Make: Hopkins & Allen Arms Co.
Model: Vest Pocket Derringer
Serial Number: 597
Year of Manufacture: ca.1911-15
Caliber: .22 Short
Action Type: Internal Hammer Double-Action Only Top-Break Single Shot Derringer with Folding Trigger
Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked "HOPKINS & ALLEN ARMS CO / NORWICH, CONN. U.S.A.", the butt is marked "597". There is decorative engraving on the frame and barrel flats.
Barrel Length: 1 3/4”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a round blade fixed to the front of the barrel.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece smooth genuine mother of pearl with a brass “H&A” monogram medallion at each upper front. The left panel has a short crack at the front edge below the medallion. There are some other scattered minor marks. The grips show minor discoloration from age and handling. Overall, the grips are in Very Good Plus condition.
Type of Finish: Nickel
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is gray. The rifling is generally well defined. There is light erosion and pitting scattered through the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates a 5 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 90% of its metal finish. There is some finish loss, mostly at the edges, with a scuff on the right of the barrel at the chamber. There is some scattered minor surface oxidation. There are some minor nicks and scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads are lightly tool marked with strong slots. The barrel markings are clear, the serial number marking is poorly struck. Overall, this Derringer is in Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The barrel release is on the left, pushed forward to open the action. The barrel locks up with no play to the frame. We did not fire this handgun. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.
Our Assessment: The “Wild West” had all but been settled by the early 1910s, but there were pockets of rowdy frontier life left in the Southwest. New Mexico and Arizona were still “territories” until they were both granted statehood in early 1912, and if a fellow sought it out, he could still find cheap booze, games of chance, ladies of the night, and other wholesome forms of entertainment in those sparsely populated locales. Many gamblers found that a handy derringer in a vest pocket or slipped into a boot top usually beat four aces, and knew that such a pistol was valuable as a last line of personal defense. Among the major firearms manufacturers in late 19th century America, Hopkins & Allen has long been unfairly regarded as the lower quality alternative to names such as Colt, Smith & Wesson, and Remington. The gospel truth is that Hopkins & Allen made quality firearms, as well as a wide variety of types. This pistol, the Vest Pocket Derringer, also called the “Parrot’s Beak”, made from 1911-15 with only about 1,400 produced, was perhaps their most compact firearm offering. Coming in at about 3 1/2" x 2 1/2" overall, and maybe 5/8" wide at the widest point of its pearl grips, this tiny .22 derringer could be carried almost anywhere a crafty gambler or “soiled dove” wished to conceal it. The “Parrot’s Beak” pistols all came from the factory with standard engraving, but the nickel finish and pearl grips on this example were undoubtedly deluxe features that came at a higher price. This beautiful old Hopkins & Allen Vest Pocket Derringer would look great in an Old West saloon display, or amongst other single shot .22 pistols of the early 1900s.
Pistol