cobra arms derringer any good?

[junior geezer]

if cobra is indeed "davis," then i do have some experience re the .38 special model. a friend of mine bought one, used, simply because he always wanted a derringer. i've fired it maybe 6-8 times; very uncomfortable recoil. it just plain hurts my hand. very heavy trigger. my friend carries it when hiking with his wife... in case they should be attacked by a bear!

 

[w_houle]

I have a Davis D-38 and fired a box of 50 through it, and had a sore hand for a while over it. I have also fired snake shot through it. Accuracy with bullets is non existent, but accuracy with shot is good. I think that is due to mine being rifled with a magic marker. I like to keep mine in my tackle box with snake shot. I think it would be worthless against people.
I called Cobra Arm and they said it was the same gun, and that all the parts are interchangeable.
I don't have any grudge against cheap guns, but give this one a pass.

 

[Merry4Guns]

Info on Cobra Derringers

Hello All! Wanted to give you all somne quick info on the Cobra Derringers. I currently own 3. I have a .32, 9mm, and .38 Special. I have fired all 3 and they are extremly comfortable. They made be small in stature but they are wieghted so well that there isn't much recoil. My favorite to shoot happens to be the .38 Special. i can garauntee that if you fire it it WILL NOT blow up in your hand. I saw a post from another person that seems to think this will happen. This is simply not true. Some people are ignorant when it comes to handling a firearm. A little word of advice is if you are aimimg at a person sized target, aim for the croch area and it'll hit right around the head area. If anyone else has questions I would be glad to answer them. This girl knows how to shoot!

 

[MICHAEL T]

A little word of advice is if you are aimimg at a person sized target, aim for the crotch area and it'll hit right around the head area.

Your joking right? For the money you spent could have bought a real pistol that hits were you aim.
Your only person that thinks the 38 is "extremly comfortable"

As for this " This girl knows how to shoot!" Maybe but buy a real pistol and welcome to this board

Question Do you work for this company? If not they should hire you Your about only person happy with their purchase .

 

[The Tomcat]

I just purchase a cobra derringer in 9mm. It's cool though I don't know that I will carry it foe defense. I always wanted one and the price was right. Trigger pull is hard, but it's not designed to shoot a more than a few feet anyway. I'll carry it to card games to make me feel old school.

 

[sherlocksathome]

People just don't understand the Cobra derringer

I've been following this thread and can't stop smiling over some of the posts I'm reading here. First off, Yes I own a Cobra 38spl. On the trigger pull complaints I suggest while you squeeze the trigger try putting a slight downward pressure on it with your finger (It's a safety feature). This not only make the trigger easier to pull but will increase the guns accuracy.
Secondly the Accuracy. Any gun with a 2.75" barrel will leave something to be desired in the accuracy department. This gun is for self protection in the classical sense, which is at fairly close range. It's not designed for shooting at someone half a block or more away. Then again you're not protecting yourself anymore at that distance either. Thirdly the kick. Who cares? This gun isn't designed for comfort and a leisurely afternoon at the pistol range.
This is a close range only, maintenance free, small gun designed for easy concealment and maximum knockdown power of an attacker/assailant. In Florida we live in tee shirts and shorts for 8 months out of the year. It's just the ticket for me. Would I carry it as a back up if I were a cop? No!
Cops need to worry about long range accuracy. You don't. Home protection is another story too. Since concealment is not an issue and defense laws are different (Defense of Property Rights). The bigger the better. Finally on it's two shot capacity. That's all I need. I don't need to spew 9 rounds and hope to hit something. For all you John Wayne wanna be's out there telling people to "go get a real gun", and feeling that they are above using such a weapon. I say You just don't get it. This gun certainly fills an open gap in the gun market. In closing I suppose that I should state that "No" I don't work for Cobra.

 

[FoMoGo]

Lot of 1st time posters in this thread.
For the money there are a LOT of better options.
Shop around.


Jim

 

[DFW1911]

I recently inquired about Derringers in general and thought I'd check them out in person, which I did at the next gun show.

I left without one. For CCW / GUG I was concerned about quality and size. My thinking is that I can get a lot more gun in a slight different configuration, such as a Kel Tec, and I'd be happier.

However, there is something cool about a Derringer, so I'm sure I'll get some that will just keep my other unused guns company in the safe

 

[trigun87]

I got a davis one in .32 took it to the range couldnt hit the target at all. It is really a gut gun nothing more, but with what all it takes to shoot it; a knife might be better with an attacker that close to you. I gave it to my mother because she thought it was so cute, I gave it to here with a lecture about not actually using it and just go for the mossy 500.

 

[Gunfighter123]

I used to have a Davis .38 sp derringer. Extremely heavy trigger pull, horrible accuracy, and very significant recoil.

I may have bought your's or maybe you bought mine !!! LOL

IMHO --- I've owned three over the last 20 years { Davis & Cobra } --all have been JUNK. But if the choice was one of them or no gun --- I guess I'd take one {maybe}.
I've owned a .22rf , a .22mag , and a .38Spl. ---- all had VERY BAD triggers { think two fingers to pull } and were not good for more then arms length distance. Add the fact that two of the three broke and needed repair -- not worth the money for them.

As others have said --- the NAA mini-revolvers are built much better and I have more faith in the little 5 shot .22 then in the bigger 2 shot .38 Davis.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'm just wondering if everyone who said bad things about the Cobra Derringer in this thread actually owned or fired one? Yes, I know they're no Bond Arms gun but they don't cost $500 either and they aren't as heavy as a brick.

I have a Cobra in .38 Special and have fired at least 200 rounds through it (just for kicks) and it works just fine especially for the price. I also have a double barrel 410 Derringer that's a hoot to shoot!

 

[sherlocksathome]

Why don't you enlighten the board FoMoGo and tell everyone what they can buy for a $150.00, brand new, that comes with a life time warranty, that's under 4.75 inches in length and under 14 ounces in weight. Replacement barrels for Cobras are $32.95 for all big bore calibers. That means in about 30 seconds I can change barrels and fire .32's, 38spl's, or 9mm's from the same derringer. For another $32.95 I can buy the "longer" barrels too for increased accuracy. Can your "better options out there" do that as well? Just because I'm new here doesn't mean I'm uninformed. As I said before. This is a true personal protection hand gun. Not designed for shootouts or any of that other 007 fantasy stuff kids like to dream about. This is for sticking in a car jackers ribs and pulling the trigger when they're trying to drag you out of your car. If you can't accomplish that with two rounds you shouldn't have a gun because you will only be recklessly endangering the lives of others. If you're realistic about the street conditions in which you can legally use lethal force. This pistol is just fine. I will wait for your list of better options from you or anyone else here. I'll go out and buy what ever you suggest. just remember...Under $150.00, under 14oz in weight, under 4.75 inches long, 38spl, and it must be brand new with a lifetime factory warranty. I would prefer made in the U.S.A like Cobra Derringers but I don't want to make things too difficult for you. I'll run to my local gun shop and place the order within 24 hours of your post. By the way... Slingshots and peashooters don't count LOL!.

 

[sherlocksathome]

Hey gunfighter123, I've also got a NAA mini revolver in 22 long. They make a short, long and a magnum. I prefer the 38 cobra. Go talk to any inner city police veteran or inner city emergency room doctor and ask them what they would rather be shot with. I knew a lot of cops in Chicago when I lived there years ago and "NONE OF THEM" would ever carry a 22 as a back up piece. You need a slug that will put a man down, not just put a hole in him. Aren't there any combat veterans on this thread? I'm also surprised that you would even put a live round under that fifth chamber in the NAA 22. The gun is so tiny that it has to be handled with fingertips only and can be easily dropped by many owners causing an unwanted discharge in any random direction. Before my 38 derringer there was my NAA 22. I always kept an empty chamber under the hammer and will admit that while it is only a 22, it is the best quality and smallest concealable handgun on the market. In the hot and humid tropics shoulder holsters and ankle holsters can't be used for about 7 or 8 months out of the year because we live in shorts and tee shirts. Good Luck

 

[sherlocksathome]

Hey Micheal Tee! So the Cobra 38spl Derringer isn't a real gun eh? Come on over tonight so we can both giggle about it and you can quote more famous lines from Wyatt Earp. Maybe you can cite a few quotes from Curly of the Three Stooges too. Oh and when you do come over.............don't knock on the front door, just come in through the side window. LOL!

 

[Gunfighter123]

I'm also surprised that you would even put a live round under that fifth chamber in the NAA 22. The gun is so tiny that it has to be handled with fingertips only and can be easily dropped by many owners causing an unwanted discharge in any random direction.

Well sherlock , you either didn't read the manual or had a VERY early NAA --- I've owned mine for about 20 years and it has "notches" on the cyld. BETWEEN the chambers where you let the hammer rest --- 100% SAFE to carry with all 5 rds. loaded.

Go talk to any inner city police veteran or inner city emergency room doctor and ask them what they would rather be shot with.

Go talk to ANYONE who has been shot with a .22 and ask them if they would have rather been shot with a bigger round ---- a kill shot is a kill shot. Shoot someone in the eye socket , temple , spine , brain etc. and dead is dead.I've been shot two different times with a .22rf handgun and it was not "fun".

As I said before. This is a true personal protection hand gun. Not designed for shootouts or any of that other 007 fantasy stuff kids like to dream about. This is for sticking in a car jackers ribs and pulling the trigger when they're trying to drag you out of your car.

As is the NAA !!! I tell my wife that when she carries the NAA , that it is for CONTACT DISTANCE ---- to try to stick the gun under the rapeist/muggers CHIN and then pull the trigger.

In the hot and humid tropics shoulder holsters and ankle holsters can't be used for about 7 or 8 months out of the year because we live in shorts and tee shirts. Good Luck

Right now , sitting by me --- I have a Davis .22rf derringer and a NAA .22rf ---- my NAA WILL FIT in a empty Marlboro cigarette box , the Davis WILL NOT. I carry the NAA in the
empty Marlboro cigarette box many times while fishing the Chicago lake front etc. -- can not do that with the Davis.

I knew a lot of cops in Chicago when I lived there years ago and "NONE OF THEM" would ever carry a 22 as a back up piece.

Well , I also do know some Chicago MEG agents and THEY DO carry a NAA when they are in "deep undercover" and as a matter of fact , one also carries his in a empty cig. pack.

As to .38 vs. .22 etc. etc. ----- in the 1950s/late 1960s , more people were killed by the .22rf then any other round. Thats no BS , look it up .

If you do a search of my posts here , you will see I have MANY types of firearms. All the way from custom high dollar 1911s , shotguns , "battle rifles" , 44mag/10mm/357mag/ revolvers, etc. -------- I've also been a high placeing competitor in IPSC, IDPA , 3 Gun ,
and other "action" shooting matches for 25+ years --------- I know a little about firearms and I stand by my statement that I WOULD pick my NAA over my Davis.

Aren't there any combat veterans on this thread?

Combat as in Army or combat as in the streets ??? I have already posted this info --- I've been on BOTH SIDES of a trigger being pulled --- does that make me a "combat veteran"???

So the Cobra 38spl Derringer isn't a real gun eh? Come on over tonight so we can both giggle about it and you can quote more famous lines from Wyatt Earp. Maybe you can cite a few quotes from Curly of the Three Stooges too. Oh and when you do come over.............don't knock on the front door, just come in through the side window. LOL!

I just got to LOL at that !!!! Anyone that comes in thru the side window at MY HOUSE will not be greeted by my Davis derringer !!!! That is what I have 12ga. shotguns and 45/10mm handguns for.

In closeing ---- would I rather have a Davis derringer then NO GUN --- YES !!! Would I pick a Davis derringer to protect my life OVER ANY OTHER firearm I own -- NEVER.

 

[duns]

I was thinking about getting one of these in .38 special as a back up gun or just something to mess around with,anyone here know anything about these as far as quality goes? How do they compare to say american derringer quality wise? Thanks for any input on this guys.

I can't think of any circumstance where I would choose this a derringer as a serious back up gun. As a curiosity, just for fun, maybe.

 

[Low Budget Shooter]

Dear THR,

I messed with a Cobra derringer in .38 special for a while. It is inexpensive, it does fire a decent cartridge, it is small. But after practicing with it several times, I decided it was below my threshold for firepower. I sold it and put the $ toward a used lightweight snubby revolver. I am much more pleased with that than I was with the derringer.

LBS

 

[makarovnik]

Not very good.

 

[fireside44]

On the trigger pull complaints I suggest while you squeeze the trigger try putting a slight downward pressure on it with your finger (It's a safety feature).

Trying to use a two finger grip will position your hand so that massive amounts of pressure must be applied to discharge the gun. A one finger grip is the only solution. I think people assume they have a "horrible trigger" because they are gripping using two fingers and therefore don't have their hand situated correctly for proper operation.

I have a .32 H&R and put twenty rounds through it. If you are within ten or fifteen feet I can almost guarantee a COM hit. It ain't a high quality gun, but it functions as it should. The misinformation that spreads even from owners about these guns is overwhelming.

 

[deadeyedan]

38 Big Bore - Highly recommended

I've been very pleased with my 38 Big Bore. I got it used from someone for next to nothing. Turns out a shade tree gunsmith "trigger job" pretty much wrecked it. The sear was ground to nothing and the cam was put in backwards. I called Cobra, explained what happened and they sent me a brand new hammer, trigger for free. (Awesome Service!) The trigger spring was also clipped short by the same "gunsmith" apparently to lighten the pull. The pull was light but it would not lock up consistently. So Cobra sent me a new trigger spring as well. I put everything back together and it works like a charm. Is it as solid as my Ruger? No. Is it better than a rock? Yes. Is it worth what I paid? Absolutely. Will the parts wear down over the years and need to be worked on or replaced? Maybe in 5 or 10 years but with the kind of service and warranty you get from Cobra, you can't go wrong in my opinion UNLESS you don't know he basics of gun function and repair. If that is the case, go ahead and spend twice as much and get something that you won't have to attend to. There is nothing wrong with that. This gun will stop a bad guy in his tracks with a hollow point fired into his ribs. It will kill a snake with my homemade snake shot I make out of crushed rice and hot glue without disturbing the peace in the neighborhood. It fits in my pocket and nobody can see it. If anything ever breaks I can fix it for free.

As I'm typing this I reminded of a friend of mine who bought the cheapest chainsaw he could find for a job a few years back. He took it out last month for a job we were working on together and his didn't work, mine did ...and we have the exact same model but mine is about 5 years older. The difference is that when you buy something cheap, you need to attend to it and be OK with fixing it once in a while. You can't put away a cheap chainsaw like ours with a full tank of gas and full of sawdust and expect it to run perfectly 2 years later. (That's what he did and then he spent a day bitching about "the piece of crap" and lost a full day's productivity in the end.) If he had spent 3x more than and got a Husky or some other brand it may be more forgiving, but for what I/we use it for...no thanks. I'll spend 1/3 the price, take care of it and it will last just as long as anything else out there. The same holds true for this little Cobra Derringer. If you can tune it and take care of it, buy it.

 

[1911Tuner]

All this talk of uncomfortable recoil and heavy triggers and lack of accuracy in a pistol intended for up-close-and-personal, last ditch self defense is amusing.

Of course it kicks. It's light so it can be carried easily. Of course it's not accurate. It's not a target pistol. It has rudimentary sights and a short sight radius. Of course the trigger is heavy. It keeps you from shooting yourself while you cock it in a hurry with only two fingers on the grip.

tsk!

 

[Carl N. Brown]

As I recall my Davis derringer .38.

Trigger pull HEAVY.

From sandbags, double handed grip, at sixty yards one barrel beat an area about a yard in diameter, the other barrel beat an area about a yard in diamter about ten feet higher.

Shooting standing holding with one hand, the tiny grip and heavy trigger pull made hitting anything beyond ten feet difficult.

With .38 Spl snake shot loads, it did a nice pattern at snake close encounter ranges though.

It could be carried where and when a larger gun was not an option.

 

[1911Tuner]

Shooting standing holding with one hand, the tiny grip and heavy trigger pull made hitting anything beyond ten feet difficult.

Yep. That's about twice as far as they're normally used.

Carl...Stand by for a PM. Personal/hometown stuff.

 

[snooperman]

Go for a S&W J frame snubby with 5 shots ----

in an airweight, like the 642 and you will be much better off . Load it up with +P ammo and you will not regret it.

 

[FoMoGo]

Why don't you enlighten the board FoMoGo and tell everyone what they can buy for a $150.00, brand new, that comes with a life time warranty, that's under 4.75 inches in length and under 14 ounces in weight. Replacement barrels for Cobras are $32.95 for all big bore calibers. That means in about 30 seconds I can change barrels and fire .32's, 38spl's, or 9mm's from the same derringer. For another $32.95 I can buy the "longer" barrels too for increased accuracy. Can your "better options out there" do that as well? Just because I'm new here doesn't mean I'm uninformed. As I said before. This is a true personal protection hand gun. Not designed for shootouts or any of that other 007 fantasy stuff kids like to dream about. This is for sticking in a car jackers ribs and pulling the trigger when they're trying to drag you out of your car. If you can't accomplish that with two rounds you shouldn't have a gun because you will only be recklessly endangering the lives of others. If you're realistic about the street conditions in which you can legally use lethal force. This pistol is just fine. I will wait for your list of better options from you or anyone else here. I'll go out and buy what ever you suggest. just remember...Under $150.00, under 14oz in weight, under 4.75 inches long, 38spl, and it must be brand new with a lifetime factory warranty. I would prefer made in the U.S.A like Cobra Derringers but I don't want to make things too difficult for you. I'll run to my local gun shop and place the order within 24 hours of your post. By the way... Slingshots and peashooters don't count LOL!

My suggestion...
Put a few more dollars with the cost of that cobra... and buy a used .32 or .38 revolver.
In the range the derringer is designed to be used... a good knife would be acceptable also.
You bring up car jackers... most people I know who carry derringers carry them in their pocket, someone yanks your door open and you will be on the ground or shot/knifed before you can get your gun out.

Will all of the options out there, a derringer isnt a very good one... no matter their cost.
Yea, you may have a $150 new gun... But for a few more $$$, and how much is your life worth, you can get a much better defensive weapon.
I look at guns like I look at motorcycle helmets.
Have a $50 head... wear a $50 helmet.
My small carry revolver cost me $250.
It holds 5 shots and is a .44 bore.
I know... more than 2 shots, kinda James Bond like isnt it. Great for long shoot outs.

Hmmm 5 rapid fire double action shots, with a decent trigger and accuracy, and a quick reload... or 2 single action shots with a cumbersome reload... bad trigger and poor accuracy.

I am pretty sure I chose frugally and wisely.
Not so sure about you.
But hey, you seem pleased... and as long as you dont have to put your life on it... you will more than likely stay that way.


Jim