What can yall teach me about 22 mag derringers

[fordwannabe]

For work reasons I am not able to carry my usual "everyday carry gun" everyday. I am thinking about a derringer in 22 mag but only experience I have with derringers is an old davis my uncle had, that was not reliable, and an FIE single shot I had back in the 90's in 45 colt, and that is not what I am looking for. What can you tell me about good quality guns that could be in a pocket all day without libtards noticing. Thanks. Tom

[Lefty Dude]

Check out a North American Arms 22 mag Mini Revolver. My new every day carry is the NAA Wasp. It is a 22LR/22mag conversion. After market grips make the piece more controllable with the 22 mag.
I also have a Bond Derringer, however it is large and heavy.
With the NAA 22mag. I carry it with 5 CCI Speer Gold Dots, they are made for the short barreled Revolvers.
Because it has a separate 22LR cylinder I can practice with the cheaper ammo.

[yooper2]

I'd take the NAA mini over any of the 22 mag derringers but if I had to go for a derringer it would be the old High Standard double action. They've gotten pretty spendy of late though.


Eric

[MrMurphy]

The Keltec P32/P3AT and Ruger LCP made derringers irrelevant. They're smaller and lighter than most derringers I've seen and shot, and 7 or 8 rounds of .380 with a rapid reload beats 2 of any caliber with a slow reload.

You can hide one in gym shorts... I have.

[Old Ironsights]

The Keltec P32/P3AT and Ruger LCP made derringers irrelevant. They're smaller and lighter than most derringers I've seen and shot, and 7 or 8 rounds of .380 with a rapid reload beats 2 of any caliber with a slow reload.

You can hide one in gym shorts... I have.

This. Though I went with the NAA Guardian .32ACP and have carried it in swim trunks whilst swimming in Lake Michigan off the "coast" of Gary IN...

Still, I DO run with a .38 Derringer (Cobra brand) when in snake country (my back yard) because .38 snake shot is waaaay more effective than .22 snake shot...

[Pete44ru]

.


The modern derringers are a far cry from the archaic Davis derringer design - and there's several different ones out there.

The flattest for pocket carry would be a High Standard with ot's grip panels removed - which were made in stainless steel, blued carbon steel, and bright nickled carbon steel.





Below are two High Standards in .22 mag, an American Derringer .38 Special, a BTJ .38 Special, and (center) a Double Tap .45 ACP with interchangeable 9MM barrel.




.

[Blaine]

The Keltec P32/P3AT and Ruger LCP made derringers irrelevant. They're smaller and lighter than most derringers I've seen and shot, and 7 or 8 rounds of .380 with a rapid reload beats 2 of any caliber with a slow reload.

You can hide one in gym shorts... I have.

Yep.....The LCP goes out the door with me and has 6+1 of near 38 Special whupAzz.... It slips into a vest, or pants pocket easily. IMO, (worth what you pay for it ) make your derringer at least a 38.

[JohndeFresno]

.22 Mag in a short barrel:

1) Very, very loud.
You should try one first, and see if it affects your tactical hearing ability after using it, especially in a closed space.

2) See if you can be safely accurate -
Try a target 20 feet away. Especially difficult with the double action Hi-Standard. I had one, once, and sold it quickly after I missed a sitting rabbit at that distance.

[octagon]

Saw a Ranger at the LGS with a NAA mini stashed inside his Stetson under the crown. Neat. he was an older fella, and looked like the type you would not want to fool with.

[Bill in Oregon]

I had a North American pea shooter in .22 WMR that was loud and inaccurate.

[Blaine]

I had a North American pea shooter in .22 WMR that was loud and inaccurate.

My LCP will ring your bells, too.....I think the quietest handgun I've shot without protection was a Glock 36 with standard pressure 230s....

[JB]

The Keltec P32/P3AT and Ruger LCP made derringers irrelevant. They're smaller and lighter than most derringers I've seen and shot, and 7 or 8 rounds of .380 with a rapid reload beats 2 of any caliber with a slow reload.

You can hide one in gym shorts... I have.

I agree. The Kel-Tec or LCP will pack more punch, are easier to hit with, and should conceal just about as easily.

[Rusty]

IIRC Paco carries a NAA Black Widow. They are somewhat comforting at spitting distance, not much more. I'm sure a .22 mag would make quite a mess in something. Make sure you carry it in a pocket holster. The stag grips seem to give a better hold that the standard wood does as they are too slick. I'm not sure I'd like the rubber grips as they might be too sticky.
I have a Hi Standard .22 mag derringer from the 1970's and the NAA. The Comfort in the extra 3 shots in the NAA is more comforting.

[Lefty Dude]

The issued grips with the NAA mini are quite inferior to say the least, for looks only. I replaced mine with a set of Magnum NAA rose wood grips.
If you want a quality grip for a mini 22 Mag NAA, try here:
www.revisioncv.com

I just placed an order today for this grip.

[vancelw]

I had a Freedom Arms Casull improvement in .22 mag. It was surprising how much it bucked up when shot. The tiny handle and mag shells resulted in it pointing up at 45 degrees or more after each shot. I had to regrip before the next shot.
I sold it and bought a NAA in .22 LR. Much better. I've popped a few snakes in the head with it. I don't think 20 feet is realistic to judge one of these by. It's most likely going to be used in well under 10 feet.

[JohndeFresno]

"The Kel-Tec or LCP will pack more punch, are easier to hit with, and should conceal just about as easily."
Yup. Totally agree.
EDITED because TMI - Probably more personal info than needed. Other posters have covered this quite well!

[Bill in Oregon]

John, good for you for training others. My carry is an LCP. I recently bought my wife the Ruger LCR in.22 Magnum. Now if I could find ammunition ...

[marlinman93]

A Hi Standard derringer in .22 Mag has been my go to gun for many years when I need something very small. I try to carry the most stopping power I can most of the time, but in certain weather or clothing conditions, it's not possible to conceal larger handguns.
As for noise levels. Anyone who's ever fired a gun under stressful situations will tell you they probably didn't even notice the sound levels. Often they can't even tell you how many shots were fired by either gun, let alone if their ears rang afterwards. Even hunting situations, where adrenaline is high, but not near the stress levels, we still don't notice the sound levels like we would at the gun range. Testing your carry gun for sound levels wont tell you much at the range, as you'll hopefully have ear protection on. Shooting it without wont tell much either, as there's no stress level involved.

[JohndeFresno]

EDITED because TMI - Probably more personal info than needed. Other posters have covered this quite well!

[Ben_Rumson]

pix585219830 - Copy.jpg

Very old tech... 4.5" long 7shot .25 acp.. But it has its virtues... Less than an inch thick... Grip safety...Internal hammer ... even has a magazine safety . There's a couple on GB now..

[horsesoldier03]

Too much powder, not enough barrel! I purchased a .22 LR/Mag combo pistol for my daughter. It is a great pistol, however, when shooting the .22mags, I can see the bullet when it shoots. I cannot see the .22 LR. Personally I think the .22 MAG needs a longer barrel to burn all the powder and fully appreciate the round.

[Fairshake]

I'm not going to say what happens to everyone else when they fire a gun without ear protection as each person is different. It's been my experience that when being fired at and returning fire, I don't hear anything but a small popping sound.
I have fired rifles, pistols and small NAA revolvers in 22 mag caliber with the same results. I worked in Narcotics Division for about 6 years and was also a Firearms Instructor that attended The FBI Instructor School along with many others. I was also in the 4th Inf. 65-68 and was exposed to fire while there.
I shot almost every day while working as a range officer and I'm able to hit 6 inch steel plate at 25 yds with my NAA 22 mag Black Widow with each shot. I see where some posters are saying that certain guns are not able to hit anything past a few yards, it's a good chance there is more at falut here than the gun being discussed. Later David

[JohndeFresno]

EDITED because TMI - Probably more personal info than needed. Other posters have covered this quite well!

[BigSky56]

Tom the NAA will work fine for what your looking for, the loud bang and fireball headed for the culprit will help put them off their game. At the distance these things happen, according to the stats is 7 feet, you dont even need sights just point and shoot. My idea of a vest pocket pistol is a chopped and rounded grip bearcat thats been recut to 22 mag. danny

[Old Ironsights]

pix585219830 - Copy.jpg

Very old tech... 4.5" long 7shot .25 acp.. But it has its virtues... Less than an inch thick... Grip safety...Internal hammer ... even has a magazine safety . There's a couple on GB now..

Part Number NAA-32 GUARDIAN
Firearm Type Guardian
Suggested Retail Price $402
Caliber 32ACP
Capacity 6 + 1
Barrel Length 2 & 3/16"
Overall Length 4 & 3/8"
Overall Height 3 & 3/8"
Width 13/16"
Weight Unloaded 14 oz (15.6 oz Loaded)
Operation Double Action Only
Trigger Pull 10.0 LBS.

I will hit a pepper popper from the back pocket draw at 10yds 6 out of 7 to 7 out of 7 times...

[fordwannabe]

I am really appreciating the input guys, keep it up. My biggest concern is that IT MUST NOT BE NOTICED EVER. I am just very uncomfortable being unarmed in this day and age. Both of the vehicles have get home bags with a handgun and rifle, but if something happens when I am inside they are no help. A derringer in a larger caliber could work also. The NAA was a consideration also but I was afraid it might be detected. I am thinking of this kinda like the liberator of WWII a gun to get a gun, or It's better than nothing gun.

[Old Ironsights]

Fwuw... Without giving specifics... (5th). That little wallet pistol of mine has been more places where it was not "allowed" to be than any .gov Enforcer could deal with...

No metal detector/no patdown, no "gun free zone".

Not to mention being carried in a pair of swim trunks on the beaches of Gary Indiana...

[claybob86]

My 2 cents: Since something like 99.9% of the misfires I've experienced have been with rimfires, I would much prefer a centerfire cartridge for defensive purposes.

[gamekeeper]

I would consider the Astra Cub/Colt Junior in .25acp, maybe not a grizzly stopper but easy to conceal.

[Lefty Dude]

Here is my every day carry NAA 22 mag & Holster/Belt rig.

[claybob86]

Here is my every day carry NAA 22 mag & Holster/Belt rig.

That's classy!

[cas]

They're true belly gun. Stick it in someone's mid section and pull the trigger.

For years I wanted a High Standard. Finally found one and traded a real nice gun for it. Huge mistake that I regretted almost right away. At 5 yards, if I really tried I could keep in on a man sized target.* Past that it was a flip of a coin.


* What I didn't notice when I bought it was that the barrels weren't parallel. So one shot to the "sights", the other WAY off to one side. I traded it to a collector who had no intention of shooting it.


I've never been able to hit anything with the mini revolvers either. At the distance I can, I might as well use my knife and do more damage.

[Lefty Dude]

The NAA 22 Mag is always on my Left Hip. If I determine more power might be needed I slide my Bond Derringer on my Right side for a cross drawer application. With the Bond I have the choice of either 45 Colt or 410 in the Snake slayer.

[Ysabel Kid]

I am thinking about a derringer in 22 mag but only experience I have with derringers is an old davis my uncle had, that was not reliable,

I have a Davis D-38. Never had any problems with it. What problems did you have?

[1894c]

two shoots...reload...two shots... :)