Philadelphia Darringer??

[dbiggers]

I just recieved my new little toy in the mail today. A .45 cal PC Philadelphia Darringer. :applause:

Could someone please tell me what load, ball, patch, or what ever would be best in a .45 cal, with only a 3 1/4 inch barrel.

Any help & advise would be appreciated... :thumbsup:

Its kinda cute though ain't it... :grin:


Thank's
Danny... :hatsoff:

 

[rafterob]

10-15 grains. That was my first muzzleloader when I was 16, had lots of fun with it and could actually hit stuff.

 

[dbiggers]

10-15 grains. That was my first muzzleloader when I was 16, had lots of fun with it and could actually hit stuff.

:shocked2: Wow, i'am glad i asked!! I figured 20 grains at the very least, and no more than 30. I'am assuming that's 3f black powder??

 

[Don]

I shoot as much as 30 grains of Pyrodex P in mine. If you just want to plink then stick to 20 to 25 grains but I think 10 to 15 is too light.

Don

 

[dbiggers]

I shoot as much as 30 grains of Pyrodex P in mine. If you just want to plink then stick to 20 to 25 grains but I think 10 to 15 is too light.

Don

That's what i was orginally thinking, because i load between 25 & 30 grains per cylinder in my 1860 army colt .44 cal. What's good to shoot out of it, patched round ball or bullet? If round ball, .440 or .445 and which size patch??

 

[R.M.]

That short little barrel will only burn so much powder. My guess would be 20 gr. of 3F at the most.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Of that 3 and 1/4" barrel, about 1/2" is filled with breech plug--or should be. Even with a patent style breech, boiler room space is severely limited. A .440" ball and patch takes up some room too, leaving about 2.3" for powder and some barrel length to accelerate the ball in. 10 or 15 grains is about all you can effectively use in these little guns unless you are hoping to give your foe powder burns, too. And that could happen because these guns were meant to be used at very close range indeed. That's why these were often referred to as card table guns.

Stand too close to a plywood backed target and the ball will bounce back. It may even hit you if you are close enough--but you'd have to be awfully close.

 

[Zonie]

About 20 grains should be a good compromise between a feable load that bounces balls off of plywood and a load that makes for a huge fireball but doesn't really add much velocity.

A .440 ball will work fine and if it were me I would look for a .010-.012 thick patch material.

The thin patch will ease loading quite a bit and when all is said and done with that short barrel what little is lost in accuracy between a thin and thick patch will never be seen.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

True. Smoke and noise are a big part of these guns. I wouldn't worry too much about losing accuracy--finding it to begin with has generally been the difficulty.

 

[DrLaw]

I use 20-25 grains 3F in mine, a .440 round ball, and just cut a sleeve off an old t-shirt and use it as the patch, cut it off when the ball is even with the barrel (sharp knife) and push the ball down with a magnetic tip screwdriver without the bit in. (Works great).

And just how accurate is it?

Well, let me tell you. That's the question I am asking as I just screw around with it at shoots trying to nail our metallic silhouettes. Never had paper up yet to figure out where the balls are going. :blah: :rotf:

Makes a lot of smoke, though! :grin:

The Doc is out now. :v

 

[dbiggers]

I posted this pistol on the ALR forum, also with the question about what loads to use and most of them are, (in a round about way) saying that this little pistol is basically unsafe to shoot, with the ball bouncing back and hitting them. :shocked2:


Is there any evidence that shows this pistol was used in the 19th century and would it have been able to kill or wound its intended target??


Please tell me your honest opinions, cause i'am already leaning toward sending it back for a refund.

I'am not looking to use this little pistol for any type of self defence, but to me its like owning a "Croch Rocket", just because i have a motorcycle that'll do 190 miles an hour, doesn't mean i want it to. Just knowing that it will, would be enough. Same thing with this pistol, it may not be used for self defence, but it would be nice to know it could. :hmm:

Thanks,
Danny.. :hatsoff:

 

[R.M.]

That's the gun that killed Lincon. I'd keep it. It doesn't have a lot of uses, other than smiles and giggles.

 

[Robert an saa fan]

cause i'am already leaning toward sending it back for a refund.

Sidebar:

No offense intended.

Unless you had an agreement in advance with the seller to test fire the pistol; it seems to me that since you have been shooting the nice little pistol that you sealed the deal and own it.

Again, no offense intended.

 

cause i'am already leaning toward sending it back for a refund.

Sidebar:

No offense intended.

Unless you had an agreement in advance with the seller to test fire the pistol; it seems to me that since you have been shooting the nice little pistol that you sealed the deal and own it.

Again, no offense intended.

I agree. The time to ask for opinions is before you buy it.

 

[Don]

I have the Traditions version of your pistol which is basically identical to yours. I load 1 grain of goex(for reliable ignition) and 29 grains of Pyrodex p under a patched .440 ball. This gives me velocities in the mid 500 fps range with ft lbs energy of 80+ at the muzzle. I don't carry it for self defense because the hammer doesn't always fire the cap the first time and I only have one marginally powerful shot. However, it is capable of killing given good shot placement and a little luck. I suppose if the antis took every thing else away from me I'd be forced to use it for defense but for now its a fun novelty. Round balls do have a tendancy to bounce back but it doesn't make the gun unsafe to shoot, just use some common sense about your back stop.

Don

 

[erzengel]

The marked 20 grain setting out of the powder measure device with Wano PPP is a good load.

I agree on the ball and the patch. That is what I used.

You can hit but you need to try out how to aim at the desired range to the target. If you have targets on different ranges, try out and when you hit record what you need to do for the future.

 

[erzengel]

You may file on your hammer to improve ignition of the caps:


lock with hammer

other side

The screwed spring may be a little bit week.

 

[dbiggers]

cause i'am already leaning toward sending it back for a refund.

Sidebar:

No offense intended.

Unless you had an agreement in advance with the seller to test fire the pistol; it seems to me that since you have been shooting the nice little pistol that you sealed the deal and own it.

Again, no offense intended.

No offense taken, however i just recieved the pistol yesterday in used, but excellent condition, so i have yet to fire it. That's the reasoning behind my load questions. I'am not in the habit of going into something half cocked and unlearned. Although my lack of knowledge of this particular weapon may have back fired on me a tad, but where i bought the pistol from has a satisfication gaurantee policy. However i would rather keep the the little pistol, and if you guy's, "In which i put a lot of trust in", convince me that this pistol is functional and safe, then i will for sure keep it.

Now can somebody tell me if .445 round balls will work? Because after looking at TOTW's chart on calibers and roundball's, it said that the .445 round ball is for any .45 cal barrel... Most of you guy's have been doing this a whole lot longer than me, and most all of you are saying .440 round ball. Other than the obvious .5 difference in size, what are we looking at with the .445 ball. Which size ball & which size patch would be best??

Thank you,
Danny.. :hatsoff:

 

[Robert an saa fan]

cause i'am already leaning toward sending it back for a refund.

Sidebar:

No offense intended.

Unless you had an agreement in advance with the seller to test fire the pistol; it seems to me that since you have been shooting the nice little pistol that you sealed the deal and own it.

Again, no offense intended.

No offense taken, however i just recieved the pistol yesterday in used, but excellent condition, so i have yet to fire it. That's the reasoning behind my load questions. I'am not in the habit of going into something half cocked and unlearned. Although my lack of knowledge of this particular weapon may have back fired on me a tad, but where i bought the pistol from has a satisfication gaurantee policy. However i would rather keep the the little pistol, and if you guy's, "In which i put a lot of trust in", convince me that this pistol is functional and safe, then i will for sure keep it.

Now can somebody tell me if .445 round balls will work? Because after looking at TOTW's chart on calibers and roundball's, it said that the .445 round ball is for any .45 cal barrel... Most of you guy's have been doing this a whole lot longer than me, and most all of you are saying .440 round ball. Other than the obvious .5 difference in size, what are we looking at with the .445 ball. Which size ball & which size patch would be best??

Thank you,
Danny.. :hatsoff:

Danny, Please accept my apology. Old guy fog; read the posts several times and still somehow got it in my foggy brain that you had been shooting the pistol. Sorry! :surrender:

I have had several of these little derringers and have only shot them casually with .440 patched round ball. Not sure how the .445 patched ball would work.

Again, sorry to jump on you and thanks for not taking offense. Hope some of the other members have your answer.

Robert

 

[erzengel]

Mine is made by Ardesa, Spain.

They recommend a .440 ball.

Seems as if their .45 barrels are made for .440 balls with 0.1" thick patch.

That is my experience with that manufacturer.

If the .440 ball with patch fits (very) lightly, the .445 will be tighter.