Auction find - Colt "Lord" derringer

[Denis]

Here's a funny little gun I bought yesterday as an unsold auction lot. A .22 short reproduction of a Colt Model 3 Derringer. I believe these were originally sold in boxed sets as a "Lord" and "Lady" pair.

vSmall_Screenshot Colt Derringer.jpg

Should be fun...

[Cobar]

That is a cute little thing

[randy]

Well Wear! (I just had to say it )

[evan price]

A friend of mine found one of them in a box of auction stuff a few months ago. She brought it to me to look over.
Darned if I could figure out how to open it. I know you have to have the hammer back and it swivels open. Seems frozen or stuck. Won't even try to move.

[Denis]

Well Wear! (I just had to say it )

Why, thank you!

Darned if I could figure out how to open it. I know you have to have the hammer back and it swivels open. Seems frozen or stuck. Won't even try to move.

I haven't put hands on mine yet (it's coming from the UK), but I wonder whether you need to cock the hammer, then carefully release it by operating the trigger and letting the hammer half-way down. If the hammer's at full-cock (i.e. the weapon is armed), there ought to be some kind of interlock preventing opening of the barrel.... just a guess.

Haha. Youtube is the reference library of the future. I was half right - put it on half-cock and twist the barrel, not tip it up:

https://youtu.be/l5yYM0gqJzo

[evan price]

I have a 32 caliber brass BP deringer just like it, so I know it swivels open, not breaks like a shotgun. It won't rotate either way. Half or full cock. Mystery.

[Denis]

I have a 32 caliber brass BP deringer just like it, so I know it swivels open, not breaks like a shotgun. It won't rotate either way. Half or full cock. Mystery.

Sorry - I didn't mean you didn't know it swivels to open - I didn't know that, until I saw it on YT.

Odd that one is stuck. I wonder if the plunger /detent is coroded in place? A soak in penetrating oil, then beat with a plastic hammer, perhaps...