Arms, Armor and Militaria

.45 caliber. 2.5" octagonal wedge retained barrel. NSN. Browned finish, German silver mountings, checkered walnut bird's head grip. Single shot percussion ignition derringer pocket pistol. Top of barrel marked in small letters with a correct style gang stamp H.E. DIMICK & Co. Back action lock unmarked, with simple flowing foliate engraving, hammer neck with foliate engraving as well. Hammer retained with spanner nut, somewhat uncommon on derringers of the era, other than those made by Constable in Philadelphia. Dimick was both a maker and retailer, so often his retailer mark was applied to guns that he did not produce. Breech with German silver bands and lightly engraved with feathery motifs. Breech plug tang engraved ensuite. German silver triggerguard, stock flat escutcheon and butt insert are all engraved as well. The shield shaped thumb plate has a border line engraved but is otherwise blank.

Horace E. Dimick (1809-1874) was probably the most prolific of the famed St. Louis makers of Plains Rifles. A direct competitor with the famous Hawken shop, Dimick produced his variation of their famous plains rifle, as well as smaller caliber sporting and hunting rifles, target rifles and even delivered roughly 1,000 rifles that were used to arm Birge's Western Sharpshooters (14th Missouri Volunteer Infantry) which was later redesignated as the 66th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Those Dimick rifles did yeoman's service during the first 12-18 months of the Civil War in the Western Theater, in particular at battles like Fort Donelson and Shiloh. Dimick also imported large numbers of guns from England and Belgium and offered these guns with his retailer mark on them along with American produced guns like Metropolitan Navy percussion revolvers and derringer style pistols. Next to the Hawkens, Dimick is probably the most famous and collectible of the St. Louis Gun makers.