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raftman · November 25, 2010, 01:23 AM

Going solely off reputation, I would not trust any of their semi-automatics. Issues with reliability and durability are widely reported.

I have a Cobra .22lr derringer, though. Bought it locally for $120 just because I thought it would be a really fun, novel range toy. Ever since I was a little kid, I've been fascinated with the whole concept and design of the derringer, so I had to get one now that I can.

I figured .22 was the best way to go because the ammo is cheap, and plus less likely to result in any durability problems with the relatively small/weak .22 round. On top of that, the derringer design eliminates most potential reliability problems and its relative simplicity means that there's not much that could break. And of course, it can't/wont be picky about ammo, hollow points, round nose, sub-sonic, it's all good. It's not really the most comfortable, ergonomic design out there, so I concluded at least the .22 would have mild (nonexistent) enough recoil to not make the gun painful to shoot.

I am pretty happy with it. I got it quite recently so I've only taken it out to the range once, but it works very well and is a ton of fun to shoot. It serves the purpose I got it for perfectly. It's neat, interesting, cheap, reliable, and fun. Can't wait for the opportunity to put a ton more rounds through it.

If that's what you're after, it's not a bad buy.

If you want to used it for carry, I'd get something else. It's a relatively poor choice as a self-defense gun. First off, you get 2 rounds of a relatively weak around, in a package that's quite inaccurate, and difficult to shoot quickly. Sure no one wants get shot, not even with a .22 derringer, and I am sure it could prove quite deadly, but there's just nothing about it that makes it a really worthwhile choice compared to what else is out there, not even its small size. For example, it's noticeably smaller than the Kel-Tec P32 in terms of overall length and height, but the derringer is actually a little bit thicker and noticeably heavier. However the Kel-Tec gives you 8 rounds of a more potent cartridge, all in a package that far better lends itself to faster and more accurate shooting.

Here's a picture of it. Everyone likes pictures.

November 25, 2010, 01:23 AM	#4
raftman Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2009 Location: Oregon Posts: 1,890	Going solely off reputation, I would not trust any of their semi-automatics. Issues with reliability and durability are widely reported. I have a Cobra .22lr derringer, though. Bought it locally for $120 just because I thought it would be a really fun, novel range toy. Ever since I was a little kid, I've been fascinated with the whole concept and design of the derringer, so I had to get one now that I can. I figured .22 was the best way to go because the ammo is cheap, and plus less likely to result in any durability problems with the relatively small/weak .22 round. On top of that, the derringer design eliminates most potential reliability problems and its relative simplicity means that there's not much that could break. And of course, it can't/wont be picky about ammo, hollow points, round nose, sub-sonic, it's all good. It's not really the most comfortable, ergonomic design out there, so I concluded at least the .22 would have mild (nonexistent) enough recoil to not make the gun painful to shoot. I am pretty happy with it. I got it quite recently so I've only taken it out to the range once, but it works very well and is a ton of fun to shoot. It serves the purpose I got it for perfectly. It's neat, interesting, cheap, reliable, and fun. Can't wait for the opportunity to put a ton more rounds through it. If that's what you're after, it's not a bad buy. If you want to used it for carry, I'd get something else. It's a relatively poor choice as a self-defense gun. First off, you get 2 rounds of a relatively weak around, in a package that's quite inaccurate, and difficult to shoot quickly. Sure no one wants get shot, not even with a .22 derringer, and I am sure it could prove quite deadly, but there's just nothing about it that makes it a really worthwhile choice compared to what else is out there, not even its small size. For example, it's noticeably smaller than the Kel-Tec P32 in terms of overall length and height, but the derringer is actually a little bit thicker and noticeably heavier. However the Kel-Tec gives you 8 rounds of a more potent cartridge, all in a package that far better lends itself to faster and more accurate shooting. Here's a picture of it. Everyone likes pictures. __________________ "My momma, she done told me, there's heart and then there's hate If one of 'em's inside of you, the other one, it aint." Last edited by raftman; November 25, 2010 at 01:31 AM.