PROPER LOAD FOR A DERRINGER

[ladysmithtrading]

PICKED UP A PHILADELPHIA DERRINGER, 45 CAL. LOOKING FOR A STARTING PLACE FOR A GOOD LOAD, HOW MUCH 3F DO YOU USE?

 

[Don]

Hi,

Not knowing which manufacturer made your derringer means you'll have to take my advise with a grain of salt. I own two philly derringers made by traditions and found a load of 25 grains of fff BP gives me a nice balance between power and accuracy. With that load I can hit a paper plate consistantly well out to 7 yards and penitrate a one inch thick peice of seasoned yellow pine at a little closer range. Not a power house but I still would'nt want to get shot with it.

Hope this helped.

Don

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I got one many years ago. It was a rainy day when it arrived but just had to shoot it so I took it to the basement and loaded up with the 15 grain 3f charge recomended by Dixie Gun Works and shot at a stack of pine lumber. The ball bounced off the first board and smacked my shin. Didn't break the skin or even hurt very much. I now shoot 40 grains 3f and recoil is stout but the ball don't bounce off. I've since reamed it out to .50 cal smooth bore and it's actually more accurate than it was as a .45 rifled. The twist is too slow to be of any help at the velocity attainable from the short barrel.

 

[Desert Rat]

I use about half of the charge that I use for my .45 rifle which would put me about where Don is. While I was working up to that load I had the same situation Don did. I did'nt get hit by the ball but I re-used the same ball about 3 times cause it coming back. I thought it was hilarious that the ball kept bouncing back begging for another try until I thought it might actually hurt if I got hit with it. I have the CVA version.

 

[ladysmithtrading]

NOT SURE O0PF THE MANUFACTURE, HAS A SMALL BRASS EXTENSION AT THE FRONT OF THE LOCK PLATE , browned barrel and no markings other than philadelphia derringer, thanks for the advise, i tried 10 grains at 10 paces, the balls seem to have a mind of their own and fly wherever,but they would probably hit a torso in the hallway!

 

[Don]

Sounds like the CVA model.

Don

 

[Zonie]

The description matches the CVA Derrenger I made years ago.
Mine was made by Dikar.

I would say 15 grains of powder would be safer to shoot. As others have mentioned very light loads can make the ball bounce back at you.
You've seen and heard in the Christmas movie..."You'll Shoot your eye out".

 

[ladysmithtrading]

oh yea, has this really crappy all brass trigger, sounds like cva,stock has a little curly maple look to it not real tite curl bout an inch appart, and handle is checkered, but what the heck seems like a fun gun to shoot even if you cant hit the broad side of a barn, picked it up cause some of the local rondys have a derringer shoot, mite as well have another excuse to burn powder!

 

[mothernatureson]

I can relate to the ball bouncing back. In the early 80's a co-worker built a CVA deringer, he did a real nice job, and he never intended to shoot it, only hang it on the wall. He was a non shooter. I talked him into shooting it, and on a lunch break we took a short drive into the country, set up a hubcap on a fencepost, and I loaded the thing for him. He fired, "boom, ping" the dang ball sailed right back near our heads. I'm sure it's the only time he fired that little gun. Wish I had one. peace

mothernatureson

 

[Pork Chop]

I have built two of the CVA Phila Derringers. They were fun kits, but a bit crude. It is interesting to see the variations though. One has a front sight, while the other does not. They changed the shape of the stock (the new shape is ugly in my opinion) as well as the trigger. The old one had a nice blued steel trigger. The new one has the manure brass one...

 

[Zonie]

Mine is the no sight, brass trigger one and I built it back in the early '90s.

In defence of one feature on my gun is on the lock it is stamped "DERRINGER over PHILADELPHIA".

I mention this because while "Deringer" (one "r") was making superbly crafted guns which brought him a high degree of fame, others were making cheap rip offs of his guns and stamping them "Derringer" (two "r"s) or "Deeringer".

I wonder if the manufacturer of this gun knew about this history, or just didn't know how to spell Deringer. :grin: :rotf:

 

[toot]

I shot my 2 of them with 15 GRS. of 2FG. BLACK, with a .440 RB, WITH HORNETS NEST, wadding. and the ball bounced back off of the cardboard that the target was stapled on too. scary!

 

[Jaegermeister]

Brought back memories! I built a little derringer kit when I was 11 or 12. I think is was by Jukar. Can’t really remember my load but it was my first non-BB gun.

 

[Musketeer]

I have a Traditions version that I reworked a bit cosmetically to suit my taste. 20 grains of 3f and a patched .440 ball. Never had any bounce back, but then I've only shot it at soda cans and old oranges.

Oh, good grief! I just realized this thread is from 15 years ago. Stop playing with the time machine, toot. The last time someone did that I ended up right in the middle of that whole Little Bighorn fiasco. Barely got out of that one...

 

[Bad Karma]

I use about half of the charge that I use for my .45 rifle which would put me about where Don is. While I was working up to that load I had the same situation Don did. I did'nt get hit by the ball but I re-used the same ball about 3 times cause it coming back. I thought it was hilarious that the ball kept bouncing back begging for another try until I thought it might actually hurt if I got hit with it. I have the CVA version.

Shoot one handed with a baseball glove on the other hand!?

 

[jdw276]

Shoot one handed with a baseball glove on the other hand!?

A 15 year old thread? Wow.....how did that come up in the search function.

 

[Bad Karma]

A 15 year old thread? Wow.....how did that come up in the search function.

Dunno but I never check the date when I reply to a thread. I just hope the OP is still around!

 

[Musketeer]

Last seen March 10, 2018, according to their profile. Who knows, maybe they still get notifications from here and this will bring them back?

 

[Oldbear63]

Perhaps we need a thread on "necro'ed" threads!

 

[toot]

I have a Traditions version that I reworked a bit cosmetically to suit my taste. 20 grains of 3f and a patched .440 ball. Never had any bounce back, but then I've only shot it at soda cans and old oranges.

Oh, good grief! I just realized this thread is from 15 years ago. Stop playing with the time machine, toot. The last time someone did that I ended up right in the middle of that whole Little Bighorn fiasco. Barely got out of that one...

not sorry, I just had to post. isn't the saying old is better? seems tat you enjoyed chiming in till you saw the date of the post. LOL.