His Work
Deringer's early efforts were for military contracts, producing military pistols, muskets and rifles. Among those he produced was the Model 1814 Common Rifle and the Model 1817 Common Rifle. He also produced trade rifles, designated for the Native American tribes, to fulfill the U.S. treaty obligations. His specialties became fine sporting rifles and fine dueling pistols. He stopped pursuing the government contracts by the mid 1840s.
In 1825 he designed the first of the large caliber, short barreled pistols that would lead to considerable wealth and fame for himself. Using the basic flintlock action in common usage at the time, the pistols were muzzle loading single shots, or in some cases, double barreled in an over-under manner.
Later models used the percussion cap action, although both actions were manufactured and sold for some time. For guns of his own design, he adopted the newer percussion cap technology, putting his weapon on the modern cutting edge. He was innovating; the percussion cap was perfected about 1820, and Deringer was marketing them by the 1830s, and possibly the mid 1820s.
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