Improvements to the Jaco Derringer

By LeRoy (80 MONZTA) 2006

These are the improvements that I have done while building my version of the Jaco designed
derringer. This is a pretty well designed pistol, I would have no worries about building it in .22
magnum, .17 Mach II or .17 HMR, using modifications in section (A).

(A) Breech block. Firing pin hole is not connected with the sight notch. Firing pin hole is
drilled, and then top of the back side is filed to give clearance for the firing pin
movement. Where breech block passes through the side plates, the bottom edge is
rounded instead of being square. I did this because I wanted to avoid a crack forming
from the square corner.

(B) Trigger and Hammer pins. Smaller diameter on one end prevents pin from falling
through, and other end is held by the retainer.

(C) Retainer for Trigger and Hammer pins. Made from .025 diameter music wire.

(D) Trigger spring. Made from .015 diameter music wire, hooks on floor plate extension
show in section (E).

(E) Floor plate. Has extra length, and is bent up and slotted to give Trigger spring a place to
hook on to. This section also shows the retainer part (C) in position.

(F) Hammer. A 4-40 set screw is used to adjust the amount of sear engagement. (I have mine
set to a very light hair trigger, only cocking it just prior to shooting.) A roll pin is used to
hold the firing pin in place. I had to add serrations to the hammer, as it was too slippery
with it smooth.

(G) Latch assembly. Part #10 front edge is tapered so that #9 can be driven out, to
disassemble gun. Rear edge of #10 and front of #12 turned down to slip inside spring.
This makes parts #10, #11 and #12 stay together for ease of assembly.

(H) Side plates. Upper rear cross-pin rivet should be to the rear as far as possible. Side plates
could even be lengthened, to move this pin rearward. Double sided scotch tape worked
very well to hold the side plates together while shaping them.

(I) Extractor. Where arrow is pointing, I trimmed this surface only enough so that when
open, a cartridge can be inserted and removed above the rear sight.

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