Iver Johnson Four Barrel .22 Derringer - What Happened ?

Gun Master said:

The 1915 Shot Show said the above Pocket Ace would soon be forthcoming .
Where is it ?

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It looks like Iver Johnson is nearly 102 years late.

My curiosity made me interested enough to find that IJ's website mentions the Pocket Ace to be expected to be ready in March of 2017.

That is one cool little gun.

http://iverjohnsonarms.com/

I'd like to see one in person once they make it. I've almost bought a NAA revolver on a few occasions, but I think I'd like the little pepperbox much better.

From the looks of it , it is a good thing I will be an Oregon resident in 2017 and can get one. I had and stupidly gave away the real well made italian Sharps copy I had innn the 70s, I have never been able to replace it. In my opinion the Sharps 4 barrel design well done is superior in capability to the Mini revolvers or over unders ect. I had COP .357 DA 4 barrel in the day and it was a POS usage wise, being a fat heavy pig with poor accuracy (with coolness factor off the chart as a BUG But drop the size down to the original size and the quality so the accuracy is decent and a .22 or presumably .25acp one is very good .

That would be cool to have if only for the nostalgia of the design.

That Iver Johnson derringer reminds me of the 19th century Sharps derringer (single action) and early 20th century Mossberg Brownie (DA only). Anyone else remember the TV show Yancy Derringer? Riverboat gambler, he carried a Sharps in his hat and one up his sleeve.
The IJ Pocket Ace is based on the Sharps but it is just enough different to avoid anyone passing it off as an original.
I see it as a nostalgia/history item and maybe as a test-of-concept for people looking for a compact SD weapon. I once had a replica of the Remington derringer in .38 Special for both reasons.

My Dad got hold of one of those four shot pistols. Not sure what caliber it was, as .22 L.R. cases split when fired. There was no marking on the one he had. It looked like a small pocket auto, and had a rotating firing pin and fired in the double action mode only.

I fired it at the range, just aiming at the bank downrange about 110 yards distant. The barrels printed (dusted more the word) what I believe to twelve feet apart at that distance.

Novel, but totally worthless except as a conversation piece. And rather profane conversation at that.

Bob Wright

Any idea of pricing for the Iver Johnson Pocket Ace?

For me if it was less than $200 I might get it just for the novelty. Less would obviously be better. I bought my sole derringer for $20. It's never failed to go off, accuracy is less than stellar though. I'd never carry it as an actual pistol meant for defense though.

Bob, willing to bet what you had was a Mossberg Brownie or rip off thereof. A company in Tucson made a clone for a while, not well thought of.
That IS an interesting little gun, not sure I would use one, but nifty enough. I had no idea someone bought the Iver Johnson name - note that the website says it has zero connection to the old IJ company, so think of it more like a new start up outfit. I wonder where they get the firearms from, actually manufacture in house or Philippine import maybe?

I thought the new Iver Johnson four-banger looked familiar.

So I scratched my head a bit.

Yep. As previously noted, it looks a whole lot like the 4-barrel derringers made by C. Sharps in the 1860's. Progress marches on, but not everywhere at an even pace.

BobWright said:

My Dad got hold of one of those four shot pistols. Not sure what caliber it was, as .22 L.R. cases split when fired. There was no marking on the one he had. It looked like a small pocket auto, and had a rotating firing pin and fired in the double action mode only.

I fired it at the range, just aiming at the bank downrange about 110 yards distant. The barrels printed (dusted more the word) what I believe to twelve feet apart at that distance.

Novel, but totally worthless except as a conversation piece. And rather profane conversation at that.

Bob Wright

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110 yards with a pocket derringer. I guess that proves the limitation with that gun.

I think I'll stick with the NAA Pug T in the sub-subcompact role. If I want a piece of history, I will buy an antique.

I seem to recall Erl Svendsen made a bronze frame four shot derringer that kind of resembled the old Sharps derringer. I think that model and their Lil' Ace single shot derringer were chambered for the .22 Short.

110 yards with a pocket derringer. I guess that proves the limitation with that gun

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I selected that distance simply because the dirt bank was dry and the bullet would kick up dust. My aim point was a clump of weeds on that bank. I have done that many times just to see how far off, or not, a gun would shoot.

The gun my Dad had was definitely not A Mossberg. Looked like it might have been an Italian gun, and was chromed, not nickeled.

I'm guessing the chambering was for the .22 Remington auto cartridge.

Bob Wright

Scroll to the bottom picture - is that it?

http://www.gunauction.com/buy/12029851

armoredman said:

Scroll to the bottom picture - is that it?

http://www.gunauction.com/buy/12029851

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Looks very similar. The chrome was more even and highly polished, and there were no markings on the pistol.

Bob Wright

HJS out of Texas made a 22 LR Sharps pattern and a one shot 380 on the same frame. They were written up years ago in Guns and Ammo. They weren't serious SD guns but of course, you could shoot someone close up. I saw a table full of them at a FL gun show for $95 each back in the 90's but being from out of state didn't want to go through the FFL business for them.

Being a Yancy fan - I might buy one just for grins (if not expensive). I bought a NAA 22S mini just because it was cute for about $125 but wouldn't spend 200 bucks for one.

There was also a outfit in Minnesota calle Advantage Arms that made a copy of the Mossberg Brownie in the 1980's. Because I live right next door in Wisconsin, for a while I was seeing them everywhere. They were also available in 22 Magnum and had a ventilated rib!

GEM, I think the single-shot version of that HJS derringer was in 38 S&W, not 380 ACP. It stuck in my mind because I wondered how long it had been since anyone made a gun in 38 S&W.

I want the 45/410 version called it the Defendant .