CONCEALMENT 32 Flashback: The Deringer Ashley Hlebinsky Join the Conversation At RECOIL, we review every product fairly and without bias. Making a purchase through one of our links may earn us a small commission, and helps support independent gun reviews. Learn More Is Imitation the Sincerest Form of Flattery?You may have seen this firearm spelled one of two ways: Deringer or Derringer. No, this isn’t an issue of historical standards on spelling, rather a distinction between a genre of gun and the original maker. Henry Deringer was a gunmaker out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Many people know him by the infamous pocket pistol that bears his name, which was used by John Wilkes Boothe to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. However, Deringer’s history as a gunmaker shouldn’t be defined by that alone.Early in his career, Deringer had a reputation for making all types of firearms, including contract muskets for the U.S. government. It was his pistol invention, though, that put him on the map. There were many variations on his Deringer pistol, but in general, they were single-shot percussion handguns of at least .41 caliber. They also were notably back-action, meaning that the operational parts of the gun are located behind the hammer. Variations included barrel lengths, engraving styles, size, and grip shape; the firearms were produced in the 1850s through the 1860s.This pistol became so popular that there were many copycats, birthing the colloquial name “derringer” to describe pocket pistols in general. However, some makers, such as Slotter & Company went to the trouble of hiring someone with the same name and spelling as Deringer’s last name to use it on their firearms. Deringer didn’t take out a patent on his firearm, which spurred on these copycats, but he did become famous for a lawsuit with the maker AJ Plate, setting a precedent for the legitimacy of trademark law even in the absence of a patent.Explore RECOILweb:RECOILtv Mail Call: Strike Industries - Scorpion Universal Reflex Mount for Glock (G-SURF)2000 Miles Across America On A Bike: How Everything Wants To Give You A Flat (Part 2)Tactical Electronics Under Door CameraWeekly Deals From Around the Firearms Industry NEXT STEP: Download Your Free Target Pack from RECOILFor years, RECOIL magazine has treated its readers to a full-size (sometimes full color!) shooting target tucked into each big issue. Now we've compiled over 50 of our most popular targets into this one digital PDF download. From handgun drills to AR-15 practice, these 50+ targets have you covered. Print off as many as you like (ammo not included). Get your pack of 50 Print-at-Home targets when you subscribe to the RECOIL email newsletter. We'll send you weekly updates on guns, gear, industry news, and special offers from leading manufacturers - your guide to the firearms lifestyle.You want this. Trust Us.