In the second half of the 1800 there was a great diffusion of small pistols, known as “derringer” since the appearance of the muzzle loading models. Some were made to fire metallic cartridges, most were given strange names to impress customers; all were low cost with a simple mechanism like the barrel’s length from 3 to 5 inches hinged to the frame or the removable nipple breech to load it. The grip was usually of the “birds beak” type and the trigger of a “spur” type.