.40 caliber. 3.5" wedge retained octagon to round barrel. NSN. Lightly oxidized metal, German silver mountings, walnut stock with checkered bird's head stock. Single shot percussion muzzleloading pocket pistol with notch rear sight, German silver blade front sight and no provision in the stock for a ramrod. Back action percussion lock is engraved with flowing foliate scrolls, with the hammer and breech plug tang engraved ensuite. German silver mountings are lightly engraved as well. Barrel marked in a single line "ALBRIGHT ST LOUIS, MO."

Thomas John (TJ) Albright (1808-1890) was a third generation Pennsylvania gunmaker, whose grandfather had been the Lancaster, PA master gunmaker Andrew Albright. TJ's father Henry Albright worked in PA and OH as a gunmaker, with the greater part of his time spent working in Nazareth, PA, where he died in 1845. Around 1842 TJ relocated to St. Louis where he worked as both a gunmaker and retailer. A number of imported shotguns are known with his mark, with lesser quantities of his plains style rifles known. It appears that like the shotguns, many of the pistols that bear his mark were imported and simply retailer marked by Albright, or produced in other smaller shops, although he probably produced some pistols as well. Albright was a contemporary of the Hawkens, Dimick and a number of other famed St. Louis gunmakers and worked during the heyday of the plains rifle period in the 1840s and 1850s. A desirable St Louis maker and retailer mark to add to any serious collection of American derringers from that era. {ANTIQUE}

Good to Near Very Good. Bore heavily oxidized with pitting and good, deep rifling. Barrel moderately oxidized with mottled discoloration and some scattered minor roughness, lock with a dark smoky patina, and likely originally case colored. Markings and engraving remain clear. Mechanically functional action. Wood with moderate wear, good checkering and scattered bumps, dings and mars.