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Old October 2, 2005, 06:39 PM   #1
juliebug
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Join Date: October 2, 2005
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Information Needed On Old Gun

I CAME ACROSS A 32 DERRINGER RIMFIRE 5 SHOT AND ON THE TOP OF THE BARREL IT SAYS RED TOP 3 ANY ONE WITH ANY INFORMATION ON THIS GUN OR HOW OLD IT IS OR HOW MUCH ITS WORTH WOULD BE APPERICATED, THANKS...

Last edited by juliebug; October 2, 2005 at 08:58 PM.
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Old October 2, 2005, 09:01 PM   #2
James K
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That sounds like one of the class of revolver (not a derringer, which would have been a single shot or two shot pistol) called by collectors a "suicide special" because supposedly they were so cheap they were only good for one shot and only a person contemplating suicide would buy one.

None of my sources show a "Red Top", but there were ones called "Red Cloud", several models named "Red Jacket", and a "Red Hot."

There is mild collector interest if the gun is in top condition, otherwise, it is of interest only as a curiosity with a nominal value ($50 or less). Those guns were made by the hundreds of thousands from the late 1860's to around 1900, by a number of companies who put all sorts of fanciful names on them except, interestingly, their own. They sold in that era for as little as $.75 or $1.00 when a Colt Single Action Army sold for $15.00.

Jim
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