The American Derringer Model 1 is a familiar looking gun to most shooters. This is because the American Derringer is basically a copy of the Remington Derringer than has made numerous appearances on the big screen in many movies including Big Jake where John Wayne has a derringer named Betsy. Remington manufactured their 1866 Derringer from the 1860s through the 1930s when it was discontinued. American Derringer began producing their derringers in the 1980s and they have made derringers in a number of variations and have chambered their derringers in scores of calibers.
The American Derringer Model 1 is offered in .45 Colt which will also fire a .410 shotshell. The overall length of the derringer is less than 5 inches, the height less than 3.5 inches, and it weighs in at just under a pound (15 ounces). For comparison purposes the 45 Colt / .410 Taurus Judge weighs almost twice as much at 29 ounces and has a full grip. This means that the American Derringer Model 1 with its very short grip is going to be quite a handful to shoot, but we will get there in a minute. The American Derringer Model 1 is a stainless steel derringer with real wood grips that are smooth and feel quite nice to the hand. The entire gun feels good in the hand, but I remember the concern that I had before I shot it the first time that the whole gun would fly out of my hands as the recoil ripped the grip out of my hands.
While the gun has yet to fly out of my hands upon firing, the recoil is not very pleasant. In fact one of my first purchases after the first time that I shot the American Derringer Model 1 was to buy a Lee Loader to load some custom soft shooting handloads. (As an aside, the Lee Loader is a nifty little device but not ideal for large volume pistol shooters. I chose to buy the Lee Loader instead of reloading dies for my press simply due to cost.) Even with the soft reloads, the American Derringer Model 1 still packs quite a kick but it is manageable, especially in the dire situations it was meant to be used. (American Derringer has produced their small pistols in 45-70 Government. While I would have to shoot one if I get the chance, I can’t imagine it would be much fun!) With .410 shotshells the American Derringer Model 1 makes a nifty snake gun if you live in an area where that is a problem.
As a backup gun or self defense gun for those who can only conceal the small of pistols, the American Derringer Model 1 can serve a practical purpose. However, if I was to buy a gun for such a use in mind I would certainly choose one chambered for .380 Auto or other comparable recoil cartridges or more likely just go with a small automatic such as the Taurus Model 25.
