The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1890-01-18
ABOUT SHOOTING IRONS.
Fashions Have Changed Considerably
Since Flint-LOck Times.

ABOUT SHOOTING IRONS.
Fashions Have Changed Considerably
Since Flint-Lock Times.
ssIf YOU are interested in shooting irons"
said gun dealer in Lower Broadway not
long ago to New York Sun reporter, "let
me show you some pistols. They will indi-
cate how fashions have changed among
shooting men during the last forty years"
In a neat mahogany case which the dealer
placed on the counter lay two single-bar-
relied pistols. The barrels were foot long.
The bore was half inch in diameter. Bar
rels, locks and stocks were deliberately and
tastefully engraved by hand. The stocks
were peculiar in shape in that a horn pro-
jected so as to fit between the thumb and
the rest of the hand and keep the weapon
from jumping up when fired. There was
circle OF steel in the case that was for cut
ting patches for the round ball used in load
ing the pistol. Bullet molds were also in
place, and a powder flask and cap box as
well. 1t was first-class dueling outfit.
''They are for SALE" said the dealer, "be-
cause dueling is out of fashion. They cost
a lot of money when new, and 1t will take
s25 new to buy the outfit. Forty years ago
no other sort of a weapon was used in the
shooting galleries. The gallery man loaded
the weapons and gave the word as if a duel
was in progress, and the wouldbe expert
fred at the outline of man placed twelve
PAGES away. Although revolvers were in
vented before the date speak OF, the duel
ing pistol held its own in the shooting gal
leries until after the war.
"While shooting men chung to the duel
ing pistol for gallery practice in anticipation
of needing a knowledge of it some time.
they could not carry such a weapon around
with them. The derringer was accordingly
brought out as pocket pistol. 1t was a
short weapon, the barrel being but two and
half inches long, but in the hands of the
old-time gamblers on the Mississippi steam
boats it was deadly weapon. They often
fought duels with derripgers, while in
hand-to-hand conflicts derr.ngers were in
variably used If any weapon besides bowie
knife were drawn.
''Of course the fact that the derringer
had but one charge was noted. To make up
for this two were carried. Then double
barreled derringers were introduced, one
barrel lying beside the other, as in shot
gun. C0nlin has double barreled, flint
lock derringer In his Broadway gallery.
The flash pans were on top Of the barrels.
1t was deliberately engraved, but it was
about as unhandy weapon to get out Of
mans pocket In hurry as could well be
imagined. Many Of the double barreled
weapons had bronze barrels, and just be-
fore the war it was a common thing for
funny writer's to refer to double-barreled
brass pistols as the type of untrustworthi-
Thacn vIyno ~
Belgian make and never had an extended
sale.
"All this time the makers Of revolvers
had been pushing the sale OF their weapons,
but when one Of those old revolvers is
looked at now one does not wonder that the
derringer held its own. The revolvers were
larger and heavier than dueling pistols, and
were OF use only on the frontier.
ION the frontier they were, Of course,
rapidly adopted, and, because of the fact
that loading the cylinders with powder and
ball was a slow process, the shooting men
carried extra cylinders ready loaded, which
were substituted for empty ones in time of
need.
1.-THE invention Of metal cartridges was
great thing for pistol-makers. Many curious
weapons were brought out during the war.
One OF the most novel was three-barreled
weapon with the barrels arranged vertical
ly one above the other, while substantial
bowie blade could be slid out beyond the
muzzles on occasion. The blade was fixed
there by spring, and the empty pistol then
became a wicked knife. The double bar
relied derringer Of the present time, with
the barrels one on top Of the other, was
evolved from this idea.
AFTER metal cartridges were adopted the
production of light and efficient revolvers
became possible, and no end Of styles were
brought out Among a host of worthless
cast-iron affair were few made by firms
that proposed to make the best sort of
weapons possible, and these few firms are
still IN the business. The good revolver
proved so efficient that the use of derringers
dropped almost entirely. There is only one
firm now engaged in making derringers,
and the demand scarcely justifies them in
continuing the style. Where every gentle
man once carried brace, very few shoot
ing men would now take one as gift, save
as curiosity. And yet for man in close
quarters no weapon is quite so efficient as
the big-bored derringer.
AFTER the war the popularity of the duel,
save only In isolated districts, was gone, and
the use OF duelng pistols even in shooting
galleries was abandoned. Revolvers be-
came the popular weapons even in galleries.
But all this time couple OF firms were
manufacturing single-barreled pistol that
was much like the old dueling pistol in
shape and weight, and yet used the conven-
lent metal cartridge. Because these single
harreed weapons were extremely accurate