JM Marlin New Haven Ct. Tiny Hand Gun

[bubbab]

Hi there, i picked up a very small hand gun that fits in the palm of your hand, i was told it was a derringer 22 but not sure, i was wondering if someone could help me find a website about the assembly of it, there is a small piece in a shape of a u that is springy and i believe it goes in the trigger part of the gun but not sure how to do this, also wondered about some history of it and the value, any help would mean alot at this point. thanks very much.

[tigweld]

bubbab,

John M. Marlin made 3 tiny derringer type pistols that were availiable in .22 caliber.
The 1st Model,made: 1863-1867 barrel: 2 1/16"
OK Model,made: 1863-1870 barrel: 2 1/8"- 3 1/8"
Never Miss Model,made: 1870-1881 barrel: 2 1/2"
Yours may be one of these. Sorry,I have no information on its assembly/disassembly.
As far as value,perhaps some of the other forum members can help you out in that area.
The 1st Model was Marlin's beginning in the firearms manufacturing business.
I'm sure other forum members will have more info for you too.

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Bubbab;

Sounds like you have a Marlin Vest Pocket (mistakenly called the First Model) The Vest Pocket was indeed Marlin's first production gun and was called the Marlin Vest Pocket in advertising of the period. The Vest Pocket was made to shoot the .22 caliber short cartridge. There is no rifling inside the barrel of the Vest Pocket derringers, nor is there a front sight.
The little "U" shaped "thingy" is the trigger spring. There is a pivot pin that you will have to drive out to remove the trigger from the frame, in order to replace the spring into the trigger. It can really only go one way. There should be a small tab on one of the "U's" ears, and that fits into a slot in the trigger, (quite obvious when the trigger is out)
The Vest Pocket was made from 1863 to 1881. Serial numbers can go as high as 12,500. This is not to say there was 12,500 of the Vest Pockets made as all serial numbers of the derringer models were intermixed. It is estimated that about 5,000 of the Vest Pockets derringers were made in total. The standard finish was a silver plated frame with a blued barrel. But, all nickel plated guns are known. Rosewood was the standard wood used for the grips. The barrel, frame and grips will be serialized.
Value of the Vest Pocket will vary depending upon the overall condition. Like any antique firearm, value will be dictated by the amount and condition of the remaining original factory finish on the metal and the grips.
I hope this helps.

[bubbab]

Hi, i just want to thank you nice people for answering my questions about this, atleast i know what i have now thanks again and take care

[marlin 1893]

Gunrunner: I am having trouble finding any information on the Marlin Vest Pocket Pistol.I have found information
on several other Vest Pistols but not with the Marlin name. Everything i read points as to the first pistol manufactured
by Marlin as not having been named and is just called the First Model.

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Marlin 1893;

I have in a copy of a flyer from Schoverling, Daly and Gales from 1874 that shows the Marlin Vest Pocket, Never Miss, (Numbers 1, 2, & 3) the Victor, Little Joker, O.K revolvers the XXX Standard revolver and the XX Standard revolver. This is the way they are listed and by those names. They are illustrated and the Vest Pocket is the so called first model derringer. Brophy did not have access to that flyer at the time his book was published, and so that is where the name First Model came from. And, John Marlin would not have called it a First Model, as he had some sort of regular name for each of his handguns. I have an early book by De Witt Sell called Collectors Guide to American Cartridge Handguns that was published in 1963 that lists the little Marlin as the Vest Pocket back then. The book The Derringer in America, Volume Two, The Cartridge Period by L.D. Eberhart and R.L. Wilson shows a cut from the Schoverling, Daly and Gales flyer on page 94,and even thought Eberhart calls the Vest Pocket the "Baby", the ad clearly shows the derringer called "Marlin's Vest Pocket". By the way, it sold for $2.00 in 1874.

[marlin 1893]

Shoverling,Daley and Gales made up a lot of there own adds.Does anyone know of any adds or flyers from Marlin
himself listing his first pistol as a pocket vest pistol from this era in time

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Schoverling, Daly and Gales were agents for Marlin, they did what he told them to if they wanted to represent Marlin in the market.

[marlin 1893]

I decided to do a little home-work and research the deringers advertised or listed as vest pocket models or variations
either by manufactures or agents listed in adds or their catalogs.I finally just give up. I had no idea that there were
so many different fire-arms manufactures making so many models of very small inexpensive vest pocket pistols.Surely
Marlin wouldn't have chosen the name Vest Pocket as it was such a common and widely name being used by nearly
everyone else.

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Marlin 1893;

Okay, then just WHAT did he call it?

[marlin 1893]

Star Vest Pocket Derringer

This little Star Vest Pocket Pistol is one of the smallest American pistols we've ever seen. Although simpler in design, in terms of appearance, it's almost identical to item #0971, our Forehand and Wadsworth Derringer we have posted on the website. See link:

http://www.antiquearmsinc.com/forehand- ... pistol.htm

The Star was manufactured by Iver Johnson from 1870-1890. While the exact quantity mfd is not known, production is roughly estimated to be a few thousand. Caliber is .22 rimfire with 2" part round barrel. Top of breech is clearly stamped "STAR VEST POCKET". Nickel plated with walnut grips. Barrel and frame retain 90% original nickel plated while grips retain 50% original varnish. Two small letter "MH" scratched along the right facet of the breech. Nice little example of an early Iver Johnson Derringer.

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Marlin 1893;

That is not referring to the Marlin. What did John Marlin call his first product if it was not the Vest Pocket?
Why did you not mention the Hopkins & Allen XL Vest Pocket and Hammerless Vest Pocket? What about the Remington-Rider Vest Pocket? The Stevens Vest Pocket, and the Frank Wesson Vest Pocket, sometimes called the "Watch Fob" derringer?
Many gun makers called their little derringers a Vest Pocket, and no one had a claim on the name, so why would not John Marlin call his gun, which is quite similiar to the other little single shot derringers a Vest Pocket?
You need to do more research. I will give you a clue, think outside the box and check some references that are not totally gun related.

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Marlin 1893;

What, no response? It has been over two (2) weeks. I guess I will have to give you another clue where to look. You need to look for an album printed in the centennial year of our country. That would be 1876 for those living in Rio Linda, California. When it was originally printed, the size of the album was 17 inches by 24 inches. It was reprinted in a smaller version in the bi-centennial year of 1976.

[marlin 1893]

I really meant this as a simple question.To me Vest Pocket is a general term that was used to call or advertise the countless
small pistols from this era by countless makes and variations.Schoverling, Daly & Gales as well as Marlin advertised a
Marlin Repeating Rifle for nearly eight years before Marlin gave this rifle a proper name(Marlin Model 1881).I thought
given a little time someone might offer up something where John Marlin just simply named his first pistol The Marlin
Vest Pocket or just refered to it as a Vest Pocket.

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Marlin 1893;

I gave you a place to look for information regarding the advertising for the Marlin Vest Pocket. The album I mentioned was published in 1876 to profile (advertise) all type of manufactures, from Billiard Tables, safe manufactures, farm machinery and yes gun makers, including one John M. Marlin. The ad for John Marlin mentions all the products he had going in his "works" at the time including the Ballard rifle, Little Joker revolver, O.K revolver, Standard revolvers, and yes, the Vest Pocket. It was not mentioned as a vest pocket style derringer, but as a Vest Pocket (Note: it was capitalized in the middle of a sentence, like a proper name and not as a general description of a derringer to fit into a vest pocket)
I hope this helps.