Any Derringer fans out there?

Status
Not open for further replies.
U

Uzi4u2

Moderator
What is your favorite Derringer and why? Any Derringers to avoid? What is the most popular Derringer? Are they reliable? Please post any photos you might have. I am interested in buying one but I am not sure which is the most reliable.
 
Here are a few,,,

Bond Arms

Bond makes a nice product,,,
I don't own one but I have shot their "SnakeSlayer a few times,,,
Really hard cocking action and a really heavy trigger,,,
Kills at both ends I tell ya.

American Derringer

Supposedly some very high quality derringers from this place,,,
I have no first-hand experience at all,,,
But Lady Derringer is nice. :D

Cimarron Derringer

I had one of the .22/.22 Mag versions of this little gun,,,
Heavy hammer and trigger pull but manageable,,,
Even with the .22 Mag it was holdable,,,
Kick wasn't too bad.

I think it is inherent in the physics of the small size guns,,,
That the hammer pull and trigger pull is heavy,,,
It took two hands to cock the Bond,,,
One holding tight to the frame,,,
The other on the hammer.

Super concealability but not fast shooters,,,
I consider derringers to be true last-ditch weapons.

Hope this helps,,,

.
 
My favorite derringer ...none...

I only have one ...an American Derringer ...chambered in .45 long colt / .410 ... and it has a trigger pull that is like trying to squeeze the head off a chicken ...( way over 10 lbs ) ....and its a horrible little gun .... ( my brother in law gave it to me - he hated it too ) .....

I've fired 3 or 4 different derringers over the years ....and I don't get the attraction ...??
 
My favorite derringer ...none...
Click to expand...

I'm afraid I have to agree.

Take a self defense shooting course, or just watch one, and you will see the need to draw from concealment and fire very quickly, hit torso sized targets effectively with quick multiple shots, and be able to follow up with more shots if necessary. No derringer allows this.

When Henry Deringer first introduced his pocket pistol, repeating hand-guns were few and far between. It had the obvious advantage of concealment, as did the later Colt single shot derringer and the fragile Remington double, both of which fired the very weak .41 rim fire cartridge. However, they fell far short in all other measures of merit. To my way of thinking, the only thing the new ones have to offer is the nostalgia of a gun that wasn't very good a century and a half ago.
 
i think anyone that grew up watching westerns would be interested in derringers just for the cool factor. i have been wanting one for years but other guns seem to have pushed it aside.

i would get a 22 caliber derringer as it seems the most practical. i'm sure larger calibers would be a handfull and since it would be mostly a fun gun it should be cheap to shoot.

would i carry one for protection? maybe as a backup, or a backup to a backup. i'm sure it would be a last ditch belly gun if needed.

mostly i would like it just because it's cool and would make a great addition to my western collection and who needs a better reason that that?
 
They are revolver era at least,,,

And, there are some gun stores that put the NAA mini revolvers in derringer category,,,
Don't ya just love being in a hobby/sport where there is no set consensus of proper terminology. :confused:

I once got carped at when I used the term pistol in the revolver forum.

I had to remind the carper that even since the days of froggie went a courtin',,,
People they been a ridin' with sword and pistol by they sides,,,
So I feel no need to change my usage of the word.

Ah-hum,,, Ah-hum,,, Ah-hum,,,,,

It was all good,,,
He later chuckled about it.

.
 
i think anyone that grew up watching westerns would be interested in derringers just for the cool factor.
Click to expand...
Yep---nostalgia.

I remember them on two shows. There was Yancy Derringer, which I may have watched once; Mr. Derringer's character carried a Sharps four barrel derringer that I later learned was either a .30 or .32 RF. Paladin carried a .41 Remington derringer under his belt buckle and performed impossible feats with it. I'm told the .41 RF from a short barrel would bounce off a pine tree at 15 feet. Anyone remember any others?

I once had someone point a loaded Colt No. 3 derringer in .22 Short at me.

To each his or her own, but to me the inability to hit anything and the ease with which one could inadvertently "sweep" a greater than intended arc combine to outweigh the fun factor. At least the new ones are drop-proof.
 
I'm told the .41 RF from a short barrel would bounce off a pine tree at 15 feet. Anyone remember any others?
Click to expand...

It only had to reach across a 5 foot card table my friend,,,
1.5 yards at best but I bet it would leave a mark. :eek:

My little .45 muzzle loading derringer packed a whallop,,,
Couldn't hit anything with it past 8-10 feet,,,
But it put a hole in 3/4 plywood,,,
A big hole I might add.

But yeah, it was definitely not a high marksmanship man stopper,,,
How cool would it be to pack a 4-barrel Sharps,,,
Wow em down at the VFW hall it would.

.
 
HJS made a 22 LR Sharps Clone and a single shot version in 380 and 38 SPL, IIRC but they folded.

A resurgent Iver Johnson had a site that advertised the 22 version was coming out. Might be a vapor gun?
 
Bond arms

Bond arms is a fine choice.. Ive had two and kick myself for letting them go..They are stainless very well made like a tank. So much better than a lot of the potmetal crap derringers on the market. And you can buy so many different calibers for your frame. You should really check them out..
 
I have a Davis Derringer, yes Davis and it to had a heavy trigger pull. Some stone work and spring work has the trigger pull down to around 6 lbs which has made it a pleasure and a lot of fun to shoot. Caliber is 38 spl.
 
I have an old .38 special derringer that I bought on a whim that is on tacklebox duty most of the time but occasionally I shoot it just to fool around with it to see what I can hit.
 
I sold a guy a derringer once. He kept it in his shirt pocket. Bent over one day and it fell out, went off and killed him.
 
As a former owner of a Bond Texas Defender in 9mm, I have advise you against buying one ... I got mine because it looked like it would be fun to own ... boy, was I wrong ... they are useless for SD, IMHO ... Cocking is an incredible effort, they weigh a ton, especially when you consider they only hold two rounds ... recoil is fierce ... reloading takes forever; I can't even imagine trying to reload under stress ... the shape of the grip means you never get the same grip twice, making accuracy very iffy ... at a yard or so, assuming you could draw and cock it in time, it might make a passable SD gun ... but there are so many far better choices, why bother? Incidently, I traded mine in at my local gun store and it sat in their used case for about 18 months ... the verdict? cute but basically useless ...
 
I prefer semiauto derringers to revolver derringers, although there is something to be said for shotgun derringers.

Seriously, it seems like some people just define a gun however it pleases them.

Derringers are small pistols (chamber is integral to the barrel) with fixed barrels (usually more than one)
 
Late to this thread, but I have an American Derringer DA38. After firing it several times, and cautiously opening my eyes afterwards to see if all the fingers were still there, it is now a safe queen.

All I can say is that I bought it 25 years ago when I was young(er) and foolish(er).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top