Description
The Stafford guns are based on N.L. Babcock’s 1859-1860 US Patent # 27,509. It is believed that the Stafford pistols were actually manufactured by J.H. Merrill of Baltimore, Maryland, better known for their Civil War carbines. The weapon is a brass framed Deringer type .22 caliber single shot pocket pistol with walnut slab grips, 3.5″ barrel, square butt grip and spur trigger. Only about 2,100 were ever made and all are marked T.J. STAFFORD NEW HAVEN, CT. on the top of the barrel and Patented March 18, 1860 is on the bottom of the brass butt. Fewer than 3% are known to have survived to this era.
