Part 2

#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.

FREDERICK G. GLASSICK

#214 This Glassick derringer is German silver mounted throughout and has a standard derringer style trigger guard. Through the trigger plate at the finial is a metal screw that attaches the plate to the barrel which is doubly held in place by another screw through an escutcheon under the forearm into the barrel. Made without wedge. The lock has the pronounced downward curve. Full octagon barrel. Butt is flat with an oval German silver inlay without capbox. Checkering is rather coarse. The German silver blade front sight is milled into the barrel. Caliber is .400.

Marked with one hand stamp in one line on the top barrel flat. The barrel is so short and the one line is so long that part of the name is on the breech-plug on this particular gun. The same hand stamp was used to mark #209 as was used on this one and is worded as follows:

F. Glassick & Co., Memphis, Tenn.

Glassick was a gunsmith circa 1850, whose name is found stamped on imitation derringer pistols. About 1859 he entered into a partnership to form Schneider and Glassick.

FREDERICK G. GLASSICK

#209 Glassick derringers are in high demand like the Griswold and Greer Confederate revolver, though they are relatively easy to get, but command a good price. I suppose it is because Glassick and Schneider are so well known that they will bring more money than some of the lesser known derringers.

This version is a real work of art in some respects. All inlays are of sterling silver. This model is made with a ramrod and with an oval sterling silver butt cap with cap box built in. Although this gun shows 75% original varnish, in the past the grip has been broken into two pieces and is carefully repaired with an inlay all the way around. To make this grip inlay required a great deal of efficiency on the part of the person that did it because it is just absolutely perfect the way that it is put in with steel screws. Then the forearm apparently is cracked underneath the wide inlay that is highly engraved. These two silver inlay repair jobs, in my opinion, add quite a bit of value to the gun because of their beauty and quality of workmanship. This gun has a full octagon barrel and its breech is gold banded. The front sight has a steel dovetailed base with a sterling silver blade. The lock may not be curved as much as other Memphis guns, but it does have the low profile hammer. Glassick derringers are not serial numbered. This beautifully executed piece is a real man stopper in that its caliber is .510. I obtained this gun from Bernie Braverman of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania about 1959 at a Columbus, Ohio gun show.

Marked on the top barrel flat with one hand stamp as follows:

F. Glassick & Co., Memphis, Tenn.

FREDERICK G. GLASSICK

#210 This is the second Southern made derringer that I had in my collection and this is one that I obtained in Jackson, Mississippi. Notice that it has a bag type grip and the lock plate is not very deeply curved. Has standard trigger guard and the nose of the forearm is fluted. The full octagon barrel is not serial numbered and has a dove tailed steel base front sight with a German silver blade. Hammer sets rather high. Through the trigger guard plate is attached one screw that holds the barrel in place and then on the forearm forward is another screw plate holding the screw in position that attaches the forearm to the barrel in the second position. Caliber is .510.

The markings on this top flat of the barrel on this gun are in two lines with letters about the same size as my other specimens. The markings are as follows:

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.

The barrel is marked on the right hand side below the top flat “steel.” The top flat of the barrel is marked in two lines with two different hand stamps as follows:

C. Suter, Selma, Ala.

C. SUTER

#4 This is a photograph of a genuine Wurfflein Deringer made in Philadelphia. The sideplate of German silver is absolutely identical to those of most Suter Deringers. This will leave some room for thought that Suter Deringers are made by Wurfflein. Notice there is some similarity in the shape and contour of this Suter #274 and the illustrated Wurfflein. Both of these guns are often but not always marked with the word “steel” on the right hand barrel flat immediately below the top flat but always with different size stamps.

C. Suter, Selma, Ala.

C. SUTER

#264 I have seen Suter derringers in many sizes and this is about as large as they come. Although the barrel is slightly over 4”, other derringer makers made them even longer. The stock is German silver mounted and has provision for a ramrod. The buttcap is a German silver rosette held in place by a steel wood screw. Typical derringer German silver trigger guard with pineapple finial. Suter was good at copying Henry Deringer’s trigger guard. Two gold bands are at the breech of the barrel and the front sight is completely made of German silver that is dovetailed into the flat. Barrel is round with a rib at the top. Caliber is .410.

All markings of Suter guns that I have seen appear to be marked with the same two hand stamps with the name and the town in different stamps. This specimen is marked in one line with two different stamps as follows:

C. Suter, Selma, Ala.

C. SUTER

#243 Again we have an extra small derringer by Suter of Alabama. German silver mounted throughout and there is no screw through the trigger plate holding the barrel to the stock. No provision for ramrod. Round barrel has two bands at the breech in gold and in silver with a dovetailed German silver front sight.

The barrel is marked on the right hand side below the top flat “steel.” The barrel is marked in two lines on the top flat as follows:

C. Suter, Selma, Ala.

HORACE E. DIMICK & CO.

#272 H. E. Dimick of course is so well known that a description of his history of operations is not necessarily of interest in this little book but we are going to use it anyway. In the course of several years of collecting, I have seen no less than 10 or 12 H. E. Dimick derringers, all with the same type of small markings on the top barrel flat. Invariably the lock plates are not marked but do have a floral pattern engraved in place. They are always long and slender and are not large guns and are not heavy. This piece is made without ramrod and with German silver mountings throughout. The trigger plate finial is in the shape of a pineapple. The barrel has a brown twist steel imitation finish. The German silver front sight is milled into the barrel and is not dovetailed. Caliber is .390.

The barrel is marked on the top flat at a slight angle showing hand stampings with one die stamp and one line as follows:

H. E. Dimick

This name will be noted in all of the 1859 Saint Louis City Directories. Dimick was probably the best known and prolific of all the secondary St. Louis riflemakers and his guns stood on their own reputation. He came from Kentucky to establish the St. Louis Gun Shop at 38 North Main Street in 1849. From 1849 through 1864, the firm was known as H. E. Dimick & Co. From 1865 until Mr. Dimick’s death in 1873 the listing was simply H. E. Dimick. Thus, here is a clue towards dating your guns with this mark.

There has been a great deal of confusion about the associates in the H. E. Dimick & Co. plant. Henry Folsom may have been a partner for a few years; he was at least important enough in the firm to be listed along with H. E. Dimick in a City Directory.

F. J. BITTERLICK

#261 Contrary to most derringers made in the South, Bitterlick marked his on both the barrel and the lock. All furniture is of plain, not engraved, German silver and the escutcheon plate under the forearm embraces the screw that attaches the forearm to the barrel. The forearm nose is fluted. The barrel is full octagon, and its caliber is .400.

The markings are to be found identically on the lock and the barrel in two lines with one hand stamp marked as follows:

Fr. J. Bitterlick Nashville, Tenn.

Franz J. Bitterlick was born July 16, 1829 and died July 12, 1880 at 51 years and 6 days old. His daughter Ann Elizabeth married Charles Evers and their descendents and great grandchildren are living in Nashville today, 1971.

Joseph Legler was born October 21, 1837 and died June 15, 1931 at the age of 93 years and 8 months. His descendents by the name of Legler still live in Nashville today.

Franz Bitterlick and Joseph Legler were brothers-in-law, having married sisters Mary and Helen Lochmann respectively.

There is no record of when Bitterlick first started operating but if he was born in 1829 and started the business when he was 25 years old, that would mean that the Bitterlick Company started about 1854.

The first record of a business using either of these two names is found in King’s City Directory of 1867, the earliest available, and is listed as Bitterlick & Legler, Gunsmiths, 22 Deaderich Street. No City Directories are available before 1867 so it is entirely possible that the combination of the two names originated before that date.

Considering that in 1867, Legler was 30 years old and considering the point that he could have been a partner of Bitterlick as early as 25 years of age means that the Bitterlick & Legler Company could have started around 1862.

In an interview in 1970 with Mr. Bernard Evers, Sr., the grandson of Bitterlick, he stated he believed the gunsmith business started in 1854, give or take a year, and that Bitterlick made himself scarce during the War Between the States by taking a four year “Round the World” trip.

All in all it would average up that the company of Bitterlick operated from perhaps 1854 to 1862 or 1865.

Bitterlick and Legler without a doubt operated from 1862-65 til the last listing of the combination company in the King’s City Directory of 1879.

In 1880 Joseph Legler is listed as a gunsmith and Frank Bitterlick as a grocer at two different addresses.

Thus from these dates that we have accumulated here you can tell approximately when your gun was made according to the name on the barrel, and that no derringers were produced after 1879 because none are known marked “Legler.”

According to a news clipping dated March 1, 1963 of the Nashville Tennessean newspaper, the J. Legler, Gunsmith business was sold on that date and it is noted that the operation was started 95 years ago on Deaderich Street which would make the business starting in 1868. To me this does not quite add up since the City Directories state that they were operating in 1867. I would say that the business started sometime between 1854 and 1867.

Joseph Legler is buried in the Mt. Olive Cemetery near Nashville, Tennessee.

It is interesting to note that the Legler descendents with the same name operated this business as a gunsmith at 321 Deaderich Street until December 31, 1962 when the business was closed out. The building was sold to a real estate agent on March 1, 1963.

All their pistols were high quality. In addition to derringer type pieces it is known that Bitterlick produced and manufactured shotguns and a few target rifles marked “FR. J. Bitterlick & Co., Nashville, Tenn.”. Early double breechloading shotguns with outside hammers are known that are marked “J. Leghler, Nashville, Tenn.” and will you please note the new spelling of Legler in this later breechloading period.

F. BITTERLICK

#285 This is a small sized derringer by any standards and is made by Bitterlick. I have never seen a Bitterlick smaller than this one. This gun also has the escutcheon screw plate underneath the forearm attaching that part to the full octagon barrel. The forearm nose is fluted as is common to many of these Nashville and Memphis guns. All furniture is of German silver and is plain, not engraved.

The barrel markings are slightly different from #261 in that the expression “& Co.” has been added as follows:

Fr. J. Bitterlick & Co. Nashville, Tenn.

{FOOT-POWERED LATHE}

#285A This is a real old foot powered metal turning lathe that is in our collection here at Dixie Gun Works. It was obtained from the current Snodgrass Gun Shop in Nashville and Mr. Snodgrass states that many, many years ago he got it from the old Legler Gun Shop. There is an awfully good chance that parts such as screws for the Bitterlick or Bitterlick & Legler Derringers were made on this same lathe. Incidentally, Hal Swann of Nashville has a large quantity of Bitterlick or Bitterlick & Legler tools such as files, bullet mould cherries, screwdrivers and even a die stamp reading “Bitterlick & Co.” This die stamp is not the same one that is used on the derringers though. This die stamp has never been seen on a gun.

LULLMAN & VIENNA

#266 Lullman and Vienna apparently was a retail store dealing in guns, watches, and jewelry. I have never seen a Lullman and Vienna marked gun except for those that are genuine Henry Deringer guns. Or, in other words, they did not make their own guns.

This specimen is German silver mounted throughout, without ramrod and with a tear drop buttcap. Typical round Henry Deringer barrel with a flat rib on top. Full dovetailed German silver front sight. The breech of the barrel has two silver bands which enhances its value.

All guns by this maker were invariably marked with the same die stamp and two lines with one stamp manufactured as one unit. The stampings reads as follows:

Lullman & Vienna, Memphis, Tenn.

LULLMAN & VIENNA

#258 A very desirable sized derringer with a short barrel and many people call this the Abe Lincoln model which is true except for the marking on the barrel. This gun is German silver mounted throughout, and made without ramrod. Solid German silver front sight is dovetailed into position. The rear of the barrel has two silver bands. Has typical Henry Deringer markings on the lock and on the breechplug. The caliber is .410.

The barrel markings are typically as follows:

Lullman & Vienna, Memphis, Tenn.

LULLMAN & VIENNA

#254 An even smaller sized Lullman and Vienna derringer is this genuine Henry Deringer gun that is marked with this agent’s name on the barrel. German silver throughout and you will notice that this gun does not have a ramrod like all the others by this same maker in my collection. I wonder if all were sold to Lullman and Vienna without ramrods? Solid German silver front sight dovetailed in place along with two silver barrel bands at the breech. Its caliber is .380.

The barrel markings are typically as follows:

Lullman & Vienna, Memphis, Tenn.

BITTERLICK & LEGLER

#262 This Bitterlick specimen is typical of his earlier guns except for the later markings on the barrel. The full octagon barrel is held in place by two screws through the forearm and through the trigger plate directly into the barrel. The escutcheons and furniture are all of plain German silver with no engraving whatsoever. Has German silver pin type front sight with gold band at the breech. The breech is marked with the number “I.” All metal parts show old milling marks and file marks because of its excellent condition. Caliber is .470.

The identical markings are to be found on both the barrel and the lock and two different hand stamps are used as follows:

Fr. J. Bitterlick & Legler Nashville, Tenn.

STEPHEN O’DELL

#222 O’Dell guns are often times easily recognized by their characteristic European influence. The grips are a little different in this shape gun in that they are the flat bag type instead of a rounded bag type which is more of an English style than American. The round faced hammer does not follow the characteristics of Southern derringers. All furniture is of German silver and of the highest quality casting and are fully engraved with English line scroll engraving. The trigger plate has a pineapple finial and through the trigger plate is the typical Southern style screw that attaches the forearm to the barrel along with the barrel being held in place by a wedge.

I need to mention that there are several known Henry Deringer made guns that are marked in one line on the barrel and with a hand stamp “S. O’Dell.” In this specimen that we present here that is marked on the lock plate, the name is hand engraved in and is not stamped.

This ornate specimen has five gold and silver bands at the breech. The barrel is rounded with a rib flat on top. The silver front sight is machined into place. The lockplate is filed down to fit the wood with more of a cross curve than Henry Deringer guns show. The caliber is unusually small, it being only .330.

This gun is marked on the lock only as follows:

S. O’Dell

O’Dell came from New York State probably in the late 1830’s or early 1840’s and according to newspaper accounts of that period was murdered in the early 1860’s at Natchez. Although his derringers had bag shaped grips and not bird head grips, I am classifying them as a derringer rather than a pocket pistol. Halfstock rifles with his name are known.

SCHNEIDER & GLASSICK

#215 Schneider and Glassick derringers have characteristics of both of these earlier companies that merged to form this one. All furniture is very plain German silver without even the least line engraving. There is a screw through the trigger plate holding the barrel into position along with the typical wedge. The full octagon barrel is rather plain with no embellishments at the breech. The caliber is .450.

The markings are in one line with one stamp on the top flat of the barrel as follows:

Schneider & Glassick, Memphis, Tenn.

Schneider & Glassick, gunsmiths, formed about 1859 by William S. Schneider and Frederick G. Glassick, both of whom had previously operated independently. They early secured a Confederate contract to manufacture revolvers, this being in addition to the repairing of other types of firearms. They advertised in March, 1862, advising persons who had left “guns or pistols longer than three months” to call, as they intended delivering all such arms to the Confederate government as of March 15th.

Shortly after this advertising date of March 7, 1862, Memphis was evacuated by all Confederate Ordnance activities, and the firm was not heard from again.

SCHNEIDER & GLASSICK

#6 Although in deplorable condition, this Schneider and Glassick can be restored and I am going to spend upwards of $200 to have the trigger guard and the hammer made new. Notice the extra long length of the grip and of the bird head shape. The barrel is held in place both by a trigger plate screw and a wedge. The front sight is a brass blade milled into the steel barrel with no engraving or ornamentation at the breech. Notice the heavy downward curve of the lock. Caliber is .500.

The barrel markings are done with the same stamp as used on gun #215 which is a one piece stamp in one line as follows:

Schneider & Glassick, Memphis, Tenn.

W. H. CALHOUN

#225 W. H. Calhoun was a fancy goods merchant in Nashville, Tennessee during and well before the Civil War. Fancy goods merchants sold jewelry, watches, and guns which sort of fitted together in those days and times. Calhoun never made guns himself as far as I know and was not a gunsmith. This is a genuine Henry Deringer gun surcharged or marked with the agent’s name on the barrel. This gun has typical Henry Deringer characteristics such as German silver furniture and a pineapple finial on the trigger plate. The stock is made without ramrod. The caliber is .370.

The barrel markings are in four lines on the top flat and appear to be marked each line individually as follows:

Man^d for W. H. Calhoun Agent, Nashville, Tenn.

DANIEL L. SWETT & CO.