Derringers - Any practical value or just a range toy?

Any gun is better than no gun at all when the SHTF.

I'm trying to recall the first rule of gunfighting, . . .


I will admit. There are times when I don't want to carry a gun. For those times, I have a NAA revolver in it's 'old style' folding holster.

Time, energy, and money invested in what is acknowledged to be a poor choice for defense... sure seems like a poor choice...

Single action, low capacity, poor trigger (especially for a single action), poor sights and short sight radius, exceptionally small grips (poor control), short barrels for the cartridges typically chosen... And some derringers now come with remarkably high costs, while the others come at low cost, but with relatively low quality. The novelty wears off pretty quickly at the range, as managing the trigger and poor sights is a challenge.

I have and have had a handful of American, Cobra, and Bond derringers for CAS/SASS side matches, handgun class visual aides, and sheer novelty. Nothing really good can be said for any of them in terms of actual defensive use.

I read a naval history book that said, old time sailors in battleship turrets used to carry the Remington 41 cal derringers in case the ship was sinking and they could not get out of burning turret and its installation below decks. Grim thought.

There was a case in Florida where a guy held up a restaurant with a shotgun, two old men opened fire on him with a 2 shot 22 mag derringer and a 22 mag NAA mini revolver. Hitting the guy in the stomach he fled. Does this generalize to saying they are optimal? The gods of the Internet will decide that - go to it.

I've got a Davis in .22 Mag as an example of the type.
I've got a NAA Mini in .22 LR/.22 Mag as an example of the type.
I wouldn't want to rely on either of them.
So many better choices.

One guy changed American history the night of April 14, 1865 with a single-shot percussion Deringer.

as an only gun, its better than no gun. that said, I prefer 7 fast rounds fired one handed from an LWS32 in a smaller package than two shots of any caliber derringer.

I do admit to liking Yancy Derringer - two four barrel Sharps in his sleeves, two in his vests and one in his hat. Plus a sword cane. Sidekick with a double barrel. I was disappointed later to find out that the actor was Sally Fields' step father and may have molested her.

Iver Johnson has a new 4 barrel 22 LR but I've never seen one.

I have a Davis derringer in .38 Special. I bought it just for kicks over 20 years ago. I thought I might use it for side matches in Cowboy Action Shooting. After firing 20 or so rounds I decided the thing was a piece of junk. The trigger pull is atrocious. The top barrel firing pin protruded beyond the breech face unless you pulled the hammer back a bit to engage the safety. Once I saw this I tossed it to the back of the safe and that’s where it stayed.

I did fire it a few more times a few years ago. Yep! Still a piece of junk.

Maybe one day I will find something useful to do with it.

Good signaling device that lets you save the ammunition in your (other) gun.

I think the beefed-up modern derringers from American Derringer and Bond Arms are the most impractical of all. They might have been frail, weak or poorly made, but at least the various older designs were small.

A 3" Bond Arms model weighs 20 oz, almost as much as two of the old Remingtons they take inspiration from. And don't compare them to a J-Frame or a Glock.

The Bond Arms derringers I have held were big and heavy. I like pocket pistols and prefer fewer shots of a large caliber over more shots of a small caliber... but the Bond Arms derringers make no sense to me. There are much better firepower to size weight ratio guns available.

I looked long and hard at the Double Taps in .45 acp but read some reports of both barrels going off at the same time and that they can be picky about the ammo they like. I know Double Taps are very unpleasant to shoot but I would put up with that if they were reliable.

If it were not for Western movies and Western TV series, who would even know of the things?

i have both bond arms derringers and naa mini revolvers. the former was first purchased in 410/45lc with a little crazy money and over time they multiplied as i added a couple of used b.a. derringer platforms and more barrels in several calibers. i’ve posted more details about my b.a. experiences elsewhere. i don’t want to total up what i have spent on them.

b.a. are crazy money niche pieces, i suggest getting a used gen2 model if you really want one. please avoid the cheaper, less finished, less reliable, non interchangeable (ime) rowdy/roughneck models. since b.a. derringers are built so stoutly, and carried more than shot, used ones are decent values and your unborn grandchildren can enjoy them. get a barrel in your favorite centerfire pistol ammo. 38 and 9mm are fun to shoot. get rubber replacement grips, large size for 4 caliber ammo, small is enough for other ammo. when i used to drive alot cross country during the obama era ammo drought i brought along a b.a. derringer as a second ccw with a couple of barrels to be able to scrounge ammo if need be. i ccw a trigger guard-less b.a. when woodswalking in gloved hands weather. if i slip and tumble a b.a. will come up fine. no nooks and crannies to attract dirt. no springs, or bits and pieces, to lose.

in summary a b.a. derringer wouldn’t be my first or fourth handgun. there are better ways to spend sensible money. instead of a b.a. i would buy a naa mini revolver and add cv revision, rubber or folding grips, if i needed a second, very deep, still lawful, ccw. if i wanted to receive or give a unique, for the ages, piece of americana, reliable, fully functional handgun as a special gift, it would be a b.a. derringer.

Goosey said:

I think the beefed-up modern derringers from American Derringer and Bond Arms are the most impractical of all. They might have been frail, weak or poorly made, but at least the various older designs were small.

A 3" Bond Arms model weighs 20 oz, almost as much as two of the old Remingtons they take inspiration from. And don't compare them to a J-Frame or a Glock.

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I agree. When I realized my Bond Arms Snake Slayer 4 was roughly the same size as a Springfield Armory XDs, where I'd get 6 rounds of 45 acp, I realized what a ridiculous gun the Bond was. I actually traded it for the XDs a week later.

Kleanbore said:

A had a similar realization when I put my S&W 642 and Ruger SR9c down next to each other.

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It’s funny you should say that because a 642 was the other gun I traded away right after I brought home my XDs.

I’m actually planning to shoot that XDs tomorrow and try to make a final decision if I’m going to keep it any longer. My P938 Legion holds more ammo, shoots softer, and is a bit smaller and far classier of a gun. And frankly I now believe 9mm is really all I need in a carry gun for my circumstances.

It’s an ever changing journey isn’t it?

Novelty, toy, sure, why not?

But there are better, and smaller, options. I had a Hi-Standard .22 mag 2 shot derringer long time ago, found it pretty useless.

Let's put it this way:
I prefer an R/G 14 with a 1-1/2" barrel to any of the Mini's and derringers that I've fired.
It's handier, more accurate and more reliable... .

It’s amazing that nobody can hit with the little Derringer’s. My Butler has a zinc barrel that I have thoroughly eroded in the last few months to a point the rifling is difficult to see. I can still hit a pizza pox with it in my fire pit from my deck. That’s probably 15 yards. No that’s not quick draw point shooting, but it is filing methodical shooting that makes getting hits fun even at close range and at a 1 shot every 30 seconds or so pace.

Goosey said:

I think the beefed-up modern derringers from American Derringer and Bond Arms are the most impractical of all. They might have been frail, weak or poorly made, but at least the various older designs were small.

A 3" Bond Arms model weighs 20 oz, almost as much as two of the old Remingtons they take inspiration from. And don't compare them to a J-Frame or a Glock.

Click to expand...

I'll agree re: the Bond Arms models, but I have an old American Derringer .45ACP with an alloy frame that only weighs about 10 oz. More compact than any Bond Arms I've seen, and MUCH lighter. Also kicks like a Missouri mule on steroids.

Definitely agree any derringer is a llast choice firearm for defensive use. Using .45ACP shotshells, it actually works pretty well for vermin and venomous snakes spotted around the barn or shed, and drops easily into a hip pocket (in a pocket holster).

Good thread. I have never fired a two shot Derringer pistol or ever even wanted one. And Bond Arms is about 38 miles from me. I did pick one up at the GS ad said "nope".

I was looking at the NAA website last night around 2AM and like the guns. Of all the ones I looked at the Black Widow convertible would be my choice. But its not a big thing to get one. I had an NAA flyer they sent me long ago and the pictures were of the guns in Actual Size. I could lay my Beretta 950BS over the picture and for all intents they were the same size. So like the other poster (Jar) on page one with all the pics of pocket 25 autos thats about as close to a Derringer as I am going to get. I know some don't like the 25acp round but it has passed out a lot of dirt naps over the years. And it holds nine shots instead of five (or two) and only has to be cocked once. After that just pull the trigger.

460Shooter writes:

When I realized my Bond Arms Snake Slayer 4 was roughly the same size as a Springfield Armory XDs, where I'd get 6 rounds of 45 acp, I realized what a ridiculous gun the Bond was. I actually traded it for the XDs a week later.

Click to expand...

So, at least one person thought the other way around.