By Jeremy S.
It seems like we’ve been waiting years for this little piece of presumed-to-be vaporware. After a falling out (and with an ongoing lawsuit) with Heizer, the company that was originally going to manufacture Ray Kohout’s unique derringer, this gun is now being made by Kohout’s own DoubleTap Defense, LLC (which is on Earth, as you can clearly see on the pistol’s frame). They call it a “tactical pocket pistol,” and while I maintain that’s an oxymoron, I did think it was interesting enough to plunk down $499 plus tax to give one a whirl . . .
http://youtu.be/cXdJuWcULtA
The DoubleTap Tactical Pocket Pistol’s primary selling point is its extreme thinness. At only 0.665” wide — just over 5/8” — it’s definitely slim. To put this in perspective, the rim of a .45 ACP round is .480” wide, and while my DT is the 9mm version, it’s also available in and easily swappable (with interchangeable barrels) to .45. The gun’s dimensions, in either caliber, don’t change.
Also contributing to comfortable no-snag pocket carry is the hammerless gun’s diminutive length (5.5 inches) and height (3.9 inches), completely smooth sides with no controls sticking out at all, and rounded corners everywhere but on the muzzle(s). You can attach a lanyard to the pin in the back of the pistol grip, too, if you want to be sure to keep tabs on it at all times.
The double barrels are stainless steel and the frame is available in either CNC-milled aluminum or titanium, which DoubleTap says is “designed more for the hardcore military-type end user.” Tipping the scales at 12 ounces for aluminum and 14 ounces for titanium (both empty), this subcompact won’t weigh you down. Those weights are for the .45 ACP version with ported barrels, and it turns out it weighs less in .45 than it does in 9mm — as .45 is both larger in diameter and lower in pressure, the barrels in the big boy caliber are thinner. The laws of physics being what they are, less steel = less weight. My scale, which I just checked and confirmed for accuracy, gave me a reading of 15.5 ounces with no ammo and no speed strip clip (17.375 oz fully loaded) for my 9mm, non-ported version.
The DoubleTap’s machining is extremely nice. It’s clean and precise and the MIL-STD anodizing is flawless. For fit and finish this gun definitely ratess top marks.
Field stripping is as easy as pushing out the front pivot pin and pulling the barrels off of the frame. This is actually as far as you can disassemble the DoubleTap. The owner’s manual makes it very clear that there are no user-serviceable parts inside of the gun and that you shouldn’t so much as touch the bolts that hold the two clamshell halves of the frame together. “Any attempt to remove, or merely adjust, these screws could result in damage to them and to the Pistol itself.” I’m sure some folks will be happy about this – a nice, sealed unit that doesn’t require any maintenance — and some folks will not like the fact that it can’t be detail stripped without voiding the warranty. Here’s a little PSA video and an explanation of why you don’t have the right tool to mess with those bolts, anyway:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tjKDS8lerQ
At a couple of ounces more than 15 pounds, the DoubleTap’s trigger takes the title for heaviest pull weight in my safe. DT says the trigger rides on roller bearings and, yeah, it’s semi-smooth considering the travel distance and weight. It moves most of the way with about 6 pounds of force, stops hard, creeps just a touch, then breaks when you squeeze past 15 lbs.
I actually have no problem with this pull weight. I think if I were to rate guns most likely to be carried in a pocket without a holster covering the trigger guard, this one’s probably right up there at the top of the list. It may be prudent to keep it nice and heavy, and it’s not going to stop you from squeezing off both rounds when you’re determined to do so. It’s a true double-action trigger so it will continue cocking and releasing the hammers over and over and over again as long as you keep pulling. DT says there are only four major components in the trigger system, and I do like that simplicity.
Pull back on the ambidextrous thumb latch with your thumb, and the barrels flip up under spring tension. That’s how you extract spent rounds. At first, I was grabbing the empties with my finger nails and pulling them out, but if you turn the pistol upside down and give it a shake they’ll usually fall free.
Two spares fit in the butt of the pistol on an included stripper clip, so pull those guys out, pop ‘em in the chambers, push on the top to click the barrels back down onto the frame, and you’re back in business. Also included in the box is a six-round stripper clip, which fits sleekly into a pocket. DoubleTap says this is for carrying spare rounds but not for feeding them into the gun directly, whereas the two-rounder can be used for that purpose.
The front sight is a tiny nub machined as part of the barrels, and the rear sight is a groove or trench machined into the frame. The sights are really small and the front is hard to see. Obviously this isn’t a target pistol and is designed more for contact ranges. No real surprise there.
Being able to swap out the barrels out so easily, though, does leave the door open for some different options. Eight-inch target barrels with an accessory rail on top (or target style sights with the rear on the barrel)? Something in .22 LR or WMR, perhaps? Why not?
Also worth noting here is that, from what I can tell, the proper sight picture is more like a shotgun than a typical pistol. If you tilt the front down to where you’re actually looking through the rear notch, the front sight is long gone. It has to hover there exactly on top of the rear notches, which means you’re looking down the top strap of the gun. Just like a shotgun, if you can actually see the rib, then your eye is too high, and if you start to obscure the front sight with the back of the gun, your eye is too low. Not easy to photograph, but something like this:
First Impressions:
I carried the DoubleTap pistol in a Remora holster (the one I purchased for my Beretta Nano) for a few days, both IWB and in a pocket. As you might expect, it carries and conceals extremely easily. It’s thin, it’s light, the butt of the grip is rounded…pretty much what you’d expect.
However, I was surprised when I shot it for the first time. HOLY COW does this thing kick! Shooting light-loaded 115 grain 9mm ammo felt like standard power .44 Magnum from my Ruger Blackhawk with the hard wood grips on it. Only the DoubleTap is less ergonomic. Although the website says “1911 ergonomics,” it just didn’t work that way for me.
Some of it is that awesome thinness, which is a double-edged sword. Specifically, when you fire it, it’s an edge that punches you in the palm and, mostly, the web of the hand like it hates you. I found the deeply curved grip to be a little extreme for my hand size and shape as well, with the back corner of the butt acting as a bit of a pressure point on my palm. Not completely uncomfortable, mind you, but not ideal for the sort of recoil I experienced. At least the 15-lb. trigger pull gets the gun seated firmly in your palm and physically necessitates a secure grip, so there are no surprises.
Again, this isn’t a target shooting or plinking gun. Stout recoil isn’t something that would prevent me from employing the DoubleTap for defensive purposes as a backup carry pistol. While I only fired a few truly aimed shots on my first outing, I was pleased to find that I hit my targets (typically a 6”x6” steel plate) at 8 to 12 yards. My initial impression was that it shoots decently straight through those 3-inch barrels, with the real trick being aligning the sights and keeping everything steady with a 15-pound trigger pull.
Initial Problems:
On my first range outing, every round I fired, from first to last, with three brands of ammo, caused the primer to bulge into the firing pin channel, locking up the gun. In many cases it was impossible to open the action. The solution was pulling the trigger a few times and allowing the firing pin to beat the primer back down until the barrels would tilt up.
I also had problems with spent brass and even live rounds sticking in the chambers so hard that I had to put a rod down the barrels and then slam the thing onto a hard surface to pop the case out the back. I expected a little bit of sticking, as the brass expands when fired and there is no ejection rod or other built-in tool to extract it, but this was something altogether different from the norm.
Although I went out to the woods intending to put at least 100 rounds through it, I stopped at about 20 due to frustration and growing concerns that something was wrong to the point where I was risking my safety. I also realized there was no way on God’s green earth that I was physically capable of putting 100 rounds through this gun without, at the very least, padded gloves. For the next couple of days my hand was slightly tender, but nothing bothersome. More on that later.
A Call to DoubleTap and Another Range Visit:
I called DoubleTap to discuss the issues I had with my tactical pocket pistol, and they were quick to blame it on the ammo. Yes, I fully admit, I was testing with two brands of reloads and PMC Bronze. Sorry, but ammo is hard to come by these days. But the real reasons I didn’t think twice about this are, 1) it’s a freakin’ tilt-barrel derringer. Who in their right mind would expect it to be ammo sensitive?, and 2) I have shot about 5,000 of these particular reload brands through six or so different semi-auto pistols (including some “picky” ones), and a few hundred rounds of PMC Bronze, and had zero problems. I had no reason to think that they were “off” in any way.
DoubleTap, though, was very gracious with their time on the phone with me and indulged my theories, while making it clear that they would handle shipping both ways for warranty work, but would be appreciative if I would try it out with different ammunition (if possible) first.
So, taking their recommendation of using U.S. specification, name brand, factory new ammunition (their #1 recommendations were Winchester and Remington, followed by Federal), I headed to the indoor range to try it out. My results there were much better (http://youtu.be/cXdJuWcULtA).
For the second test, I was able to scrounge up a box of Federal 115 grain, American Eagle 147 grain (which is made by Federal), Blazer Aluminum 147 grain, and just a couple rounds of Federal HST 147 grain. I would have had a few more options, but the DoubleTap isn’t rated for +P ammo. The owner’s manual says that aluminum-cased ammo is fine, by the way. I also brought a box of reloads with me just to confirm that the problems still existed with those, which would rule out that the gun had magically fixed itself in the event that it did work properly w/ the brand new ‘merican ammo.
And…it worked! I didn’t have a single instance of the barrels jamming closed and not one stuck case. Oddly enough, the reloads didn’t cause any jamming issues either, but did result in about 50 percent of the cases sticking badly enough that I needed help from a tool to remove them. So the take-away is this: The tolerances on this gun are tight and, obviously, the design is pretty unique. Ammunition choice does matter. You’ll want to feed your DoubleTap SAAMI-spec’d, factory-new ammo.
Ninety Rounds Later, and Accuracy Testing:
Like I said earlier, my hand was a little tender after the first outing, but I hadn’t really noticed it. But as soon as I gripped the DoubleTap to take my first shot on the second range trip, it hit those pressure points again and I knew I was in for some serious abuse. To make matters worse, I realized at that point that I had forgotten my padded-palm motorcycle gloves that I had meant to bring along.
You may watch that video above and think that I’m a huge wuss, but I really can’t explain how this thing feels to shoot — at least once you start passing about the 20-round mark — better than saying it’s similar to putting your palm up against a wall, web of your hand facing upwards, and smacking yourself right there, on the left of that middle thumb knuckle, with a ball peen hammer. Not like full power, but hard enough to drive a nail. Over and over.
It just kinda smarts the first few times, but you keep hitting that same spot and wondering why you feel compelled to break the 100-round mark just so you can show something about a gun’s reliability and accuracy when you’re just losing money on ammo and crippling yourself doing it. Thankfully I got six other people to help me get through the testing, but I still had to shoot about 50 rounds myself. You see, out of those six people — regular shooters, mind you, four of whom work at the gun shop/range — only two of them were willing to fire the gun more than four times.
The consensus seems to be that the first two rounds are amusing and you think, “Wow, this thing kicks hard…awesome!” Then after firing the second pair that shifts to, “I don’t want to do this anymore.” Apparently my 50 rounds is the most DoubleTap has heard of one person putting through the gun in a single sitting (outside of their testing using Ransom Rests).
My thumbs were so damn sore that I had a hard time driving home from the range, and if I had gone there in my manual-transmission car, I think I’d still be stuck in the parking lot. If I worked as a mechanic or in some other career requiring me to use my hands, I would have had to call in sick the next day or two.
Just to preempt all of the comments … yeah, yeah, it ruined my love life. And no, this would not stop me from carrying the DoubleTap as a backup self-defense gun. I had zero problems whatsoever putting a pair of rapidly fired shots right on target. By the way, shooting the Federal HST through this thing may have given me PTSD. Hundreds through my Nano, no problem. Two through the DT and I will forever regret it.
Anyway…Three, six-shot accuracy targets at 15 feet looked very similar — sort of like they were targets with two separate, three-shot groups on them. Obviously the over/under design means one barrel is slightly farther from the sights than the other, but the spread was more than that. Possibly a fluke, as I don’t have a Ransom Rest, but either way, these groups are okay considering the lack of real sights, the 15-pound pull, the, um, stout recoil and those short barrels.
This is more than sufficient accuracy for a concealed-carry gun clearly intended for contact ranges. The pistol actually points very naturally, and many shooters were just as accurate simply point-shooting the gun without using the sights at all.
My Tactical Pocket Pistol is now up to about 105 rounds through it, with no failures to fire. Also no failures to open or to allow for easy removal of factory new ammunition. I believe it will be reliable for many, many rounds to come. I just hope I can trick some friends into doing the shooting.
Still A Concern:
Even though the barrels never got stuck closed, which happened originally thanks to reload primers that bulged so badly they were protruding into the firing-pin channels, I was still seeing bulges on basically every round fired. They look like overpressure signs, but I don’t think that’s what it is (you can hear me chatting about that with one of the gun-shop employees in the video). These bulges were pretty darn consistent across all brands of ammo, including the reloads. They may have been worse on the HST, which does happen to be known for particularly soft primers:
My best guess is that a necessary and functional feature is actually causing the primer problem: ball bearings on the breech faces. These ball bearings maintain pressure on the back of the rounds and ensure that they are head-spaced (fully forwards) in the chambers, ensuring that they won’t move when the firing pin strikes. This increases reliability in firing, but it also spaces the cases off of the breech faces (say that 3 times fast), leaving a not-insignificant gap there.
Although the ball bearings are spring-loaded and compress back into the breech faces upon firing, I think the case slamming backwards like that is either causing the primer to bulge into the firing-pin channel a little, or the primer is already bulged from the shot and slamming into the breech face pushes it all back in place except for the middle part where the firing-pin channel is, leaving that perfectly firing-pin channel-shaped bulge behind.
It’s just a theory. It could be something else. However, DoubleTap says a small degree of this is normal due to the design and I’m apparently seeing a touch more than what is expected. After seeing the photos of the rounds, they did request that I send my gun back for some testing.
Here’s a screen grab from the first test video which is, unfortunately, the best shot I could really get of that gap:
I will follow up when the handgun comes back from the factory (Editor’s Note: Everything checked out on the gun). As an aside, they may be sending me a .45 ACP barrel to test and/or a ported 9mm barrel so I can see if there’s a true difference (re: muzzle flip) shooting the gun with the ports. I should remind you that the gun is about 3 ounces lighter in .45 flavor than in parabellum. DoubleTap says the .45 is “about 30-percent” more punishing. Woo hoo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTXu2hX-ZC8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XANl8pg3178
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-783Aw9qXbc
A Necessary Comparison:
The last review I sent TTAG’s way was for the Taurus TCP, a .380 ACP mouse gun. It holds 6+1 rounds and weighs 10.2 ounces empty and 12.25 ounces fully loaded. It’s shorter in length (5.25”) and height (3.75”), but a bit thicker (0.87”) although still extremely thin. The footprint is smaller due to the grip angle and the height from the top of the slide to the bottom of the trigger guard. Very close, really, but it happens to fit in the next size smaller pocket holster.
Yes, they’re totally different guns. I’m sure plenty of people would rather have two rounds of .45 ACP than 7 rounds of .380 (and much faster reloads). And the DoubleTap may be able to fit and function in places a small semi-auto can’t. Anyway I thought I’d include these photos, though, just for comparison’s sake.
Also, a little 80’s inspiration, maybe?
At The End of The Day:
Don’t shoot reloads with your DoubleTap. Gloves are a good idea if you want to get very far into double-digit round counts in a single sitting. Or, even better than gloves, make somebody else shoot it (see video above). It’s plenty accurate at bad breath distances and beyond, even with the 15-lb trigger, rudimentary sights and short barrels. It conceals and carries very easily. Machine work, fit and finish are top quality. It’s fun to shoot for up to four rounds, and the Tactical Pocket Pistol will no doubt stand up to more rounds fired than you can. By all appearances I think it will continue to be fully reliable for me well into the future.
Specifications:
Caliber: 9mm (9×19) and .45 ACP barrels available. Manual states never to use +P ammo.
Action: over/under, break-barrel derringer. True double-action trigger.
Capacity: 2 rounds
Barrel Length: 3.0 inches
Overall Length: 5.5 inches
Overall Height: 3.9 inches
Weight: 15.5 ounces empty in 9mm with non-ported barrels. 12 ounces empty in .45 ACP with ported barrels.
Sights: ramped front, ‘groove rear’
Finish: MIL-STD hard coat anodizing
Warranty: Lifetime warranty
MSRP: $499 (aluminum, non-ported barrel), $569 (aluminum, ported), $729 (titanium, non-ported), $799 (titanium, ported)… barrels in either caliber are $199 without ports and $269 with.
Note: The DoubleTap trademark is used under license from Hornady Manufacturing Company by DoubleTap Defense LLC.
Ratings (out of five stars):
Ergonomics: * *
It points fairly naturally and the barrel release levers are in the right spot. Two stars for that. Otherwise, ergos suffer as a result of putting everything into such a compact package. Did I mention it’s slightly less than comfortable to shoot a lot of rounds through?
Concealability: * * * *
Maybe even 4.5 stars. Super thin, which is awesome. Rounded corners almost everywhere, which limits printing. It would get a perfect score if not for the sharp edges and corners around the front of the barrels, which do print a little in a pocket. And the fact that its footprint isn’t all that small. And the gun isn’t that light, either. But this is because I have the Taurus TCP (smaller & lighter) and a Beretta Nano (just a tad larger and weighs unloaded what the DT weighs w/ 2+2 rounds) for direct comparison. In the grand scheme of things, the DT is very small. OK, 4.5 stars it is.
Customize This: * * *
Four quick-swap barrel options (so far) in two calibers (so far), and two frame options. DoubleTap already offers a range of accessories like holsters and lanyards. Although the gun itself really can’t be modified (grips, sights, trigger, etc.), the fast barrel/caliber swaps bump it up to three stars here.
Reliability: * * * *
Quite simple mechanically, I have no reason to believe it will not continue to fire with 100% reliability. Factory new rounds ‘eject’ with ease. Frankly, I don’t think pulling two spare rounds out of the butt and reloading in the middle of a defensive scenario is realistic anyway, so even if a case sticks now and then or even if, worst case, the barrels stick closed a little, I’m not really dinging it. This is a two-shot gun. Minus one star, though, for ammo sensitivity and primer nipples, even if it’s no longer causing any hang-ups.
Accuracy: * * *
Plenty for its intended role, but not what you would call an “accurate” gun per se. And not as accurate as some mouse gun competitors.
Overall: * * *
More than most guns, the DoubleTap’s rating is going to move aggressively one way or the other depending on you, the shooter. Some people will love how thin this thing is and how cool and different it’s designed. They’ll love the fact that it should shoot every time – no matter what – and will consider it a 5-stars gun. Then again, some people will never see past its inherent capacity limitation and the punishing shooting experience (sadomasochists notwithstanding), and won’t give it the time of day. I would give it four stars without hesitation if its price point were [quite a bit] lower.
More from The Truth About Guns:
Gun Review: Ruger Redhawk Double-Action Revolver
DoubleTap Tactical Pocket Pistol Update
Glock subcompacts hold alot more ammo, shoot alot more accurately, and comfortably for the same price.
They also build great exterior walls, provided you use enough mortar.
Glock subcompacts are indeed bricks. Might as well just carry a regular or compact. Wonder when Glock will make a single stack slim 9 or 40?
LMFAO Don’t be jealous. Not everyone can afford the best. Glock is the best.
Having carried a G30 and/or a G36 for over 12 years and a recovered glock fanboy, I can say with great authority that you could not be more wrong. That statement sounded like something from a james yeager video! glock is ok at best but nowhere close to top tier.
The G36 in fact was one of the worst that I have ever owned and it made 5 trips back to the mothership in Smyrna, GA.
A glock does not point well, is uncomfortable to grip and yes, is very ‘brick-like’. I have 12+ years with them as a daily carry and well over 10K rounds downrange with them and I too was once a ‘perfection’ Kool-Aid drinker. It took picking up one new pistol and another that I had not fired in over 30 years to get over it – instantaneously.
So does your sister, but she doesn’t conceal well in my front pocket!
Thats brilliant. Keep your day job at the State Dept.
LOL…feldstein… how with a name like that can you be taken seriously?
That is true, but at 1.18″ for the G26/27, they’re also nearly twice as thick as this Doubletap’s .665″ width, not to mention an inch longer and .2 inches taller. The S&W Shield is closer in thickness at .95″, but it’s also little taller than the G26/27.
Also, you have to admit this is a pretty nifty gun. Not only does it look cool, but the fact that it shoots .45 ACP rather than just .380 or .38 Special or 9mm as you might expect is cool too.
That said, I would only carry this if I needed extreme concealment for some reason and nothing else with a higher capacity fit the bill; or as a backup.
Regardless, if I had more money lying around, I’d buy this for sure, if only for the novelty of it.
Davis Derringers are around 100 bucks if you feel comfortable defending yourself with 2 shots.
Doesn’t Bond Arms make a full line of 2 shot derringers in this size and weight class as well? And for a lot less money? I’m all for unusual and neat guns, but limited usefulness, painfull to shoot AND a $500+ pricetag?
The bond arms guns are quite a bit larger, are much much thicker, and are single action (must cock hammer for each shot). So… Similar and quite different too
its a back up gun!! not a primary ccw. hello!!
So the suggestion is these will be even rougher to shoot than the Glock .40 Subcompact? I am definitely going to take a huge pass on it, then.
No comparison. I’ve shot 200 rounds through a Glock 29 that I used to have (that’s a sub-compact 10mm), plus some .40 through it, in a single range session and didn’t think twice about it. The DoubleTap is a whole ‘nother thing entirely. And it’s not that it recoils so hard or the muzzle flips hard or anything, because it’s actually quite controllable for its weight. It’s just super thin and it’s hard metal that doesn’t seem to fit the hand quite right and it hits you precisely in the worst possible spot over and over and over.
Thanks for an honest and in-depth review. I was all for buying one the moment I laid eyes upon it, but it sounds like there might be some minor issues that need to be worked on first, especially the proper headspace control and possibly smaller firing pin channels.
Great review, Jeremy S. In order to get the full flavor of it, I experimented by smacking the web of my shooting hand with a ball peen hammer. It felt a lot like shooting the Double Tap, but without the refreshing scent of burned nitrocellulose.
Kidding aside, it seems that the DT is more of a novelty (albeit a well-made one) than a practical last ditch self-defense pistol.
On the plus side, bruised palms are a great excuse for gripping a nice, cold beer (or two)!
Yeah. With the other hand.
Nah, with the bruised hand! It’s a cold compress that you can also drink 😉
At least you have a useful weapon with a hammer
Thanks for the thorough review. Enough info to know that it’s not for me, but I’ll be curious to see how it sells.
Sounds as useless in practice as it did in theory
“Stout recoil isn’t something that would prevent me from carrying a DoubleTap for defensive purposes as a backup gun. ”
It certainly would stop you from practicing though. Never carry a gun you cant practice extensively with.
Point!
To each his own, but I’ve never seen the need of these 1-2 shot self defense pistols. It weighs basically the same as my airweight j frame and as the author pointed out it’s heavier and larger than a 7 shot semi auto.
” I’ve never seen the need of these 1-2 shot self defense pistols.”
George Zimmerman does.
George Zimmerman used a KelTec PF9 with a 7+1 capacity.
“… it’s similar to putting your palm up against a wall, web of your hand facing upwards, and smacking yourself right there, on the left of that middle thumb knuckle, with a ball peen hammer.”
Testify, brother! Reminds me of shooting a S&W Model 360 – .357 mag Scandium J-frame (about 12 oz empty). To get a good idea of what that feels like with .357 loads, hold your hand up facing out, then have a friend take good whack at the base of your thumb swell with a ball peen hammer. Repeat as often as necessary. Always a trade-off when you are looking for light weight and power in a compact frame.
Ah the 360… aka “The Devil’s Handshake”
Sounds like a good candidate for a .38 Special ammo swap.
I read about half the review before I realized I had already watched your videos. Still it was good review. Thanks
P.S. I would not give this thing the time of day. Too much hurt for too little shoot.
The gun doesnt really sound like my cup of tea, but that was a really, really well done review. Very informative, with facts clearly differentiated from the author’s subjective impressions. Great job!
I got a chance to fondle a Double Tap at my LGS this weekend. Though an intriguing concept I would not replace my LCR with it. The Double Tap looked mechanically sound, ergonomics were good and fit and finish were very nice. But the trigger pull was horrible and for a pocket pistol at this weight I expect more capacity than 2 rounds with very little chance for easy reloading. 45 ACP and 9mm Luger are great rounds but not good enough to drop your defensive firearm’s capacity to two. 5 rounds of 38 SPL or 7 rounds of 380 ACP are far superior to two rounds of 45 ACP or 9mm Luger. For those who pocket carry daily like myself, I would stick to your LCR, J Frame, or whatever variety of pocket 380 ACP or 9mm Luger you may already own. If your main concern is reliability in a pocket gun, stick with a revolver.
This might be a good backup to your backup gun 😉
The Ruger LCR series are wonderful guns. I love my .357 LCR and never have an issue practicing with it. I would recommend not practicing with 158 grain .357 mag rounds, though. Those hurt. 125 grainers don’t.
The buzz words and phrases these guys use to describe their toy give me a headache…
It’s “tactical”… Uses an “M16 style” push pin to switch barrels… It has a “MIL-STD” finish… The grip was inspired by frag grenades… it has “1911 ergonomics”… It’s designed for “hard core military type end users”…
Their marketing alone would keep me from buying their gun. I mean come on… It’s a pocket pistol, it doesn’t need to be “tactical”. If they were serious about their product maybe I could be serious about their company.
That, and I have no desire to own a wrist breaking 2 shot pocket pistol when I own a J-frame and a P238.
To be fair, the pin is almost exactly like the front and rear pivot/takedown pins on an AR-15, and it does actually have your MIL-STD hard coat anodizing like most AR’s do. As for ‘tactical’ and ‘hard core’ and ‘1911’… I’m with you. Just like that ZiP 22 LR was for “tactical operators” and such…
Just a thought about the primers bulging:
It might be due to the fact that both the 9 mm Luger and the .45 ACP are designed to function in semi-auto pistols, where some of the energy is used to cycle the action. Since there is no “cycling” here, you might be looking at higher chamber pressures, which could in turn lead to higher muzzle velocities and bulging primers. Given that you experienced bulging with non +P ammo, I can understand why the manufacturer would not rate the weapon for +P.
Just a theory, anyway.
I had guessed that the +P restriction was due to the frame being made of two clamshell halves, rather than a single piece. The other guns made like this that I’ve come across had the same restriction. Also just a guess, though.
As for the semi-auto thing, I understand what you’re saying. Certainly I would expect slightly higher velocities due to the slide not moving back and absorbing some of the energy, but I don’t think pressures should change. In the vast majority of semi-auto guns in 9mm or .45, the barrel/slide remain fully locked until the bullet has left the barrel and pressure has dropped. The case itself doesn’t start moving out of the chamber until that happens. So… I think it should be the same or almost the same. Not to mention that there are lots of revolvers chambered for 9mm, .40, .45 ACP, etc (the 80’s Cobray Pocket pal you see in that photo above shoots .380), and I have never seen or heard of bulged primer issues before. AND… if you put your hand on the back of a semi-auto’s slide, like on a Glock for instance, you can completely keep it from moving while you fire but the primer will still look identical to normal… Stays fully in battery the whole time (it doesn’t hurt, btw).
Xds small pistol more ammo easier to shoot
Got one. Love it. Carry it every day. Some moron boasted that the DoubleTap is more concealable, but since my XD-s disappears under a T-shirt and I have no reason to leave the house in spandex, I’ll stick with what I’ve got.
So, I’m sorry I don’t need you, DoubleTap, but shed about $250 off your price and I’ll definitely have myself one badass keychain.
+1 Read my mind
How would the NAA Guardian in .380 match up against this gun?
Haven’t shot one. It’s similar in size to the Taurus TCP in the photos but it’s an all-metal gun, which would probably make it shoot even softer. Although!… it’s also a straight blowback design, whereas the TCP is recoil operated (locked breech a la Browning design) so that may actually negate the recoil benefits of the extra mass. I’m a big NAA fan but I see the Guardian as an old school pocket pistol design that has been surpassed by the modern options (the TCP for one, the Ruger LCP, the Sig P238, the Kahr P/CM9, Kel-Tec, S&W Bodyguard, etc) in some ways like capacity and weight, but I have heard that the Guardians hold their own for reliability.
This type of firearm is intended as a self defense weapon, to be concealed as a back-up to a duty firearm or as your primary OMG gun, it is not a recreational tool.
I pocket carry so light weight and small size is crucial. I have a G-26, it is too heavy. I have a smaller semi auto but the mag release is un-reliable. This pistol in a 45 would be a good replacement
The problem with this thing is that it’s not exactly lightweight. You can get a proper 9mm polymer framed semi-auto with 6+1 capacity that weights 3 oz less (Kel-Tec or Diamondback), or aluminum framed Kahr in the same caliber with the same weight. Yes, they will be marginally thicker – 0.85 inches instead of 0.7 – but do you really care?
I shot one at the range and compared it to my XDs .45. There is no comparison the XDs beats it hands down. The XDs is actually comfortable to shoot the double tap is not.
Nice review!
Thanks for the great write-up and future reference – well done. I handled a DT at a gun show recently and suspected just from that experience that it wouldn’t be a good fit for me. This confirms it. I agree with Rabbi: if practicing with your defensive firearm inspires something like fear, then you probably won’t do it enough for the weapon to be useful to you. My personal preference for backup is a .357 LCR, which is a bit bigger and a bit heavier. However, shooting through a box of 50 isn’t torture, and it gives me three more rounds of more powerful medicine before I have to reload.
Agreed. The good thing is that it’s actually quite easy to shoot and there isn’t much of anything to learn or do or manipulate on it to get those two shots off. It point shoots like a champ. The weird thing is that it’s actually very easy to control while shooting — recoil and muzzle flip are not that bad — it just hurts like hell. First few rounds are fine. Get into double digits and that’s really when you start noticing that you made a mistake not wearing gloves haha
Why?
Really.
Why?
It’s 2013 and your company brings out a two-shot pistol… technology from the 1850s if not before? Granted the cartridge is a little more potent, but c’mon.
Two shots?
Especially in a platform that’s as big or bigger than a KelTec P3AT… at a price that’s within a C-note of a G27 that doesn’t leave primers looking as though they are within a whisker of blowing up for pressure-related reasons. (Please hold your Glock hand grenade snarks… I’ve only seen one blow up in 16 years of teaching roughly 3000 students.)
When I feel like pissing away $500 on a 2-shot self-defense pistol, I’ll look these guys up.
This is the Obama economy though. I don’t have that sort of coin to flush down a toilet.
John
ETA: A 15-pound trigger, warranty work right out of the box and other issues? Only the Rachel Jeantel would buy this POS.
“Two shots?”
Yeah, two shots, John. One shot was enough to save George Zimmerman’s life. Two shots could save the life of one of your 3,000 students.
Just slap “tactical” onto the name of your product and legions of idiots will fall all over themselves to buy it.
FUN FACT: If you press them on why they’re pissing money away on tacticool junk, the probability that their answer will involve “zombies” hovers at about 98%.
if it is going to be 15oz, inaccurate, way over priced, and have a pathetic capacity, no thanks! i would take the lighter cheaper lcp over this gun any day.
I’ve shot Dixie Tri-ball ammo out of a pump shotgun – more than once. So yeah, I am a sucker for punishment. As such . . .
I hereby volunteer for .45 ammo testing!
I’ll pass. I can see the appeal of the Bond Arms derringer, because it gives you two rounds of .410 gauge shot shells (though for a derringer it’s large and heavy.). This, on the other hand, gives 2 rounds of (comparatively) wimpy .45, or even more wimpy 9mm, in a not insignificantly small package, at a high price. You could probably scare up a proper 1911 from RIA for that price if you looked around for a bit.
In terms of mouse guns, I’ll stick with my P3AT…
I would be shocked if other caliber offerings weren’t available in the near future, and I’d expect .410 to be one of them. Heizer is doing a .410, and whether DoubleTap wins the lawsuit and gets Heizer to cease all production or not, my guess is that DT will do a .410 also just to be sure to keep the market on its side.
For $500 you certainly have MANY options for other guns. That’s not really the point, though, as this thing is such a unique little niche piece that if it’s just the thing you’ve been looking for you’re not going to find a substitute in probably anything else available, and certainly not in a 1911.
I don’t follow the reasoning that calls the .45 wimpy in the process of extolling a .410 with a half inch of barrel past the chamber.
.45ACP wimpy? When compared to .410 shot shells?
No sir.
Great review for a subpar offering. Given time to hammer out the issues and a price drop of 50%, I might consider it as a novelty, but for that price I can get a XDs. Or an LCR. Or an LC9 for less. All of which I’d rather have.
Thanks for the review, but I’d rather have an LCP or LC9 for less, and practice more.
For what it’s worth, I have a dirty little confession: my Smith 340 PD has less than 500 rounds through it, and I’ve owned it about 10 years. Lightweight guns are very tough to practice with. I’ll likely downgrade from full power .357 to .38 Special +P’s so I can practice more. On the other hand, I shoot my Glock 27 and 23 pretty regularly. Still, a lightweight painful gun beats no gun.
Jesus, A81, you’ve been practicing with full power .357 rounds out of a lightweight snubby? I restrict my j frame practice to mostly standard pressure .38s. I run a couple of cylinders full of +p loads at the end of the session.
Standard .38, +P, and full power .357 125, 140, and 158 grains. A lot of that shooting was just period function testing a box of 20 or 50. It’s currently loaded with the Buffalo Bore .357 ammo designed for short barrels.
For close in work, I’ll stick with my Seecamp.
I thought your video was a great ad for Taurus! I could understand the idea of a last-ditch, all-else-has-failed back-up derringer if, and ONLY if, it was extremely cheap. This thing only makes sense if they could bring it in under $100.00. (Hell, Hi-Point has a 9mm for $99 with a lifetime warranty!) But the size advantage is moot given your comparison to the Taurus (and I’m sure several other pistols — I’d love to see how it compares to my Kel-Tec). The weight advantage is canceled by the terrible recoil, IMO. I mean, if a few extra ounces on your carry gun is going to be a burden, then isn’t your hand strength going to be equally feeble? And if you don’t mind heavy recoil, a S&W AirLite revolver at least holds 5 or 6 rounds.
A tip-out barrel derringer in 2013 is an anachronism; a quaint throwback to a bygone day and mindset. An expensive one, that’s balky when ammunition that’s not absolutely perfect is used, calls your sanity into question. As I see it, it was NOT worth the wait, makes no sense in any application I can conceive of for it, and for those reasons, I’ll take a pass, thanks.
POS , for 400.00 what a waste of money
$499.95…
I just bought a Nano for $450 taxes included. It has up to an 8+1 capacity and is very concealable. It is a far better choice for either a BUG or primary self defense pistol. Why would anybody buy this novelty gun?
A Nano is my EDC. I carry the Taurus TCP on rare occasions when the Nano can’t be concealed properly. I don’t think I could find a situation or outfit or whatever where the DoubleTap would work but the Taurus wouldn’t, honestly. I got the DoubleTap to play with it, test it out, do a review. It’s cool. Definitely a novelty. I’d keep it if it were half the price or less. At this price, though, I think I’m going to sell it. Too expensive for a novelty and, although I would have a lot of fun forcing unsuspecting people to shoot the thing just to see their reactions, it’s not worth $500 of fun for me. …but if you’re wondering why anybody would buy this gun when the Nano is on the market… well… it isn’t always a one-or-the-other choice. Why have one gun when you can have two at twice the price? 😉
…seriously though, I’m NOT wealthy and this gun is what I would consider expensive (VERY expensive for what it is), so if I wasn’t confident that the brand new and hard-to-get status of it would mean that I could quickly and easily sell it to recoup my costs then I wouldn’t have purchased it. Just way out of my price range for messing around with otherwise.
I gotta agree that this review ended up being a great endorsement for the TCP. A TCP is my summer pocket carry and seeing it next to the the DT has me shaking my head.
Why bother? I suspect Heizer will be Tango Uniform in the near future.
I meant to say that Double Tap will be TU not Heizer. Up too late.
If one then probably both of ’em, as Heizer is trying to produce a near carbon copy of DoubleTap’s gun now.
BTW, here’s a link to a Box.com folder with all 9 of the photos I took comparing the size of the DT to the TCP. Lots of angles, plus a photo of them on the scale. https://www.box.com/s/cd947tmb71ebp623m5na
This photo probably shows the difference in thickness the best: http://goo.gl/RONYF
Interesting gun, but not worth it.
I would rather add $100 and buy a xds 45. it looks pretty cool, but about 2x too much for me to consider.
Funny. I have one already for my collection.
These guns are a concealed back up pistol to go along with a 9mm or 45 ACP main carry firearm. They are not a range gun. A last ditch belly gun. It is the same price as the Bond Arms which is only single action, heavier, and wider.
Very well made. Not a real pleasure to shoot. I’d hate to be at the recieving end of it.
My Downsizer WSP hurt more to shoot however it is much smaller.
This gun is not for everyone. If you can’t aford it a Hi-Point works just fine too as a gun
Yeah, it’s funny, isn’t it? The amount of energy these commenters are expending to deride this product is amazing.
I wouldn’t blow $70,000 on a corvette, but that doesn’t inspire me to excoriate anyone who would buy one.
Don’t want it? Who cares? Don’t buy one.
Sucks to not have money? SDS3 said he has a Corvett.. neat auto.
The DoubleTap™ Tactical Pocket Pistol has momentous enhancements. The Doubletap Tactical Pocket Pistol is available in the form of brightness and slim gun. It is come up with only .665” broad and weights only 14 ounces. It is the innovative, smallest and safest conceal carry pistol. I tremendously satisfied with the enhanced DoubleTap Tactical Pocket Pistol
Interesting gun, but This gun is not worth for everybody. I agree with Roger. Thanks for this awesome article.
Thanks
Gun Holsters Unlimited
http://www.gunholstersunlimited.com
How the fuk can you compare a Pocket Pal Revolver W. a cylinder 380 and 22LR
in the photo of a SOG to a Double Tap. Very clueless. IMHO Please enlighten me.
You don’t see a similarity? There aren’t exactly piles of break action, double-barrel, double-action pocket guns out there, eh? Not to mention the extremely similar physical dimensions and general shape. It was really a joke, as I don’t think that DoubleTap got any inspiration from the very obscure Cobray Pocket Pal, which wasn’t even anywhere close to popular back when it was in production 30 yrs ago, but there ARE obvious aesthetic similarities. Besides, using the word “inspired” leaves a lot of wiggle room. Plenty of people say the CZ 75 was inspired by the Browning Hi Power… you can point out differences all day long but I could design a gun based on inspiration I got from an airplane or a fish or a flower so you’re going to have to tell me why you don’t think it’s possible that DT saw the Pocket Pal and became inspired to make a modern double action O/U pocket pistol 😉
I have a Pocket Pal open it up than placer them side by side. . And about every derringer made. I would say a closer comparisons to my COP or Am Der DAD.
You should buy some.
Dude, I took the photo. I did the write-up on TTAG about the Pocket Pal. I own one (the one in the photo, obviously). I’ve shot a COP but have never owned one. Those are super cool also. That thing has 4 barrels though so it’s just as not-comparable as the PP is. Whatever. If you can’t look at the photo and see an aesthetic similarity that’s fine. I do. I think it actually looks a lot more like the DT than the COP does, but whatever. It’s all subjective. Suit yourself.
What is sad is how this web site supports MAIG … really sad
http://goo.gl/HvdrR
Really
6 shots with the .45 and the web of my hand was swollen and sore for a week…there is no slide racking back to help with recoil. Will a ported barrel be less punishing? I doubt it. Also, with 3 types of factory ammo, when I fired one round, the primer in the unfired round had a dimple. I called DT and they call it a “witness mark”…I call it a risk that both barrels could fire at once. I cannot trust it as safe to fire, besides the discomfort. If you can save your pennies until you can afford one, the Rohrbaugh is about the same size, reasonably pleasant to shoot, and 5 rounds 9mm Gold Dot will do the job. Thank you.
Let’s not forget this is a Derringer pistol. Consider, 2 rounds. That’s it. Right? In real life use at 15 ft or so, any Derringer type pistol is only good for 2 rounds. Not enough time to reload anyhow. Remember the word Derringer? When comparing the DT to other concealed pistols, the multiple rounds vs 2 is the real factor. Using the DT in real life (defense), how the pistol impacts your hand is the least worry you’ll have. Point, shoot then ….whatever. That’s it. Right?
Outstanding and thorough review!!!!
I’m sure plenty of people would rather have two rounds of .45 ACP than 7 rounds of .380 (and much faster reloads)
Only if my opponent was standing one yard in front with the gun already in my hand, pointed at his chest. Nice review.
“Only if my opponent was standing one yard in front with the gun already in my hand, pointed at his chest.”
How about if an attacker were on top you, pounding your skull against the pavement? Would 2 rounds of .45 acp be enough at point-blank range?
Sounds like a valid option to me.
For those who are from “Da Lou” and know guns – just remember this is one of the principals of ‘Shooting Systems’ and ‘Assault Systems’.
That alone will tell you how seriously to take this pathetic joke…
Poo. If you can’t afford it than dont buy it. I for one would not want to get shot with it…. Don’t dish people because you can only afford a HI-Point. Nothing to be ashamed of as they are great guns.
Won’t replace my PM9, but dang it, I like it. Shave the price and make a set of .32 mag and .22lr barrels, and they’ll really interest me.
The whole *point* of this gun is that you get a .45 acp that conceals in your front pocket. Chambering it in a smaller caliber defeats its utility.
.327 federal would not defeat the gun’s utility, enabling use if the shorter rimmed .32s at the user’s discretion. .22lr is a natural accessory barrel set for any of the centerfire versions to aid in training or good ol’ fashion fun.
Designing the rimfire barrel set to work on the centerfire receiver might be a challenge. There is no point in having to buy an entire doubletap for rimfire.
Bet there will be a market for the Hogue handall grips for these!
F***, NO! Who wants this thing stuck in your pocket?
Guy next to me at the range brought one today.
First Impression: Nice and small, well made with great fit and finish.
Second Impression: Smooth trigger right up until it stacks harder than Gus-Gus stacking corn in Cinderella.
Third Impression: Ouch! Not too much recoil or muzzleflip but that crazy shape and abrupt angles really hurt.
I only fired two rounds. Driving home I had the same thought as Wood above, some third party grips (or adequate wraps of black tape if I owned it) would make all the difference.
Yes, it really is quite weird how there isn’t much muzzle flip or really that much perceived recoil at all, yet it still manages to hurt so darn bad. It’s very controllable… but hurts.
Confirmed that mine is on its way back to me with a ported 9mm barrel and a ported .45 ACP barrel to test out. Hopefully I’ll be able to do a little shooting this weekend, including some high speed video showing any difference in flip & recoil ported vs. non-ported. And I won’t forget my gloves!
PIECE OF JUNK
10 LBS TRIGGER PULL – FAT CHANCE
FIRST TIME OUT BOTH BARRELS WENT OFF AT THE SAME TIME, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT TWO 45 ACP ROUNDS FIRED SIMULTANEOUSLY FEELS LIKE IN YOUR HAND–I CAN TELL YOU—EIGHT STICHES WORTH OF PAIN, THAT WHAT.
SAVE YOUR MONEY AND SHOOTING HAND- BUY ANYTHING ELSE
LOL. The way the DT is designed both rounds can not go off at once. It is impossible. I call BS Janet!!
Exactly, Roger. I call BS on a lot of these retarded comments. Sounds like half these people would rather have a Glock 21 locked up secure in their gun safes, than 2 rounds of 45 tucked discreetly in their front pocket.
I’m buying.
Please see my comments from July 3…there I point out why it is entirely possible that both rounds could fire at once.
roger, SD3, you guys are absolutely and completely wrong about this. Not only can the DT conceivably “double,” because the design does not sufficiently prevent the non-active firing pin from slamming forwards when the gun recoils, but it HAS “doubled” for a handful of owners. All of these occurrences were just statements online that it happened until this one was caught on video (and I’m linking to the video like 5 seconds before it happens): youtu.be/KcY4tjTmroE?t=6m11s
I understand your confusion when you say “The way the DT is designed both rounds can not go off at once. It is impossible.” If you look at the trigger mechanism, you are correct that it will not fire both firing pins with one trigger pull. BUT, that’s not why these guns sometimes DO fire both rounds at once. This happens because the firing pins aren’t held back inside of the firing pin channel with a strong enough spring (plus there’s no physical firing pin block). When the gun recoils backwards very quickly, the inertia of the firing pin that wasn’t just hit by the hammer tries to keep it exactly where it is in space, which means it wants to shoot out through the breech face (well, it means the breech face shoots backwards and the pin stays still, but the effect is the same). That spring is supposed to keep it back in its home. Clearly it isn’t strong enough (and/or the firing pins have too much mass), and sometimes it pokes out of the breech face with enough force to ignite the 2nd round. This is the same thing as what happens with some guns that “slam fire” like the SKS was always rumored to do. Just like so many guns, including lots of pistols, would do if dropped on the muzzle and the firing pin pops out and sets off a round. This is the reason nearly all modern pistols have firing pin blocks that actually lock the firing pin in place unless the block is disengaged (usually pulling the trigger does this). It’s colloquially called a “drop safety,” but in this gun, because there’s a second firing pin in a second barrel, the force of the recoil is acting on the firing pin just like a drop on the muzzle would. There is NO firing pin block provision on the DT, so your statement that the “design” prevents a ‘slam fire’ from happening is completely incorrect. There is no design feature in place to prevent the firing pin from popping out. This gun could also fire BOTH cylinders if it’s dropped on the muzzle and decelerates quickly enough to make the firing pins pop out .
Thanks for this very useful explanation. I don’t think these guns are selling well for this reason. The price is below $200. The .45 is tempting but I think I’ll pass until the company addresses the double firing issue.
JANET!!!, I doubt your Neanderthal finger would fit inside the trigger guard, sweetie. Lie down before you hurt yourself, dear.
I’ve got your back Janet! I bought a 45 DT last week. Finally got to the range today, and bought some new 45 ammunition. Loaded up the first two rounds, took aim and pulled the trigger and BAM! The most excruciating pain I had ever felt. I’m used to shooting hundreds of rounds through my XDS 45, and even though I expected quite more kick, this was unbelievable. After gaining my composure I decided pulled around out of the gun. (Difficult when it feels like your hand is broken). Obviously one round was spent, and the other one should’ve been live. I couldn’t even get the gun open! So now I get a guy from the range to come over to see if he has any luck, but no luck there. So I box it back up and take it back to the store where they’re able to open up the gun and get the rounds out. And guess what… both rounds had fired simultaneously. This is why the recoil was so severe. I honestly felt like my hand was broken, and not looking forward to a week of discomfort. Those guys saying it’s impossible for this gun to fire two rounds simultaneously, I call bullshit! I’m sending the gun back for repairs and will call and speak to DT directly, and if this isn’t something they can guarantee me will never happen again I’m getting rid of the gun.
I’ve put about 15 rounds of factory . 45 230 grain, non- plus P , various brands with no problems…. I also bought the rubber practice grips, which are a nice help for your hands, as this is a rough gun to shoot, so I’m really wondering why some are having double fires, maybe there are some defective guns out there, mine was a early build, so I would think that those would most likely have the problems… Mine is a good little gun for it’s intended purposes….. Hope those who are having problems can get them sorted out…
Cool locking crazy price and quirky. I’m in….
My .45 Doubletap also doubled on me yesterday tearing the web of my hand open pretty bad. I’ve been getting a fairly significant witness mark on the unfired round after I fire the 1st one so its definitely possible.
Two people now have posted injuries from both .45 rounds firing at once, so you can be certain that this has happened to other people who do not post on firearms sites. If you notice a “witness mark” on the unfired round, you are risking injury by firing that weapon. The company rep said there was no danger of a double ignition when I reported this issue to them early July…after a few lawsuits, they may take this seriously. Tendon damage or infection in the web of the hand could result in a permantly crippled hand.
Bought one; carry it; love it!
Ditto!
Just bought one on GB as I’m looking for a pistol for my Concealed Carry Shirts when trail running (the type w/ elastic holsters built in). My everyday, everywhere guns are a pair of Smith&Wesson 317 revolvers in 22LR so if these DT work out I’ll have something for deepest carry & for when I want a minimalist carry when running…BTW if I find it adequate I will get a 2nd DT as I like to carry symmetrically, all that being said I am concerned if there really is a risk of Double Fire from a DT ! Kind Readers please advise, thanks.
Aaron, contact Aegis Armory & tell them to start offing their “sheath” & “guardian” holsters for the doubletap. Looks like it could be the right answer, to me.
While I appreciate the innovation, I wouldn’t want to shoot it or own it.
Good review of a cool little gun. When these came out, the 45 in Ti was on my want list, but considering I find my LCP unpleasant to shoot and I already have a Kahr Arms 45, I’m not sure this is the gun for me.
Ben, I’ve shot the lcp, and trust me, the recoil on this gun is no worse. It’s certainly not pleasant to shoot, but it’s no where near as bad as the BS reviews I’ve been reading.
Horrible trigger, horrible sights, extremely limited capacity, brutal recoil, unimpressive power. Nobody would bother to practice enough with this to get even remotely competent. No doubt one could throw it more accurately than one could shoot it.
You’d be better off with a cap and ball revolver, then you could disappear in the cloud of smoke it creates.
Hike your skirt up, already. It’s not that bad. I’m a flinch-o-matic, little recoil-pu$$y, & I shoot it just fine. Granted, I won’t put 50 rounds through it in one session, but who cares? It’s a 5 to 7 foot gun at best. Point & shoot. Limited capacity? Duh. But if you can’t hit someone who’s on top of you, you deserve to get your ass beat.
It’s a 45. And it disappears in my pocket. What else do you need to know?
Just read the review in American Rifleman. I’d never heard of the weapon until today. I liked what I read, like what I’ve seen online and this weekend I’m going to try to locate one locally to purchase. I love the concept of tiny guns with a huge bores. I think the smooth lines will work well with pocket carry (which I often do at work). While I doubt they’d ever actually be used I love the internal spare rounds. With loaded chambers, the 2 internal rounds and a 6 round speed strip I’d feel adequately armed at the store I manage. For me it would also be ideal for dropping in my pocket when I go biking or walking. Add a laser sight while keeping it thin and it would look ideal, at least on paper.
XDs is slightly larger and recoils softer… Good informative review. May get one in .45…..
I’ll stick with my $300 Ruger LCP; tried, true, manageable. Regardless of what I carry, I would not want to be on the receiving end.
Not for me….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcY4tjTmroE
Sounds like a great way to save on ammo!
39 years of Law Enforcement and gun carrying has taught me a lot.
I have owned many many guns of differnt calibers, and for differnt purposes.
I have S&W light weight .357 5 shot revelovers, and have owned many compact .380s also.
I like the stopping power of a large caliber weapon, like a .45…..my favorite weapon is a Sig P-220 Elite, great but full size and heavy….
I got one of these DT in ported .45, reason: great for wearing out in a nicely dressed environment, IE: suit or sport coat, or warm weather wear…when not in a high risk environment, and having something would be far better than nothing should a sudden need occur….. for this purpose this gun is excellent, Have fired it and it is tough on the hand, but in a life or death struggle, you would not even notice, and I believe it will reliably get the job done, so you can go home afterwards….You also don’t have any of the issues that can come from a semi-auto….failure to feed, stove pipe ejection, not fully seated magazine, double ramp feed, etc…. Just two quick powerful shots, that should stop just about anyone they hit….It’s not cheap, but it’s a well made quality firearm built for a specific purpose
I just purchased one used in 9mm. I haven’t fired it yet, and I’m concerned of it firing both barrels at once.
I wouldn’t worry, just use qualty non plus P, factory ammo……
I have also seen where people have attempted to prepare this firearm to fire the bottom barrel first, by dry firing it once empty before loading it, things like that may have lead to a couple of aldeged double fireings…. I’m sure if a real issue existed, the guns would all be recalled to avoid huge law suits and company liabilities….I have a .45 version and they now also sell a rubber grip to make it more comfortable to practice with
I have not seen any instances of ‘doubling’ happening in 9mm. There have been at least three properly documented instances of it doubling in .45, though, including a couple on video.
Weavman, you’re a bit mistaken about the whole attempting to prepare it for firing from the bottom barrel first thing (or at least in your implication that this is something weird or other than the gun was designed for). There’s no “reset” or anything. The trigger system is extremely simple and each time you pull the trigger it fires one firing pin and then the next, over and over and over. Which one fires first depends on nothing more than which one fired last. As you receive the gun from the factory, it could be either barrel. Totally random. Now you CAN choose which one you want to go first by dry firing it, like you said. You could choose top or bottom. By simply looking at the firing pins you can tell which one is going to go next, as one pin is recessed into the frame more than the other pin and which one is forwards and which one is backwards changes depending on which is next up. If “doubling” only happens when the bottom one fires first or only when the top one fires first, or if it happens in either scenario, I have no idea. But it DOES happen! At least in .45 versions.
I have a ported .45 DT, it hasn’t had any issues with both rounds firing at the same time, at least with different factory ammos I fired in it…. It is tuff on you hand, got some of their new rubber slip over grips, which I think will help with that issue alot….
I still like this gun, for the right situations… Wouldn’t want to take on a terrorist with an AK, but much rather have 2 rounds of .45 than a pea shooter or nothing, but thats just me
I saw at the recent Shot Show, that Heizer is making their own version now, a single barrel in .45 LC / .410 shot gun
Looks very similar, a little more rounded off, I think it slso uses Heizers rollor bearing trigger system, only comes in SS or Titanium, no aluminum… They are working on other calibers as well for the future….
After reading all the bad review on the DT 45 I am wondering if I made a bad decision in purchasing one. I have a Bond 410/45LC and at first was afraid to shoot it until contacting Bond in Texas. Great people and they assured me the recoil wasn’t bad and it isn’t. It is a beautiful derringer but at my 73 years and now arthritis in hands I no longer can cock it and this being reason for getting the DT 45….maybe I should have settled for the 9MM. I figure with 2 shots I need as much punch as I can get. Hey All good reviews. I enjoyed them.
No thanks. My 11 oz. S&W 340PD is lighter and fits nicely in my pocket. No more noticeable than my wallet in my other pocket and not too bad to shoot mild .357 and pretty good with .38 +P, if you use the right grips. Plus I get 5 shots and it is not ammo fussy at all. I just cannot fell comfortable with only two rounds. I would rather carry my NAA .22 mag. mini revolver. At least I get 5 shots of a round that has surprising penetration and expands using the new ammo by Speer, Hornady and others.
I have the Doubletap 45ACP, I have shot 15 to 20 rounds at a sitting, it is a bit punishing but I am a regular large caliber shooter and love the gun. Great concealed. Small enough to ensure you have it with you all the time. Get the size you can handle well. I believe small amounts of well placed rounds with big caliber is my approach. Not for the beginner or limp wristed soft handed shooter.
gun looks good,want one real bad but watching the guy that used bad language discourage me.
2rounds is better than NO rounds. No handgun cartridge is ideal to carry. A good shotgun or Swat team is always good to have with you if you know a fight is coming. This gun does well for what it is supposed to be used for. Price has dropped to $399 recently.
Buds has the ported 45acp version for $289. Price is way lower than last year.
That is very tempting, extremely flat flat gun, rounded corners, 45acp cartridge, ported barrels!
I found this review when searching for info about this gun. I knew this derringer existed and I was amused at the decision to call out “Earth” after “St Louis, MO, USA” with this novel looking gun. At the full list price I was happy others were happy with it… but at $289 I bit. At the distance this gun could conceivably ever be used, 2 rounds of 45 might get me away and to a bigger gun or to a cop.
the dt is
45
smallest
no cock
soft feel
easy use
go to
maintain free
appendage
confidence
hidden
sexy
within reach
black
strong trigger pull (yes thats a plus)
fits any shooter
surprise
reliable
technical
loving
reminder
buddy
tethered
007
my choice
back up
i carry a g30
this dt is its firearm mate
uses like ammo
i am a big guy
the dt IS a perfect gun for big hands
i also use my hands a lot at least 14 a day and can crush just about anything barehanded
the dt is most welcome part of my
strength training reward in that it has had
no problem staying in my grasp
It hasn’t injured cut bruised shaken scared or intimidate any contact with it
This gun will choose you
But as always you may not be able to choose it because we are all made different
Think about only the facts
45
small
no cock
easy access
dinner jacket gun
This pistol in .45 IS a pain to shoot, literally – but there is good news, folks – I switched to 180 grain for practice (still harsh!) and 165gr hollow point (Federal Hydra-Shok) and 140gr Sinter frangible ammo. The 140 grain isn’t bad at all and at about 32 bucks for a box of 50, it will not break the bank for a defense round. It still hurts but there is a HUUUUGE difference!
Replying to my own comment! DO NOT BUY THIS PISTOL! At first it seemed ok – it is not. This pistol is DANGEROUS to the shooter! I had a double fire and do did the guy who insisted on buying it from me despite my warning. He felt like he knew something that I somehow did not. I never used anything but standard non + anything type ammo.
You are taking chances you will wish that you had not taken by using this pistol.
Did I say earlier DONT BUY IT??
If not, DO NOT BUY THIS HAZARDOUS, DOUBLE SHOOTING PISTOL! If you ignore this warning, you only have yourself to blame!
I think this is an excellent gun for the non-trained user. I got one for my wife in 9mm (it was under $250). She works behind a counter in a building by herself and takes cash payments, often alone. I’d rather she have a double barrel sawed off shotgun, but it wouldn’t lay nearly as nicely in the top desk drawer. Point it at the bad guy and pull the trigger. Twice..
Heck of a deal right now at Budsguns.com. Double taps $229.00 delivered!! Including onew with ported barrels. They still have training grips too.
I got my second one for half price.
I bought one just after release to the public for my wife to carry. Two visits to the range… the trigger pull is WAY too heavy. This gun will not “fly”. 😉
The price keeps dropping on these guns. Did the company ever address the double firing issue? I can’t find anything on line about a recall. I was thinking of getting the .45 (I’ll stick with my Ruger LCP rather than carry a 2 shot 9mm) I have seen numerous reviews/comments about double firing. I’m not anxious to find out what 2 .45 acp cartridges firing simultaneously in a small, thin pistol feels like!
Buds has them for under $200 now and free delivery.
I’ve had a concealed carry permit for 20 yrs and have never carried except to range or hunt. I would carry regularly for all the reasons this gun exists. Non printing light weight, big caliber, da, safety free piece of mind weapon. Price hovering at $200 plus practice grips makes this the first time I would consider an edc. I might not be your typical cc permit guy, but this is my take on it.
Sounds like a big loser. And Bud’s ( their customer service stinks big time) is dumping them. I prefer my TCP, and with MagSafe or DRT ammo (first 2-3) followed with Fiocchi XTP’s , it should do the job with 7 rounds and fast reloads… but another good option is the Kahr PM9 or PM40, or the less expensive version CM9 or CM40. Any of which are FAR superior in function and quality to this goofy thing, and pocket carry size, only a little bigger than the DT.
I just purchased a 9mm for $179.00 at Gander Mountain. Took it out shooting 4 rounds. Handed it to my Step Son and told him it was his. It is unique and possibly useful as a back-up gun, but not for me.
As in the photo comparison, do yourself a favor and buy the Taurus 380….
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Wow- what a bunch of betas. Hurts your hand? This is not a “train at the range” gun. Good grief. It’s a wlr. Look that up all you spec ops commandos. It’s a point and click if you’re about to be killed. It’s a backup. Thanks for the entertainment, ladies.
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