Here's an easy question for you BP folks. I have no black powder experience.

I recently received a .45 cal "Philadelphia Derringer" reproduction as a gift. It's percussion and has an approximately 2.5 inch barrel.

It's one of those things where I just want to fire it once and then put it away. I've cleaned and inspected the pistol. It appears to have been fired before and is in fine operating condition.

Any load suggestions? I'm assuming round lead ball and a patch. Patch and lube material?

Any suggestions appreciated.

Sam B.
http://www.fireflyarms.com

If it was me, I'd fine a big maxi bullet and load a pile of FFF black and hang on.

Being more reasonable, you should do fine with a patched round ball, TC bore butter, and 30-50 gns of FF or FFF. I had a similar gun years ago and it was pleasant to shoot. Start low and work up to a reasonable velocity/ recoil level.

I think that I would start at about 20-25 grains. That thing has a short barrel. If you use 50 grains, you will blow a lot out the barrel.

As a comparason,I use 60 gr ffg in my .50cal hawkin.

I believe the standard load was 10-15 grain of 3F black. You could use the same load of Pyrodex P. Of course, both loads utilize a patched .45 cal round ball. If the load sound weak you have to remember that when these things were in common use, even the threat of a hole in one's body was a pretty good deterrent given the state of medical knowledge.

Had a repro Philadelphia derringer about 40 years ago. I researched and learned these were loaded strangely: charge was from 10 to 12 grains of FFFg (or even FFFFg) black powder. The interesting part was the practice of "hammering" a soft lead ball, usually not patched, until it was deformed and tight at the bottom of the short barrel.

Although it wouldn't seem so with such a modest charge, when this load was fired, it did so with apparent real authority.

...At one time, I used a heavier charge, at least 20 or more grains. When I fired it, the stock cracked. The crack was not a problem particularly, but it was testimonial to why the normal charges were modest.

Of course in the days when derringers were serious weapons, a gunshot wound was far more serious than often is the situation today: even a minor wound could become infected and very, very often the dreaded disease, "lockjaw" -- then always fatal-- could be expected. When someone produced a gun in a tense situation back then, fear was instantaneous among 'most everyone present. No one was prepared to be shot.

Paladin