Remington Model 95


The Remington Model 95 is a double-barrel pocket pistol commonly recognized as a derringer. The design was little changed during a production run of nearly 70 years through several financial reorganizations of the manufacturer causing repeating serial number sequences. Guns were offered with engraving or plain blued or nickel-plated finish with grips of metal, walnut, rosewood, hard rubber, ivory or pearl.

Design and production details

The earliest production had no extractors and have E. REMINGTON & SONS, ILION, N.Y. stamped on the right side of the barrel and ELLIOT'S PATENT DEC. 12, 1865 stamped on the left side of the barrel. These inscriptions were swapped to opposite sides of the barrel when extractors were added in 1869. In 1880, the inscription was changed to E. REMINGTON & SONS, ILION, N.Y. ELLIOT'S PATENT DEC. 12th 1865 and placed atop the barrel rib. The barrel rib top inscription changed to REMINGTON ARMS CO. ILION N.Y. in 1888 and again to REMINGTON ARMS U.M.C. CO. ILION, N.Y. in 1910.
Remington manufactured more than 150,000 over-under double-barreled derringers from 1866 until the end of their production in 1935. The gun was made only in.41 Short rimfire. There are four models with several variations. The first model, first variation is only the first 100 made and were marked "MANUFACTURED BY E. REMINGTON & SONS" on one side rib, and "ELLIOTS PATENT DEC 12 1865" on the other side rib. These are very rare. The second variation is marked the same without the "manufactured by". The third variation has an extractor on the left side and is referred to as a "extractor cut." The fourth variation is marked, "REMINGTONS ILLION NY" and is very rare.
The second model is marked on the top rib in two lines, "E REMINGTON & SONS ILION NY," "ELLIOTS PATENT DEC 12 1865". There are no variations.
In 1888 Remington went bankrupt and was bought by Hartley and Graham of New York. The company name was changed to Remington Arms Co., and beginning in 1889 all Remington guns were marked with that name. The third model was made in 6 variations, all marked, ""REMINGTON ARMS CO, ILION NY". on the top rib. The variations are determined by the font style. The first variation of the third models were serialized, but all other variations were marked in batches, not with serial numbers. After the merger between Remington and UMC Cartridge Co in 1910, beginning in 1911, the fourth models were marked "REMINGTON-U.M.C.CO.ILION,N.Y." and were serialized. Starting in 1922, all Remington guns were stamped with a two letter date code for the shipping month and year. The second variation has strengthened hinges and serial numbers that begin with the letter "L", These were marketed as the Model 95. The third and final model has no side rib and is referred to as a "monoblock". About 500 monoblocks were made through 1935, with only ten guns shipped after that.
Above information is from the book, "Dr. William H. Elliot's Remington Double Derringer." Graphic Publishers, 2008,

Performance

According to Cartridges of the World, the.41 Rimfire consisted of a 130 grain lead bullet propelled by 13 grains of black powder in its original load. The round produced a muzzle velocity of and a muzzle energy of. However, more recently firearms writer Holt Bodinson has disputed these findings. He states that his testing showed the 130 grain bullet traveled at so producing of energy - a significant difference in ballistic energy from the earlier tests. The difference in findings can potentially be attributed to variances in the specific ammunition fired or measuring equipment used.

In popular culture

Remington derringers often played critical roles in the exploits of James T. West, fictional Secret Service agent, in the American television series The Wild Wild West. West carried up to three derringers: one as a concealed carry backup gun to his holstered and openly carried full sized revolver. This derringer was carried either in a vest pocket or an inside pocket of his jacket. Another derringer was carried as a sleeve gun under his right shirt sleeve, and the third was broken into two parts with the barrel-chamber assembly hidden in the hollowed out heel of one boot and the frame hidden in the heel of the other.
In "Judgment in Heaven" of The Big Valley, Jarrod Barkley gives Heath a nickel plated pearl gripped Double Derringer as a Christmas present.
Paladin, of Have Gun, Will Travel, kept a Remington Double Derringer behind his gunbelt's buckle.
J.B. Books, portrayed by John Wayne, in The Shootist, carried a Double Derringer by his wallet.
In the Simpsons episode "Simpsons Tall Tales" the characters Bart and Nelson are portrayed as Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. The two start a barroom brawl on a Mississippi river gambling boat, in which the bar patrons fire comically weak Derringer pistols. The bullets all bounce off glass bottles, glass beer mugs, glass windows and their intended victims and they escape unharmed.
In the Team Fortress 2 promotional short "Expiration date" the character Ms. Pauling is seen holding a Remington Model 95 styled Derringer. It is also of note that the pistol seen during the animated short was originally developed to be used by the Spy class.
The Changeling, a character in the game "Pathologic" uses a Remington Double Derringer as her signature weapon.