Heizer Defense has intro’d its first new product, a derringer-like hammerless pocket pistol they call “the world’s smallest and lightest .45 ACP conceal carry pistol on the market today.” Heizer’s original business is aerospace parts which appears to have influenced its use of materials for the new gun. This ain’t no plastic fantastic – the DOUBLETAP is made of titanium. Depressing the thumb latch releases the tilt-forward over/under ported barrels and ejects spent cartridges, shotgun-style. The unique design also accommodates two more cartridges held in the grip for reloads. Just in case you plan on carrying it to infinity and beyond, Heizer wants no mistake made about their manufacturing location. It’s stamped right there on the side: ST. LOUIS MO, USA, EARTH. Our wrists ache just thinking about it, but watch this space for a review just as soon as we can get our grubby little hands on one.
Looks like a rich man’s Liberator, can’t wait for the review.
+1, Earthling. It’s an interesting, maybe even cool, concept.
Ouuuch…
I’m curious what the actual weight is for that thing.
The weight is 14 oz.
I think I’d buy one.
+1
Great for the “basketball shorts to the corner store” type situation. For a super short barrel like this give me a .45. With barrels this short I want weight because velocity is gonna be a non issue.
Super short barrels, super light frame, and .45 ACP? My wrist started complaining just from me reading this. No thanks. I’ll stick with my government-size 1911.
It’s not for me yet I sent the information to a friend who will probably buy it. Twenty port holes on that thing; he’ll love it.
Prolly better if they did it in 9mm…
Give them time. I’m sure they will.
Reminds me of the old 1880’s Remington 2-shot derringer in .41 rimfire. It was a fairly anemic blackpowder cartridge, but at “across the poker table range” it was quite effective. Any other old farts out there remember the TV show “Yancey Derringer”? A riverboat gambler who carried several, including one in his hat.
Also looks a bit like the not-so-old (1970s) High Standard .22mag derringer – 2-shot, top break.
I’m an old fart and remember about all the old Westerns on the tube, including Yancy Derringer. I even here the theme song in my head.
I expect the recoil on that baby would be fierce.
In having a serious weakness for all things titanium.. yes, I’ll take two.
Don’t let anyone you know buy a titanium wedding band. Very dangerous.
Not just titanium, pretty much any of the base metal wedding bands(tungsten carbide, cobalt, etc)
Thanks! I was trying to remember the name of that metal tungsten carbide. I believe that one is responsible for more fingers being forced to be cut-off by firefighters when someones gets their finger caught in machinery. The jaws of life will not cut the metal ring apart.
sigh. another interesting toy that won’t be allowed to law-abiding citizens in CA. 🙁
Has any one seen or heard of a price yet??
They have a website up, and you can go to the OutDoorsChannel.com and get it there, they will have this in 45 acp or 9mm. 499.00 for aluminum unported or 799.00 for titanium ported. Thats MSRP so I would expect they will actually go for less than that. Still a pricey little gun but I want one eventually if the reviews go well.
Oh I want one…
I love my full size 1911, but this would be a sweet BUG or like someone else said, a very easy pocket carry for light dress.
One more round than my Downsizer..bigger too..
Reminds of the Downsizer.
It was also offered in .45 ACP single shot break open sideways.
The .357 was almost hand crippling.
I know from the one shot experience.
It’s hard to think of a situation where a pistol like this would work, and a Ruger LCP would fail. The ammunition size is great, but the pistol is just too compromised to take full advantage. I’d rather have a more conventional tiny pistol, or a slightly larger .45 of 9mm Baby Glock.
This is still totally sweet for sheer novelty and I love the totally justified ATF wisecrack.
I hate to be a killjoy, but what problem does this gun solve?
It doesn’t work as a threat. If you’re confronted by a baddie and you whip this out, he would just squint at it. Is that lighter? A money clip? Who knows.
And if you decided that some person out there in the world had insufficient bullet holes in his body and you sallied forth to remedy that, would you really want a derringer, inaccurate and with only a few shots?
If I need someone to know I have a gun, I want a big, scary, Dirty Harry gun, ideally one that makes loud, scary, scrotum-tightening noises when I chamber a round. I just need someone to depart the planet, I want ammo. Lots and lots of ammo.
Please.. This is a “get off me gun” or a “belly gun”.. ie, the last line of defense. If you think you need a gun to scare someone with the sound it makes while you chamber the round you should be carrying in the chamber already, then chances are you’re just going to get yourself shot. Leave your unchambered gun at home and stay out of scary places. You never want someone to know you have the gun until after you’ve already shot them.
This gun serves a distinct purpose and looks like it might do a good job at it. I look forward to hearing more about it.
This thing would be perfect for ankle carry for someone who carries a 1911 or really any .45 acp semi.
I agree, I would carry this along with my 38 J-Frame.
Cool! I want one.
But it is a bit of a puzzlement. Back when men were men and only a pansy would use ear protection the .357 and .44 magnums got a reputation for ferocious recoil. Then we started using ear protection and, meh, the recoil wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t the recoil at all, it was the paint-peeling muzzle blast.
I can take recoil, but I fear the combination of short barrel and ports would leave me writhing on the ground, blinded, clutching my ears and screaming “ow! ow! Ooow!” after the first shot. Unless I had the bad guy back off for a sec while I put my plugs in and muffs and glasses on.
Shorter, I wish the belly gun manufacturers would offer models of their weapons without all the holes in the barrel. With the adrenalin generated in a gunfight I doubt the recoil would be troublesome but nobody can not notice their eardrums bursting and the muzzle flash in low light must resemble a flash-bang. Hard to stay in the fight when you can’t see.
As a “get-off-me” gun, maybe. But even then it looks pretty ineffective. I’ve done some testing of a Para Warthog, whose 3″ barrel launches a .45 hardball round at a bit over 500 fps to shove it about 3″ into a stack of wet phone books, as contrasted to 850 fps for a full-size 1911 which drives the bullet in about a foot. These barrels allow maybe 1″ ahead of the cartridges–and they’re ported, which will dissipate pressure immediately. The gun is going to make a whole lot of noise, but I’d be surprised if its slug–especially a hollowpoint–can penetrate a motorcycle jacket.
Would you be the one to risk wearing the leather jacket? I think not Haluska. Even just one of the bullets from this piece will certainly sting enough to make you cry for an ambulance to come and take your sad sorry backside to hospital. Assuming the guy you attacked didn’t stick the muzzle in your ear! Get a grip on reality, guy. It’s not a toy.
This is definitely a get the hell off me gun . a last ditch effort to stop the bad guy at point blank range. It is clear to me that it should be carried as a backup or an in addition to weapon, as opposed to an I’ll just carry this instead of type weapon. Also on the plus side the 45acp punches a big hole even with hard ball ammo. That is the key to handgun defense to me. ie: Big ugly wounds bleed a lot more than neat little pencil size holes. Just my 2 cents worth
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