Davis D-22

Davis Industries · Pistol · Discontinued · 1982

Also known as: Davis Industries D-22, D-22 Derringer

Overview

The Davis D-22 is a compact two-shot over/under derringer chambered in .22 Long Rifle, produced by Davis Industries of Chino, California. Built on an inexpensive zinc-alloy frame with a tip-up barrel block that pivots open for loading two cartridges, it is fired by a single-action external hammer through a single trigger that alternates between the two barrels. As one of the inexpensive pocket pistols made by California's so-called 'Ring of Fire' manufacturers, the D-22 was marketed as a low-cost, easily concealed personal-defense gun.

Specifications

Weight (empty)269 g (9.5 oz)
Overall Length104 mm (4.09")
Barrel Length61 mm (2.40")
Height72 mm (2.83")
Action TypeBreak Action
Firing MechanismHammer Fired
Trigger TypeSingle Action
Magazine Capacity2 rounds
Magazine TypeNone
Effective Range7 m (8 yd)
Barrel RiflingRight Hand
Frame MaterialZinc Alloy
Barrel MaterialSteel
FinishBlued

Calibers

Features

Variants

Production

Production years: 1982-1999

Davis Industries was one of the high-volume 'Ring of Fire' Saturday-night-special makers in Southern California; the company ceased operations in the late 1990s and its designs were later continued by successor firms.

Origin

Country of origin: United States

Designer: Davis Industries

Discontinued: 1999

Notes

The break-open barrel block tips up for loading; a single trigger fires the upper and lower barrels in sequence. The D-22 was also offered in .22 WMR, with sibling models D-25 (.25 ACP) and D-32 (.32 ACP) sharing the same frame design.

Background

Davis Industries was founded by Jim Davis and became one of the cluster of low-cost handgun makers around Los Angeles dubbed the 'Ring of Fire.' Its inexpensive derringers and pocket pistols were among the most frequently traced firearms in the United States during the 1990s, which made the company a focus of gun-control litigation; it filed for bankruptcy at the end of the decade.