BP Derringer

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finished for the most part

I am finally to the stage where I am only going to fiddle around with the small stuff on it. Sooner or later here I am going to take this out and shoot it. Derringer3.jpg
Derringer2.jpg
Derringer1.jpg
 
Doc, that's turning out to be a real little jewel! I hope it shoots great for you as a reward for all the hard work you've put into it.
 
Next Project

You know, I never thought about it. :eek: The thing that motivated me here was that photo by MEC showing what COULD be done with the Traditions Derringer. I had always thought about getting a Derringer, especially that Lincoln Derringer by Palmetto, except the reviews have kept me far away from that one.

By the way, one nice thing about browning the barrel was that the engraved writing disappeared! :D I used Laurel Mountain of Crown Point, Indiana (as far away from a mountain as I know of) browning solution for those who are wondering.

I have been tinkering with the idea of finding a Model 10 or 12 2" Smith, but I have absolutely no practical use for them that I can think of other than trying to have frustrating fun target shooting with them. :banghead:

Anyway, this week I will get some .440 balls (no juvenile comments here:rolleyes: ) and try this puppy out. I'll get some photos up with the results.

The Doc is out now. :cool:
 
Impressive bang and smoke

Took it to the range today to try it out with just one shot before we started a .22 Rifle Buffalo Shoot.

It made a lot of noise and left a large cloud of smoke such that I could not see in front of me. Load was a patched .451 ball and 20 grains powder (FFFG).

I was shooting at a shilouette target about 75 yards away (I am nothing if not hopeful) and have no idea where the ball went except downrange! :rolleyes:

However, it did impress the beegeebers out of all who saw it. One of the youth shooters said it was really loud. :D

One of these days I will have to get that order in for .440 balls (.451 worked but the recovered patch read as the ball was too large).

The Doc is out now. :cool:
 
Success!
The .451 balls should work without a patch since that's the diameter of the .45 caliber Buffalo Ball-et conicals.
And that's a very purty derringer too. ;)
 
There are optimists and then there are dreamers...

75 yards????? You shot a 3" derringer at a target 75 YARDS away????

Here's the procedure for a merit badge in Derringer:

1. Locate a large barn building. At least 2 stories high, preferably 3.

2. Close all the doors.

3. Determine the longest side.

4. Walk along the longest side to the mid point.

5. Turn away from the barn and walk perpendicular to it no more than 4 steps; if this is your first time shooting a derringer, take just 2 steps.

6. Turn toward the barn and take up your favorite shooting position. Using a rest would be considered poor form, however.

7. Point (do not aim - there's no point in being a smart aleck) the gun at the barn, cock it, and pull the trigger while simultaneously praying for good luck.

8. Enjoy the looks from bystanders, the smoke and the smell of the burning powder. It's a good day regardless of whether the round actually hits the barn or not.

75 yards. Sheesh!
 
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I was shooting at a shilouette target about 75 yards away (I am nothing if not hopeful) and have no idea where the ball went except downrange!
Click to expand...

Surley that should have been 7-5 yards????:D
 
Yeah yeah, I know...

I know. 75 yards with a derringer. That's nuts. :what:

Hey, it was the only target I had at the time. I shot at the largest thing there, a buffalo silhouette. I did find the patch, but never saw where the ball hit. I doubt that anybody standing near me saw where the ball hit. About 6 feet either side, maybe, might have seen it, but they were all watching me. That smoke cloud was a big one and obscured my vision when I shot. That was more smoke than I get with my .44 1860 Army and the same charge of powder! :eek:

Anyway, it was fun snapping the cap, and since this was a .22 Rifle shoot, I only packed the gun with one load in it (no cap on it - I'm fun, but not crazy) as I did not want to carry too much stuff with me. :rolleyes:

But that one shot was fun! :D:D:D

The Doc is out now. :cool:
 
Y'know Doc, the funniest thing I can imagine is that if Lady Luck had smiled on you and you'd have actually hit that target.

I'm sure everybody there would have fainted from sheer disbelief. I know I would'a. :p

Then again, that would probably have required more luck than any one person could possibly deserve...

Anyway... great job on the pistol. It certainly looks like a keeper, even if it's no good on 75 yard buffalo. :D


J.C.
 
Actual funny story

We had a 300 yard Buffalo Shoot going. A friend was shooting a Sharps 45-90 and not having too much luck with it. I was ragging on him mercilessly. Finally, he hands the gun to me and says if I am so good, try it. I was not participating other than to razz a couple shooters for the fun of it (they'd be doing the same thing back if I was shooting, i.e. telling me to head downrange as lawyers make good targets but messy to clean up after because of what t hey are full of).

I was wearing sunglasses and it was already getting past sunset. I could barely make out the buffalo in the peep sight with my sunglasses when the fellow tells me "Watch out. It's got a hair trigger".

I did not even have a good grip on the gun and it went off right then. I nearly dropped it.

We heard a clang and the buffalo went down. I regained my composure (after nearly dropping a $1,600 gun), handed it back to him and said. "See, that is how it is done", and walked off to let my heart stop beating so fast.

The Doc is out now. :cool:
 
Doc,

You remind me of a friend that hit a gong at 150 yards offhand with my 2nd Dragoon once; I had one shot left in the cylinder and no more caps with me, and I had promised him a chance to shoot it. We were shooting 25 yard paper targets and he reminded me of my promise. I expected him to shoot the paper but he didn't want to pollute my tests, so he went over to the rifle range, raised the gun one handed and fired downrange. We heard the gong but nobody else had fired, so it must have been him. His response: "Not bad, but shoots a little high, eh?" Lucky for him I was out of caps...

Yeah, the Derringer is a lot of fun. I think you get lots of smoke because all the powder goes out the barrel, and the unburned powder in the cloud of ejecta is ignited by embers in the same cloud. You normally get a lot (some say up to 50%) unburned powder staying in the barrel, but the derringer barrel is so short it all gets pushed out and ignites after the fact.
 
Well, it's little moments like those that I live for because they make such great stories to be told over and over and over. :evil:

The Doc is out now. :cool:
 
update

Wow, is this gun accurate! :what:

No, really, I'm asking, anybody know? :confused: I took it out last night to the club where we were having a bowling pin shoot. I finally hit a pin, but it did not have the power to knock it off the table. I had to cut the distance to about 4 yards before I hit the pin. Shooting at 7 yards did not work.

Also tried aiming at an 8 x 11 paper target that was set up and did not see a hole in it after I shot. I guess I will have to get some butcher paper to see where it is I am aiming. :rolleyes:

Otherwise, that smoke was great. It actually blew around the grounds for a bit, blowing past our range house and then coming back again as if it was not wanted where it blew to. That was a couple minutes after I had shot! :eek:

Yep, this is one fun little gun. :D

The Doc is out now. :cool:
 
Accuracy

I once read somewhere that 'handguns were designed to replace the sword and are most effective used at a swords range' or something like that. I'm thinking that I'd probably have to screw that pretty little derringer into someones ear if I wanted to actually hit them with it. Of course I'm not much of a pistol shot either.:D
Bill
 
Tell you what, though. It is a real fun one to shoot. A .44 ball slips right down the barrel with an old pajama patch. My 'ram-rod' is a socket screw-driver with the socket removed. Hardly marrs the ball, and as I said, it slides right down the barrel. Snug, but smooth. Try as I might though, I could not get a fireball to show. Lots of smoke, no fireball. Must have been too light out yet and not enough dusk.

I am one happy camper with this little big gun. :p:D

The Doc is out now. :cool:
 
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