I was contacted by a friend who told said he had some gun parts in a plastic bag, he found at yard/garage sale, would I want them. Well ya I can always use parts. It turned out it was a High Standard 22 mag Derringer and it was completely disassembled. The barrels and frame looked good so I thought (this is where trouble starts), I needed the housing and cover plate since the tabs were broken off, found what I needed from various suppliers the are not cheep. Then closer examination it needed springs as someone (bubba) modified them so another hunt for parts since they are no longer made. At this point I am into it too far to quit. Further exam found that the main hinge pin was drilled out to a larger size (bubba) so a new one was fabricated as it needs keys on each end that index into the housing and cover plate. After all that I got it together. Off to the range, with the factory main spring it has a 47 pound trigger pull (but no creep) it has a major muzzle blast and a fire ball the size of a large basket ball. The good news is that I can keep both rounds on a pie plate at 15 feet.
Why am I telling this story?, beware of guns in a plastic bag. Its like someone giving you a boat or camera it will keep you broke.

Good story -- that sounds like something that would happen to me!!

A few years ago, one of those HS derringers figured into a local self-defense story of some interest. You weren't kidding about the trigger pull... they have NO trigger guard and IIRC, no manual safety... just that trigger pull. That should tell one something.... But, I digress...

The scene: a barber shop on the outskirts of a large Southern city. Several gents are waiting to get their hair cut, when in walk 2 robbers, who proceed to stick up the joint and relieve everyone of their valuables. Then, they ordered everyone to lie down on the floor, face down.

Right there is when one elderly man in his 70's figured everyone was going to be shot, execution-style, so he waited for the right moment and then produced his HS Derringer, which HE HAD NEVER FIRED BEFORE! He stuffed it up under the nearest bad-guy's chin and fired at an upward angle, resulting in an instant "thud" as the bad guy hit the floor.

As Bad Guy #2 was turning to see what had happened, the gentleman took his one remaining round and carefully placed it into Bad Guy #2's cranium from halfway across the shop, resulting in Instant Stop Number 2. One dead, one on life support.

I followed this story for a while thereafter through the local grapevine of gun-shop employees, etc. Seems the elderly man wasn't charged (of course), and he kept getting congratulatory letters from shooters praising his coolness in dire circumstances. Several contained money, with the exhortation to "BUY YOURSELF A BETTER GUN!"

A testiment to the old adage that "Any gun will do, if YOU will do!"

John