Designed to be the size of a pocket watch, the diminutive Minneapolis Palm Pistol was sold under license by the Minneapolis Firearms Co., but records show these guns were actually made by James Duckworth of Springfield, Mass. Unlike its larger counterpart, the Chicago Palm Pistol, this seven-shot, .32-cal. “Protector” pistol utilized slightly more powerful centerfire cartridges and also featured a rotating safety. Despite these advantages, four times as many of the Chicago versions would be manufactured. It is estimated that only 3,000 Minneapolis “squeezers” were produced from 1891 to 1892. Once classified by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) as a “curio & relic,” this rare rotary pistol is now considered an antique.
The NRA National Firearms Museum at NRA Headquarters in Fairfax, Va.; the NRA National Sporting Arms Museum at Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Mo.; and the Frank Brownell Museum of the Southwest at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, N.M.; each have fine selections of historic arms on display. Admission to each is free, and donations are gratefully accepted. For more information, visit nramuseums.com, phone (703) 267-1600 or email nfmstaff@nrahq.org.
