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Interested in getting a .357 Derringer


Buckshot Bear

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Getting pretty interested in getting a .357 Derringer.

 

Do you own one?

What make model?

How long is the barrel?

 

Do you use it match for side matches at CAS shoots?

 

Have you ever shot it in a main match at club level?

 

Do you use it much for CAS or are they more a fun gun?

 

How pleasant or unpleasant are they to shoot?

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I have an American Derringer in .45 Colt.  I shoot C.45 Spl. loads in it.  I only use it inside matches.  The C.45 Spl. is pretty tame, probably about the same as the original .41 Remington.  I would guess light .38 Spl. would be very mild in a .357,

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5 minutes ago, Sarge said:

I have an American Derringer in .45 Colt.  I shoot C.45 Spl. loads in it.  I only use it inside matches.  The C.45 Spl. is pretty tame, probably about the same as the original .41 Remington.  I would guess light .38 Spl. would be very mild in a .357,

 

How do you shoot a derringer in a side match Sarge, just off the table?

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Just now, Buckshot Bear said:

 

How do you shoot a derringer in a side match Sarge, just off the table?

Depends on the rules of the side match.  Some of them are two shots from the table.  Some are two shots from hands on gun.  Some require a reload.  Kinda like stage writing.  They are all different.

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2 minutes ago, Sarge said:

Depends on the rules of the side match.  Some of them are two shots from the table.  Some are two shots from hands on gun.  Some require a reload.  Kinda like stage writing.  They are all different.

 

Thanks Sarge appreciated mate.

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Glad to help.

1 minute ago, Buckshot Bear said:

 

Thanks Sarge appreciated mate.

Glad to help.

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In a gun taht is derringer weight, .357 Magnum rounds will rattle fillings right out of you. Go with light .38 Special loads! I don't know how popular Smith & Wesson,  Iver Johnson or Harrington & Richardson were in OZ, but if you can find one of their little .32 or .38 revolvers, they are legal for the Side match and are a blast to shoot too!

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I got kind of carried away. Bond with barrels in .22 LR, .357 magnum, .44 Special, .44-40, .45 acp, and .45 Colt. Barrels are available from 2 1/2" clear up to 6" in some calibers.

BondBarrels.JPG

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1 hour ago, Buckshot Bear said:

Getting pretty interested in getting a .357 Derringer.

 

Do you own one? Yes 3 frames and an extra barrel

What make model? Bond Texas Defender in 45 Colt/410, Bond Defender/Roughneck in 9 mm, Bond Texas Defender in 357/38, extra 45 ACP barrel for the roughneck.

How long is the barrel? The 9mm and 357/38 are 3 inches, the 410 is 3 inches overall but is marked as 2.5, the 45 ACP is 2.5 inches

 

Do you use it for side matches at CAS shoots? Yes a few times. I am not particularly gifted with the reloading of a derringer but have seen them shot really quickly for 4 rounds

 

Have you ever shot it in a main match at club level? No

 

Do you use it much for CAS or are they more a fun gun? Nice sidematch gun for CAS but that is the only time they have been fired.

 

How pleasant or unpleasant are they to shoot? The 9mm and 38 are no big deal, the 357 is LOUD with a lot of muzzle flash, the 410 will probably only be shot in a self defense situation (don't have a press to download and factory I had is pretty hot), the 45 ACP jumps pretty good but is not really harsh.

Biggest problem is mine are all early models and the triggers plain flat suck. Replaced the trigger springs and they got better but compared to most other guns I own the triggers make them go bang but that is the best that can be said.

Overall construction is hell for stout and cannot imagine what it would take to break one.

I am told newer models have a much better trigger but no experience with those.

Regards

:FlagAm:  :FlagAm:  :FlagAm:

Gateway Kid

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A long time ago I shot one of those over/under derringer types with some hot 38 sp loads that were commercially loaded then. Not an experience I would repeat

 

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I have a Bond derringer in 45 Colt / 410. With mild reloads it’s a lot of fun to shoot. I’ve used it in various side matches. 
 

With the right download of Goex and a filler, it’s pleasant to shoot, competitively fast, and can set a target on fire at close range. 
 

A Bond in 357 would be a fun addition. 

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I have a Texan Bond 44-40 and I just shoot it for fun and carry it as my backup :) 

Main carry Is either a Colt Series 70 in 45 ACP or my Colt Cowboy in 45 LC.

I have practiced reloading my Derringer as it’s kind of a odd loading gun.

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The Derringer side matches are fun, iffin' you ever get up to the Gold Coast Bear they  use  Derringers after every shoot they have [ monthly & annual ]...I have the Bond 4'' Bushwacker  in .357..if you can find Smokestack in the USA, we use the same sort of  timber frame on the table that rests the Derringer in the middle, hands are one each side with one on the timer, let the button go & ya' off..

I personally wear mine on the holster rig all the time, gotten used to remembering  to clear .

Like a lot of things they have increased considerably in price over  the last 2 years.

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10 minutes ago, Painted Mohawk SASS 77785 said:

The Derringer side matches are fun, iffin' you ever get up to the Gold Coast Bear they  use  Derringers after every shoot they have [ monthly & annual ]...I have the Bond 4'' Bushwacker  in .357..if you can find Smokestack in the USA, we use the same sort of  timber frame on the table that rests the Derringer in the middle, hands are one each side with one on the timer, let the button go & ya' off..

I personally wear mine on the holster rig all the time, gotten used to remembering  to clear .

Like a lot of things they have increased considerably in price over  the last 2 years.

 

Thanks Mohawk :)

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I've had a couple, sold them. I don't do side matches anymore and except for that they're pretty much useless unless you think they're fun!!

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I have 3.   American derringer in 45 colt / schofield    American derringer 38 spec/38 long colt   and a Remington 75  in 41 rimfire.   made holster for each to carry on my gun belt.   also carry the 38 with short colt ammo in a vest pocket   and the 41 rimfire in watch pocket of my Levis.    

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1 hour ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

I've had a couple, sold them. I don't do side matches anymore and except for that they're pretty much useless unless you think they're fun!!

I'm with Rye on this one, only one I kept was a Davis .22lr. I have next to nothing in it, it works just fine and is legal for side matches, at least it used to be.

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14 hours ago, Sarge said:

I have an American Derringer in .45 Colt.  I shoot C.45 Spl. loads in it.  I only use it inside matches.  The C.45 Spl. is pretty tame, probably about the same as the original .41 Remington.  I would guess light .38 Spl. would be very mild in a .357,

 

 

Howdy

 

The 41 Rimfire derringer cartridge was extremely anemic. Only 13 grains of Black Powder under a 130 grain bullet. By comparison, the original Black Powder load of the 38 Special was 21 1/2 grains of Black Powder under a 158 grain bullet. I suspect your 45 CS loads are much more powerful than the 41 Rimfire.

 

Pictured here, an original Remington Derringer with a box of 41 Rimfire Cartridges that Navy Arms put out a bunch of years ago.

 

pne7ylRPj

 

 

 

 

By the way, somewhere I have one of the 38 Special derringers that another company put out, Davis if I remember correctly. A real piece of junk. The trigger was absolutely awful on it. I wouldn't pay 10 bucks for one if I came across it today.

 

Having fired lightly loaded 38 Specials in my piece of junk derringer, I cannot imagine trying to hang onto a pistol that small, if fired with 357 Magnum ammo.

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I would wholeheartedly recommend that you purchase a Bond Derringer. They are the strongest and most well-built derringers that have  ever been made throughout history. And their customer service is the best. With the ability to change to different barrel lengths and calibers you can do anything you want with the bond.  I love my Texas defender in 357. I shoot 38 spec 

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I have a derringer in .38/.357.  I HIGHLY recommend reloading some .38 Short Colt cartridges for yours.  .38's are too stout and make it hard to hang onto the derringer, and they hurt (at least they hurt me, anyway).   I have my .38 short colt rounds loaded to the same ballistics as the .41 rimfire round (bullet weight and feet/second) and it's a pleasure to shoot.

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Bond is best way to go. The roughneck model is quite a bit cheaper, same gun, just not polished as nicely. I shoot in side matches, same 38 so as my main match revolvers. 105 grn Bullet. Not a harsh load by any means. 
most side matches are 2 shots, on a paper plate about 3’. Start muzzle on table. Other hand starts timer. 2 shots in about .50  to win around here!

 

I’ve used it once in main match, I provided the gun/ammo, was an off the clock bonus. Not required if you did not want to shoot a strange gun. (As I recall, everyone shot it) 

 

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4 hours ago, Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 said:

 

 

Howdy

 

The 41 Rimfire derringer cartridge was extremely anemic. Only 13 grains of Black Powder under a 130 grain bullet. By comparison, the original Black Powder load of the 38 Special was 21 1/2 grains of Black Powder under a 158 grain bullet. I suspect your 45 CS loads are much more powerful than the 41 Rimfire.

 

Pictured here, an original Remington Derringer with a box of 41 Rimfire Cartridges that Navy Arms put out a bunch of years ago.

 

pne7ylRPj

 

 

 

 

By the way, somewhere I have one of the 38 Special derringers that another company put out, Davis if I remember correctly. A real piece of junk. The trigger was absolutely awful on it. I wouldn't pay 10 bucks for one if I came across it today.

 

Having fired lightly loaded 38 Specials in my piece of junk derringer, I cannot imagine trying to hang onto a pistol that small, if fired with 357 Magnum ammo.

Very possibly.  However, there is virtually no felt recoil for me with the load I'm using in the derringer. 

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I have a Bond with .357 and .45Colt/.410 3 inch shotshell, I have shot them both with factory loads(125JHP .357,.45Colt 255lrn and 3 inch .410 personal protection loads) and they aren't that bad. For side matches I use the .357 mag barrel with light .38'special or .38 short colt rounds.

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Go with the Bond Arms "Texas Defender".

 

It comes with a trigger guard, but I currently have mine removed for faster SASS practice time.

 

I run 38 special cowboy loads and avoid 357 magnum loads because I like to be pain free in my palm ..as others have mentioned ;)

PXL_20220122_182728180.jpg

PXL_20220122_182912607.jpg

PXL_20220122_182717939.jpg

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Driftwood's real Remington is super cool!  I had a chance to buy one at a reasonable price in the late 1970's, but I wasn't doing cowboy guns then.

 

I have a Bond brand derringer with multiple different caliber barrels.  The trigger is nothing to write home about, but it is built like a tank.  If you're planning on shooting it much, the Bond is the way to go.  It's overbuilt, like an original model Ruger Vaquero.  

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  • 2 weeks later...

Howdy Pard

 

Whoa! You got plenty of responses. Sorry, I can’t resist chiming in.

 

Never shot a 357 derringer and will leave it off my bucket list. Don’t want to contemplate what affect it would have on an aged, arthritic hand.

 

Do have 22 derringer. Agree with comments that they’re not very useful … but also agree they’re lots of fun.  
 

Thanks to these comments I see the want (not the need … the WANT!) to get it out of the safe and take it with me to the range. Maybe even add it to stages at our Cowboy Matches.

 

Adios 

 

Fort Reno Kid 

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I own an American derringer in .44 mag. I shoot .44 spec in it. It's built like tank. Never had a problem. Bond worked for American derringer and when the owner of A.D. died and his wife took over the business Bond and the "new owner" had some disagreements so Bond went on his own. I understand they are also built like a tank.

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On 1/21/2022 at 9:57 AM, Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 said:

 

 

Howdy

 

The 41 Rimfire derringer cartridge was extremely anemic. Only 13 grains of Black Powder under a 130 grain bullet. By comparison, the original Black Powder load of the 38 Special was 21 1/2 grains of Black Powder under a 158 grain bullet. I suspect your 45 CS loads are much more powerful than the 41 Rimfire.

 

Pictured here, an original Remington Derringer with a box of 41 Rimfire Cartridges that Navy Arms put out a bunch of years ago.

 

pne7ylRPj

 

 

 

 

By the way, somewhere I have one of the 38 Special derringers that another company put out, Davis if I remember correctly. A real piece of junk. The trigger was absolutely awful on it. I wouldn't pay 10 bucks for one if I came across it today.

 

Having fired lightly loaded 38 Specials in my piece of junk derringer, I cannot imagine trying to hang onto a pistol that small, if fired with 357 Magnum ammo.

Purportedly, the bullet and the plug of cloth carried with it always stayed inside the body which made them scary enough in days of no antibiotics.

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  • 1 month later...

If you'd prefer something similar to the original Remingtons, you might consider a blued  steel frame Miroku or Uberti imported prior to '68.  The Miroku had 2 3/4" barrels and was chambered in 38 special.   The Ubertis had 3 1/4" barrels and were chambered in 357 magnum and 45 colt.  They show up on GB occasionally in the $400-$500 range.

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