.32 acp semiauto or large-caliber derringer?

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Wade

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Given a choice of a .32acp semiauto (let's assume seven rounds) or a larger-caliber (.38 special and up) two-shot derringer, what would you choose? I'm looking for a pocket pistol and figured I would get a Kel-Tec P32 or NAA Guardian, but a friend of mine thinks a large-caliber derringer would be a better choice. Opinions? :confused: :confused:
 
I went with a P32 because I need to be able to practice a lot. Derringers tend to produce very strong recoil and that discourages practice. Further, the super-short barrels and heavy triggers make it less likely that I'd hit with one or two available rounds than with a medium-weight trigger and eight rounds of less power.
 
I'd go with the 32. The Derringers are sufficient for a single purpose... Sticking the gun against the attacker and yanking the trigger. They will suffice for very short-range work also, but they are more of a last-ditch thumper. I'd stick with the 32 myself but you can't really go wrong with either. The Kel-Tec is lighter and thinner, I believe, than the vast majority of derringers.

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God made us in his own image.
Thomas Jefferson made us free.
John Browning made us equal.

Without Browning, we might not know about the other two...
 
There is an interesting web site called CCW- a paramedics view, that addresses this kind of question. He grades a number of handguns on the basis of size-weight and caliber. The pocket pistol that ranked best was a 357 mag derringer. You might want to check it out.
 
I'm a fan of the derringer. Though I have not shot anyone with it (that's a GOOD thing) I carry one or the other of my 2 derringers everyday (Bond Arms and American Derringer - both in .45 colt / .410). I think that I'd take 2 major caliber shots over several small caliber rounds any day of the week. I am not recoil sensitive at all and I have found that my derringeres are fun to shoot no matter how hot the load! My guns are reliable (can you really say that about the pocket autos with any confidence?) and fairly accurate. I can hit what I'm aiming at! Of course, like any of the tiny pocket guns, they take practice to hit with. I am much more proficient with my derringeres now that I've put several hundred rounds through them.

I like em'!

canis
 
Well it depends......I use to have and carried an old Hi-standard 22mag derringer in a leather wallet/holster. It wasnt worth crap except for contact distances, inside the holster/wallet. The firearm was very well made. Ive found the general design of most derringers to be awkward to achieve a decent grip and that most manufacters have used over large handles I suppose to offset that problem. To me its counter productive to have a small concealable pistol to have it that thick and slow to manage. On the plus side its about the only way you can get a large caliber in a sorta small package, although Im not sure if that is a benefit out of such a small barrel.
On the other hand Ive no experience with Keltec's but I have looked at the small pistol in 32acp. I have carried and most likely will again a small Browning 32acp that while slightly longer is as thin and holds ten rounds. The problem is accuracy with a smaller caliber, and shootablity. Your giving up a lot with that small of a caliber and you need to up on the places it would do the most good....fubsy...
 
I would pick the Keltec P32... that's right, I did! :) It's light, flat, and the felt recoil is milder than any other pocket sized .32ACP pistol. Mine has been very reliable, and they're reasonably priced. I view a derringer as a last ditch contact gun, you have to be way closer to the perp than I want to get for it to be effective.
 
If you look at the size of the larger derringers, you can easily pocket carry a
J frame (pre-treason).

That said, the Bond derringers are really cool and the Davis 32 ACP small derringers are very size efficient - wish they were a little higher up the quality scale.

Last, most gun uses are with a shot fired anyway - so you're probably ok with either.
 
For me, a large caliber derringer is not fun to shoot. My Guardian is a little ammo sensitive, but completely reliable with Silvertips or Fiocchi.
(I prefer the Fiocchi.)
My P-32 has fired everything that I've stuffed into the magazine. The only trouble I've ever had with the P-32 was when I tried a metal guide rod. I polished and polished with my Dremel Tool to no avail. It just wouldn't work right. I re-installed the plastic guide rod and, no worries.
Reliable and fun to shoot, that's how I would describe my .32 caliber pocket autos.

Will
 
Never go below .38 special in power. It's just not worth the risk.

The J-Frame S&W with Boot Grips or the new Hogue Bantams is a whole lotta .357 Magnum power in a light & small package.

bantams.jpg


More pics (larger) here:
http://www.newsguy.com/~baggins/


[This message has been edited by WebHobbit (edited September 10, 2000).]
 
beherethen or anyone else, I went looking for the web site mentioned and never found it. Can someone give me a URL?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by PreserveFreedom:
Go for a pair of 44 magnum derringers.[/quote]

:D :D :D
 
The only thing that the Derringers are good for is to shoot yourself in the ass or to piss somebody off. They only hold two rounds and are hard to shoot accurately. The P-32 otoh holds 8 rounds of .32 Silvertip or what ever your choice of ammo. Much lighterm flatter and more likely to be carried and thus there when you need it. Your J Frames are not real pocket pistols, unlike the P-32 which is. I like the J frames and they have a place and I own 6 of them. But the P-32 will get carried and the J frames will be left at home and the first rule of a gun fight, is to have a gun.

7th

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SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL POLICE, KEEP THEM INDEPENDENT.
 
7th,

Thank you for the blanket condemnation of a firearm design that you must have very limited experience with...

While the p32 is a nice small design, the derringer has it's own place for those that don't like the smaller calibers. I would still argue that the small automatice are more prone to reliability problems and of course, the anemic caliber is certainly not a plus.

Simply put, a derringer offers major caliber firepower in the smallest package possible. As I have stated elsewhere, mine have been perfectly reliable (even without a 200 round break in period :)) accurate enough to hit out to any distance that I would be justified shooting someone at, and powerful enough to at least know that I am putting some serious lead into my target. Even if my .45 colt rounds don't expand, It will still cause more damage than the best 32 round that may or may not expand on target.

canis
 
Many folks carry the j frames everyday, including serious gun trainers.

Don't ignore them. I've carried several different models for years. Except for the 640, they are not a burden.
 
I've put close to a hundred rounds of hardball (not watered down loads either) through a 45 acp American Derringer. I've found the recoil to be brisk, but not un- managable. As far as accuracy goes, I can make a very dangerous coffee can pretty uncomfortable at 15-20 feet which is probably good enough for most social situations. The repeat shot can be done quite rapidly with a bit of practice also. I don't know if I would go so far as to call a derringer a good choice for concealed carry, but if I didn't I sure wouldn't give my vote to any of the 32's either. I sure woudn't want to get hit (or shoot anybody either) with either of these cartridges, but one good hit on an assailant with a 45 (even with the diminutive length barrel) would in my mind be preferable to several with the 32's, besides, who says your going to have time to make more than one good shot anyway?
 
What if there are three bad guys? Shoot two and throw the derringer at the the third?

My P32 goes most everywhere with me. (The belt clip is a must have accessory too)
 
Hell, carry one of each, they're little! But really, I would not feel comfortable with anything less than a .380. The 32 really isn't much better than the 22WMR, meaning either will require precise shot placement to stop an enthusiastic adversary. You can buy more effective loads for a 22WMR (or larger cal.) Deringer than you can a 32 auto if you aim for the face, just don't...........'nuff said.

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Just one of the Good Guys
 
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