High Standard .22 Mag Derringer

Those are neat guns, but I have never really understood the price point which they sell at. Perhaps you can elaborate on build quality or other aspects which may be driving the prices to be what they are.

I have one in 22 mag and one in .22LR. the mag is my carry gun when wearing light clothing and shorts. It fits well in a pocket, and it is better than no gun at all. The .22 is loaded with shot shells for snakes around the camp.

I have one and it only fires the top barrel also

You really scored with the Bersa.

AFS

Walkalong said:

Neat little gun.

High Standard DM-101
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Very cool. I've wanted one of those in .22 mag as well. Ought to be a great noise maker.

I had one that worked properly. It was adequately accurate at gambler ranges with the Smoke 'em Joe technique.
I traded it away when I realized I was depending on a double derringer for defense. Although there was a case where a guy thwarted a kidnap attempt with one.

Friend of mine had one. Used to carry in his leather jacket when he rode his Harley. Shot a rattlesnake with a shot shell when it surprised when he pulled over to pee in the desert.

Always wanted one of those. Currently I am priced out of the market.

Say what you will but they make perfect EAR guns, no they don't improve your hearing but they sure do make enough noise to do it harm. I prefer the .22 Magnum instead of the ,22 LR. Not my preference for self defense but will suffice if it's all you have!

Wife wanted one cause it was cute. That lasted a month and she sold it and got an NAA.
Both backed up a 3 inch Charter Arms.

Long before NAA made their mini revolvers and polymer pocket pistols like the Kel Tec P32 existed stuff like the HS derringers ruled the deep concealment or backup gun market.

IDK if they still have a place in the modern world for carrying, but I do like them a lot more than any of the single action derringers out there and maybe even more than the NAA revolvers. A double action is always a superior choice for up close defense distances and given the distances these o/u derringers are used at they were perfectly accurate enough for fast point shooting.

For $200, they're not bad guns for the money given the quality levels of them. I would only go for the .22 Mag. While it's not ideal I have no concerns about shooting .22 LR in a break action type gun.

Love me a quality High Standard, just saying..........

Got several semi auto's that are fantastic..

I own 2 of the magnum models,one is blue & the other is dull nickel.

They both shoot well,and I am impressed that youapart as I do not have the nerve to.

Owned the blue one for well over 3 decades and it is a VERY,VERY accurate gun [ not just at 'ear' distance]

It fits well in the index finger of my winter glove and that is as fast a shot as can be fired in a S/D situation.AND YES, tried the drill and blew up a few gloves too.

Actually wish it were made today in a scandium material,as the weight in a pocket is more than I need to shoot it.

I had a 6 foot four buddy back in the 1970's that shot one using the old index finger along the frame , tall finger on the trigger,,,,

and cut and burned the pad of his index finger where his finger was longer than the gun!

B-I-L carried one in his hip pocket for decades.

-kBob

scaatylobo said:

Actually wish it were made today in a scandium material,as the weight in a pocket is more than I need to shoot it.

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Since High Standard and American Derringer are both out of business, something like this would be an excellent project for places like Bond or NAA to start making. Doesn't even need to be Scandium either, I'd bet an aircraft aluminum frame would be sufficient and maybe even make the barrel aluminum too but use a pressed in steel sleeve for the chamber and rifling.

Sounds crazy, but these aren't exactly guns that are going to be shot more than a thousand rounds in its lifetime and it's .22

kBob said:

I had a 6 foot four buddy back in the 1970's that shot one using the old index finger along the frame , tall finger on the trigger,,,,and cut and burned the pad of his index finger where his finger was longer than the gun!

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That is the Smoke 'em Joe Technique I mentioned. My forefinger is not so long as to be at risk.
Smoke 'em Joe was a poster on TFL a number of years ago who advocated the method with practically any handgun.

TTv2 said:

Since High Standard and American Derringer are both out of business, something like this would be an excellent project for places like Bond or NAA to start making. Doesn't even need to be Scandium either, I'd bet an aircraft aluminum frame would be sufficient and maybe even make the barrel aluminum too but use a pressed in steel sleeve for the chamber and rifling.

Sounds crazy, but these aren't exactly guns that are going to be shot more than a thousand rounds in its lifetime and it's .22

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BRILLIANT !!.

I would be standing in line for such a S/D pistol.

PLEASE do not judge its use or accuracy until you shoot & own one for as long as I have .

And yes,I do the "index pointing" shot with middle finger pulling the trigger,but short stubby hands/ fingers [ like my body ].!.

I have always wanted on of the 22Lr ones. Just never found one at a price I could agree with that was in decent condition. I would buy a couple of them if a decent quality new one came out.

WB

Wa. state has many for fair prices. There is a shop in Renton that my brother and I have bought more than a few. Sounds like Pentos..

Paco Kelly used to carry one of these working undercover:

"At one time when this Nations Federal drug control agency was the Bureau of Narcotics in the Department of Treasury, I was with it in the 1960s in New York City. It was common when we went undercover to make drug buys, to carry a two shot High Standard 22 RF magnum derringer, as a back up gun. In those days it was Winchester ammo or nothing. We had been instructed at the time by several medical pathologists that did tests with the little guns and ammo for the Agency before it would let us carry them. If we had to fire on another human, they said to shoot for the lower intestine. Of the three shootings we had by Agents using the High Standards... all three criminals were hit at across the room distances or closer and all three in the intestines. All three went down from the intense pain with one shot each."

I happened to be reading a Gun Digest for 1968 and there was the HS .22 Magnum only $40 US for either caliber

the Colt Junior 6 shot .22S or.25 ACP auto was $43.25
the Browning .25 6 shot was $39.50 for the standard or $64.50 for the lightweight
the Beretta Minx 6 shot auto in .22S or .25 ACP was $41
the Astra Cub 6 shot in .22s or .25ACP was $37.50
the diminutive Bernardelli .22S or .22L 6 shot was $44 and the 5 shot .25ACP was $48 (Dad had one and pocket carried when needed, loose)

So it was priced right there with the competition and I remember folks making comments to the effect that they would rather have two sure shots with a .22 Mag than six maybes with .22s or .25ACP.

Most seemed to be under the impression that they were going to get the same power from a .22 Magnum belly gun they would get from a .22Magnum rifle.....

Dad also looked around that time at the S&W .22 auto, (Chief decided Auxillerymen should be armed even off duty but a tiny gun would do) but a regular cop a new S&W auto that had a jam about the time Dad was ready to purchase.

Never saw the Bernardelli VP stutter on .25 ACP FMJ and it was minute of can at 15 yards despite the small size and ridiculous excuse for sights in Dad's hand. He carried with the chamber empty and would do a one handed cock. I shot it at 3 to seven yards only... when at 3 going for a burst of five rounds generally at the head of a target or the first round or two anyway. At five and seven I aimed (quickly) COM and pumped two to three at a more sedate cadence.

I don't recall any of the small town cops or auxillery using any sort of pocket holster other than a hanky or cut down ( or sewn up) eyeglass pocket slip.

Different times and different places, 1968 was.

-kBob

Two old well carried friends. Another .22 magnum & Case XX Canoe.