Which BP derringer?

[wdlsguy]

Anybody familiar with these pistols? Looking for comments pro or con.

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=995
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=3439

 

[mec]

we have one of the Pedersoli derringers and will probably shoot it in a couple of days. It is a belgian-type screw barrel job with a 1-18" twist barrel for .451 Balls. The chamber holds about 9 grains of fffg. No sights.

I suspect the quality will be better than the other one - pedersoli makes/deals in quality stuff. The practical difference might not be very much.

 

[Tinker]

wdlsguy,

I couldn't tell you about the ones you linked to, but I do own one of those Twister style Derringer that Dixie sells. It was rough kit gun that is a 2 shot deal. You cock the hammer, fire, re-cock, twist the barrel (s) and fire again. It's .36 cal. 000 buck round balls and a thin lubed patch over 12 grains of FFFG is what mine shoots. It's a real thin little thing. That's one reason I like it. No big hammer on the side. It's a smooth bore, so I like to load it with bird shot sometimes and hunt rats with it in the barn. Works great in close quarters. Bird shot pinging around requires safety glasses though.

After assembly I had trouble getting the barrels catching on the #11 caps, but I fiixed that by sanding off a tad from the end of the nipples. The barrel swivels perfictly now. Second modification was I made some new micarta grips. The plastic stock ones were cheap. Also made a hammer block safety by drilling a small hole just ahead of the hammer when it's at half cock. A small pin on the end of lanyard that is attached to a small screw at the base of the grip. Toting a capped, loaded pistol with no hammer block safety worried me, so now it's totally safe to carry in the pocket on the way to my rat hunting grounds.

This is the one I have:
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=870

 

[wdlsguy]

I couldn't tell you about the ones you linked to, but I do own one of those Twister style Derringer that Dixie sells. It was rough kit gun that is a 2 shot deal. You cock the hammer, fire, re-cock, twist the barrel (s) and fire again. It's .36 cal. 000 buck round balls and a thin lubed patch over 12 grains of FFFG is what mine shoots. It's a real thin little thing. That's one reason I like it. No big hammer on the side. It's a smooth bore, so I like to load it with bird shot sometimes and hunt rats with it in the barn. Works great in close quarters. Bird shot pinging around requires safety glasses though.

It looks like a neat little derringer, but I wasn't gifted with woodworking or metalworking skills. If only it was available in finished form...

 

[Tinker]

wdlsguy,

It's not that hard to finish as it comes. It's basically just an assemby job with some sanding/polishing to clean up the rough exterior. The whole thing is held together by 3-4 pins and the stock grip plates go on with 2 screws. The only reason I made new grips is because the stock ones are cheap plasitic. The "hammer block pin" I added was the hardest modification. Not really needed if you only cap it right before you shoot.