Selected Handgun Detail

Manufacturer
	American Derringer Corporation More Info

About the Gun

Compact Remington-style single-action over/under derringer in stainless steel with rosewood grips, a spur trigger, and a hammer-block safety that drops off when the hammer is cocked. This is the standard production Model 1, not the Lady polish-and-ivory package, not the engraved or brass commemorative guns, and not the longer Model 4.

Production

Production ran from 1986 through the late 1990s.

Market value

MSRP at production was around $500–$600. Current used market value for examples in good to very good condition ranges $400–$550.

Cartridge Specifications
Cartridge:	.44-40 Winchester
Alias:	.44 Winchester Centerfire (WCF)
More Info

Analysis

American Derringer introduced the Texas Commemorative in 1986 for the 150th anniversary of Texas independence. Catalogs limited the run to 500 pistols per chambering and marked the barrels “Made in the 150th Year of Texas Freedom,” with a special serial number on the backstrap of the deluxe-engraved guns. The lockwork stayed the standard Model 1 arrangement: top-break barrels, automatic barrel selection, and a hammer-block safety that drops off when the hammer is cocked. The brass frame is the visible split from the stainless production Model 1 and from the later factory-engraved stainless guns. A separate 125th-anniversary brass Model 1 followed in 1991 with different barrel marking and should not be mixed with this run. After the commemorative window closed, leftover Texas Commemorative SKUs lingered on the factory list, then disappeared with the rest of the Waco line. Used examples trade a little above a plain Model 1 when the marking and brass frame are intact.