.41 rimfire derringer

[ZVP]

 I finally located the ballistics of the Remington Double Derringer!
.41 Short Rimfire
13 grains of Black Powder
130 grain bullet @ 425 fps.
52 FPE
While not a barn burner it was dangerous especally so because of the outside lubrication and the pieces of clothing that entered the wound. Apparentlly the secondary infection was as bad as the shot itself!
Compare this to your .22 RF Derringer or your .38 special Derringer and you will see how they stack up...
I think my .22 LR is at least it's equal and my 3" barreled Cobra .38 is quite a pistol by comparison!
ZVP

[Shotgun Franklin]

About 29 years ago my Captain carried one. He was pretty much a desk jockey but wanted some kinda gun. He found a box of ammo somewhere and carried it in a coat pocket.

[Mossyrock]

Yup, the .41 Remington Rimfire is a pretty weak sister.  Having said that, I have ALWAYS wanted a Remington Derringer.  It has no practical use or application, but that sure doesn't stop it from having panache!

[Short Knife Johnson]

130 grain "bullet" @ 425 feet per second?  Are you sure?   That cannot be right.  A .41 calibre round ball stoked with 13 grains of black would do better than that I hope.

If it is, I'd have something with a little torque as a back-up.  What is the local ordinance on carrying a hickory switches exceeding the "Rule of Thumb"?    

[St. George]

These were carried in a time when a .22 Short was still formidable.

Remember - the distance from muzzle to target was measured by the length of a card table, and besides - no one wants to be shot with anything.

Navy Arms made a couple of runs of .41 Rimfire in modern times - but they're 'much' hotter than the original loading, so if you find a box of the pricey things - keep them out of the really old .41's if you like them, since the metallurgy of the time - coupled with natural aging - can make for a lot of interesting pieces on the ground.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Trailrider]

Tests run by myself and another author of the book, "Dr. William Elliot's Remington Double Deringer", using 1950's smokeless Remington ammo, using a single-shot Pocket Pistol (rolling block design), showed a muzzle velocity of 485 ft/sec.  Navy Arms Brazilian-made ammo showed 567 ft/sec.  We consider the Navy Arms ammo to be too hot for original Remington O/U double deringers.  Frankly, I wouldn't shoot any of these old guns.  Most of them weren't shot anyway.  I've seen hundreds that had considerable wear on the outside, and practically pristine bores, meaning they were carried but not shot much, if at all.

[Shotgun Franklin]

As I understand it owners of the Derringer would bet that it would not shoot through an apple. The apple was placed on a bar, the muzzel was place against the apple then fired. The apple would slide down the bar. The bullet would stay in the apple, partially because the apple moved with the bullet. Never saw this done however.

[ZVP]

 I got my info by simply doing a search and going to winkiperia (or whatever the name actually is) The info is just a repeat of their stuff.
Untill I read this info I really wondered about the actual power level of the old Remington?
I have always loved the look and feel of the Over/Under Remingtons and have always considered the .38 Special fired through even a 2 1/2 inch barrel to be adequate for Self-Defense. I added the "Longbarrel" (3" barrels) option to my Cobra .38
Personally, I feel pretty safe shooting my .38 Cobra Arms Derringer since it is made of current metals and the .38 Special will definatelly shoot through an appel and I would not want to be on the other side of that apple! The  computations for the .38 Special work out to roughly 2 1/2 times the ME of the .41 Rimfore and even a .22 Davis Derringer maqkes twice the ME of the .41.
Armed with todays Cartriges and zadvances in metallurigy, you are still safe with this remake of an old design. Card table ranges with a .38 Special should be more than adequate!
ZVP

[Smokin Gun]

Well I got a 1888 Remington .41R Derringer and .22 short inserts for it. Now waitin' for some ammo ifin it can get shipped here I'll have 3 boxes. If somebody has 10 rounds of them .41R bullets I'd be glad to conduct the apple experiment...and can shoot it sittin' there and staked down. With Clip or pics of the test.

[ZVP]

 When were those inserts made? I have long wondered what one would do without current ammo available to shoot those wonderfull derringers.
Are the inserts full barrels or just a cartrige converter?
I have a Davis .22 Derringer and have used the .22 rimfire Short quite a bit in it and to tell the truth the little round has quite a bit of punch to it! Not my first choice as a defensive round but as in the days of the Civil War, the short is not a round you want to be shot with! I also frequentlly shoot CCI CB Caps in the little Davis and have a ball with it!
Your Derringer seems to be in pretty good shape. I hope that you are able to find some ammo for yours so you can experience the gun at it's origonal potential.
I am quite enamored with the Double Derringer and shoot my .38 frequentlly!
I use the gun as a pocket carry gun when out airgunning for protection against wild dogs and snakes. I am sure the caliber that my Double Derringers are chambered in give me the chance to shoot the guns. They are quite pratical for their intended uses. I am sure that in the old days quite a bit of .41 ammo was likewise used as these guns are pure fun to shoot!
ZVP

[Smokin Gun]

ZVP the inserts are homemade...and just chamber sleeves and inserts for .22cal shorts or blanks...but they do work. They just slip in and fall back out. Would like to have full barrels and chambered for 22LR. I would not mind that at all.
Here's a link to a conversation on these LiL' Rems... http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/showthread.php?t=74296

[ZVP]

Smokin Gun
Your tastes run the same as mine!
I like my short barreled (5 1/2") '58 Remington the best of all my BP revolvers. It shoots flawlessly.no cap hang-ups just cock and fire, the size is so well balanced and it works great in a crossdraw holster for convience!
I just LOVE my Derringers the most! I have a tiny Davis .22LR and (My favorite) a .38 Cobra Derringer. Both are pure fun to shoot but the .38 has a lot of possible applications due to handloading . For general shooting, I shoot a 124Gr RNFP and for "Social Work" I use 158GR Remington Factory loads. Anything inbetween is usable and though I prefer the 124GR load for playing I have found the Factory load is not too stout to shoot for everything. I carry the little Pistol for protection when airgunning.
I can see the worth of the O/U Derringer for the same basic reason that the old .41 rimfire caliber guns were carried and I am sure glad to live in an era where the gun is available in a larger array of calibers , all with more muzzle energy than the origonals were.
Since seeing your picture I realize that my love affair with the little guns is more widespread and many folks share the same intrests in this classic design!
I commend you on your mechanical skills to be able to build a usable cartrige insert and be able to enjoy your Dreeinger! Way to go! I don't have the skills or tools to do such a chore.
I would recommend checking into the Cobra Line-up so you can get the chance to get a lifetime guarenteed pistol that you could enjoy as I do mine (I shoot it EVERY week at least).The American Derringer Co. also makes a broad line of beautifull(But costly) Derringers.
ZVP