"The Best Damn Gunshop in the World"

Most people have heard of the Deringer (or Derringer) pistol because John Wilkes Booth used one in the infamous assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865. To gun collectors today, Henry Deringer, Jr. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1786- 1868) refined the small personal protection pistols, and whose last name is now the generic term for many small […]

By Dick Salzer Somewhere we read that if you steal data from one source, it’s plagiarism; if you steal from many sources, it’s research. We have created “research” by liberally and unashamedly combining the work done by others along with our own observations and conclusions, starting with our cover photo. (A very similar photo appeared […]

by Mel Carpenter There are hundreds of different Gyrojet rockets ranging in size from 2.8mm to 55mm, but the only rockets made as pistol ammunition that actually went into mass production were those for the Model 137, Mark I, Mark I Model B, and Mark II Model C pistols. The other types and sizes were […]

In a world where collectible arms can reach six figures in value, there are, believe it or not, areas of collecting that are still affordable. This column will regularly feature areas of specialization that are InexpensIve, fun, challenging, and hIghly rewardIng in collector satisfaction. Starting in about 1880, Smith and Wesson produced a series of […]

by Mel Carpenter When Smith and Wesson (S&W) prepared to market their first revolver in 1857, it was essential that they also be in a position to produce and market the cartridges to go with it. For the first few years, they manufactured their own cartridges at their plant on Market Street in Springfield, Massachusetts. […]

by Charles Pate It has generally been reported that the first Colt Model 1860 Army revolvers bought by the Union forces were ordered by the U.S. Navy on May 1st, 1861, and delivered later that month. That was not actually the case. The North’s first Model 1860 revolvers, called the “New Model Army” by Colt […]

by Bob Carswell In the world of Webley collecting, collectors have been at somewhat of a disadvantage because the books written on them have been confusing. Do not get me wrong. I love the works of Dowell, Bruce, and Reinhart. I’ve spent hours looking at these great books. These books have, in fact, made me […]

by Gerald Jordan Ambrose Burnside did not achieve greatness as a Civil War general. At best, his war performance was mediocre. He is remembered, however, for several other things:  His foppishly bizarre facial hair style, then called “burnsides,” a word now evolved into the modern word “sideburns.”  His three terms as Governor of Rhode Island  […]

If there is a single category of gun collecting that is nearly limitless, it is the category of automatic pistols. Ever since Hugo Borchardt developed the first successful auto-loading, repeating pistol, literally hundreds of manufacturers have entered that market.  The field is so immense that even the most advanced collectors have to limit their fields […]