Hi, SDC and guys,
Nope, when I say "Deringer" I mean Deringer. Here is a photo of the barrel marking. The company made revolvers in .22 and .32 rimfire; this one is .32. It is listed in Flayderman's (8A-050); the book says some 4000 were made, but a man I spoke with who has done extensive research on Deringer says that it was only about half that. This one is number 426; there are no markings on the side of the barrel, only on the top.
Apparently, S&W took one look at Deringer's revolvers and called in the lawyers. Deringer stopped production (1879) and those were the last guns the company ever made.
Incidentally, the fellow I bought it from thought it was an S&W and that it was a bargain. Actually, these are worth less than an equivalent condition No. 1 1/2 Second Issue, but the price was OK. Deringer even made a number of improvements. The "pushbutton" latch is a better design as is the internal cylinder stop, and the firing pin is offset so as to strike a wider area of the cartridge rim, probably an advantage in those days.
(Sure, I could have bought an S&W, but then I wouldn't be having all this fun with a Deringer that isn't.)
Jim
