The Booth Deringer pistol

[loetar44]

Kees,your first question had always been mine, too - with the emphasis on the single shot. He was a good marksman, yet this was an extraordinary situation and Lincoln not alone in the box. Something could have gone wrong, the one shot misfired, and then? I wouldn't have dared to rely on a knife only. (I don't know anything about that business however. )

Wasn't such pistol a "lady's" weapon?

Eva,

I’m not a firearms expert, but I once read or heard that a .44-caliber Deringer was difficult to c ock for a woman, just using the thumb of the shooting hand alone, but I’m not sure if this is accurate. Further I can imagine that Booth choose that weapon, because it was small and concealable, but powerful enough to do the job. Not sure about that too.