Sharps & Hankins Iron Frame .32 Rim Fire Obsolete Calibre 4 Barrelled Derringer .32 Deringer

Large, 1862 - 1867 American Wild West Era Sharps & Hankins Iron Frame .32 Rim Fire Obsolete Calibre 4 Barrelled Derringer . Sn 16161 - 16161

The story of the Sharps four-barrel pistol begins, officially, on December 18, 1849. On that date, the United States Patent Office issued patent number 6960 for a pistol to Christian Sharps, then residing in Washington, D.C. The pistol was not produced on a commercial basis until 1859, after Sharps had become sole owner of the Fairmont Rifle Works in West Philadelphia. By this time, the metallic cartridge had been introduced and Sharps was able to develop his design into a practical repeating pistol. Patent number 22753 was issued to Sharps on January 25, 1859. In 1862, William Hankins joined the firm and the company became "Sharps & Hankins". With the money brought into the company by Hankins, they were able to acquire a new factory. The new factory was first used for the manufacture of metallic rimfire cartridges but was later used to make both rifles and pistols. The Sharps and Hankins derringers differed from earlier Sharps derringers. They were larger, .32 calibre, and had iron frames. With only one exception, the Sharps & Hankins derringers had the barrel release button on the left side of the frame instead of underneath the frame. .When the partnership was dissolved in 1867, production of this model was stopped entirely. This is an Sharps & Hankins 4 barrelled derringer in .32 RF calibre. It is a fully functioning example. The pistol has 4 x 3 ½” steel barrels which have clean bores with crisp rifling. The derringer measures 6 ½” overall length. The frame is iron. It has a brass blade fore sight and grooved frame rear sight. The right side of the frame has faint indistinct name ‘C.Sharps Jan’ (C. Sharps Patent Jan 25 1859). The top of the barrel group is crisply marked with the Sharps & hankins name and address. It has a revolving firing pin which works as it should and loading is achieved by depression of a knurled steel button on the left side of the frame. The barrel cluster can then be moved forward for loading of rounds. It has a shrouded trigger & undamaged Walnut grip. Its loading cocking and firing actions work perfectly. The price includes UK delivery. NB As an antique obsolete calibre weapon no licence is required to own this item in the UK if retained as part of a collection or display. Sn 16161
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