POTD: Merrimack Southerner Derringer – Double Struck Marking

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a Merrimack Arms Southerner derringer manufactured 1866-1869 with double struck “SOUTHERNER” marking. Merrimack Arms & Manufacturing Company operated in Newburyport, Massachusetts during a brief window after the Civil War. The company produced derringers and pocket revolvers from approximately 1866-1869 before going out of business. The “Southerner” name capitalized on the Remington Double Derringer’s success and southern market associations with small concealable pistols.

The .41 rimfire chambering was standard for derringers of this era. The .41 rimfire short pushed a round ball or small bullet at low velocity – adequate for across-the-card-table distances but little else. The 2 1/2-inch octagon barrel was typical for pocket derringers.

The double struck marking occurred during the stamping process when the die struck twice, creating overlapping letters. This manufacturing defect is actually desirable to collectors since it proves the marking is original factory rather than a later fake. Many reproductions have been made of period derringers, so double strikes provide authentication.

Merrimack’s brief three-year production run makes these derringers relatively scarce. The company couldn’t compete with established makers like Remington, Colt, and Smith & Wesson. Most small firearms companies started after the Civil War failed within a few years as the market contracted from wartime demand.The rosewood grips were typical for pocket pistols of the period. Rosewood was attractive, durable, and less expensive than ivory or mother-of-pearl. The .41 rimfire cartridge became obsolete by the 1880s, making Southerner derringers impossible to shoot with factory ammunition.

Most of our POTDs utilize images from our friends at Rock Island Auction Company, the premier firearms auction in the United States. Take some time to browse their current auctions – who knows, maybe you’ll find a piece of history to take home!

“Merrimack Arms Southerner Derringer.” Rock Island Auction, www.rockislandauction.com/detail/5030/662/merrimack-arms-southerner-derringer. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.

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