[FunYet]

Anyone have any of the new .38 Derringers? Impressions? I guess I'm thinking of it as a pocket piece, certainly not a range gun, though I'd like to shoot enough to practice. An alternative to something like a Kel-Tec or Guardian. I suddenly got the bug to learn more about these. Probably due to the "hey that's kind of cool" factor. Maybe it will pass.

Thanks!

[retiredsgt]

There seems to be a lot of Junk out there. Probably depends on the brand.

[FunYet]

>There seems to be a lot of Junk out there. Probably depends on the brand.

I was looking at the American Derringer site

http://www.amderringer.com

[patentnonsense]

Look at Bond Arms - I think their build quality is a lot better than Am Derringer. Also, I really like having a trigger guard, and the bond arms derringer is heavy enough that I can stand to shoot it. (Mine is .44M, but I usually practice with .44S.)

[Josey]

I have competed with a Davis 38 derringer for four years. CAS sidematches haven't put a strain on it. Practice hasn't hurt it either. I believe Cobra is the new name for them. Mine is nickel plated with walnut grips. I gave $65.00 for it new. I even bought a set of black plastic grips for it.

[tbeb]

You'd want something that holds more than 2 rounds if you ever had to defend your life. I had a double action .22 long rifle derringer. Not much fun to practice with. I fired 50 rds. to see if it would go "bang" every time, and then never again took it to the range. I ended up selling the derringer because my CCW is a snub .38. If you can't kick the urge to have one, then I'd check out American Derringer's DA. I don't know much about them.

[dairycreek]

I was looking at the American Derringer site

I have owned and shot a number of American Derringers and, for what they are, they are a high quality piece of workmanship. Also, they are IMHO, really good looking.

My derringer was a 38/357 and shooting 38 stuff in it was no problem at all. Shooting 357 ammo was a chore. The recoil was fierce and there is just not a lot of grip on a derringer.

As far as accuracy is concerned there was almost none! No matter what I shot I could not consistentlyl put two shots into an 8-1/2 x 11" piece of paper at 5 yards. Let me be the first to admit that a great shot I'm not! But that kind of shooting was ridiculous. If you are sure your shooting is going to be very, very, very close then it might be an option for concealed carry. On the other hand, there are a lot better choices for concealed carry than a derringer.

I still miss it though! It sure was purty. Great shooting;)

[Cthulhu]

Trade a pocketable auto in .380/.32 ACP, for two shots of .38spl, fighting a beastly trigger, poor sights, and heavy recoil, all while thumb cocking each shot on a gun that is slippery and awkward. Bond Arms guns are heavy, weighing as much as an S&W M60 .357, while holding 3 less rounds in a package that is only marginally smaller. On the plus side, Bond Arms are heavy, and will do more damage as a thrown or impact weapon than the lighter Davis/ American derringer models.

While better than nothing, there are better choices for the same size/weight.

[Jim March]

In that kind of size class, the NAA Black Widow with both cylinders (22LR/22Magnum) is a FAR better defensive weapon, with the hottest CCI 22Mag ammo (+V or +V/TNT).

[Dave T]

I've been teaching CCW classes for almost 10 years. Before that I was the chief firearms instructor for my department. In the deaprtment's "Off Duty Qualification" a couple deputies tried to qualify with derringers. None every made it. In my CCW classes I have had 5 people try to qualify with derringers. None has ever made it.

People tell me a derringer is for arms length use. What if the bad guys doesn't cooperate and stands 5 yards away and shoots at you? If you can't hit what you shoot at, what is the point in carrying.

[M2 Carbine]

Two shots!!
No, No, No:(

[Hedger]

What makes you want a derringer over the other options? That might help the experts ;)

Lots of good small .38 revolvers, .380 that are decent, reasonable price ranges. No need to go with a derringer for CCW, IMHO.

[Dienekes]

Have owned three over the years; one original Remington, two copies thereof, one .22 and one .357. All were essentially toys.

The J frame Smith fills the same niche as the derringer was intended for but does it vastly better. My "always" gun is a J frame. My one remaining derringer has taken up permanent residence in a shadow box on the wall.

[hnm201]

Dave T wrote:
I've been teaching CCW classes for almost 10 years. Before that I was the chief firearms instructor for my department. In the deaprtment's "Off Duty Qualification" a couple deputies tried to qualify with derringers. None every made it. In my CCW classes I have had 5 people try to qualify with derringers. None has ever made it.

I'm curious - would you share with us what the smallest firearm that anyone qualified with was?

[mini14jac]

Ooh! Ooh!
(Hand in the air.)

I qualified for my CCW with a NAA 22lr that had the short barrel.
.5" maybe?

[scbair]

I can also qualify with the NAA .22LR; the Black Widow is a "match gun" by comparison. :D

However, unless you've tried it with a conventional double-barreled derringer, you may not realize the inherent added level of difficulty (and I'm not even talking about 5-shot timed-fire strings with a 2-shooter :uhoh: ).

The two barrels are at different heights above the axis of the shooter's wrist. Of the seven specimens I've been privileged :what: to fire over the years, the lower barrel of each shot ridiculously high; the upper barrel printed significantly higher! I'm not talkeing a few inches difference at 25 yards, either. For instance, my American Derringer lightweight .45ACP prints approximately 12" high (lower barrel) and 24" high (upper barrel) at 10 yards! I say "approximately," because the sharp, stinging recoil of .45ACP in a handgun weighing approx. 10 oz., with a handle large enough to accommodate 1-1/2 fingers, and a trigger pull heavy enough to cause hernias, make any kind of accuracy a pipe dream.

Contrast this to the NAA .22 mini-revolvers (much better trigger, single bore axis, very light recoil), and trying to qualify with a heavy caliber double derringer, then with a NAA mini-revolver is like dyin' and goin' to heaven.:cool: If you're considering a lesser caliber, the derringer certainly has no reason to exist. Why use a .38 or lesser caliber 2-shooter, when excellent .380s such as the Seecamp and Kel Tec may be used?

On the other hand, with .45 shotshells and clay pigeons at 5 yards, my derringer is a "blast" at the range, and should work well on vermin & poisonous snakes at 5 yards & under. Guess ya can find some use for darned near anything. :evil:

[Snowdog]

In '96 when NC allowed CCW, I jumped through the hoops to get one, bought a Davis D32 (.32 Magnum) as I didn't have any smallish pistols or revolvers and proceeded to carry it.
It was Teflon coated in the beginning, but it seemed PTFE had an aversion to the pot metal my D32 was made from and began to bubble and fall off.
I finally said enough is enough when I found I had shot it loose shooting G-A 100gr JHPs. The barrel would rattle from the frame (no tightening of any screw would resolve this) and I noticed accuracy at 15' went from horrific to nonexistent.

This all happened in the course of 2 weeks. I finally bought a Taurus 85CH and felt much more secure. Even though I replaced the M85 with a G19 (then ultimately a K9), I still carry that Taurus 85 from time to time.
I wouldn't dream of carrying another derringer of any kind.

I would suggest something other than a two shot derringer for self defense. In the old days, that was likely the smallest "effective" handguns you could get, but in this day and age, there's a pantheon of small and effective handguns to choose from.

[Grunt]

Two shot over/under derringers might have been a viable last ditch carry piece in the 1800s but times change and so have weapon availibility. I'd much rather go with my lighter, ergonomic, more accurate and vastly more firepower from my Kel-Tec .32 than use a 2-shot single action derringer. If I want more power for similar weight, I can carry my .380 Colt Mustang. No, in their day the Remington derringers might have been a good choice for a backup gun but these days, stick with something more modern. If it's going to be a play toy for the range, that's one thing but trusting your life to it's quite another.

[oldgold]

Just for my own personal requirments my carry gun must be able to do a head shot @ 7 yards. No rymne nor reason , just what I feel confortable/confident with. Don't think a derringer in any caliber would do this for me. Maybe I'm overly paranoid, hope I never have to find out.

Goldy

[Dave T]

Dominic,

Sorry to not answer your question for so long. Been away for a while.

Smallest gun I have had a CCW student qualify with was one of the Beretta 22 caliber pocket pistols. It took several tries, due to almost non-existant sights and malfunctions. Longest range for our state's CCW course is 10 yards.

Although they technically qualified, I was underwhelmed and said so. I told that particular student they were not well armed and should re-consider their carry choice.

[shooter1]

Well guys---------the first backup I qualified was a High Standard DA Derringer in 22mag. Not the best choice, but the only backup I had at the time. The longest range for quals with the backup is 15yds. Didn't shoot a spectacular score, but qualified! In my opinion the derringer type pistol is about the worst possible choice for backup or CCW. As mentioned by others. they are heavy, slow, inaccurate, limited capacity, very size inefficient, and possibly downright dangerous to bystanders! Seems to me that any good snubbie or compact 380 would be a hands down better choice!
st1

[dickwholliday]

if i had it to do do again i'd not buy an American Derringer.....mine won't reliably shoot two times and the one time i sent it back to get the same problem fixed ....i thought i'd never get it back.....but now i wish they'd kept it a little longer and fixed it.....Dick