NAA Blackjack for sale

The 1860s were a dangerous time and, in a vastly more rural America, police forces were few and far between. Towns were usually well patrolled, but if you traveled often, the odds of coming in contact with the criminal element were much higher than running into a member of law enforcement community, which was officially non-existent on a national level and often ‘impromptu’ on the local. This led to individuals carrying small impact weapons such as blackjacks and brass knuckles or small guns like derringers that could fit in a vest pocket, hidden until needed. Inevitably, demand fueled innovation in the concealed weapons market, often in surprising ways.

James Reid, an Irish immigrant who learned gunsmithing in Scotland, heard this call and gave the people what they wanted: a compact little revolver that could also be used as an impact weapon.

Design

Reid was no stranger to firearms. Immigrating to the states in 1857 at age 30, he worked mainly on small revolver designs. During the Civil War, he helped design and build guns for W.W. Marston and W. Irving Co. in New York City before striking out to the hills to form his own shop in Catskill. It was there on the day after Christmas in 1865 that he was granted a patent on his new device, he referred to in writing as ‘My Friend’.

A small revolver with no barrel, the rounds simply fired from the open cylinder. Overall length was just over three inches and weight was under 5-ounces for the 7-shot 22 rimfire model. The cylinder was detached from the revolver, loaded through the front, and then secured back to the gun frame with a wingnut style thumbscrew. A brass end cap kept the other rounds from falling out. There was no hand guard and the small trigger popped out of the grip when the single-action hammer was cocked. A simple safety lever kept the gun from going bang unless the operator wanted it to.

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