4 barrel .22

[ncpatriot]

About 30 years ago, I remember seeing a .22 pistol just larger than a derringer, 4 barrel. Selective trigger I guess. Never handled it, saw it in a showcase. Have any of you ever seen it or remember who made it?

I ask as I saw a 3 barrel revolver on city-data.com, probably a prototype or model. Check it out under revolver or auto on their forum. Amazing gun. Seeing it reminded me of the .22/4. That had been the only multibarrel handgun I remembered seeing before. I'm sure there have been a few others along the line.

 

[Skans]

It's probably a Sharps Pepperbox. Did it look something like this:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=216178494

 

[Mike Irwin]

Or a Mossberg Brownie.

 

[aarondhgraham]

Mossberg Brownie maybe

Aarond

 

[Glenn E. Meyer]

HJS out of TX made a 22 Sharps clone. They also made a single shot version in 380 and 38 SPL, IIRC. They folded.

I was in FL and went to a gun show and a guy had a table of close outs about 15 years ago for $90ish. But wrong state and I didn't want to pay shipping, and FFL for it.

You can find them on auction sights for outrageous prices.

Wiley Clapp reviewed them for Guns and Ammo way back when.

A reincarnation of Iver Johnson has been talking about a new version:

http://www.iverjohnsonarms.com/

But I haven't seen it and it might be a vapor gun.

Always like the Sharps after watching Yancy Derringer as a kid.

 

[Claddagh]

Believe that Glen's probably nailed it. I almost bought one of those HJS .22 repros from a fellow where I worked a few years back. Mostly because I also had fond recollections of the Yancy Derringer TV show, but also because the price seemed right.

Until I test fired it, that is. Each individual barrel shot to a wildly different POI, none of which was closer than about a foot to my POA at 10 yds. Needless to say, I ended up passing on the deal, even when he knocked the price down to $75.

Iron Eyes Cody, playing the character of "Pahoo", was what my pre-teen self liked best about that show. What they depicted him as being able to do with his enormous Bowie knife or a heavily cut-down hammer double shotgun (which seemed to magically appear from somewhere under that blanket he wore whenever TS really HTF) was awe inspiring to a highly credulous 10 year-old!

 

[aarondhgraham]

Not to hijack the thread but,,,

Pahoo-ka-ta-wa wasn't played by iron Eyes Cody,,,
It was an actor by the name of X Brands,,,
Of German descent IIRC.

Click here,,,

Aarond

 

[Bill DeShivs]

The HJS was a later incarnation of the "4 Aces" derringer originally made by Erl Svendsen in Illinois. They were much smaller than the Sharps.
Uberti made a full-size copy of the Sharps 4 barrel.

 

[Claddagh]

Thanks for the correction, aaron. In my defense, I'd just like to point out that it has been more than 50 years ago, and I've slept a couple of times since then

 

[aarondhgraham]

Hello Claddagh,,,

Interestingly enough I just found out this tidbit of data last week.

I was drinking with a friend of mine,,,
One who I spend too many elbow-bending hours with,,,
Anyways we were talking about old black and white westerns.

When the topic got to the more obscure ones,,,
I told her about the Yancy Derringer toy set I had as a kid.

It had a derringer, a knife, a deck of cards, and some plastic gold coins,,,
It might have also had a vest and a hat but I'm not sure.

If it wasn't for her quick-draw I-Phone,,,
I never would have known either.

Aarond

 

[ncpatriot]

Mossberg Brownie looks closest to it that I see here. Seems it was a bit slimmer, then again, it's been a long time. So Mossberg once sold the Brownie for $5.00?

 

[357 Python]

Thank you aarondhgraham for the Mossberg Brownie link. Many years ago my dad had a gun that looked very much like the Brownie. It may have been a Brownie but I don't recall a maker of model name on it. The trigger pull was quite heavy and it had an internal rotating firing pin. It was a nice back up gun if you could get used to the trigger. He got rid of it back in the late 1980s. That is one of his guns I wished I had in my collection now.

 

[frumious]

I have this one. Kinda looks like the Brownie. But I don't think mine is a Mossberg. It has an "EIG" logo on it, looks like.

So what is it? I have never shot it. It was my Dad's.

-cls

 

[xjdefx]

Wow, the memories. I shot myself in the shoulder with one of those 4 barrel contraptions. It fell out of my hand, hit the ground butt first and pow. Need I say the hospital had a great "vintage" of morphine that day.

 

[ncpatriot]

Frumious, that looks a lot like what I saw. I remember the grips being similar. That may be the same gun.

 

[frumious]

Mine has a bunch of scratches all over both sides of the barrel. On the right side is another EIG logo and the word "Italy" and on the left side it says "Use only std 22 short, long, or ling rifle ctg" or something to that effect.

A google search turned up these forum threads (no pics) on TFL and THR. Also these auctionarms links here and here.

-cls

 

[Glenn E. Meyer]

That's interesting about the 4 Aces nuances. I remember the gun being called a Sharps when they came out. I remember also seeing the 4 Aces gun in that Krause standard catalog.

Maybe Taurus can make a 28 gauge version? Remember that Brit four barrel gun - the Lancaster? I remember a Leroy Thompson article about shooting those. Didn't they come in a 50 cal-ish size?

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Early 4 Aces in .22 short. Later versions were made in .22 lr.

 

[357 Python]

Thanks for the photos frumious, except for the grips and finish that looks exactly like the one my dad had.