Range Report .38 Cobra Derringer

[karlunity]

Range report.
With FMJ mag tech 158 g FMJ and that very bad trigger, I cannot hit anything past 4 ft.
worse the cases stuck and I needed a tool to remove them. Not every time but often enough
Good news is with nickle case 110 hp ---f AA 2 the recoil was mild and the holes are touching to the left in the 9 ring
So if you can reload and get the trigger worked on this may not be a bad gun.
If you cannot. get a PPH or a PA-63 of any small pistol of that order.
karl

_I removed the power charge as it has been a while since i loaded that and want to recheck my notes.

[AzRednek]

Karl, I think I have some cast 125 gr RN FP on hand I can send you if you want to try them. If you want to handload them. The home cast slugs are not a real good choice for self defense as I cast them really hard for target work. If they work for you I'll cast up some soft slugs once I get back to casting. Not sure if or how many I might have. If I have some I'll send just a tad below one pound to keep the parcel as 1st Class avoiding Priority Mail rates.

 

I use the 125 gr RNFP in both 38 and 9MM. I used to size 358 for 38 and 356 for 9MM. Last batch I sized them all .357 and they work fine in both calibers. The only problem was the 357 sized slugs were a bit sticky chambering in a Sig especially with the thicker US GI brass My guess the chamber was on the tight side. I traded the Sig away for a Franchi O/U so no longer a problem.

 

Just curious what you guys think would be the best type bullet for the 38 Derringer?? I doubt a 38's short barreled velocity could generate enough oomph to create even pure lead bullet expansion. A flat nosed, even a full wadcutter might be very effective against Mr Bad Guy if it hit bone or a joint causing plenty of pain. The other choice might be a hard cast and now discontinued Lyman spire point in hope it deeply penetrates stopping the bad guy disabling his central nervous system.

 

I recall the gun rag articles prior to police changing to semi's. Most police agencies preferred and used the 110gr soft nose or HP's for snub nose 38 Special revolvers. During that era, long before +P existed. A company named Super-Vel claimed their 110 HP's were the only one on the market that expanded reliably when launched from a 38 snubby.

[karlunity]

Thank you Az.

I think that I am going to go with the hornady XTP JH it grouped an inch left but one big hole...

 

So based only on ONE trip to the range the best by far:

Light recoil

Best accuracy are the Hornady XTP

Now I think the charge was AA 2 3.7

 

I dont have a out door range yet and so lead would get me kicked out of the indoor one and the guy does walk around and check ..But thanks for the offer.

karl

[AzRednek]

Karl the indoor range I use allows lead projectiles. A few years ago when the range and attached gun and sporting goods business changed ownership. New mgmt said no lead, handloads and only black powder substitutes and lead free slugs for muzzle loaders. Claimed OSHA and EPA regs required it. Thx to social media and a couple of disgruntled employees. Word got out it was only done to increase ammo sales. After many members failed to re-new and many current members demanded a pro-rated refund of the annual fee. The new policy was dropped.

[karlunity]

We are NOT allowed cap and ball at all!!!

The next range is a 3 hour round trip so I tread lightly.I found this on the net qnd it is worth seeing .

I took the derringer apart and polished and lubed...just 600 grit paper and by hand...this is NOT mosin or Mauser steel and I was careful only to polish not remove. The only hard part was getting the hammer back.

So at last. I had an insight. I took the hammer spring out ...thus removing pressure and put the hammer back in then I slid the spring in and the the spring hammer pin in with a very small pliers. It worked but it was a pia to do.

The video suggested cutting a curl or two off the hammer spring but that with a carry gun I did not want to do. It is one to have a light primer hit on the range but another in a carry gun.

 

karl

[AzRednek]

I'm with you Karl, leave the spring alone. I have a light striking 45ACP revolver. Beautiful feeling D/A trigger pull but every now and then a dud from a light primer strike. More often with Eastern European primers.

[karlunity]

That I will AZ. Having a misfire at the range, is worth the risk for a light trigger and a good group.

But in a hunting or far far more seriously a carry pistol? No and no!

 

Picture this.

Karl to Mugger.,,after the misfire as the mugger closes: "Pardon me; good sir , my pistol appears to have misfired...Do be so kind as to allow me to reload?"

"Of course, my dear fellow."replies the mugger." Please don"t hurry on my account and do let me know when you are ready!" : )

 

Somehow I cannot see it going down like that.

karl

[Dr.Hess]

The Derringers are supposed to have hard trigger pulls. There's no trigger guard. I have one somewhere. If I was real careful, I think I could hit a 5 gallon bucket at 5 feet with it. That's about the accuracy level. That's good enough for it's purpose, though.

I'm with you guys on the light primer hits. I had a Ruger 45 convertible that would have light hits on reloads, which have harder primers than factory ammo. I sent it back to Ruger to be fixed. They sent it back basically unchanged. I took it to a gunsmith and he fixed it for me. I suspected the firing pin was too short. I told the gunsmith that and directed him to make a longer one. A Taurus 380 did the same thing with the light hits, but Taurus fixed it properly free of charge.

[karlunity]

I leave the Derringer for PT when I cannot carry my PPH.

If i could, I would love to carry the 1911

karl