When asked for my favorite Defensive gun the 22 Derringer doesn’t immediately leap to mind but it does have its fans. First patented in 1849 by Henry Deringer they did not enter production until 1856. The flip open, over under double barrel design that is normally referred to today as a derringer is based on the Remington 1866 model 95, truly a pocket pistol.
22LR Derringer for Self Defense? The Derringer has been carried for self defense since the mid 1800s. Its small size and light weight made it popular with travelers and riverboat gamblers. Despite its small ammo capacity (two shots) and rather low knock down power some people even today choose the 22 derringer for self defense.
The Pocket Pistol.
As I stated in the opening of this article the derringer of today is actually based on the Remington model 95 this gun was designed for deep concealment even back in the day. Many of the Eastern Cities had banned the carrying of firearms in the city limits. People that felt the need to be armed needed a small light weight gun that could be easily concealed . The Derringer; then as today fit that bill perfectly.
The Cobra Derringer in 22lr (pictured above) weighs in at a fly weight of 9.5 oz it’s overall length is just 4″ with a 2.4″ barrel.
Several other manufactures produce derringer style pistols and the specs will differ . The derringer can be chambered for calibers ranging from 22lr up a whopping 45.
Firing a 45 cal out of a 9.5 oz pistol that you can barely get two fingers around has got to be interesting.
Is 22 Caliber enough for self defense?
Ok here we go down the rabbit hole. A historical look at police reports show a surprisingly large number of citizens have used 22lr for personal defense. This may lead you to believe it’s a well proven defensive caliber.
Not so fast. The large number of uses is probably due to the fact that most people that own guns own a 22.
Then when you consider the people that only own one gun many times that gun is a 22. So just by shear numbers the 22lr shows up in self defense reports more often than other calibers.
The FBI specifies that a handgun bullet should be able to penetrate 12″ into a block of ballistic gel to be considered suitable for field agent use.
So how does the 22 perform? In a recent test the CCI velocitor when fired out of a pistol with a 2.4 inch barrel penetrated from 12 to 15 inches. Not too bad. Expansion of the hollow point is not much of a factor because even with very good expansion the 22 makes a smaller hole than say an full metal jacket 9mm with no expansion.
We also hear a lot of talk about knock down power.The 22 with a 40 grain bullet is much lighter weight than say the 124 grain 9mm, and a 9mm doesn’t normally knock an assailant of their feet. In reality few pistol cartridges do.
Accuracy
The 22lr is an accurate cartridge. In fact it is often used in target competitions but,the main feature of a Derringer style pistol is its short barrel and ease of concealment. It was never meant to be a target gun. Most owners say it’s useful range is about 5 yards.
Capacity
Now we arrive at what I consider the Derringers biggest drawback. Most hold just 2 rounds. Now in a weapon with short range accuracy and firing a light caliber bullet I have to consider this a serious issue.
I know I can hear you saying but it only takes one well placed shot; But what if it takes three?
Enter the North American Arms mini revolver. These are very small, over all length is 5.25 inches with a barrel length of 1.12 inches weight is 6.2 oz
These diminutive little single action revolvers are smaller than the average Derringer but have the capacity of 5 22lr rounds. As far as concealable at one time they made a belt buckle that functioned as a holster. I have trouble getting into a gun that looks like it belongs on a key-chain. These little guns suffer from the same short distance accuracy as the small Derringer and I find they are something of challenge to get a grip on.
The Purpose of a Gun in Self Defense.
In an altercation that has escalated to the point that merits the use of deadly force our goal should be to cause the aggressor to break off contact and cease the aggression. Drawing a gun, any gun regardless of caliber may cause the attacker to reconsider his position and stop.
Most people will not willingly walk into a bullet, but an enraged individual or someone under the influence of alcohol or drugs have been known to do stupid things.
Sometimes the fact that they have been shot at or hit by the shot will deliver an adequate dose of reality to break off the attack. We know that a single pistol shot does not always stop the assailant.
This situation may then require multiple rounds to stop this attack.
Now back to the question of carrying a 22lr Derringer for self defense. In the first two step that I have laid out above the Derringer will satisfy these two circumstances.
It is the last one, the multiple shot circumstance that the Derringer falls short.
I know the Derringer has fans out there. I am aware that you can get them chambered for the larger calibers,but for the stated reasons I feel like there are better choices for your primary carry gun, save the Derringer for a backup.
LEGAL STUFF
I am not an attorney and this discussion is in no way to be construed as legal advise.
Related Questions
Are 22 lr deadly? Absolutely. This small cartridge is no toy and should be afforded all of the respect of it’s larger brothers. A 22lr bullet is capable of traveling over 1 mile and many reach muzzle speeds of 1260 feet per second.
Didn’t you misspell Henry Deringers name? Nope He spelled his name with one r.
One story states that imitators of his highly sought after pistol added the second r to avoid trademark infringement. The double r spelling just stuck.