My friend has been in the hospital for over 2 years now but is getting out soon. He is a Vietnam chopper pilot and due to diabetes has gotten foot/leg infections which resulted in the loss of his feet and eventually, his legs.  He is finally getting out of hospital soon and has been talking to me about how much he wants to get a Derringer to carry on him when he is out in public.  (As a side note I kind of think there are better options for a self defense gun then a Derringer but who am I to argue with a Vietnam Veteran)   So, I want to get him a Derringer as a gift to mark the occasion and to be a good friend. This guy deserves it. He has been through hell in the last few years.
However, I know Nothing about Derringers other then what the typical mug knows.  I have been reading up on them the last few days so I don't get him something dumb. But I thought I would see if anyone here has a recommendation on what to get him?   My price range is under a grand or so.  

Thanks for any help.

Attached File

My experience with derringers is limited, though I do own and occasionally shoot one of the old Davis .32 ACP derringers.  I would much prefer a small revolver or semi-auto.  However, if I had to choose a derringer, it would probably be a Bond Arms.  Most likely in 9mm, as 9mm is readily available and has a good variety of SD type ammunition available.  The barrels of a derringer produce a bit more velocity than that of a revolver or semi-auto.  Enough to help make up for the short barrel, anyway.

Bond Arms in 45acp because for only two shots give me the bullet that will make the biggest hole.

Decades ago I had a Hawes Firearms derringer chambered in .357 Magnum.
Minute of bad guy at 7 yards.
Terrible trigger pull.
It was fun to shoot.
Bond Arms Cowboy Defender would be pretty similar to what I had.

The Bond Arms guns are well-built for the money and available in everything from .22rimfire to the .45-70 pictured in the first post. Caliber changes are easy with replacement barrels, sold separately. It’s small and lightweight so even “mild” cartridges can feel like a handful. Terminal perfromance suffers due to the short barrels and you only have two shots before you have to perform a reloading procedure that makes most RSOs cringe, but they work. The design is based on the Remington model 95 (not a clone) but the Bond Arms offering is MUCH more robust and takes advantage of modern steel. None of the parts interchange with the Remington.

The hammer requires a good bit of strength to cock and the trigger pull is awkward in that you need to pull rearward AND down at the same time. Meanwhile, the short grip makes you want to keep your hand high on the grip for good retention during recoil. Because of these conflicting actions, it can be hard to maintain a good, consistent hold on the gun.

It is NOT a gun I would put into the hands of an inexperienced shooter nor someone with weakened hand strength or fine motor skill issues.

I would agree with the Bond Arms in smaller caliber, even 22 mag would work well since these are up-close in your face type of defensive weapon.

You don't have to argue with him if it's a good choice but you also do not need to enable a terrible decision.

Anything Bond Arms is going to be good for a derringer.  If it was me I'd want a stinger in 9mm.

Freedom Arms mini revolver in .22lr.

Its a quality firearm that is easily carried around in a pants pocket.

I would urge you to convince him to consider a subcompact. More bullets, semi auto, additional magazines. Better for defense. I considered a derringer but went with a Glock subcompact. It’s light and has a 8 round mag. Mine is 40 S&W.

I've owned two Derringers.  First a Davis chrome plated .25 ACP, I would carry running.  Gun self destructed when my sister was shooting it.  Second a ADC M7 lightweight .380 that weighed 7 oz (sister still has that one).  Lots of muzzle flip on that one.  While bigger than the Davis.  Slow to employ and fire.  I would recommend to him a Smith J frame/Ruger LCR/Colt or Charter Arms revolver as a better option.  Better yet a compact semi auto.  Too many cons for the Derringer.

Vietnam was a bit before my time, but I'm reasonably certain they weren't issuing derringers to soldiers in Southeast Asia. As such, you shouldn't really use his service there as reason to not argue the point. Shit, my dad is a Vietnam Vet, but I know for a fact his time spent packing and unpacking cargo on air bases in Thailand while in the USAF doesn't make him a firearms expert. Not to mention, he's old and, judging by the fact he's recently lost his feet to diabetes, has a history of making bad decisions.

Maybe he's so old that the only guns he thinks are that size are derringers. Maybe he doesn't have the first clue that there are .380 and 9mm semi-autos not much bigger than derringers and that they're even available for around the same price.

Take the old due to the range and show him some Ruger LCP's, Glock 42/43/43X's, and Sig P365's. He might just realize that they're better defensive choices than slow ass derringers with only two shots and shitty sights.

^This.  I get the impression the buddy is not aware of other options which meet his requirements, and is going with what he is aware of.  Gather up some alternatives and have him try them out.

and bring/borrow a derringer to drive home those points!

Hey y'all... the grown ass man wants a Derringer!  Leave it at that!

Bond Arms... .357 Magnum and it gives him the option of .38 Special.  That gives him a wide selection of ammo to choose from.

Not entirely true. He'd buy his own if he wanted one. He's being gifted one. I've never complained about a free gun myself, and I am a stubborn pigheaded asshole.

That said, get him something that won't hurt too bad to shoot. He's old and his muscle mass is deteriorated from hospitalization.

Derringers suck. They are heavy for what they are, they are slow to unload and reload, you only get two rounds if you end up dealing with more than one person your SOL and they are over priced IMO as well. There are just so many better options available in that same price point that are easy to carry, easier to shoot, offer better survivability if you do actually need to use a gun. Since he wants a derringer I am assuming he has a misplaced aversion to semi autos because he thinks they aren’t reliable. If that is the case, rather than fighting that battle, I’d buy him a revolver. Still challenging to shoot but at least with something like a Taurus 327 he’d stand a better chance of surviving a fight. In 327 Fed Mag he’d have six rounds to deal with miscreants. Plus the 327FM can also fire 32H&R Magnum and .32 S&W. The front sights on the new Taurus’s are replaceable with something like an XS big dot tritium front sight which is easier to pick up with aging eyes. You can pick them up for around what a derringer would cost, sub $400. https://www.taurususa.com/revolvers/small-frame-revolvers/taurus-327/taurus-r-327-stainless-steel-327-fed-mag-2-in


$360 with shipping.

This is the way

I frequently want to smack the shit out of people. That doesn't mean my friends and family should stop convincing me it's a stupid fucking idea.