Cobray Derringer Unsafe?

V

Venom1956

New member
I recently took this .45LC/.410 derringer I purchased of a gentlemen to a gunstore to ask them about it. It's in great condition I've shot it personally about 3 times. The general consensus there was. Junk, pot metal, explosion, missing fingers... :eek: ending with 'It makes a great paperweight' or conversation piece.

I am curious to know what you all think about it? Is it unsafe to fire? I'd assume that these had to pass some sort of testing so they wouldn't explode...

I would hate to have someone else or myself get hurt if this thing Kabooms. I don't carry it or anything I just picked it up because I thought it would be interesting, and he didn't want much for it.

Thanks all for your help.
 
It likely will break before it explodes These are not much of a pistol sort of bottom rung on the ladder .
Keep it shoot now and then . Their not much but better than a sharp stick.:D
 
They are all steel, crude, but not unsafe.
Some were sold in kits, without the breech face. These could be assembled incorrectly.
If it's a factory assermbled gun, it's safe.
 
I had one and sold it not to long ago and it was generally safe to shoot. I put every thing in .410 through it but never .45LC. Overall it is a crude and cheaply made firearm, however it will do what it was meant to and unless its in total crap condition I wouldn't down it.
The only injury I would expect from it is a busted up thumb knuckle if you shoot one-handed.
 
Thanks guys. I have a friend that really really wanted to shoot it. But after that gun store guy (he is actually pretty knowledgeable but very opinionated I think) said all that stuff he is to worried to try it. Also like I said I would hate to have someone wanna try it and get hurt because it is unsafe.

Crude is indeed a great description of this gun...
 
I had an uncle who had purchased one used from a gun show years ago when I was about 12. We went into the back yard and shot about 25 .410 shot shells into an old tree stump.

Had a nice purple bruise on the pad of my hand the next day.
Though, it seemed to function without a hitch and, to my knowledge, it still resides in his truck glovebox for "Not Quite Road Kill".
... I lived in the country.

Not exactly my choice for a defense weapon, but in my experience, they seem pretty solid, though not pretty to look at.
Take it to the range for some fun.
...wear gloves.

~LT
**Edit
My uncle's was a single shot. Is yours the DD or side-by-side model? If so, how does that trigger work? One pull and two chambers go? From what I can see on some pictures, it doesn't seem to have the standard "double trigger" setup.
Just a question...
 
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Nope mine is just the single barrel model. Sorry the guy I got it from actually had the double barrel but traded it with his brother for the single...
 
cobray

I have one. It works. Goes bang. .410 patterns are lousy. Buckshot works fine. .45 Colt OK as long as you are close. Avoid heavy loads....it's a derringer....there's not much to hold on to.
Pete
 
Yeah I've fired a few .410 slugs outta it, whatever the guy gave me at the time. It's an 'experience' to say the least. It seemed fine to me but I would've hated to have the hinge break off or what not and injury a friend.
 
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