Henry Deringer pistols bearing agents names and marked with the legend “MAN^d for” appear to date from the earlier period of his manufacture.
Later pistols omit this stamping and read, for example:
WOLF & DURRINGER LOUISE KY AGENTS
LULLMAN & VIENNA MEMPHIS, TENN.
Please note that the Calhoun, Hyde & Goodrich, J. B. Gilmore, Lullman & Vienna and the two F. H. Clarks are marked with the earlier marking, while the Swett, the one F. H. Clark and the two Lullman & Vienna’s are marked with the later type of stamping. These are the only guns in my collection that are genuine Henry Deringers.
Of those southern made derringers that are manufactured in that area, only a few have the escutcheon plate underneath the forearm with a screw through the plate holding the barrel. Most of this type did not use a wedge but one did use a wedge and this screw. Many used a screw through the trigger plate to the barrel.
A few of the southern made derringers had flat butts particularly those of Nashville and Memphis.
About half of the southern manufactured guns had octagon barrels and the other half had those of the Henry Derringer style with a round barrel and a rib on top.
Never before have I observed a gun photograph using a mirror to show the underside of a forearm and the guard. Although this innovation is about 1½ inches out of focus, because of the extra light travel, it does show these features that are otherwise hidden and that are very important in identification. All of this photography, and for our catalog, is done with an ancient Polaroid with portrait lenses.
In 1957 I obtained my first specimen of a southern made derringer from Nathan Swayze, author of “51 Colt Navies”, at the Jackson Mississippi Gun Show. This was a Glassick Derringer as was my second gun obtained later that year at another Jackson Mississippi Gun Show.
About one year later from Horace Tolliver of Manchester, Tennessee I traded for two more derringers, one a Glassick and the other a Schneider & Glassick.