green Mountain Boys During the American Revolution, Ethan Allen was a prominent 19th century gunmaker who patented many single-shot and repeating-shot pistols.
“It’s still an interesting antique pistol,” Helms admitted.
