The first really practical Underhammer pistols.

[Darto]

1836 Samuel Colt builds his first factory and gun company in Patterson. It fails because the guns were not good enough, very few sales. But the idea was revolutionary and he got real lucky because a war started (with Mexico), his next effort in 1847 succeeded brilliantly.

1826 Another man, Fordyce Ruggles had a revolutionary idea for a gun. And sales started out great. But then he got very unlucky, and so did his brother.

During this era, practical percussion guns were just coming into use.

A long read, in PDF format, The Ruggles brothers, and their underhammer pistols. Cheap, easy to make, very accurate, practical.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://americansocietyofarmscollectors.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2007-B96-Early-New-England-Underhammers-in-the-St.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjr9Pz_z_WIAxWeMDQIHZWAC1MQFnoECBgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1np6ThhTRmkJ3k8ZEHpxKJ

My modern clone of Ruggles pistol by R. Olsen, Blair, Nebraska,



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[Darto]

The Ruggles gun had only 4 moving parts. At that time almost no gun maker in America made locks, which they imported from Europe. But Ruggles could easily make these.

In Europe today, black powder target competitions put underhammers in a separate division to keep them from winning most every match. They were just as accurate in the 1830's !