Philidalphia Derringer

I recently bought a Philidalphia Derringer Cal. .45 and my question is, if i want to put a patch around the round ball, do i then have too use .44? i thot i read this once before. i was shooting it at my friends lake the other day, and it shoots great and all, i was just wandering is all.
thanks

I presume this is the gun:


It takes a .440 round ball with a 0.010 lubed (or dry) patch.

What were you using?

It should take a .440 ball and a .010 or .015 patch.

Don

Actually they are nice little pistols! Mine takes 30 graiNS 3F and shoots 2" group at 25 feet.
Its a LOUD little cannon!!!

Will it hit the gong at 135 yds. 3 out a 5 shots?
Those are cute lil' guns.

mines a .41 smoothbore...
with #9 bird shot, it will hit an apple box at 1.35 yards

cute but will more than likely trade it off for something .

Cooner54 said:

Will it hit the gong at 135 yds. 3 out a 5 shots?
Those are cute lil' guns.

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Sure... as long as you get all 5 shots off before you stop dreaming and wake up! :rotf:

Never got around to firing mine. Like brett, will probably just trade it off for something one day.

I bought one of these as a kit in the early 80's from the local grocery store for $15. I still have it although it would be more accurate if it were a smoothbore. :shake:

:wink: Here's mine--- :thumbsup:

Ive seen those in kit form at dixie and the possible shop.
They look very nice.

thread on them on the highroad a while back
[url] http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=275600&highlight=philadelphia+derringer[/url]

Dang it I need one of those but couldn't afford one. I bought a "New Orleans Ace" smoothbore derringer instead and opened up the bore to .45.

You might hit water with it if you tossed it out of a boat (no sights).

Still, fun to shoot and quite a handful when the hammer drops!

Skillet

Both my son and I each have one. The first time he shot his with a .440 ball and 15 grans of powder we watched the ball go down range. we had a good laugh and added more powder. They are fun to shoot, but I can't hit the side of a barn from inside with the doors closed with it. but will keep it.

they are the original 'belly gun' :wink:

Consarne it!!!

Where is the best (read: cheapest) place to get me one of them thar' belly-guns?

Now I've got to have one, I guess it was the pictures that got me... it will be the crowning touch to my all .45 collection.

I'm going to order-up the kit, you scalawags are a bad influence!!!

$115 (gulp!) is the cheapest I've found so far. PM me if'n you gots one to sell...

Maybe I can bore her out for .58 minies...

Skillet

Skillet said:

You might hit water with it if you tossed it out of a boat.Skillet

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Sort of guaranteed to be able to hit the rest of the world! :rotf:

I bought a kit way back when it sold for $28. It came out good, I remember having to plan it right so as to drill the hole through and hit the hole on the other side. I never blued or stained it. Now the barrel is stained and rusted so that it don’t look white anymore. It has been handled so much that the wood has a dark color.
I use my short and long starter as a ramrod for it.
My original plan was to carry it during M/L season as a coup de grass gun but I would almost have to put it against the deer’s head to keep from hitting my foot.
I use the same 440 ball and patch as my rifle, same powder too but way less of it.

Got one too.

Believe it or not. Once I had it with me for a few fun shots at the range.
Didn´t last long and a few people were standing around me and my Derringer.
The talk soon went to "not able to hit a barn at 10 meters with it"... :grin:
A friend of mine, mostly into shooting PPC 1500 with his S&W-revolver and being very got at it, grabbed the derringer and said "I´ll show you something..."
He layed on the floor aiming like you can see on pictures the old folks did it with their longrange-rifles at creedmore and...
...hit the target - 50 meters away! :shocked2: :thumbsup:

It was great fun. I never tried it myself at that distance, might end up with giving it to my friend as a gift because I can´t handle it the way he does. :haha:
5-10 meters is enough for me. :surrender: