High-Standard Derringer .22 Magnum

[AJAX22]

While I was up visiting the folks this weekend (among other things) I swung by some of the local gunshops just to see what was new and exciting.

And of course there was something I couldn't pass up.

I had promised myself that I would get one if I saw another one in CA, and this one was 216$ out the door.

Does anyone know if they make a .22LR barrel set for these to swap out for plinking?

I heard a rumor that police in the 60's were a fan of these as backup guns.

I'll post pics when I go pick it up. (sorry I didn't get any ahead of time)

Is there anything I should know about these? (other than they look wicked cute?)

[dfletcher]

Cute little guns. Terrible trigger pull and useful as last ditch lifesaver. I've heard the same thing regarding LE. I used to carry one as back up to my Detonics when I worked in a liquor store years ago.

[maxicon]

Heh! I happen to have a box and docs for one of these! The box is pretty beat, but the rest is in good shape.

They figured up the cost and tax on one side of the box, and back in 1984, total was $196 out the door. Most High Standard stuff that's not their .22 target gear is pretty underpriced still.

I was gonna put this up on ebay with some other stuff and see if anybody bit on it, but if you're interested in it, shoot me a PM. I'd much rather see it go to a calgunner...

[AJAX22]

I appriciate the consideration maxicon, but mine is a blue finish with white grips not the electroless nickle.

Thanks tho.

somehow I've managed to not own any other 22 mags before. is it true that the .22LR has more energy out of a pistol length barrel?

[slick_711]

somehow I've managed to not own any other 22 mags before. is it true that the .22LR has more energy out of a pistol length barrel?

No way? I've heard that .22mag has the same energy as .38spl. I don't know that I believe that, but I'd bet it is much more powerful than .22lr no matter the barrel length.

[AJAX22]

The rummor that I heard was that the short barrel length didn't allow the slower burning powder of the .22 Mag to work efficiently.

the .22 LR was supposed to be a quicker burning powder which out of a short barrel actually pushed the bullet faster.

I can't even remember where I heard it, but I'd like to know if anyone has heard similar.

[saki302]

I've seen velocity charts with NAA revolvers and LR vs. mag. .22 mag gains anywhere from 100-200 fps out of a short barrel vs. 22LR. It comes out to a 10-20% increase in power. On a little pistol, I'd take whatever I can get. 10% is better than nothing

-Dave

[BigDogatPlay]

I owned a blued model way back in the day. It was the first BUG I carried, tucked it away in a second handcuff case until I figured out that I often needed more than one set of cuffs. Then the derringer went in my left front pants pocket. Had a cute little pocket holster for it that held two extra shells. Nice idea but it really printed the piece in my pocket.

As above, horrible trigger pull and accuracy was questionable at best past about ten feet. But the .22 mag makes plenty of bang out of the short barrels and it delivers a pretty reasonable amount of energy, certainly more than a .22 LR in my own limited / anecdotal testing on milk jugs and wayward pieces of fruit. I always figured that if I had to use it the situation would likely dictate muzzle contact or close to it on whoever was trying to do me in and at that range accuracy was the last thing to worry about.

But in the gravest extreme that little derringer would have been far better than nothing at all.

[saki302]

I like the NAA .22 magnum revolvers better than the derringers- trigger pull is actually nice (send it back if it isn;t- they'll fix it), and you get 5 shots. You have to learn to manipulate the hammer though, and the better model IMO (1 5/8" bbl) is not available in CA anymore (only the 1 1/8" model- less velocity gain w/ the magnums).

-Dave

[mousegun]

Chronographed velocity of CCI 22Mag ammo w/40gr bullets out of the High Standard Derringer (sic) was about 1100 fps vs about 800 fps for 22lr out of the same barrel. At close range the jacketed bullet has limited expansion, but will expand enough to chew up a phone book pretty well, and it will penetrate. Nice fireball, too.

22lr can be fired relatively safely in the 22Mag by sleeving the 22lr with a fired 22Mag case with the rim cut off. The 22lr rim will bulge into the extractor groove on firing, but I never had one rupture. The sleeved shells can be the dickens to extract once in a while -- keep a small dowel to pop the cases out and fine long nosed pliers handy to pull the sleeves out when you're done, and be careful of the delicate rifling. Doesn't hurt to lube the sleeves with a smidgin of sizing lube. The sleeves can be reused indefinitely.

[gunrun45]

I think I've convinced about 30 of my LE buddies to buy the NAA 22 mag version. I loved carrying it as a last ditch gun (back up to my back up...). In reality I think a nicely made larger folding knife would be more usefull at the range these things are intended for (10 feet or less). I ended up giving mine away adn now carry a larger pocket knife clipped to my vest straps.

I did have a buddy who carried a Bond arms type derringer in 45LC that also took 410 shells. Now that was a real attention getter!

[maxicon]

The latest issue of Gun Tests showed up yesterday with some chrono results of a variety of ammo out of several derringers, one 2" and one 4".

Here's what they turned up:
.22 Magnum - 970 to 1140 fps, 83 ft-lbs to 115 ft-lbs
.22 LR - 690 to 870 fps, 42 to 67 ft-lbs

Even from a short barrel, looks like they got about twice the punch from .22 mag than from .22 lr.

[mousegun]

The latest issue of Gun Tests showed up yesterday with some chrono results of a variety of ammo out of several derringers, one 2" and one 4".

Here's what they turned up:
.22 Magnum - 970 to 1140 fps, 83 ft-lbs to 115 ft-lbs
.22 LR - 690 to 870 fps, 42 to 67 ft-lbs

Even from a short barrel, looks like they got about twice the punch from .22 mag than from .22 lr.

Kinda looks like the data from my chronography.
http://calguns.net/calgunforum/showp...7&postcount=10

[xenophobe]

I appriciate the consideration maxicon, but mine is a blue finish with white grips not the electroless nickle.

Thanks tho.

somehow I've managed to not own any other 22 mags before. is it true that the .22LR has more energy out of a pistol length barrel?

You should take it... you're never going to find an instruction manual, parts breakdown and warranty card for your specific pistol again.

The only thing different is the finish color...

[BillCA]

Back in the mid-70's there was one Santa Clara deputy who carried a pair of these derringers. He'd sewn surgical elastic inside the hand-warmer pockets of his green Lawman jacket to hold 'em in place, yet allow him to have his hand on one most of the time. For warmer weather, he kept one in a custom made belt carrier that looked like a key-carrier on steroids. The other rode in a custom ankle holster at the top of his short boots.

He did manage to use one on a traffic stop one night about a half block from where I was working. Stopped some four time loser for apparent DUI. When he approached, the doofus fumbled a gun out of the console by banging it into the steering wheel. The deputy saw the muzzle coming up and fired once, blowing a HUGE hole in his jacket and hitting the nitwit on the collarbone. It deflected after fracturing the bone and went through the C3 vertebrae which made him DRT. When I showed up he was still on adrenaline, had just radioed it in and was starting to shake like a paint mixer. Suspect was DOA in his seat still holding a really pathetic specimen of an RG .38 revolver with the barrel sawed off to about 2".

Don't discount the .22 Magnum. It has a loud bark, big flash and that bullet will penetrate pretty well.

I wonder if someone would bring it back as a .17 HMR?
That could be fun!