Sharps Four Barrel Derringer?

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44 AMP

Staff
I'm looking for information about a "Sharps" derringer. A friend asked me to see what I could find out.

He remembers (vaguely) a Sharps (Sharps/somebody?) four barrel derringer, made or imported in the 1960s. A modern cartridge gun, (possibly patterned after an old one?) the barrels slid forward to load/unload.

I have no clue, so I ask here. Anyone have any info on this oddball?

Friend said Sharps made thousands of them, in the old days. The gun he is trying to find out about is a modern repro of those, he thinks. (apparently it wasn't around very long?)

Any help will be valuable. Thanks.
 
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Jim Watson

New member
Yes, there was such a thing, imported from Italy by Navy Arms.
It was a pretty faithful copy in .22 Short.
Sharps made something over 100000 of them, Navy sure didn't sell that many.
It is not significant enough to make it into the Blue Book so I can't say just when or how long Navy Arms offered them.
 
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Magnum Wheel Man

New member
I may have a picture of my original Sharpe & Hankins 32 rim fire... sounds the same...

looks like I don't have a dedicated picture, but it's on this rack...

it has a button that slides down, allowing the barrel assembly to slide forward, if done sharply, 4 tabs eject the spent cases, it has a ratchet rotating firing pin on the hammer, so the gun fires one barrel at a time... mine seems to function OK, but I've yet to shoot it ( I have a pretty limited supply of 32 Rim Fire ) it is quite difficult to get to slide open, as the button is pretty flat, & not knurled, & the gun is pretty tiny, plus it's kind tough to get the button engaged in the right position to get the barrels free

I looked at the pictures in the links, my Sharpes & Hankins is most close to the Navy Arms 22, although it looks like the barrel release is under the barrels, & on mine, it's on the side, just before & under the hammer... ( you can see the flash glint off the button on the side exposed, just under the chambers )

it's 7th down on the right side, just above the bottom break S&W, also in 32 Rim Fire...

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Glenn E. Meyer

New member
Iver Johnson has reported for a few years that they will make a new 22LR version. There's a picture on their website and it was reported at Shot.

If it happens I don't know. I was in Florida about 15 years ago and stopped by a gun show. A guy had a table covered with the HJS gun but I wasn't going to pay the FFL fees for what was an $80 gun then.

HJS also made a one barrel 380 or 9mm version - IIRC. It was viewed in Guns and Ammo as being snappy.

I also loved the gun after watching Yancy Derringer. I'd buy a new one for grins if it was terribly expensive.
 
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Jim Watson

New member
There is a guy around here who has a somewhat mysterious one of these.
Either it is a very early one before Navy Arms got them on the US market or maybe it has been defarbed to get off the Italian proof marks and importer's marks. It is not an original, just an odd repro. But it is worrying him to death; he posts it on a Facebook board every couple of months begging for information.
 
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Glenn E. Meyer

New member
A 32 would be really neat. Then I would dress like Yancy with one in each jacket sleeve. One in each vest pocket and one in my old style southern hat.

I recall him saying on the show that he carried 32 Sharps. Of course, after than show, the actor went on to play Tarzan - hard to conceal in that outfit.
 
D

DPris

Member Emeritus
For those interested in new, I saw the IJ at SHOT.
Obviously a toolroom sample, but looked promising & they said expected late summer.
Denis
 
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Bill DeShivs

New member
Uberti made thousands of them pre-1968. Copies may have been made by other Italian makers, also.
The Svendsen, HJS, and (I assume) Iver Johnson copies are much smaller than the original Sharps or Ubertis.
 
J

James K

Member In Memoriam
Actually, the originals are not at all scarce. Sharps made well over 100K of them in all models and some 60K in the first model alone. They can be found at most big gun shows and a fair condition functional one will run $500-600 and a grand will get one in nice condition. (Expect to dicker to get the best price.) You might do better if you don't mind one that you can't fire since ones in .30 RF will usually be cheaper.

Jim
 
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Mike Irwin

Staff
As far as I know, they were made in .22, .30, and .32 Short and Long, all rimfire.

I'm not sure if the .22 versions were .22 Short or Long.
 
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