Derranger recommendations?

Consider, that a KT-P32, having 8 rounds, is about the same size and lighter fully loaded as that derringer, and has, wait 400% more rounds, so why would you pay the money for something that shoots the same bullet (.32) out of a questionable platform, and even if you don't like generalities, a saying is 3 bullets, 3 meters, 3 seconds, why would you come to a gun fight with only 2/3 of what you might need....

I have heard good things about Cobra and bad things about American Derringers. It's hard to find good advice about derringers since few people own them or use them seriously. If you think you're capable of using a derringer as a tool, also look into NAA mini-revolvers. As for caliber choice, I'd go with a .22mag

Don't be discouraged by the naysayers. Small guns are great carry guns. Derringers/mini-revolvers are small enough to be carried anywhere and in any clothing. You can discretely draw and hide it in your hand if you feel trouble is coming and you want to draw a gun, but keep still keep it hidden from view. Even when you do bring it up to fire, it's inconspicuous and you retain that element of surprise. Don't get drawn into the fantasy that confrontations are always in front of you and 3 yards away. Most trouble happens at conversation distances and you will want a gun that is almost impossible to grab in a struggle.

All the huffing, puffing and chest pounding in this thread aside, if a guy has a .357 or 45 Derringer pointed your way, and knows how to use it, you stand a good chance of not making it home that night, no matter how much you impress the other boys at the range on Sunday with your hi cap mags and fast reload.


I don't carry my Derringer but I'm not fool enough to think the other guy can't put me in the dirt with his, just because I carry extra magazines and practice every other day.

I have heard good things about Cobra and bad things about American Derringers. It's hard to find good advice about derringers since few people own them or use them seriously. If you think you're capable of using a derringer as a tool, also look into NAA mini-revolvers.

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My Cobra .32 H&R is a cheap but good gun. I was able to hit COM at 15 feet on a silhouette target, surely accurate enough for a derringer. I found a middle finger-thumb grip on the stocks was essential in order to get the geometry of my larger hand to squeeze the trigger. Two fingers netted a near impossible trigger pull, as the trigger cannot be pulled upwards and back on the gun.

Carried in a holster in my back left pocket it isn't exactly slow to deploy but neither is it faster than a standard holster draw. A perfect "sure, you can have my wallet" gun (I don't carry a wallet).

I like the NAA mini revolvers but unlike the Cobra my hands were too large to operate it without fumbling about with it.

My gun is faster than your gun. What's next, spitballs and farting contests?

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This is a gun forum and speed is part of the equation. I suppose you would go to spitball and farting forums to discuss those topics.

I own a Hi Standard .22 magnum. It's an interesting piece and fun to shoot from time to time. I have it because I like it but have never carried it for self defense purposes. As others have mentioned, there are many better choices. I have shot a friend's .32 derringer (I think it was a Davis) and was surprised at how stiff the hammer was to cock. I would not want to rely on one if I was under stress and in a hurry. I have no experience with the Bond brand but have heard great things about them regarding quality. Those that own them seem to regard them highly.

I would take a Derringer over not being armed at all, but of course there are better choices. And to those who tried comparing it to a 1911 or other auto, your logic doesn't follow. It's a self-defense gun, not a combat gun (something that no handgun excells at).

Question to the derringer guys: what exactly is the appeal of these things?

My dad has a couple. I've shot them. I can't figure out why he likes them. They suck to shoot and they are heavier than a pocket pistol. So far, we seem to have established they are better than a sharpened stick. What makes them better than a normal gun?

Shot a .410 Derrienger once, uncomfortable, slow to reload, and only two shots. Hope your not attacked by more than two attackers and those two rounds do the job.

I'll stick with my full size pistol thank you.

Different people like different things. Pure and simple.

Question to the derringer guys: what exactly is the appeal of these things?

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Novelty, plinking, collecting, and a gun you can carry when you couldn't carry anything else. Their simplicity also lends to reliability and ease of maintenance. Of course someone will jump in and say my polymer auto wonder is the same size as a Bond derringer and has four times as many shots, but a Bond arms isn't really traditional derringer size.

Derringers are dead. They are about as appropriate as carrying around a single action army. Sure they might work, but a horrible choice considering your options out there today.

Small guns are great carry guns.

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They sure are! But they're horrible defense guns.

I don't carry my Derringer but I'm not fool enough to think the other guy can't put me in the dirt with his, just because I carry extra magazines and practice every other day.

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If you were confronted by a badguy using a Bond Derringer and you noticed the hammer wasn't cocked and his thumb was nowhere near the hammer......I bet you'd wish you had a a "real" gun and practiced everyday instead of your own Bond derringer in your back pocket that you never shot.

a gun you can carry when you are too lazy to carry anything else.

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Fixed it for you.

You can discretely draw and hide it in your hand if you feel trouble is coming and you want to draw a gun, but keep still keep it hidden from viewDon't get drawn into the fantasy that confrontations are always in front of you and 3 yards away.

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Yes, I prefer your fantasy of being able to "feel trouble is coming" in time for you to draw your derringer before trouble gets there.....

Yes, a derringer is probably better than a sharp stick (I'd need scenario details before choosing) but it is always a good idea to develop at least some proficiency with any gun you decide to use for defense purposes.

Are there any DA derringers being made today?

I think there is a clone of the High Standard. American Derringer, I believe, makes one in .22 mag, .38 and .40 S&W

http://www.amderringer.com/das.html


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>>> I'm just pointing out an antiquated design just can't keep up. As a result, it's a mighty poor SD choice. <<<<

The OP said NOTHING about getting it for SD, he only asked for recommendations. Let's not blast him for it.
I've owned and shot them in both 22 and 38. The 38 was a little handful. The 22 was more fun to shoot.

If you were confronted by a badguy using a Bond Derringer and you noticed the hammer wasn't cocked and his thumb was nowhere near the hammer......I bet you'd wish you had a a "real" gun and practiced everyday instead of your own Bond derringer in your back pocket that you never shot.

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Is that really the first thing you're going to look at when a gun is pointed at you? Check to see if the hammer is full cock or half cock? If someone has a drop on you with a gun, it doesn't matter what "real" gun you have in your pocket.

Yes, I prefer your fantasy of being able to "feel trouble is coming" in time for you to draw your derringer before trouble gets there.....

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You can't be calling "feel trouble coming" a fantasy. It's been a phrase since the invention of language. Have you really never heard "hair standing up on the back of your neck", "trouble is in the air" or "something feels wrong"?

The three that I own, The small one is a Davis (pre cobra) in .22lr, the medium sized one is an Excam/Tanarmi in .38spl. the big one is an American derringer in .45acp.

I shoot all of them every time I get to the range, I enjoy shooting them, and would have little problem using any one of them as carry guns although I have many of the "bigger, better" choices mentioned, also if I expected as much trouble as some here seem to think will befall them, I have several battle rifles I could be carrying.

I will add, To all those that try to rationalize buying a derringer because "Not all guns are bought for carry/ self defense" you are wasteing your time, I have put forth the same argument several times and for some unexplained reason, most people absolutly will not believe that there are some of us that buy a gun just for fun.

Question to the derringer guys: what exactly is the appeal of these things?

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Size. If you've seen or been in a fight, it starts at conversation range and begins with talk. You have your hands in your pocket for a few seconds, draw and palm the gun, completely innocuous. If a fight breaks out, you already have the gun out. Another example is if you hear someone following you to your car in a garage, it could be someone parked next to you, it could be a mugger. A panhandler approaches you and ask for money, but doesn't look the part. A barking dog get lose from its owner and comes charging at you, it could be friendly it could be aggressive. I'm sure you can think of dozens more scenarios where you would like to draw, but know you don't have the justification for brandishing. Having a gun that you can hide in the palm of your hand gives you the ability to draw without alerting anyone around you. It's one of those tools that once you have it, you'll find out numerous uses for it.

When I was younger, I purchased a derringer (Davis Industries, .32 magnum) in anticipation to the carry permit I was soon to have. It didn't take me long to realize it was a poor choice for that particular role.
Mine would give me the "two-for-sure" reliability, but who knows where those slugs actually went. Though mine seemed to pack a punch for that size, it was of little use to me, so I purchased a Taurus M85 that made a world of difference.

This was back in '96 I believe and still have both (though began carrying a K9 in '96 or '97). I still see the M85 as a viable defense piece though the D32mag I see as little more than a dangerous paperweight.

I shall restate my opinion, this time I shall type slowly ....

1. Why is it that when somone posts a question about derringers, as the OP did, some people (you know who you are) assume that the gun is to be used for self defense and begin typing ill things about derringers? The OP said NOTHING about using it for self defense. Some of you assumed that's what it was for and pounced.
If the OP had asked "Which .22 rifle should I get?" would you have fired back with "What? A .22? You can"t use that for self defense. You need a ......"???
Sounds pretty silly doesn't it? Because there are lots of reasons to by a .22 rifle, aren't there?
Then why treat derringers differently and assume the poster will use it as their one and only EDC and get into gunfights with people with 1911's and be attacked by three people at once and never practice with the gun and ....?

2. I never said that a derringer was the ideal gun for self defense but I defy the notion that they are useless or "maybe better than a pointy stick". Such comments indicate a fundemantal lack of understanding of the realities of the situation. Most of the people in this country who end up in the ER or the grave, due to gun shots, were not shot by a $3K 1911 or a well maintained Sig with the latest and greatest super round. They were shot at spitting distance by WHATEVER the shooter (good guy or bad) could get their hands on.
If you truely believe that a derringer is worthless as a man stopper, then cowboy up and take two shots center of mass and let us know how it goes.

Classified00, I certainly see what you're saying.
However, I think the reason most folks will gravitate to the presumption that a derringer would be employed in a defensive role is likely due to it being designed for such a purpose and not really being suited for other common uses such as target work, hunting, etc.

Novelty, plinking, collecting,

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I can understand that.

a gun you can carry when you couldn't carry anything else

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What would be a hypothetical situation where you could carry a derringer, but could not carry one of the small KelTecs or an LCP?

If you truely believe that a derringer is worthless as a man stopper, then cowboy up and take two shots center of mass and let us know how it goes.

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Is this where someone is supposed to challenge you to a derringer vs. small DAO duel? This is just silly.

For the record, pretaining to earlier comments I'd like to point out that my bond arms was had for right at 300 nearly new condition, has a cross bar safety and a bounce back hammer, making it quite safe, I can't explain the appeal of them but I just love mine

I own and shoot a Derringer in .38 Special and a KT P-32, for deep cover SD it's the Kel-Tec hands down.

Here's a shot of the Cobra, as you can see the finish is nothing to brag about but it's fun to shoot.




This is a photo of a target I shot with the P-32 a while back at 10 yards. (too bad I didn't stop at five shots! LOL)

Depends on what the OP wants it for.

I had a Bonds Arm SnakeSlayer for a long time 'til I wanted something else. I had other firearms for self-defense. I just wanted the SS for novelty and the .410 factor. Keep in mind I got mine before the Judge came out. And still wouldn't have been interested in the Judge- too big. I live in a rural area where the occasional copperhead or rabid animal can surprise you. A load of nine or four out of that thing did damage. I can testify to it dropping a rabid, feral cat at about 3-5 yards. Started keeping it in the pocket of my car door as an easy access firearm for carjackings. Loaded it with Winchester 3 inch buckshot loads. There's a story here somewhere in this forum where that worked for someone. The derringer can still fill a niche. Sometimes I miss mine. Until I shoot the LNIB Speed Six it bought! ( that was my " Grail " gun !)