A PERSUASIVE POCKET PISTOL: CONNECTICUT ARMS AND MANUFACTURING CO. HAMMOND .44 RIMFIRE “BULLDOG” PISTOL, CA. 1865-1868

$850.00

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Item Code: 490-7038

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This robustly constructed, single-shot .44 caliber Hammond “Bulldog” rates about very good for condition, showing about 10-15% finish: some thin blue mixed with gray on the barrel, blue shifted to brown on the breech block and some slightly stronger thin blue on the frame and slightly thinner blue with gray on the backstrap, all showing some small scattered age stains, but with smooth metal and crisp markings in the barrel address, “CONNECTICUT ARMS & MANF’G CO NAUBUC CONN.” and patent stamp on the forward edge of the breechblock: “PATENTED OCT 25. 1864.” The grips show as a light brown, with good fit, color and detail, but do show some rubs appearing as a lighter brown and a few small scratches and some shallow nicks on the bottom of the butt. The front sight is in place, as is the rear, which is the checkered release button for breechblock, which has a narrow sighting groove, and which retains some blue.

These pistols were elegantly styled by the taste of the day. The 4” barrel is octagon, with the bottom flats having rounded ends giving the impression of flutes in the frame and the barrel giving the appearance of narrowing by a tapering top barrel flat that comes to a point beyond the front sight, effectively making it seven-sided at the muzzle. The receiver, however, has very round contours that transition into the flat-sided but bag-style grips (of then modern thermoplastic) with rounded butt. Those smooth lines, along with the use of a spur trigger, may also have given it some appeal to the practical-minded looking for pistol that was not obtrusive and could be smoothly drawn from a pocket, and the pistol was solid enough to handle the .44 caliber round. Mechanics function well; bore is clean and bright.

Brothers Henry and Lewis Hammond tried to enter the Civil War military arms business by incorporating in mid-1863 and developing a breech-loading single-shot cartridge system. They were only granted a patent in late October 1864, however, and attempts at a military contract for longarms were unsuccessful. They had a little more luck with this Deringer or pocket pistol, which used the same sort of swivel breach block that pivots to the left for inserting a cartridge after placing the hammer at half-cock and depressing a button on top of the block. The button is cross-hatched, but also slotted to function as a rear sight, and the block is fitted with an automatic ejector that will partially lift out the cartridge case for removal.

This is serial numbered 1077. Production data is not available, though estimates fall under 8,000 in total. They are generally assumed to have been introduced in 1865, though the ejector and rear sight did not receive patents until mid-1866 and very early 1867 according to Tim Prince, the company may have pushed forward anyway, perhaps with the obvious October 1864 patent date deemed a sufficient warning. In any case, production was very limited in number and in duration. Henry Hammond reportedly filed some later firearms related patents, but the NRA museum notes that production ceased in 1868, due to a mortgage problem and Mike Helms notes the company assets were sold off in 1872. Many of the pistols, however, remained in dealer inventories, advertised for sale into the 1880s, which may have led some arms students to assume a longer production run.

This a nice example of a Deringer that would go well in a display of such vest and coat pocket pistols carried for personal defense in the early west. The pistol has acquired the nickname of the “Bulldog” among collectors. This may be a faulty recollection of the barrel inscription “bull dozer” found on some of these, but either nickname is a reminder of its persuasive or coercive abilities at close range.  [sr][ph:m]

DISCLAIMER: All firearms are sold as collector's items only - we do not accept responsibility as to the shooting safety or reliability of any antique firearm. All firearms are described as accurately as possible, given the restraints of a catalog listing length. We want satisfied customers & often "under" describe the weapons. Any city or state regulations regarding owning antique firearms are the responsibility of the purchaser. All firearms are "mechanically perfect" unless noted, but again, are NOT warranted as safe to fire!

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