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He could not have carried a larger pistol such as a Army Colt, He was an actor in public view and had to have something to fit into his pocket. For the time and date, the Henry Deringer was still still state of the art. It was not a primitive weapon in 1865 any more than any percussion weapon was. Come on now, if you were going to assassinate someone, even in 1865, would you use a .22 short pistol or a single shot ( to the head ) 44 caliber gun. It would soon be outdated, but at the time it was a viable pocket pistol. Read up on the actual facts of the matter and also on the trial afterwards. He choose the .44 Deringer only after long and deliberate thought. He wanted something that was small and concealable, but powerful enough to do the job. He had planed this for quite a while. He didn't go down to the local pawn shop and buy a Saturday night special. He choose a current, popular and powerfull handgun to do the job.
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