Derringers

[Mordoc]

Anyone have an opinion on Derringers?

I have always wanted one. I don't know why, I don't have a use in the world for it. I almost bought a cheap one at the gunshow this weekend. A Cobra .22 for $79. I know American Derringer is probably the best.

I am not looking for a hand cannon. Nothing larger than .38 Special or perhaps 9 mm. I am not looking to carry it. A Kel-Tec
P-32 would be my choice for a very small carry gun.

Opinions anyone?

 

[arinvolvo]

I myself have been looking for a compact "pcoket" gun of sorts...I have been looking at the Autauga, NAA, Seecamp, and Keltec (all in 32) and also at the various derringers that are available....

It seems that with almost the same size as the derringers, you can get much more firepower with the small autoloaders. With the NAA 380 available, and the Rohrbaugh 9mm on the way, these mousguns are packing more and more punch...However, the Rohrbaugh has a price that will keep me away from it until I have a little bit more dough in the bank...900 seems steep for a mousegun.

I liek the idea of the derringers from a reliability standpoint...Aside from dud ammo, I dont see a reason why they wouldnt fire, even under the most extreme circumstances...however, even the most unreliable handgun will most likely get two shots off before a failure...So just about any micro autoloader should do the job just as well...not counting derringers chambered for huger calibers.

I have been seriously looking at the Autauga 32....they seem well made, and the price is almost half of what other similar stainless mousguns are going for. I have seen them as cheap as the mid 200's on some websites...where as the NAA and the seecamp seem to go for 400 and up.

There is always the Keltec however, at a 200 dollar price tag, they seem hard to beat...Bust for some reason I cant get over the way that they look...they remind me of the plastic squirtguns I played with not that long ago...However, Keltec's loyal following makes me think good things about their performance....

For the record I have never shot any of the pistols I have mentioned....All of this is merely speculation gathered from what I have read and hear say.....

 

[scotjute]

I have an American Derringer DA38, .38 special. Can hit inside a pie plate at 10 yds. with it. Like it, but probably won't get another. I do carry it sometimes, but not often. It is definitely very compact. After 5-6 shots using .38 spl. loads can feel it on my hand. The more powerful rounds would probably almost hurt if you don't increase the handle size somewhat.

 

[tbeb]

I have a Sundance Industries Point Blank derringer. Caliber is .22 long rifle. It works fine for it's intended purpose--point shooting at close range. I bought it for pants pocket carry because it is small and light and flat and double action. I now carry a snub .38 (and, by the way, my derringer is for sale).

 

[HadEmAll]

After seeing Charles Bronson save the day with an American Derringer .45LC/.410 stainless derringer in (can't remember the movie, I believe it featured his wife Jill Ireland as the First Lady) I HAD to have one. Picked one up at the next gun show. Well, it was a beautifully crafted chunk of steel, but it didn't do anything well except look good. .45 LCs keyholed at 10 feet, and rarely did the 2 barrels hit within a foot of each other (could have been me). As a snake gun, the .410 shot pattern had holes big enough in it for a decent sized rattler to emerge unscathed. .410 slugs were pretty accurate, but I did the math and found that 1/5 oz. which sounded good, was in actuality only about 87 or so grains, and at the velocities out of the short barrel, were probably about ballistically equivalent to a .380. A 2-shot, slow to get into action, slow to reload .380. I'm glad I had the experience, but derringers fascinate me no more. My hat's off to the gamblers in the movies who use one to get the guy across the table, and then his accomplice across the room, but I wasn't that good.

 

[Nick96]

I've often heard them refered to as "suicide specials" - since their accuracy is generally only sufficient enough to reliably hit ones self in the head with.

That said though, many years ago I got a Davis Derringer chambered in .32 auto. Chrome, rosewood grips - very nice looking & I only paid about $60 for it. I put 100 or so rounds through it. It was comfortable to shoot, and I could generally manage to hit somewhere within the torso of a man size target at about 10 feet. It still looks good, and was shooting fine last time I used it (probably 5 to 7 years ago). It was replaced by a small Auto - which held more rounds, was easier to shoot, was much more accurate and just slightly larger.

I've since removed the firing pins and have it mounted with some other black powder vintage looking guns in a display case. So a .22 Derringer for under $80 - why not? An inexpensive way to satisfy that urge. And maybe you too can turn it into wall art some day?

 

[Gordon]

Now wait a minute! I used to collect .41 Derringers. I had quite a few kinds and some 500+ rounds (300 Navy Arms made in brazil copper cased stuff). I chronographed a couple Remingtons and a Colt to see what they'd do. With the hotter Navy Arms brazilian ammo it would do 600fps in TIGHTER BORED late production Remington O/U and was 10" accurate at 15 yds! I felt this was enough to be serious medicine back then. I recently sold collection for substantial amount as I lost interest and prices were up.I still have a couple Maverick Derringers made in Italy in 70's and praised by Keith (in .45) as a good 'holdout'. I use them in SASS side matches ect. The .357 one is 6" accurate with .38's at 15 yds. These guns are bulky and the format along with COPS 4 barrelled things are not serious modern self defense items. Although I DO know a guy that shot a BG in face with a .22 mag High standard with guy holding a 9mm on him and looking for his wallet. BG dropped like a bag of .... that he was-A CLEAN and RIGHTEOUS SHOOT that LEOS did not do anything other than snicker at (in 70's).

 

[mcshot]

I carry a HS .22 mag Derringer.
As pointed out it's good for shootin BGs in the face at close range.
Pretty darn impressive power in a little package that looks like a wallet.

 

[Mordoc]

You are right Nick96, it is a cheap enough way to try one without investing a lot in a firearm that as I said in my original post, I don't really have a use for.