WILLIAM S. SCHNEIDER
#248 A Schneider and Company derringer that is a medium size for this brand of gun. Barrel is full octagon. Trigger guard and tear drop buttcap are made of sterling silver and other inlays are of German silver. Made without ramrod. The stock forearm at the nose is fluted. Trigger guard finial has a screw going through to the barrel to hold the gun together, along with the wedge helping to hold the forearm to the barrel. Most of the Schneider guns have a definite pronounced curve shape to the lock. Notice how low the hammer is. The lockplate is very plain with a simple lined border. The caliber of this specimen is .450.
The serial number of this gun is #122, the highest known. Of all the Southern made derringers, this is the only maker that serial numbered his guns. Of course this is an assumption that the number on top of the breechblock is the serial number, but all that we have ever seen had a similar number in this position. Assuming that the Schneider Company manufactured one hundred and twenty-two pieces, and that possibly thirty of these guns are in existence, this means that the survival rate is one out of four. Bearing in mind that this survival rate is only an assumption, consider how few guns some of the lesser known makers must have produced. At this rate, for instance, Siebert should not have produced many over six or eight guns.
I have known of this gun’s existence for nearly thirty years. In 1943 when I was taking the train from Union City to Chattanooga, I happened to sit down by a Mr. Fain Taylor from Greenfield, twenty miles away. We got to talking and found out that we were both interested in guns, and he told me that he had this gun. Then after the War was over, I went by to visit him and see his collection. Of course, this gun was not for sale. At that time and during the years gone by in the 1930’s he used this little pistol as a training gun for his bird dogs out in the field.
The years went by and I would see him ever so often and ask him about his gun. Finally, in 1967 he appeared at the store one day and said, “Well, I’m going to let you have my gun. You like these Southern derringers so well that I think the best place for this gun to be is in your collection.” With that, I paid him the going rate for this type of gun and of course I don’t think that I will ever dispose of it in my lifetime.
The barrel is marked on the top flat in two lines with one stamp as follows:
Schneider & Co.
Memphis, Tenn.
Schneider was a gunsmith in the 1850’s and later a member of the revolver making firm of Schneider and Glassick.
SCHNEIDER & COMPANY
#283 All Schneider derringers that I have ever seen were marked with the same two line one piece stamp. Clearly seen in the photograph is the screw in the trigger plate holding the stock to the rear of the barrel. Butt is nicely checkered and is flat with an oval buttcap. In addition to the screw, the barrel is held in place with a wedge. The deeply curved lock is very plain with a simple engraved line border. Full octagon barrel. The serial number 55 is stamped on the top of the breechplug flat. On the tang is a #1 which leaves some thought that this might be #1 of a pair. The nose of the forearm is fluted. Of some importance to me is the fact that this is a sheath trigger pistol, and the trigger plate and sheath are of German silver. Bitterlick of Nashville made this type of gun with a sheath trigger and a flat butt. The caliber is .380.
The top barrel flat is marked in two lines with one hand stamp as follows:
Schneider & Co.
Memphis, Tenn.
SCHNEIDER & COMPANY
#275. This Schneider has excellent styling and is typical of many Memphis & Nashville guns. The screw through the trigger plate extends into the barrel to hold the gun together. Made with the wedge through the forearm. The nose of the forearm is fluted. Flat butt with oval German silver inlay. Deeply curved lock is very plain with simple lined border. The serial number on the top flat of the breechplug is #8 with a #1 on the tang which leaves the thought that this might be one of a pair. Full octagon steel barrel with steel dovetailed front sight. This is the sheath trigger style with a steel trigger plate and sheath, just the opposite material from #283.
Marked on the top barrel flat with one hand stamp and two lines as follows:
Schneider & Co.
Memphis, Tenn.
SCHNEIDER & COMPANY
#267 This Schneider derringer is the third or fourth Southern made gun that I obtained fifteen years ago. My good friend Horace Tolliver of Manchester, Tennessee, had the gun. Remember that this Schneider is made with a regular trigger guard instead of the sheath trigger guard. The inlays and guard have no engraving with line engraving only on the trigger plate. Semi-formed bird head grip with a tear drop German silver butt plate. Notice how low the hammer is on the gun. Someone in years gone by attempted to dress up the gun by checkering the forearm; but of course this hurt it some. The nose of the forearm is fluted. There is no screw through the trigger plate holding the barrel in place. This barrel is not octagon, but instead is a round barrel with a rib on top similar to all those made by Henry Deringer. Steel dovetailed front sight. Caliber is .440.
Marked on the top barrel flat with one two line hand stamp as follows:
Schneider & Co.
Memphis, Tenn.