RIfleman Q&A: Derringer Rifles?

by
posted on April 8, 2022
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
right-side view derringer gun rifle muzzleloader musket colorless image black-white photography

Q. Can you identify my rifle? The only markings on it are “U.S. Derringer, Philadelphia 1826.” Any information would be appreciated.


A. You have a U.S. Model 1817 .54-cal. flintlock rifle that was altered to percussion cap ignition by the so-called “Belgian” method in the 1850s. This involved replacing the flint cock with a percussion hammer of the style and shape your photos show, removing the external frizzen, frizzen spring, and filling in the mounting screw holes for these parts. The flintlock brass pan was cut off close to the lockplate, and the hollow of the pan was filled with brass. All of these features—including the 1826 date—match details in my references for Derringer “Common Rifles.”

wood gun rifle musket stock buttplate stamping military u.s.

The clue that confirms my identification is the photo showing the “U.S.” on the butt tang. It also shows the top of the latch for the oval patchbox on the right side of the butt. That and the gently flared ramrod tip make me certain. Your other photographs cover up features that would have made identification easier.

Henry Derringer worked in Philadelphia, Pa., and had a contract to produce 400 U.S. Model 1817 “Common Rifles” of 1826 out of the 13,000 rifles he made between 1819 and 1846. The U.S. Model 1817 Rifles are described and illustrated in Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms 8th Edition. For a more detailed and better illustrated account, see American Military Shoulder Arms, Volume II, From the 1790s to the End of the Flintlock Period by George D. Moller.

—Angus Laidlaw


This “Questions & Answers” was featured in the June 2005 issue of American Rifleman. At time of publication, "Questions & Answers" was compiled by Staff, Ballistics Editor William C. Davis, Jr., and Contributing Editors: David Andrews, Hugh C. Birnbaum, Bruce N. Canfield, O. Reid Coffield, Charles Q. Cutshaw, Charles M. Fagg, Angus Laidlaw, Evan P. Marshall, Charles E. Petty, Robert B. Pomeranz, O.D., Jon R. Sundra, Jim Supica, A.W.F. Taylerson, John M. Taylor and John W. Treakle.

To subscribe to the magazine, visit the NRA membership page here and select American Rifleman as your member magazine.

Latest

Gotw Wilson Combat Divison 77 Project 1 Web
Gotw Wilson Combat Divison 77 Project 1 Web

Gun Of The Week: Wilson Combat Division 77 Project 1

Join American Rifleman staff on the range in this video to get a closer look at Wilson Combat’s somewhat cryptically named “Division 77 Project 1.” 

The Armed Citizen® July 18, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Review: POF-USA LMR BASE Rifle

The Patriot Ordnance Factory LMR Base offers a .308 Win. chambering in a lightweight, AR-15-size package, which makes it a capable platform for today's new gun owner. And it comes at a fair price.

2025 Accessory Of The Year: Wyoming Sight Drifter

For each of the past 23 years, the editors of American Rifleman have convened to select our top picks for the past year’s best and most innovative products. Here are the most recent winners.

Henry Donates Rifles To Support Young Leukemia Victim

Henry Repeating Arms has donated a limited run of 50 “Team Keane” Golden Boy .22 lever-action rifles to support 13-year-old Keane Rhodes of Universal City, Texas, who is currently undergoing aggressive treatment for ALL T-cell leukemia.

Rifleman Review: Springfield Armory Echelon

Springfield Armory introduced its Echelon in 2023, bringing a modernized, chassis-style, striker-fired handgun to the market that has since seen several notable line extensions.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.