Colt's · Pistol

Colt Third Model Derringer

Name: Colt Third Model Derringer
Brand: Colt's

Break action · .41 Short Rimfire · introduced 1875

Also known as Colt Thuer Derringer, Colt No. 3 Derringer, Colt .41 Derringer

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About the Colt Third Model Derringer

The Colt Third Model Derringer is a single-shot, .41 rimfire pocket pistol designed by Colt engineer F. Alexander Thuer and produced from about 1875. Its barrel pivots sideways to the right to expose the breech and actuate a spring extractor, with no release button: a detent-and-ball mechanism keeps the barrel closed and the forward-resting hammer blocks it from opening. By far the most popular of Colt's three derringer models, roughly 48,000 were made before production ended in 1912.

Colt entered the derringer market by buying out the National Arms Company in 1870, inheriting Daniel Moore's pivoting-barrel design for the 1st and 2nd Models. Engineer F. Alexander Thuer, who had earlier designed Colt's cartridge-conversion system for percussion revolvers, reworked it into the cheaper-to-make Third Model that outsold both predecessors.

Colt Third Model Derringer specifications

General

Type: Pistol
Action: Break action
Firing mechanism: Single action
Trigger: Single action
Calibres: .41 Short Rimfire
Magazine capacity: 1 rounds

Dimensions

Barrel length: 60 mm (2.4 in)
Overall length: 124 mm (4.9 in)
Weight (empty): 0.21 kg (0.47 lb)

Barrel

Rifling: Right hand

Materials

Barrel: Steel
Receiver / frame: Brass
Stock: Wood
Finish: nickel_plated

Performance

Muzzle velocity (typical): 130 m/s (427 fps)
Effective range: 7 m

History

Introduced: 1875
Discontinued: 1912
Production status: Out of production
Country of origin: US
Designer: F. Alexander Thuer

Features

Single shot
Pivoting barrel
Spur trigger
Birds head grip
Spring extractor

Safety

Hammer block

Also called the 'Thuer Model' after its designer. The barrel typically measured 2 3/8 to 2 1/2 inches. A very limited number were produced in .41 centerfire. Weight is an approximation typical of period bird's-head-grip pocket derringers; sources rarely list it.