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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 300
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OP
Campfire Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 300 |
i am looking to pick up one of these in .357/38 spl. anyone know anything about them? i will be shooting it on occasion and just want peoples honest supported by experience opinions about them.
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 73,096
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 73,096 |
I personally wouldn't own one but I don't like derringers as they are too hard to manipulate and not very accurate as well as being slow to put in action. A "J" frame S&W ain't a heck of a lot bigger and hold 5 rounds and are easy to shoot.
Model 1 Centerfire Cals.
- typically .32 H&R Mag. - .45-70 Govt. cal.
Grading
100% 98% 95% 90% 80% 70% 60%
$515 $400 $325 $260 $210 $150 $100
MSR $625
Add approx. $20 for most common Mag. cals.
Add $70 for high polish finish.
Add $70 for .41 Mag., .44 Mag., or .45 Win. Mag. cal.
Add $170 for .223 Rem. or $140 for .30-30 Win. cal. (disc. 2003).
This model can be ordered with special ser. nos. and other custom features at additional cost(s).
George Orwell was a Prophet, not a novelist. Read 1984 and then look around you!
Old cat turd!
"Some men just need killing." ~ Clay Allison.
I am too old to fight but I can still pull a trigger. ~ Me
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 131,559
Campfire Sage
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Campfire Sage
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 131,559 |
i am looking to pick up one of these in .357/38 spl. anyone know anything about them? i will be shooting it on occasion and just want peoples honest supported by experience opinions about them. They were selling them new at the gun show today for about $170.00, if memory serves. Neat idea, but I agree with TLee.
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 300
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OP
Campfire Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 300 |
it won't be a primary defense piece. that is what the springfield champion is for, and the mini 14, and etc. i have just been fascinated by derringers for a long time. the funcionality of it is low on the list of selling points, just want something cool laying around the house and something fun to take out once in a while to break up the 1911 and bolt gun shooting.
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 52,680
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 52,680 |
Is American Derringer still in production?
Liberalism is a mental disorder that leads to social disease.
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 7,920
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 7,920 |
I used to sell American Derringers back in the 1980s when I had a FFL...they are well made and very rugged guns. In the heavier calibers they will wear you out before you ever wear one of them out. About 1985 my wife and I went down and met the owner of the company, toured the plant and had lunch with him...good guy to deal with.
Have shot them in .22, .22 Magnum, 9mm, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .45 Colt, .45 ACP, .45-70 and .410. My favorite was the .45 ACP...big, low recoiling bullet at modest velocity...just like the original .41 Remington derringer.
I sold a lot of these guns to Texas police officers who wanted a beck up gun the same caliber as their carry gun...
Bob
If you can not deal with reality, reality will deal with you....
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 300
Campfire Member
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OP
Campfire Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 300 |
^this is what i was after. thanks a bunch, sounds like what i want is what i am gonna still want after i buy it too, which is never something to complain about
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 54,284
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 54,284 |
^this is what i was after. thanks a bunch, sounds like what i want is what i am gonna still want after i buy it too, which is never something to complain about
What? Somebody to agree with you and justify buying one? lol I have the same penchant myself. I owned one in .38 Spec. Moderate recoil. I've seen them shot in .410 and they have what can best be termed as "healthy" recoil in that caliber. They are quality through and through. The limitations of the classic two-shot derringer design have already been listed here, and are altogether true, so I won't belabor them. The biggest drawback to the American Derringer, other than the aforementioned, is their price. They are plenty high-or were. I would heartily avoid stuff like "The Alaskan Survival Model" in 45-70. A good alternative is a Davis. They made a few .38's towards the end of their tenure. The .22's and .32's are common and smaller than either their own .38 Spec. or any of the American Derringers. They are not as quality, but are not bad given their price. They used to run about $70, fifteen or so years ago. I'm sure they're double that now, if you can find one.
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 131,559
Campfire Sage
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Campfire Sage
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 131,559 |
^this is what i was after. thanks a bunch, sounds like what i want is what i am gonna still want after i buy it too, which is never something to complain about
What? Somebody to agree with you and justify buying one? lol I have the same penchant myself. I owned one in .38 Spec. Moderate recoil. I've seen them shot in .410 and they have what can best be termed as "healthy" recoil in that caliber. They are quality through and through. The limitations of the classic two-shot derringer design have already been listed here, and are altogether true, so I won't belabor them. The biggest drawback to the American Derringer, other than the aforementioned, is their price. They are plenty high-or were. I would heartily avoid stuff like "The Alaskan Survival Model" in 45-70. A good alternative is a Davis. They made a few .38's towards the end of their tenure. The .22's and .32's are common and smaller than either their own .38 Spec. or any of the American Derringers. They are not as quality, but are not bad given their price. They used to run about $70, fifteen or so years ago. I'm sure they're double that now, if you can find one. Those must be what I saw at the gun show this weekend, then. They were priced about double what you say they were fifteen years ago, looked like chrome plating, and the .22 Magnums and .32 ACPs were quite small. I was very tempted to buy one just for the heck of it, but on principle did not. I had come to accumulate cash, not piss cash away. 
![[Linked Image from images7.memedroid.com]](https://images7.memedroid.com/images/UPLOADED555/651dcaab819c9.jpeg)
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 909
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jun 2004
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Have shot them in .22, .22 Magnum, 9mm, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .45 Colt, .45 ACP, .45-70 and .410. My favorite was the .45 ACP...big, low recoiling bullet at modest velocity...just like the original .41 Remington derringer.
I sold a lot of these guns to Texas police officers who wanted a beck up gun the same caliber as their carry gun...
Bob I have one in .45 ACP that I toyed with for awhile. Used a stainless Officers Model magazine as a carrier of extra ammo and speedloader of sorts. Relegated it to "Liberator" status now.
NRA Benefactor Member
"When democracy turns to tyranny, the armed citizenry still gets to vote!"
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 300
Campfire Member
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OP
Campfire Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 300 |
i wrote off the .47-70 version as a hang on the wall and look at only piece. i wouldnt be caught dead trying to actually SHOOT one in that chambering...
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 9,209
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 9,209 |
a fellow here played a joke on one of his buddies...he loaded the 45/70 with 400gr speers and plenty of powder. the gun doubled and the guy spent some time in a cast. not a fun gun.
I would not buy something that runs on any kind of primer given the possibility of primer shortages and even regulations. In fact, why not buy a flintlock? Really. Rocks aren't going away anytime soon.
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 54,284
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 54,284 |
^this is what i was after. thanks a bunch, sounds like what i want is what i am gonna still want after i buy it too, which is never something to complain about
What? Somebody to agree with you and justify buying one? lol I have the same penchant myself. I owned one in .38 Spec. Moderate recoil. I've seen them shot in .410 and they have what can best be termed as "healthy" recoil in that caliber. They are quality through and through. The limitations of the classic two-shot derringer design have already been listed here, and are altogether true, so I won't belabor them. The biggest drawback to the American Derringer, other than the aforementioned, is their price. They are plenty high-or were. I would heartily avoid stuff like "The Alaskan Survival Model" in 45-70. A good alternative is a Davis. They made a few .38's towards the end of their tenure. The .22's and .32's are common and smaller than either their own .38 Spec. or any of the American Derringers. They are not as quality, but are not bad given their price. They used to run about $70, fifteen or so years ago. I'm sure they're double that now, if you can find one. Those must be what I saw at the gun show this weekend, then. They were priced about double what you say they were fifteen years ago, looked like chrome plating, and the .22 Magnums and .32 ACPs were quite small. I was very tempted to buy one just for the heck of it, but on principle did not. I had come to accumulate cash, not piss cash away. The American Derringer is the absolute most quality derringer of the type, that you could buy. They are still limited to that design's parameters, as I said. The Davis was, I believe, made in California. It seems like there was the Davis Company and then another that also made cheap guns, right across the street. They were a good gun for the money, made of, IIRC, a zinc alloy. I wouldn't hesitate to buy either a Davis or an American Derringer, if I wanted a classic two-shot derringer...but I don't.
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