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44-40 derringer first shots today !

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fortyshooter
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44-40 derringer first shots today !

Post by fortyshooter » Thu Feb 13, 2025 8:39 pm

Well today would be the best out of next week or more so packed up the derringer and headed to my soggy range after last several days of snow/rain.
Didn't know what to expect out of this little handful of 44-40 but did know what a 45 Colt Bond derringer felt like. I was surprised how well it shot and how well the 185 gr WC rounds I loaded shot. First two rounds were spread out high and then I was able to get some good grouping.
The derringer stayed planted in my hand and I shot 18 rounds thru it with no busted knuckle or hammer bite to the web of my hand. Now you know when you touch one off from the blast and that short 1 1/2 inch of rifling did a great job keeping the bullets on track. It does what derringers do...get a good sized piece of lead to a target within 15 ft. fast enough to do serious damage and it did so fully penetrating 16 inches of ballistic gel and hitting the 6x6 block backstop. Then I tried my luck at the steel plates and did okay with that from 7 yds. Not a range gun but could get you out of a serious situation. Only thing of note is to make sure you cock the hammer all the way back to reset floating hammer insert to next firing position and best of all the hammer did not take off on this one!
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JEBar
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Re: 44-40 derringer first shots today !

Post by JEBar » Thu Feb 13, 2025 9:35 pm

nice shooting ... I've never accomplished targets like that with my 44 Spl Derringer
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fortyshooter
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Re: 44-40 derringer first shots today !

Post by fortyshooter » Thu Feb 13, 2025 10:25 pm

JEBar wrote:
Thu Feb 13, 2025 9:35 pm
nice shooting ... I've never accomplished targets like that with my 44 Spl Derringer
What brand derringer do you have? One thing that did surprise me was how light the rifling cut is in the barrel like just barely there but somehow it works.
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Ernie
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Re: 44-40 derringer first shots today !

Post by Ernie » Fri Feb 14, 2025 5:07 am

Very impressive but too much derringer for me.
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Re: 44-40 derringer first shots today !

Post by Vaquero » Fri Feb 14, 2025 8:51 am

Looks like you did get the hang of it.
Good shooting.

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Re: 44-40 derringer first shots today !

Post by BigAl52 » Fri Feb 14, 2025 9:14 am

Nice job Forty. Probably better than I could of done.
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fortyshooter
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Re: 44-40 derringer first shots today !

Post by fortyshooter » Fri Feb 14, 2025 9:47 am

Another good thing is it didn't smack or sting my hand and could have shot more but only had 25 rounds loaded and just needed to see how it shot.
Happy with it and my throw together holster worked well also.
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Re: 44-40 derringer first shots today !

Post by Hatchdog » Fri Feb 14, 2025 10:27 am

Looks like you’re ready to hit the local saloons for some poker. :lol:

Glad that little monster didn’t bite the hand that feeds it!
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Re: 44-40 derringer first shots today !

Post by JEBar » Fri Feb 14, 2025 11:47 am

fortyshooter wrote:
Thu Feb 13, 2025 10:25 pm
What brand derringer do you have?
Bond .... my accuracy issues are completely mine, it really shoots surprisingly well
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Re: 44-40 derringer first shots today !

Post by daytime dave » Fri Feb 14, 2025 3:48 pm

Great shooting. I'd say that derringer would have done the trick back in the day and today.
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