Snake Eyes Derringer

[3006guns]

Something else to check.......on a lot of those inexpensive guns the hammer/nipple alignment might be off a tad. Use a felt tip marker and color the tops of the nipples then lower the hammer several times (don't snap it..no need). The hammer face should make complete contact around the top of the nipple. Anything less can cause intermittant ignition.

The marker paint cleans right off with rubbing alcohol.

[unclephreak]

i suppose this thread has been dead for a little while, but i thought i would put in my 2 cents. i just bought one of these yesterday, and i fired a couple caps to make sure it was cleared out, packed about 13 gr of fff and much to my dismay i couldnt get the thing to fire. even after cleaning out the nipples and the gun it still wouldnt fire. i brought it back to the shop, and the fine gentleman took the nipples and bored them out just a little. i had noticed there was much ,ore than a tiny pinhole for the cap to snap through, and my thoughts exactly were dead on.

since he opened them up it has fired every time without a hitch. im looking into casting some soft lead bullets for it right now. actually making a mold as we speak! i figured a snug conical shaped bullet would fire without having to use wads. (although i just use paper soaked in lard, seems to work just fine for me.) made a couple paper cartridges for it and am getting ready to test them out. ive shot it with 13gr and 26 gr loads. with 26 it's like a tiny hand-held shotgun going off! anyway i hope these bullets i cast for it work out well. I'll let you know how things go at the ol shooting range!

on another note, if you make a paper cartridge out of rolling papers the paper seem to fit it as a wad on their own. like i said i cant wait to see the difference a conical shaped bullet is going to make. we have a fire safe weve been practicing on, and with only 13 gr. of BP i got a ricochet, it hit me, but only with the force of something bouncing real hard back at about 10 feet away. (made me weary though enough to start using larger charges and safety glasses) the balls seem to have about the same penetration power on the safe as my wife's ruger with a larger load.

just a question, what is the MAX suggested loading in these things? i really dont want to blow this thing up! but i was even thinging of doing some home gunsmithing and getting perhaps a little longer barrel made and try my hand at rifling it myself. ive got a cnc mill on the way so this will definitely be fun to do!

[Boerrancher]

welcome aboard, and as to your question about a max load, I wouldn't go over 20 grains in it. Not that I don't think that it can't handle more than that, but I am betting that even with 20 grains of 3FG you are blowing some of it out on the ground unburnt due to the short barrels. I load 20 grains of 3FG in my 32cal long gun with a 32 inch barrel. When shooting it a good number of consecutive times, it will get a hot spot in the barrel about 3 inches from the muzzle which tells me that is the farthest point the burning powder is traveling up the barrel. I bumped the load up to 30 grains and the hot spot disappeared, but I was getting some unburnt powder being blown out, and accuracy was not as good.

The best way to figure out the optimum max load would be to spread a bed sheet out in front of you and start with 10 grains and work your way up a couple grains at a time, and each time you fire, inspect the sheet for unburnt powder. When it starts showing up, you have reached your max load. The conical bullet will be interesting to test out but don't be surprised if it key holes at 15 yards.

Best wishes,

Joe

[unclephreak]

yeah, i dont have a proper powder flashk, so ive been using a 9mm ruger shell to measure it out. from what i read those hold about 13 grains, so i use 1 1/2 per shot. i did shoot a couple loads with 2 of those (about 25 grains) but im not trying to blow my damn hand off wither lol 1 1/2 seems to be about right for it. i did cast a couple conical bullets, and im about to go test them out right now. i made a couple conical, a couple rounded and even did a hollow point just for shiz-n-giggles

[Longwood]

I made one of those from a kit back in about 1981.
I still have it but seldom shoot it.
Do you m ind telling me what you paid for it?

[JonnyReb]

Picked one of these up last year for about 75.00. I haven't fired it yet but heck, might do so tomorrow. Enjoyed this thread.

[Odinbreaker]

I use Shockley gold 3 f in my 44 remington shoots will with no build up. I have a nipple wrench with a nipple pick built in really helps