National Arms Company
National Arms Company grips
The National Arms Company, a short-lived but notable Brooklyn, New York firearms manufacturer, emerged in the post-Civil War era amid booming demand for affordable metallic-cartridge handguns
Inventor Daniel Moore patented his single-shot .41 rimfire derringer design on February 19, 1861. He initially produced it under Moore's Patent Firearms Co. (early markings: "D. Moore" or "Moore's Patent"), then reorganized as Moore's Patent National Firearms Company around 1863
By circa 1865, the firm adopted the name National Arms Company (markings: "National Arms Co. Brooklyn NY") and focused on the popular No. 1 and No. 2 derringers — compact, breech-loading pocket pistols in .41 rimfire, prized for concealability and reliability in the Wild West era
Production ramped up in Brooklyn, with estimates of about 30,000 total derringers (including earlier Moore variants) from ~1860–1870. The company capitalized on the metallic cartridge revolution but faced stiff competition and sales challenges
In 1870, struggling financially, National Arms sold its assets, tooling, and derringer rights to Colt's Manufacturing Company. Colt rebranded and continued producing the design as the famous Colt First Model Derringer (and successors), entering the booming derringer market
The National Arms Company operated roughly a decade (mid-1860s to 1870), leaving a legacy as a key early player in .41 rimfire derringers and a stepping stone for Colt's post-war pocket pistol dominance
