new derringer just brought home today has anyone tried this brand?

[aaaaa]

I think that's the same model I had. I bought it on impulse while I was picking up a Bond Arms 45ACP. I shot the Bearman one time. It barely kept bullets on a 30" piece of cardboard at 5 yards. They keyholed.

Let me know if you find a load that works well for it. I was thinking maybe a very light bullet.

I suspect this thing has no rifling in the barrels, at least I don't readily see it in the .22 LR.

 

[aaaaa]

But if he using empty brass or ones with just the primers, wouldn't that be sufficient to protect the firing pins?

I emailed Bearman about dry firing and they said use plastic dummies or just lift the barrel and dry fire with the barrel opened up or off the gun. Seems a bit strange and I have not tried the barrel lift technique (plus, I am not convinced that would not cause some other damage). I have been dry firing mine with spent cases, turning them a bit each time. I can get 6 or 8 firings out of a .22 case. Have not tried the plastic dummies yet but I have some so maybe should. Anything so long as you don't let the pin bash into the edge of the chamber.

 

[aaaaa]

As for the very difficult to pull trigger, Bearman's advice was to "swipe your finger down the trigger as you pull back and the more you work with it, the better it will be." My trigger works quite nicely when I pull down like that.

 

[SterlingBullet]

Does the crossbolt automatically release when the hammer is thumbed?
For the OP, I've a Smith 940 with a surprisingly sharp recoil, compared to the same gun in .38 Spl.
Solved the problem by shooting 147s instead of 115s.
Moon

No, you have to push the cross bolt safety in. Then cock the hammer back fully.

 

[aaaaa]

Here is a good size comparison for my Bearman .22:

 

[wayneinFL]

I suspect this thing has no rifling in the barrels, at least I don't readily see it in the .22 LR.

There's rifling, but now that you mention it- the grooves aren't cut really deep.

Maybe the 115 gr didn't have enough surface area to grab the rifling. Maybe a heavy, slow bullet would engage the rifling better. Maybe a 147 gr jhp. Or a 38 wadcutter.

 

[sgt127]

I suspect this thing has no rifling in the barrels, at least I don't readily see it in the .22 LR.

Legally, it has to have rifling. The ADC Derringers had “rifling”. It was pretty awful. Rough, chattered and maybe an inch worth. But, it met the legal requirements.

I don’t know that there’s enough there to really stabilize a bullet much. Next time I shoot it at cardboard, I’ll see how far I have to go back to see definitive tumbling. I’m expecting the bullet just kinda squirts out of those tiny barrels.

The .22’s might get a little stabilized.

 

[aaaaa]

Legally, it has to have rifling. The ADC Derringers had “rifling”. It was pretty awful. Rough, chattered and maybe an inch worth. But, it met the legal requirements.

I don’t know that there’s enough there to really stabilize a bullet much. Next time I shoot it at cardboard, I’ll see how far I have to go back to see definitive tumbling. I’m expecting the bullet just kinda squirts out of those tiny barrels.

The .22’s might get a little stabilized.

I see the rifling now and it is very shallow. My Bond .45/.410 has only 1/2-inch of rifling because of the .410 shell chambering.

My observations about the Bearman vs Bond:

Bond barrel snaps shut, whereas the Bearman you have to push the lever back to lock it in, or risk firing with the barrel unsecured.

Bond extractors work relatively good, probably because they are larger, but the Bearman extractor is practically worthless it is so tiny. Take a long nail with you to the range to extract those expanded .22 cases from the Bearman. Of course it may be more that .22 cases expand more being made of a thinner grade brass to allow for the rimfire.

I notice after about 100 dry fires and the 50 live fires, that the flat on the hammer that hits the firing pins is getting beat up. I don't think the Bearman is made for a LOT of use. It probably more fits the category of Saturday Night Special except for somewhat better construction. Kind of wishing I had bought a NAA .22 LR revolver instead, though I don't know how well those hold up and they are fatter than this Bearman.

I only recommend the Bearman in .22 and that more for the novelty. If one wants to do a lot of shooting I expect the tank-like Bond in .22 will take a lot more use and abuse. I am stunned that this Bearman can be had in larger calibers and would never go there. Bond Arms rules the Derringer world IMO.

 

[sgt127]

If one wants to do a lot of shooting I expect the tank-like Bond in .22 will take a lot more use and abuse.

I’m thinking shooting .22’s in a Bond is like driving thumbtacks with a 16 Oz ball peen hammer.

That hammers not going to wear out.

 

[aaaaa]

Here is a good size comparison for my Bearman .22:
View attachment 1164546

Which leads me to believe they should start including .22 barrels and firing mechanisms in key fobs. Some car jacker says, "gimmie your keys," you give it to him.

 

[dodo bird]

I just bought a Bearman in .22LR yesterday. I haven't been to the range yet but could not help pulling the bullets on a couple of .22 cartridges. I was surprised that I did not hear the primers go off and thought they were duds but for the little odor of burnt power from the primers. I was wearing hearing proteciton which ws probably way overkill.

Anyway, I learned why it is called the Bearman Derranger. Because if you try to pull the trigger, its a bear man. I had great difficulty pulling the trigger and you almost have to pull straight down. Ya think this gun might need a trigger job. Oh if I hadn't hesitated on that .22 WMR NAA swing out revolver they wanted .$325 for last winter. But I like this little Bearman .22. It is a cool-looking gun and should be a bit of fun at the range (maybe I'll borrow my wife's thimble to help my trigger finger mash down on that stiff trigger).

Anyway, I was dissapointed in how quiet the .22 primers are. I was hoping to get some primed .22 cases to use for scaring off deer from my urban backyard garden. Just as well I guess. One of my neighbors might see me popping off primers with a Derringer in the back yard and red flag me.

These work great at scaring away deer.

 

[aaaaa]

Too much trouble lighting the firecrackers. I need a cap gun.

Anyway, I ran another 50 Winchester Wildcats thorugh the ,22LR Bareman Derringer and got 19 failed to fire on the first go. Some took a third try but the all did eventually fire. The sales person at the store said Winchester White Box 22s are notoriously unreliable and a customer also said the same. So I guess it is not the gun necessarily. I noted 15 of these were the top barrel, which the firing pin comes out farther, and only 4 were the bottom barrel that I suspected because the pin does not come out near as far.

Anyway, the Bareman .22 is a fun toy.

 

[aaaaa]

My Bearman .22 gave me a lot of misfires at the range the other day, but I just pulled bullets on 16 Winchesters from a white box of FMJs. They all shot the primers without a misfire but some were pretty weak compared to others, so I suspect that is part of the problem. But the CCI JHPs should have been pretty good and I got misfires with them too.

Hey, where can i get primed .22 cases to play with? I am tired of pulling bullets in a vice.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Sgt127, who made your alloy Derringer? That looks like the real way to do things, and it's a shame that (I'm presuming) something similar isn't in production.
As is the case with some other small guns, it's a shame no one is making a quality version currently. Imagine Smith making this, with Ti barrels and an alloy frame.
Moon

 

[KKJ13]

I have a Bearman in 22mag and one of the barrels was very unreliable. The cases firing pin strikes were very different. I called the company, an actual person answered and sent two new firing pins and an adapter plate to me for free. They revised the firing pins because of the light strikes. The new parts reliably fire both barrels now.

 

[drobs]

As for the very difficult to pull trigger, Bearman's advice was to "swipe your finger down the trigger as you pull back and the more you work with it, the better it will be." My trigger works quite nicely when I pull down like that.

I also have a Bearman 22LR Derringer. I appreciate the info on the trigger. It was so horrible that I had given up on trying to figure it out.

 

[sgt127]

Sgt127, who made your alloy Derringer? That looks like the real way to do things, and it's a shame that (I'm presuming) something similar isn't in production.
As is the case with some other small guns, it's a shame no one is making a quality version currently. Imagine Smith making this, with Ti barrels and an alloy frame.
Moon

American Derringer out of Waco Texas. They had variations. I’ve owned several. Still have a stainless .45 LC/.410 also.

All stainless. (Every caliber you can imagine)
Alloy frame and stainless barrels. (Low pressure chambering)
Alloy frame and barrels. (Low pressure. I had in in .44 Special many years ago. It was right at unusable)

The .38 Special is pretty much the limit of what I’m willing to shoot out of a gun that light, with awful ergonomics. And then, only 148 gr wadcutters.

I scoured to find one a few years ago. Long out of production.

Lightweight & Ultra Lightweight

 

[Riomouse911]

But if he using empty brass or ones with just the primers, wouldn't that be sufficient to protect the firing pins?

If the case is rotated so it strikes a fresh piece of the rim every time, I guess it would be no different than firing a live round.

Well, you and I might assume so, but the manufacturer, Bearman, has stated in their manuals not to dry fire.

Then again, there is some information on line, in a products liability action, that purports that Cobra sold their business to Bearman to shield assets, and the same person who owned Cobra owns Bearman.
Now, according to Bearman Industries’ website,
“Bearman Industries has sold the intellectual property and the rights to the Big Bore and Classic Derringer to Old West Firearms, a subsidiary of High Mountain Defense.”

So, these derringers are now on their fourth manufacturer, Davis, Cobra, Bearman, Old West, with their origins possibly Raven Arms. Is there anyone that was involved with designing, making and testing these derringers available with any real technical knowledge to provide any answers to safety questions. Seems to me that ensuring that manufacturers make guns that operate safely is what the ATF should be spending more of their time on.

There was a TON of ownership swapping going on with several companies owned between members of each of the Davis/Jennings/Jimenez families, probably to avoid liability suits and keep operating when the “Ring of Fire” makers were in their heyday.

(Raven, Lorcin, Jennings, Sundance, Phoenix, Bryco, and Jimenez arms were among the most notable Ring of Fire players.)

Stay safe.

 

[aaaaa]

What a Bearman rep told me by email regarding dry firing,
"Please don't dry fire it at all. You can use plastic ones or just life the barrel. If you want to practice pulling the trigger and working in the hammer just lift the barrel back and nothing will get dry fired. Thank you,"

I found this hard to believe, so responded,
"So it is okay to work the trigger and let the hammer drop so long as the barrel is lifted, so the pins don't ram the metal barrel."

The rep replied,
"Yes just keep the barrel up. Feel kind of weird at first but you will get used to it and it is a lot easier."

I am still reluctant to do it.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Thanks, sgt127. Understand your reticence shooting some 'pistol calibers' in a Derringer. Spent some time tracking down a smith 940, and damn, that thing is amazingly rappy. The subsonic 147s are better.
Have seen 9mm Derringers advertised, and a light one would be an ugly handful.
Moon

 

[halfmoonclip]

aaaaa, yeah, understand your quandary. Oddly, many quality .22s don't really have an admonition about dry fire, or at least extended dry fire. We dry snapped Ruger bolt guns (a lot) with the Rifle Club kids, with no problems.
Much as classic Derringers are cool, there are better options for modern carry. Actually, the old High Standard DAO made a certain amount of sense.
Moon

 

[ArchAngelCD]

FYI, Bearman has sold their Intellectual Property to Old West Firearms. I'm guessing Bearman and Cobra are both no more.

I have a Cobra Derringer in .38 Special. The trigger is measured in tons, not pounds lol.
Hey, it goes bang and it looked good when playing Cowboy Action when stuck in a holster on your suspenders...

 

[halfmoonclip]

Which leads me to believe they should start including .22 barrels and firing mechanisms in key fobs. Some car jacker says, "gimmie your keys," you give it to him.

aaaaa, happened to reread your post; be apprised this would be "Any Other Weapon", and would require a tax stamp...which is likely why no one is making them.
There was even a question about the old, leather holsters that covered High Standard Double Derringer completely, and looked like a wallet, with a cutout for your trigger finger. Still don't recall the final ATF (that hotbed of clear thinking....) ruling on those.
Both seem good ideas, and a way to light up a goblin by surprise.
Moon