Forums / Gun Discussion / Derringer for Concealed carry. Anyone consider this?

of sense, IF that's all you have!!!! It is always better to have something, rather than face an armed assailant with no other kind of weapon, unless you are a great broken field runner.
Having said that, try time shooting a large caliber derringer at about 7 meters from the target and reload and fire the next two, as fast as you can. Then see if you have hit any vital spots, or any spots at all. Therein lies the weakness of not having more firepower.

ive never shot 1, but it may work for some ppl, if thats all you are willing to carry, just practice practice practice, and you will have two letal shots, i am waiting for my chl, but am considering a 5 shot 357, its no high cap by an standards, but i fell it will be plenty to protet me, its all personal preferance, and it could always be a BUG, or why not carry 2 or more if you want more firepower, there small enough, and it would be pretty hard to disarm a person with multiple guns

while wasting precious milliseconds reaching for a BUG or two, your assailant does not have to worry about disarming you.

The late Jim Cirillo used back up guns as a way to stay in the fight. The "New York reload", as it is called makes even more sense if you have a primary gun that is slow to reload, such as a revolver that doesn't accept moon clips or a derringer. Why anyone would want to carry a two-shot weapon for defense is beyond me, but if you really have no choice then you make the best with what you've got. As for range training, the fact is that most gunfights occur at very close ranges and it is my opinion that training should always start with the most likely events and once proficiency is attained you begin branching out into the "what if" worl

AS WEAPON FOR FIST LINE DEFENCE "No WAY". As a last ditch weapon,anything is better than nothing. I pack one in my back pocket,.22Mag.,just for a feelgood weapon. Up close and personal. My Kimber does the dirty work.

Maybe as a number 3 carry and if I did it would have to be a Bond derringer with 410 shotshell. I can relate a story, years ago a friend of mine carried a 2 shot for his off duty carry he was involved in a armed robbery his 2 shot was no match for the bad guys he died. If I had only a 2shot I would only use it if I could get my hands on one bad guy take him out and use his gun but I'm not sure that I would try that and they really don't make a good speed loader for 2 shots. I never carry smaller than a 38sp with 2 refills but 98% of the time I carry a 40cal with 2 refills and a 38 backup. shadow walker .............thats my nickles worth

To my mind, a secondary weapon should be the same caliber and preferably the same operating system as your primary. For instance, I carry a G19 and G26. If you carry a snubby, carry two. Maybe I'm dumb, but having guns with the same manual of arms and features makes effective training that much easier as far as I'm concerned. And carrying a spare mag for your primary and a speedloader for your back up doesn't make much sense to me either. My carry consists of a G19 in a Don Hume IWB rig or Galco kydex paddle holster and a G26 in a Galco Belt slide holster carried weak side. I always carry one G17 mag as a spare, and sometimes two. I try to make myself carry two spare mags, but there is only so much room on my covert batman utility belt. Two spare mags makes sense as one of the reasons you should carry a back up gun is if you have to arm someone you are with. I know this strayed off the derringer topic, but I don't think staying on topic is a strong suit for most of us that post in here-oh look, a beetle. What?

in my PD. They use Glocks for open carry and 'another in the pocket'. They actually practice with Airsoft pellet guns!

The derringer would be handy if you were wrestling with a 300 pounder on your chest about to plunge a large knife into your eye, otherwise it will be useless in a fight. More equals better, wear a bigger shirt and carry a bigger gun. Look like a fat person and be more relaxed.

i carry a berretta 21a in .22lr only when i have to really conceal something, but i hardly ever wear the kind of attire that will not allow me to carry my xd, i'm too fat to tuck in a shirt and go out in public

i aggree with runawaygun762 about the same caliber and i think glocks are great cause you can use a mag from a bigger gun of the same cal. in a smaller version

Try out the Ruger LCP,
Small light as most 2 shots, 380 cal. in my opinion is ok for defense.
Not real comfortable going much smaller. But as said I would also rather have a .22 derringer than nothing at all.

Whatever you choose PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE...Be familiar with what you use.