Booth's Gun Questions

[asobbingfilm]

It is my understanding that The Derringer pistol used by Booth likely was one of two. Is that correct? Does anyone know when Booth obtained the gun or guns? Is there a record of the purchase? While I realize that guns of that time were not mass produced and had no serial numbers, are there any guns out there in the world that are similar in design? Lastly does anyone think or know if Booth ever practiced with the gun? Did he ever go to the range for a little training. Every time I see Booths gun I am amazed at just how small it is. Here in Texas we call that a "boot" gun not a "Booth" gun. LOL

[J. Beckert]

Hopefully Wes Harris chimes in here. He's done a lot of research on the assassination weapons.

Deringers were sold in pairs. As far as where Booth got his, there's a story it was given to him by a friend after he had an altercation with a man over a woman. I've heard nothing else about it's origins.


As far as practicing with it, I highly doubt it. It's almost pointless. Deringers were notoriously inaccurate and good only at very close range. I'd think hitting anything beyond 20' would be a gift. The shorter the barrel, the less accurate the gun is and like you stated - that gun is tiny.

Booth did go to firing ranges and was said to be an excellent shot.

[DanielC]

It is my understanding that The Derringer pistol used by Booth likely was one of two. Is that correct? Does anyone know when Booth obtained the gun or guns? Is there a record of the purchase? While I realize that guns of that time were not mass produced and had no serial numbers, are there any guns out there in the world that are similar in design? Lastly does anyone think or know if Booth ever practiced with the gun? Did he ever go to the range for a little training. Every time I see Booths gun I am amazed at just how small it is. Here in Texas we call that a "boot" gun not a "Booth" gun. LOL

Hello,

Regarding your question if JWB ever go to the range:

JWB was in Boston visiting his brother and stayed at the Parker House on April 5-6 1865. He was seen shooting a pistol at a nearby "shooting gallery" on the corner of Chapman and School streets.

[Wesley Harris]

Except for the story Joe described, there is no information on the origin of Booth's pistol. I've heard that story also but only from a source that would never provide me any documentation on it. Whether Booth owned its mate is also unknown.

We also don't know if the assassination Deringer was the weapon he was using at the pistol galleries he visited in the months leading up to the assassination. The Deringer was a very close range weapon. For shooting a cheating gambler across a card table, for example.

I've interviewed the world's #1 expert in Henry Deringer pistols and in his lifetime of collecting and writing about them, he has never seen one of the exact size of Booth's.

[HerbS]

I heard that Booth wanted a backup pistol,just incase of a missfire.So,this shows how well planed his deranged thoughts were!People have told me that the derringer can very deadly at a close range.

[Wesley Harris]

I heard that Booth wanted a backup pistol,just incase of a missfire.So,this shows how well planed his deranged thoughts were!People have told me that the derringer can very deadly at a close range.

He would have been wise to have a back-up but I don't know of any source that verifies that he did. There have been several guns that supposedly were picked at the theatre or found elsewhere that supposedly belonged to Booth.

[Gene C]

How loud would the sound of the derringer being fired be compared to a colt revolver?

[Wesley Harris]

How loud would the sound of the derringer being fired be compared to a colt revolver?

The factors that come into play in the loudness of today's firearm--caliber, barrel length, size of the cartridge (as opposed to caliber; for example, there are "short" .22 cartridges and "long" .22 cartridges.

For the two Civil War era weapons you described, sound would be about the same. Both would be loaded by hand and usually there was no attempt to accurately measure the powder but just "eyeball" it. For both pistols, it would depend on how much gunpowder was used. The barrel lengths are too close to make much difference.

[HerbS]

I don't think that noise of a gun mattered to Booth.Ego-maniacs don't care about noise.They just focus in on thier target.

[Wesley Harris]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmqlCus5_Ig

This is an episode of "Brad Metzler's Lost History" with an account of the supposed theft of Booth's pistol from Ford's Theatre. I wrote an article for America's Civil War
magazine on this story back around 1997. The producer for this History Channel show called me a few months ago for more information but I didn't have anything not already mentioned in the article. It is the basis for the episode but my article is not anywhere as sensational and misleading (and inaccurate).

The general outline they give of the story is reasonably accurate but they embellish it quite a bit. The Booth portion is about halfway through the video.

[STS Lincolnite]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmqlCus5_Ig

This is an episode of "Brad Metzler's Lost History" with an account of the supposed theft of Booth's pistol from Ford's Theatre. I wrote an article for America's Civil War
magazine on this story back around 1997. The producer for this History Channel show called me a few months ago for more information but I didn't have anything not already mentioned in the article. It is the basis for the episode but my article is not anywhere as sensational and misleading (and inaccurate).

The general outline they give of the story is reasonably accurate but they embellish it quite a bit. The Booth portion is about halfway through the video.

Wes, I saw that episode when it aired on television and I was thinking about you and your expertise the whole time. Particularly when the gentleman from the FBI talked about the strange "rifling" in the barrel that you had mentioned in another thread.

The way the derringer is mounted in the new exhibit at the Ford's Theatre Education Center, one can get a much better and closer look at the barrel and the weapon itself. No pictures allowed however - otherwise I would have snapped a few and posted.

[Wesley Harris]

[quote='Wesley Harris' pid='45686' dateline='1427505517']


Wes, I saw that episode when it aired on television and I was thinking about you and your expertise the whole time. Particularly when the gentleman from the FBI talked about the strange "rifling" in the barrel that you had mentioned in another thread.

The way the derringer is mounted in the new exhibit at the Ford's Theatre Education Center, one can get a much better and closer look at the barrel and the weapon itself. No pictures allowed however - otherwise I would have snapped a few and posted.

I started to go by Ford's after the conference to see how they had the Deringer displayed in the new exhibit. Glad I didn't now since I would have been mightily upset with the inability to take pics. News articles have shown numerous photos of items in the new special display at the Education Center but none of the pistol.

[HerbS]

Wesley-You have been the last word here,and I will respect that about Booth's gun!