The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-11-20
NEW AND OLD PISTOLS.
FASHIONS HAVE CHANGED SINCE
FLINTLoCK TIMES.
"A Duelling Outfit OF Forty Years
Ago-Thc Derringer and the Re
volver Eras.

''If you are interested in shooting
irons, said gun dealer to New York
Sun reporter, ''let me show you some
pistols. They will indicate how fashions
have changed among shooting men during
the last forty years"
In neat mahogany case which the
dealer placed on the counter lay two
single barrclled pistols. The barrels
were foot long. The bore was a half
inch in diameter. Barrels, locks and
stocks were elaborately and tastefully
engraved by hand. The stocks were pc
culiar in shape in that a horn projected
so as to fit between the thumb and the
rest of the hand and keep the weapon
from jumping up when fired. There
was a circle of steel in the case that was
for cutting patches for the round ball
used in loading the pistol. Bullet
moulds were also in place, and pow
der flask and cap box as well. 1t was a
frst-class duelliug oat6t.
"They are for SALE" said the dealer,
'becsuse duelling is out of fashion.
They cost lot of money when new, and
it will take $25 now to buy the outfit.
Forty years ago no other sort of n wea-
lpon was used in the shooting galleries.
The gallery man loaded the weapons and
gave the word as if a duel was in pro-
gress, and the would-be expert fired at
the outline of a man placed twelve PAGES
away. Although revolvers were invented
before the date l speak of, the duelling
pistol held its own in the shooting gall
leries until after the war.
"Whilc shooting men cling to the
dueiling pistol for gallery practice, in an
ticipstion of needing knowledge of it
some time, they could not carry such
weapon around with them. The der
ringer was accordingly brought out as a
pocket pistol. 1t was a short weapon,
the barrel being but % inches long, but
in the hands of the old-time gamblers on
the Mississippi STEAMBOATS, it was dead
ly weapon. They often fought duels
with derringers, while in hand to-hand
conflicts derringers were invariably used
if any weapon besides bowie knife were
drawn.
"Of cour.e the fact that the derringer
had but one charge was noted. To make
up for this two were carried. Then
ldouble-barreled derringers were intro
duced, one barrel beside the other, as in
"a shotgun. The flash pans were on top
of the barrels. 1t was elaborately en-
graved, but it was about as unhandy a
weapon to get out of a mans pocket in a
hurry as could well be imagined, Many
of the double -barreled weapons had
bronze barrels, and Just before the war it
was a common thing for funny writer's to
refer to double-barreled brass pistols as
the type of untrustworthiness. These
weapons were generally of Belgian make
and never had an extended sale.
''All this time the makers of revolvers
had been pushing the sale of their weap.
ons, but when one of these old revolvers
lis looked at now one does not wonder
that the derringer held its own. The
revolvers were larger and heavier thar
duelling pistols, and were of use only OF
the frontier.
son the frontier they were, of course
rapidly adopted, and, because of the fac
that loading the cylinders with powder
and ball was a slow process, the shooting
men carried extra cylinders ready loaded
which were substituted for emp,y ones il
time of need.
"'The invention of metal cartridge
was great thing for pistol makers
Many curious weapons were brought on
during the war. One of the most move
was a three-barreled weapon with tn
barrels arranged vertically one above-th
other, while substantial bowie blad
could be slid out beyond the muzzles o.
occasions. The blade was fixed ther
by spring, and the empty pistol thel
became a wicked knife. The double
barreled derringer of the present time
with the barrels one on top of the other
was evolved from this idea.
''After metal cartridges were adopte
the production of light and efficient revol
vers became possible, and no end of style
were brought out. The good revolve
proved so efficient that the use of derrin
gers dropped almost entirely. There
only one firm now engaged in maxim
derringers, and the demand scarcely jus
tifies them in continuing the style. Wher
every gentleman once carried brace
very few shooting men would now tax
one as a gift, save as a curiosity. An
yet for a man in close quarters no wea
pom is quite so efficient as the big-bore
derringer.
"After the war the popularity of tn
duel, save only in isolated districts, wa
gone, and the use of duelling pistols eve
hn shooting galleries was abandoned. RI
volvers became the popular weapons eve
in galleries. But all this time coup
of firms were manufacturing a single
barreled pistol that was much like tn
old duelling pistol in shape and weight
and yet used the convenient metal car
fridge. Because these single-barrele
weapons were extremely accurate and tn
cartridges were cheap, say 81. so thoJ
sand, the single-barreled target pist,
has at least held on to the esteem
enough sporting men to warrant the COZ
tinuance of its manufacture. There al
indications of growth of popularity
the future. There are several features
the target pistol that especially commen
at TO the better class of sportsmen, tn
better class, as l understand the term, il
cluding all who pride themselves more {
one head of game killed clean by skillf
shooting than on score slaughtered I
aportable cannon. Asrifes among the
men increase in popularity they will tul