Southern Derringers of the Mississippi Valley - Turner Kirkland

F. Glassick & Co.
Memphis, Tenn.

FREDERICK G. GLASSICK

#211 My first Southern derringer was this Glassick derringer that I obtained at one of the early Jackson, Mississippi gun shows about fifteen or sixteen years ago. My good friend Nathan Swazy brought the gun in and I traded him two old Civil War swords and a Colt pistol. You cannot tell it now, but the forearm was shattered and my good friend Frank Hitchings of Memphis replaced the forearm in such a manner that the joint in the new wood cannot be distinguished from the old. This gun is German silver mounted throughout and has a fluted forearm nose. There are two screws holding the barrel in position through the trigger plate and the nice escutcheon under the forearm. Flat butts are rather common to many of the Memphis and Nashville guns. Full octagon barrel with a brass front sight milled into the steel barrel. Its caliber is a tremendous .510.

The barrel markings on this gun are made in one line, but contrary to #209 and #214 in which case one stamp was used, two stamps were used on this one. “F. Glassick & Co.” is a different stamp from “Memphis, Tenn.” The same stamps were used on #210 as are used on this one with exception that #210 has the stamps in two lines and this one is in one line as follows:

F. Glassick & Co., Memphis, Tenn.

C. SUTER

#274 Little is known about this maker, Suter. No guns made by Henry Deringer with Suter’s name on the barrel are known.

This particular piece is a small size and has characteristics of styling that make it desirable. It is German silver mounted throughout with a pineapple finial on the trigger plate. There is no screw through the trigger plate holding the barrel in position. The wedge and the tang screw are the only attachments to the barrel. No provision for ramrod. Round barrel has rib at top flat. The front sight is German silver dovetailed and the rear of the barrel has two gold bands which enhances its value. The condition of the gun is extra nice with real sharp original checkering. The extra thin barrel at the muzzle is caliber .42.