I was in the local Dunhams yesterday and saw the Cobra Derringers for $125.  I have always wanted a Derringer "just cause" but can't justify the cost of a Bond Arms and, with Cobras being crap, I have managed to refrain.  This price is calling to me.  I need Arfcom to strengthen my resolve to NOT buy this.  Give me your Cobra/cheap Derringer horror stories!

I'm guessing you know the lineage of the cobra firearms?

I'll take it back about 8yrs, I had a Davis 9mm derringer. Short story, it sucked. Longer version, 12lb+ trigger, non existent sights, ridiculous recoil. Couldn't hit shit past about 5ft, after a few shots trigger fatigue would set in and you'd have to use 2fingers. Actually the worst gun I've owned. And I've owned some of the cheapest you could find. I've moved on to more quality firearms. If I was to buy a derringer these days, Bond would be it.

Bought a Intratec DA derringer in 38spl in 1989. Trigger wasn’t bad until round 36 when it clicked but didn’t fire. It never fired again and the company already went out of business so total waste of $200. If you don’t buy Bond at least buy NAA even though they are only 22’s at least they are quality.

Thanks.  Just needed a reminder that I would be throwing away money.

I had wanted a revolver, saw a Taurus M82 at a local pawn shop for $200 and figured it was worth that for something that would be used as a range gun.  Took it home to clean it and discovered where pieces of brass casing had been embedded in the rifling of the barrel, problably from improper reloads...  well, the gun wasn't servicable and I had to ship it back to Taurus.  They couldn't repair it, but shipped me a new replacement revolver back instead.

I own a wide spectrum on firearms from a huge variety of makers.  I've always been one to look for "high value" deals.  That being said, if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.  The thing I've really come to realize is even if a gun works great today, if you aren't going to be able to get parts or service for it 5-10-20 years down the road, it's not a good deal.  For example, some importers are famous (or infamous) for bringing in boat loads (literally) of non-US made stuff that works reasonably well, flooding the market at a cheap price, but once their "container is empty" good luck getting a spare mag or extra spring.  It's not worth it.

As far as domestic made junk.  Avoid it at all costs.  There's no need to spend "2nd mortgage" money on everything you own, but stick with proven guns from known makers.  Just my .02

I never owned a derringer but, I did buy 2 cheap guns.
Bought 2 Jennings J-22 pistols new in the box for 36 bucks each
from JG Sales. They were jam-o-matic crap!

I had a couple of Auto Ordnance 1911 pistols that were pretty bad.   First unit came back from its first week at the range with four significant issues.   This was March 2002.  Inopertative safety, magazine that lost its floor plate, horrible accuracy (twenty inches low from fifteen yards and continued to get worse as the distance to the target increased), frame inserts for the grip screws wouldn't stay in the frame, and then the front sight came off.   I sent the gun back, waited six weeks to get it back and then they only fixed two of the four issues.    Accuracy and the safety were never addressed.   I then had the safety repaired locally and a few weeks after that the whole front sight came off.   So I sent it back a second time.   Kahr Arms (who had recently purchased Auto Ordnance) made a new front sight to offset the alignment issues and installed it but that came off as well.   Kahr Arms replaced the pistol at that point but the replacement wasn't much better and it had to be sent back because its front sight came off.    I mean this is AO.   They had been making 1911's since WWII.   How could they be this bad?    Once I got the second pistol back from being repaired I traded it in to the local gun store (with full discloser), put some money with it and bought a Springfield.   I still have all of the RMA paperwork.   Anyway, I learned.   Don't waste your time and money with cheap guns.   Heck the amount of ammo that I wasted trying to ensure that the gun would shoot exceeded the cost difference with the Springfield.  

2Hut8

Not much of a horror story. Bought a .32 ACP Davis derringer years ago. I think I paid $40 for it. It works and will put hits on a paper plate at 10 feet. That's all I expect of it.

At least it's not the "chromed" version.

Never buy a 1911 that has been "customized"

Khar PM45, after one shot the slide was frozen stuck to rear.  Khar PM9 had the habitual tendency to drop mags and would do it even when not firing.  Keltec Pf-9 didn't like +P rounds, when fired the hammer would not reset.  Llama officers 45 was just a pos that malfunctioned more than it would fire.

Llama 1911 clone 45acp, ran well for a long time. Until the front sight fell off and the extractor fell off during shooting one day... It became a really inaccurate single shot pistol after that... Ha 

I don't really have many, except my Taurus 83, but I do have plenty of expensive gun horror stories.

Kel-Tek PF9 for me.

Bought new and could not get more than 3 shots in one mag to work. It would either fail to chamber, round take a nosedive on loading or click with a round in the chamber. Magazines & Ammo were swapped and it was sent back to the factory with pictures of all fails (except the click one)

Gun was even replaced and same problems persisted. Meanwhile, bought a Ruger PS9 that never skipped a beat and eventually a SIG 938 that was also flawless.

Had to get State Attorney Generals office involved to get a refund for the Kel-Tek.

Really stumped me considering the the effort I went to, resolve or even find a cause for it!

But that is my story for what it is worth to you.

(my Titan .25 ACP always worked after I adjusted the mag lock)

Bought a cheap Keltec P3AT from a local gun shop years ago. I didnt test fired it for months. When I finally took it to the range it would not fire. Broken firing pin. And all those months I had it in my car as a backup/truck gun. Sent it back to Keltec who took over 3 months to fix it. Worked fine when I got it back but still wouldn’t trust it so I sold it.