History, Politics And Current Affairs

My eye-sight currently in 'race to bottom', first cataract op due Tuesday.
'Local' procedure so unaffected by NHS 'Junior Doctors' pay-dispute...

Currently back-stitching loose-ends on a bunch of tales.
Cannot read my manuscript notes.
Cannot even see my Biro writing, let alone decipher my scrawl.

I'm still working on several 'Miss Smith' tales between continuing to re-build my 'Fresno' buffer. Another tale whose extensive notes are currently illegible...

So, Miss Smith finally got the okay to emigrate, marry her 'Silverbird' Captain.
She's ridden the Trans=Continental West, is now waiting for a twice-a-week N/S branch service.
Gives her a chance to do some shopping for 'Local Styles'.
For 'reasons', [REDACTED], she decides she needs a concealable fire-arm.
Or two.

Would there be a suitable pairing of 'Pocket Pistol' and derringer taking same ammunition ?
.32 ACP, perhaps ??

This scary lady does not need a 'man-stopper' 9 mm or .45, even a snub .38, as she's well practiced at putting a small-calibre round into target's pupil or ear-hole of choice, nape, throat, cojones...

Compromising her target's 'Situational Awareness' thus would be followed by killing strike from knife, hand, convenient bludgeon etc etc, if not a fatal fall...

So, what does Miss Smith buy ?
And why ??

Colt 1903

There are plenty of options.

For selecting the caliber, the US common ones would be 22LR (lacks power), 25 ACP, and 32 ACP. The latter are both Browning designs and would be common. These could all be used in a pocket automatic. Foreign rounds include the 7.62x25 Tokarev and hte 7.65mm Parabellum

There are a few .32 cartridges used for revolvers including the 32 S&W Long, the 32 H&R Magnum, the 32 Colt, and the 7.62 Nagant.

Derringers are fairly simple, and so any of the listed cartridges would most likely be available. If not, it's also fairly simple to rechamber one with the appropriate bore size, since it's just a matter of running the reamer into the barrels. The biggest thing will be to pick which pocket pistol to be carrying. That's also why the derringer makers would have a variety of standard chamberings available.

I am somewhat biased towards the 1903 Colt. It was the standard issue to US flag officers for years. Also, my grandfather picked one up in 1921 upon graduating from Annapolis, and it's still in the family collection. Still works, too.

kdahm wrote: ↑Fri Jul 25, 2025 4:11 pm There are plenty of options.

For selecting the caliber, the US common ones would be 22LR (lacks power), 25 ACP, and 32 ACP. The latter are both Browning designs and would be common. These could all be used in a pocket automatic. Foreign rounds include the 7.62x25 Tokarev and hte 7.65mm Parabellum

There are a few .32 cartridges used for revolvers including the 32 S&W Long, the 32 H&R Magnum, the 32 Colt, and the 7.62 Nagant.

Derringers are fairly simple, and so any of the listed cartridges would most likely be available. If not, it's also fairly simple to rechamber one with the appropriate bore size, since it's just a matter of running the reamer into the barrels. The biggest thing will be to pick which pocket pistol to be carrying. That's also why the derringer makers would have a variety of standard chamberings available.

I am somewhat biased towards the 1903 Colt. It was the standard issue to US flag officers for years. Also, my grandfather picked one up in 1921 upon graduating from Annapolis, and it's still in the family collection. Still works, too.

Derringers were almost always in some variant of .22, typically .22 Short. Remember they were intended to be used across a card table.

Craiglxviii wrote: ↑Fri Jul 25, 2025 4:20 pm
Derringers were almost always in some variant of .22, typically .22 Short. Remember they were intended to be used across a card table.

Not so. Apparently, one of the most popular was the .41 Short. It's only more recently that the .22LR derringer picked up popularity, due to size and the improvement of bullets.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remington_Model_95
https://www.bondarms.com/A-History-of-t ... -Role.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derringer This one lists a lot of common chamberings.

How long did the .25 take to get it's reputation as anemic?

Kunkmiester wrote: ↑Fri Jul 25, 2025 5:02 pm How long did the .25 take to get it's reputation as anemic?

One incident in the US back in the 1920s. A homeowner mag-dumped a burglar and hit him 5 times with .25 ACP.

The burglar proceeded to beat the living crap out of the homeowner and calmly finished robbing the place.

Poohbah wrote: ↑Fri Jul 25, 2025 5:09 pm

Kunkmiester wrote: ↑Fri Jul 25, 2025 5:02 pm How long did the .25 take to get it's reputation as anemic?

One incident in the US back in the 1920s. A homeowner mag-dumped a burglar and hit him 5 times with .25 ACP.

The burglar proceeded to beat the living crap out of the homeowner and calmly finished robbing the place.

Was the burglar’s name “Mongo” by any chance?

Late 1940s USA How about. 380 ACP for a semi automatic pocket pistol? And the Remington Model 51 for the gun. Bit of an oddball because of it's mechanics but doesn't an extraordinary character need an extraordinary gun?

PS: Talk about not seeing the biggest tree in the forest: the Savage 1907! Deplayed blowback, double stack mag for 'ten shots quick' and art deco looks.

http://depositfiles.com/files/2vhevzqz3