I could be misremembering, but I think I once saw a derringer chambered in 44 magnum. Adequate stopping power in a small package, but I shudder to imagine the recoil.
My grandpa had one. It had been his dad's. He wouldn't let me shoot because I was 13 when ne showed it to me. He refused to shoot, too. Said it dislocated his thumb the one time he shot it. He traded it for a '71 Mustang the next year.
I never have figured out why the North Koreans had such an affinity for .25 Cal ACP Colt and Baby Browning pistols. I'm guessing that it is due to their size and concealment. Whenever we, or ROK Army units responded to NK infiltration activities, and had results, the infiltrators always had .25 Cal ACP pistols, sometimes with suppressors and sometimes the odd .32 Cal ACP VZ-61 Skorpion. I am certain that there were some infiltrators who slipped by and maybe they got some value from carrying their .25 Cal pistols, but they were useless for the ones I witnessed.
I usually carry a 357. It’s a Rhino, and it’s a bit bulky, but I feel safe with it. I have also carried the North American Arms 380. With the right ammo, it can be lethal. It also can be carried in a pocket while wearing shorts.
I absolutely agree, carry as big a gun as you can, but it must be carried consistently, that's the key. For some people that means something more gentile.
My mouse gun is the Beretta 21a 22lr. Everything about is cool. Safe in your pocket, safe to load and unload with the tip up barrel, a safety and double action. With CCI 22lr stingers at 1640 fps that's about as hot as you can get in a 22lr. When I got mine I liked it so much I bought a second one the next day. 260$ back then, I think they're well over 400 now. My perfect mouse gun.
Great read. Keep on writing and helping,, our situation grows more dire by the day..
(My "primary" is a 442, my serious choice changes, but like you, I am always carrying. I've looked at other smaller choices, but they dissappear in my hamhock hands.)
I have a 35ish yo Rossi model 68 that I found Boot grips for. Loaded with standard pressure 158 gr semiwadcutters, it's currently my most discreet carry option.
I have a CZ in .25 that my air force dad got for my mother to carry in Sacramento. He was on the Berlin airlift, and everything on it is in Czech except “MADE IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA”, and a serial number. So maybe he picked it up in Europe somewhere, or perhaps it was a model made for export, considering the English on it. I fired it a couple months ago for the first time in almost 60 years. The ammo was that old too. Functioned perfectly, and was more accurate than I remembered. Of course, I was 12 the last time it was fired.
I carried two 645’s for decades until recently. I noticed the one on the right would actually cause a numbness on my hip, since breaking my upper leg about five years ago. But I since have sold them, and picked up two what you might call mouse guns, in the sense that I went from .45 to .22. The Kel tec pr 57. So instead of carrying ten pounds of firearms and 16 rounds, I now carry about 3 pounds of firearms and 42 rounds. I feel like an athlete with these tools. Unbelievable. They aren’t mouse guns per se, but a mousy round. If you’ve never fired one,give it a go. Fantastic design, well executed.
I'm a big fan of 5.7, it's an amazing defensive round. I hope it continues to get popular so that we see more guns produced in it. As well as a varmint rifle, I have been saying that since I first saw it.
Not quite a mouse gun but close, my go to carry is a colt 1908 Navy, .380 striker fire that can fit in a pocket in a pinch, and is damn easy to avoid printing. Only problem is I can't daily carry since I work on base...
Concur on all. I have a few of the mouse guns in this article, one in my beach bag, another one in my cars console, one more in my desk drawer, and in a table drawer by my front door. But the Kimber Ultra Carry II stays on my hip when I leave the house.
My favorite mouse gun is my Colt Pocket Positive. Positively diminutive, it was my daughter’s first revolver before she got big enough to hold the Diamondback. The PP is marked 32 Police CTG (I.e. 32 S&W Long). Despite its 3” barrel it actually slips in my pocket much more easily than my Colt Cobra due to is small frame. Underpowered certainly, but so easily carried that I really never have an excuse not to carry.
There is an older version of the Taurus PT-22 alloy frame version in .22LR that is a licensed copy modeled after the Beretta Bobcat. I feel that if you live in a constitutional carry state, they are worth owning. My 2 cents. Great article. 👍
I'd like to see reintroduction of the High Standard derringer in .22 magnum. If you've read your Cooper, then you may recall his interview of Hans-Ulich Rudel, a Luftwaffe pilot flying the Stuka ground attack aircraft, fitted with twin 37mm cannon on the Russian Front. His personal handgun was a .25ACP caliber. "I have never been a pessimist."
My KelTec P-32 was a great acquisition. It is small enough to be very discreet; large enough to shoot rather well. When I feel my PF-9 is too large, the P-32 is just right.
Yes the m frame made even the I frame look large. I have only ever seen one m frame in real life. It was very cool. I think with modern meatalurgy they could bring back some small frames and actually chamber them in reasonable calibers.
I could be misremembering, but I think I once saw a derringer chambered in 44 magnum. Adequate stopping power in a small package, but I shudder to imagine the recoil.
Yes they have made deringers in numerous out of control cartridges.
My grandpa had one. It had been his dad's. He wouldn't let me shoot because I was 13 when ne showed it to me. He refused to shoot, too. Said it dislocated his thumb the one time he shot it. He traded it for a '71 Mustang the next year.
Ha! I am a gun nut , but that was a good trade
Flinches on demand.
With barely any barrel, I imagine the recoil would be manageable.
I never have figured out why the North Koreans had such an affinity for .25 Cal ACP Colt and Baby Browning pistols. I'm guessing that it is due to their size and concealment. Whenever we, or ROK Army units responded to NK infiltration activities, and had results, the infiltrators always had .25 Cal ACP pistols, sometimes with suppressors and sometimes the odd .32 Cal ACP VZ-61 Skorpion. I am certain that there were some infiltrators who slipped by and maybe they got some value from carrying their .25 Cal pistols, but they were useless for the ones I witnessed.
A 32 acp skorpion! Now that would be a fun range toy.
Slim guns are popping up all over the internet in articles.
I usually carry a 357. It’s a Rhino, and it’s a bit bulky, but I feel safe with it. I have also carried the North American Arms 380. With the right ammo, it can be lethal. It also can be carried in a pocket while wearing shorts.
357 ..and 44 mag..10 mm thats the stuff**
I absolutely agree, carry as big a gun as you can, but it must be carried consistently, that's the key. For some people that means something more gentile.
My mouse gun is the Beretta 21a 22lr. Everything about is cool. Safe in your pocket, safe to load and unload with the tip up barrel, a safety and double action. With CCI 22lr stingers at 1640 fps that's about as hot as you can get in a 22lr. When I got mine I liked it so much I bought a second one the next day. 260$ back then, I think they're well over 400 now. My perfect mouse gun.
I love the Berettas, as you can tell from the article.
Great read. Keep on writing and helping,, our situation grows more dire by the day..
(My "primary" is a 442, my serious choice changes, but like you, I am always carrying. I've looked at other smaller choices, but they dissappear in my hamhock hands.)
Haha that is always a problem with these tiny guns. Most of them the slide bite is more viscious than the cartridge.
Found that with my ppks in .380
I have a 35ish yo Rossi model 68 that I found Boot grips for. Loaded with standard pressure 158 gr semiwadcutters, it's currently my most discreet carry option.
I have a CZ in .25 that my air force dad got for my mother to carry in Sacramento. He was on the Berlin airlift, and everything on it is in Czech except “MADE IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA”, and a serial number. So maybe he picked it up in Europe somewhere, or perhaps it was a model made for export, considering the English on it. I fired it a couple months ago for the first time in almost 60 years. The ammo was that old too. Functioned perfectly, and was more accurate than I remembered. Of course, I was 12 the last time it was fired.
I carried two 645’s for decades until recently. I noticed the one on the right would actually cause a numbness on my hip, since breaking my upper leg about five years ago. But I since have sold them, and picked up two what you might call mouse guns, in the sense that I went from .45 to .22. The Kel tec pr 57. So instead of carrying ten pounds of firearms and 16 rounds, I now carry about 3 pounds of firearms and 42 rounds. I feel like an athlete with these tools. Unbelievable. They aren’t mouse guns per se, but a mousy round. If you’ve never fired one,give it a go. Fantastic design, well executed.
I'm a big fan of 5.7, it's an amazing defensive round. I hope it continues to get popular so that we see more guns produced in it. As well as a varmint rifle, I have been saying that since I first saw it.
Not quite a mouse gun but close, my go to carry is a colt 1908 Navy, .380 striker fire that can fit in a pocket in a pinch, and is damn easy to avoid printing. Only problem is I can't daily carry since I work on base...
Concur on all. I have a few of the mouse guns in this article, one in my beach bag, another one in my cars console, one more in my desk drawer, and in a table drawer by my front door. But the Kimber Ultra Carry II stays on my hip when I leave the house.
My favorite mouse gun is my Colt Pocket Positive. Positively diminutive, it was my daughter’s first revolver before she got big enough to hold the Diamondback. The PP is marked 32 Police CTG (I.e. 32 S&W Long). Despite its 3” barrel it actually slips in my pocket much more easily than my Colt Cobra due to is small frame. Underpowered certainly, but so easily carried that I really never have an excuse not to carry.
I like my Colt Pocket 9. Too bad they don’t make it any more. Being hammerless, it is good for pockets or other concealment.
There is an older version of the Taurus PT-22 alloy frame version in .22LR that is a licensed copy modeled after the Beretta Bobcat. I feel that if you live in a constitutional carry state, they are worth owning. My 2 cents. Great article. 👍
Absolutely, it's a fantastic design.
I'd like to see reintroduction of the High Standard derringer in .22 magnum. If you've read your Cooper, then you may recall his interview of Hans-Ulich Rudel, a Luftwaffe pilot flying the Stuka ground attack aircraft, fitted with twin 37mm cannon on the Russian Front. His personal handgun was a .25ACP caliber. "I have never been a pessimist."
Yes I love Jeff Coopers writing, but that story must have slipped through the ooze in my brainpan.
The interview was included in his book, Fireworks.
I've got that one, I'll have to reread it.
My KelTec P-32 was a great acquisition. It is small enough to be very discreet; large enough to shoot rather well. When I feel my PF-9 is too large, the P-32 is just right.
I also have a p32. It took a lot of tinkering to get it to reliably cycle underwood solid coper ammo, but now it's a comfortable and reliable gun
I love my KelTek too and would be hard pressed to get rid of it!
I wish S&W would bring back the M frame.
Yes the m frame made even the I frame look large. I have only ever seen one m frame in real life. It was very cool. I think with modern meatalurgy they could bring back some small frames and actually chamber them in reasonable calibers.
For size.🙂