First look at the Edge Arms Reliant quad-barrel derringer

With Heizer Defense and Double Tap revitalizing the concept of the derringer for modern concealed-carry needs it’s no surprise that other products are popping up to get in on the action. Edge Arms is a new company that’s looking to put their take on the derringer on the market.

The Reliant has four barrels for double or quadruple the capacity of your average derringer. Their initial offerings will be chambered for .22 Magnum, .17 HMR and .380 ACP. It’s not an entirely new concept, similar to the Mossberg Brownie.

The Reliant also has a passing similarity to the COP 357, which was a short-lived quad-barreled derringer chambered for .357 Magnum. They may have taken the COP’s lack of success as an indication that small guns chambered for high-energy cartridges are hard to sell.

The barrels measure in at 2.9 inches and the .22 Magnum and .17 HMR barrels are interchangeable. The pistol grip also serves to hold a stripper clip in the case of the rimfire models.

It’s a simple break-action pistol with an even simpler double action trigger. The gun has no manual safeties although in some of the drawings it appears to have a grip safety. Edge Arms doesn’t mention a grip safety so it’s possible that they have moved away from that design, instead relying on an eight-to-10-pound trigger pull to prevent firing the gun unintentionally.
The design isn’t quite as thin as the Heizer and Double Tap derringers but with a .81-inch width it’s still far thinner than other pistol designs. Even with the grips the pistol is only .94 inches wide.

Some of the Reliant’s specifications haven’t been nailed down yet. The weight isn’t confirmed and that’s probably a sign that it’s still in development, although Edge has set some things in stone, like the other dimensions. It will be 5.25 inches long and just 4.25 inches tall, just enough to get a grip on.

Initially Edge plans to launch the Reliant in an all-black configuration with an anodized aluminum receiver and phosphated steel barrel assembly. Down the road they hope to offer pistols in an array of Cerakote colors.

They are also looking into developing a version with an integral, under-barrel, grip-activated laser, which, judging by the sights on the early prototypes and drawings, would be a very interesting feature.

There is a strong market for deep-concealment pistols, whether they’re for backup or concealed-carry in situations where any more gun would be a giveaway.

Edge Arms is gearing up to take a big bite out of that market.