Gratuitous Gun Pic: Diablo Break-Open Pistol (12ga)

Reader John C. writes and asks:  “Why haven’t you done a review of this Diablo pistol?”

Probably for the simple reason that I’d never heard of it before.  However, he did include a pic:

Well now… that is interesting.  This Gun Craft Diablo is a take on the venerable Derringer — in fact, it more correctly harks back to the flintlock pistols of yore in that it’s a black-powder thing, and sports the manly 12ga load (times two!) which should make one’s wrist ache just by looking at it.

If you’re interested in having one of these bad boys shipped to your front door (no NFA restrictions!!!), then here’s some loading advice, courtesy of Paul Helinski.

Here’s the thing:  as I said, I’d never heard of this gun before, let alone fired it.  But I have owned and fired a Bond Arms Derringer-style pistol in .44 Mag.  [pause to let the gasps of shock and surprise subside]  One would expect that the recoil would be overwhelming but really, it isn’t.  The reason is that the shorty lil’ 1½” barrel of the Derringer means that the boolet has left the muzzle long before the recoil has set in, so to me it felt little different from, say, a .38 Special +P fired from a 4″ barrel revolver, and a lot less than a .44 Mag fired from a similar gun.

I see no reason why a 12ga black powder 00 shot load through a 6″ smoothbore barrel would be much different.  (A .72″ ball… errrr maybe not.)

My take:  it’s a “fun” gun and not one I’d consider for any kind of self-defense use, of course.  But there’s nothing wrong with having fun, especially where guns are concerned.  And I love the fact that as it doesn’t have to go through the usual FFL/NCIS rigmarole forced on us when buying a gun, it can truly be “the gun that nobody knows you own”.

Nothing wrong with that, either.