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Remington Double Derringer .41? Ivory?

nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,083 ******
edited December 2008 in Ask the Experts
Look at these pictures.

MVC-175S.jpg

MVC-176S.jpg

MVC-179S.jpg

MVC-180S.jpg

MVC-170S.jpg

MVC-169S.jpg

It appears to be a Remington Double Derringer in .41 Rimfire. It has been SEVERELY polished and nickel plated. There are NO markings left on the gun. No caliber markings, no manufacturer markings, no serial number.

Bores are bad. Action is tight and the firing mechanism works though.

What do you think?

Is it a Remington Double?

What about the lack of a serial number? Can I legally sell this gun, or will it have to be scrapped?

Now for the grips.

MVC-168S.jpg

MVC-167S.jpg

They look like ivory, but I am no expert. I heated a straight pin red hot and tried to poke it into the inside of the grip. I found out they are definitely not plastic since the grip didn't melt. Actually, I was unable to poke into the surface at all with the pin, and I noted no strong smell of any kind. I heated the pin and laid it against the material. Still no smell, only a mild discoloration that wiped off easily.

So, what do you think the grip material is?

Thanks in advance.
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Comments

  • p3skykingp3skyking Member Posts: 23,916 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    .41 Rimfire is not available in normal commerce. Since it is in that caliber and not readily convertible to anything else, it appears you can sell it without regard to the GCA. It would be considered an antique.
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  • kimikimi Member Posts: 44,719 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It's a Remington Double Derringer. The Serial Number appears to be "3" as shown on the grip frame. I believe that Remington would serialize their derringers like Colt did. For example: Colt used at least three different blocks of serial numbers for their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Model .41 caliber derringers, beginning with serial number "1" each time. I'm not sure about whether or not the grips are ivory though, but some Remington Double Derringers were fitted with them over the 69 year production run - 1866 to 1935.
    What's next?
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  • gunut 1gunut 1 Member Posts: 359 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Remington derringers did not have a serial number per-se...the number were used for assembly but restarted at 1 every thousand or so....
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  • kimikimi Member Posts: 44,719 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    They were also serialized on the grip frame like Colt. Colt would also pencil in the serial number on the inside of the right grip of their 3rd Model Derringers.
    What's next?
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  • Bill DeShivsBill DeShivs Member Posts: 1,264 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Your grips are ivory.
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  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    grips are worth more then the pistol to the right person . Your pistol IS LEGAL TO OWN even had guns did not have to have a serial until 1934. the first major gun control act you can always say serial is 3 NO BATFE AGENT WAS EVEN BORN WHEN IT WAS MADE and no ammo available. from normal gunshops. Neat old pistol most had hinge broken and then repaired.
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  • MIKE WISKEYMIKE WISKEY Member Posts: 10,042 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    "Bores are bad."....damn, no 1" 100 yrd. groups[:(]
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  • givettegivette Member Posts: 10,886 ✭
    edited November -1
    Left side of gun..hinge screw..5:O'clock position

    Right side of gun..hinge pin 7:O'clock position

    Photos may be "off", but they sure look like hinge-cracks to me.

    Sell the grips separately for best return. Advertise that you did the "hot pin" test. Best I could do. Joe
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  • siliconsorcerersiliconsorcerer Member Posts: 12 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    It's a Type II 3rd Model, you can tell by the width of the hinge (which is cracked) and the ejector face. Grips are not original but appear to be ivory probably worth more then the gun. There's 5 variations of the 3rd model, only the 1st (shortline) is considered a serial number since they only produced 3022 of them and did not start again at 1 after reaching 9999 and then commonly referred to as batch numbers. The odds are this is not a shortline which you could somewhat date but this model was made until 1912. Because there is so many variations and no-one can say with complete certainty which variation (after the shortline) was produced in which order these are almost most often sold as pre-1899. There was a run of ammo made a while back 10+ years ago which occasionally still seen and I believe there is a kit they sell where you put primers in a case to reload ammo. I *think* Dixie may sell this.
    By the way IF this was a UMC Third Type, 4th or 5 model (mono-block) I would NOT sell this without a FFL although you might be ok with a C&R check the list. What's normal commerce? I've seen and sold many a boxes of 41rf ammo on this site.
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  • v35v35 Member Posts: 12,710 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The ivories should show grain. Insides look a little pale.
    If you take some scrapings from the insides and burn them, it should smell like hair.
    Some modern "ivory " grips are powdered ivory in an epoxy mix.
    I had one with a cracked hinge that I had brazed but didn't hold. This was many years ago with old brazing materials. Today there better materials for brazing iron.
    There was an earlier run of 41short rim made by an odd ammo specialist named Philip J. Medicus of N.Y.. They carried the marking M.
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