by Jeff Quinn – Gunblast.com

photography by Jeff Quinn & Boge Quinn

April 20th, 2009

If you have never handled a Bond, forget everything that you know about derringers. For over 150 years, the term “derringer” has been used to describe what most think of as a cheap, light, short, two-barreled last ditch backup gun. Manufacturers in the late nineteenth century jumped on the popularity of Henry Deringer’s small pocket guns, and started cranking out pistols of varying quality to satisfy the market. Ever since, derringers have been available that chambered small caliber cartridges into pistols that were cheap to build and sell. For what they are, these derringers serve their purpose, and certainly can put two reasonably quick shots into an opponent at close range, but are sometimes lacking in quality of materials, manufacture, safety, and power. Some of these pistols will slam-fire, and can also fire if dropped on their hammer. Most on the market today are made from zinc alloys, and work pretty well, but lack the quality and size to chamber powerful big bore cartridges.

Enter Bond Arms, Inc. of Granbury, Texas. The Bond Arms derringers exude quality. Some would call them the “Cadillac” of derringers. I would not. I have owned Cadillacs. Very good automobiles, but they are not up to the quality standards of Bond Arms. The closest that I can relate to the quality of the Bond pistols is the Freedom Arms revolvers. Most revolver shooters are familiar with Freedom Arms. Freedom makes the finest revolvers on the planet, and Bond Arms makes the finest derringers ever built. Ever. Made from machined stainless steel, the Bond is the derringer perfected. The Bond has a rebounding hammer and spring-loaded firing pins, adding greatly to the safety of the design. The hammer is blocked from forward movement unless the trigger is pulled, to prevent the weapon from firing if dropped upon its hammer. In addition, the Bond has a crossbolt safety that effectively blocks the hammer from contact with the firing pins. It is very simple to use, but I prefer to rely upon the rebounding hammer and block, and do not use the crossbolt. To prevent the crossbolt safety from being accidentally pushed into the “on safe” position, a small set screw can be tightened with an Allen wrench, to lock the crossbolt into either the “on safe” or “off safe” positions. To load and fire the Bond, a side lever is pushed downward, releasing the barrels to swing upward for loading. After loading, the barrels are closed, the hammer is manually cocked, and the trigger is pressed backward and slightly downward to fire. The locking block is angled, or cammed, in the design, and self-adjusts to stay tight as the gun wears, much like the lockup on a modern double-barreled shotgun. Come to think of it, the Snake Slayer is a double-barreled shotgun! The trigger pull on the sample gun released cleanly with seven and one-quarter pounds of pressure. This is a good pull on a pistol of this type. It is not too heavy, and not too light. The barrels alternate in firing sequence, without resetting when the action is opened. Most prefer to fire the bottom barrel first, and looking at the block on the hammer that contacts the firing pins, one can determine the sequence of firing. The Snake Slayer has a trigger guard, which is removable if desired, but there are models available without a trigger guard, for those who prefer it that way. I really like the trigger guard. It makes the weapon easier to handle for me, and is not in the way at all. The Bond derringers are available chambered for several different cartridges, and the barrels are interchangeable. The sample pistol wore a set of three and one-half inch .45 Colt/.410 Snake Slayer barrels, but also had spare four and three-sixteenths inch .45 Colt/.410 Snake Slayer IV and .38 Special/.357 Magnum Defender barrels that were shipped to me as well. The chamberings offered by Bond include the following:

45 Colt/.410 Shot Shell, rifled bore
.357 Magnum/.38 Special
.357 Maximum
.45 ACP
.45 Colt
.45 GAP
.44 Special
.44 WCF (.44-40)
.40 S&W
10 mm Auto
9 mm Luger
.32 H & R Magnum
.22 Long Rifle

Changing barrels is the definition of simplicity. Swing open the barrels, and remove the hinge screw with a Allen wrench. Insert the other set of barrels and replace the hinge screw. It takes very little effort and less than a minute to switch barrels. The extractor is built into the barrels, so no change is necessary for that part. The extractor is spring-loaded, and works to extract any of the rimmed cartridges automatically, lifting them slightly as the barrels are swung open. While several cartridge options are available, the bread and butter of the Bond line is their .45 Colt/.410 shotshell versions, such as the Snake Slayer shown here. The versatility of that combination is outstanding, allowing the pistol to chamber a variety of .45 Colt ammunition, and either two and one-half or three inch .410 shotshells, including birdshot, buckshot, and slugs. The three inch buckshot load usually contains five pellets of either 00 or 000 size, and at close range, is devastating on flesh. The pattern spreads pretty quickly, but at typical fighting distances, the buckshot is a very good choice. At contact distances typical in a gunfight, even birdshot is an excellent choice. While called the Snake Slayer, this handgun would be an ideal defense against a carjacker. Carried in the Bond Driving holster, it is quick into action, and a face-full of number six birdshot will repel any attacker, leaving him either dead or worse, blind for the rest of his life. Taurus is selling all of “The Judge” .45/.410 revolvers that they can make, but the Bond double barrel is much more compact than even the lightweight Judge, and fires the full-length three inch shotshell. The lightweight Judge is only offered in the two and one-half inch version. You have to go with the much-heavier steel Judge to get the three inch chamber. It is neither as light nor as compact as the Snake Slayer. While the Judge offers three more shots without reloading, the two in the Snake Slayer are plenty for any snake, and should suffice for close range defense from human predators as well. I like the Judge, but for a packing gun, I greatly prefer the Bond. The three and one-half inch barreled Snake Slayer weighed in at 21.8 ounces on my scale, and has an overall length of only five and one-half inches. It is a true pocket pistol, laying pretty flat, but I prefer to carry in the driving holster.

Shooting the Bond Snake Slayer was a pleasure. Recoil, with even the stoutest .410 shot loads was easy to control, thanks to the excellent design of the grip. Having that extra length to accommodate the little finger makes a world of difference, as does the trigger guard in helping to control the pistol. The recoil of the .45 Colt ammunition varied from mild to heavy, depending of course upon the load chosen. However, while shooting .45 Colt ammo from the Snake Slayer is a good option, I prefer to think of this thing as close range protection from poisonous snakes and two-legged vipers, and in that capacity, the .410 birdshot and buckshot excels. Shot patterns at close range with .410 birdshot were superior to any centerfire handgun shot cartridges that I have ever used. While the bores are rifled on the Snake Slayer, the shot load did not exhibit a donut pattern, and as can be seen in the picture, a snake would have no chance of squirming through that shot pattern, and neither would an attacker in a close range fight.

The Bond Arms Snake Slayer is a very unique weapon, like nothing else on the market. It is a specialized weapon, ideally suited for carry in poisonous snake country, and an excellent choice for a handgun to carry while driving an automobile. It is compact, relatively lightweight for the power that it packs, and built with pride by American craftsmen in the state of Texas. It is a good weapon, and I highly recommend it.

Check out the entire line of Bond Arms firearms and accessories online at www.bondarms.com.

For the location of a Bond Arms dealer near you, click here.

The unseasonably warm South Texas weather slowed deer hunting to a crawl. With only 15 minutes of daylight and a 30-minute walk back to the truck, I left my blind a little early. I was sweating, and little gnats swarmed around my face. I brushed them away in aggravation as I walked along a well worn cow path that cut through the prickly pear cactus and mesquite brush. I had walked in on that same trail and other than a few cottontails bouncing in and out of the brush, I hadn’t seen living thing.

As I swatted the gnats from my eyes, I slipped in full stride, losing my balance and nearly falling headlong onto the ground. Somehow I managed to find my balance and righted myself. I looked down at my boots, expecting that I’d stepped in a fresh cow pie and slipped. To my surprise, there was no cow manure on my boot soles. What the heck had I slipped on, anyway? I looked behind me and saw the source of my slip — a huge diamondback rattlesnake coiled up no more than 15 inches from my legs, preparing to strike! He’d never rattled.

My first instinct was to jump away, which I did with a gallant adrenaline powered leap, but by then it was getting dark. I fired at him with my deer rifle but missed, and he crawled off unscathed. As the last light of day faded, I realized that I had stepped on the serpent, probably while he was outstretched and sunning himself, and nearly fell right on top of him. Who knows what would have happened if . . .

— Russell Thornberry, 1962

Nothing gets your attention like suddenly finding yourself at arm’s length from a poisonous snake. Sometimes screaming and jumping to record heights works out, and sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes the issue gets down to you and the snake. I always choose me!

Trying to get your wits about you in such a situation can be tough, especially when armed with a deer rifle or a bow and arrow, neither of which is the best weapon for close-range snake protection. That situation is best served with a shotgun full of bird shot, but more often than not, we aren’t toting a shotgun. One can carry only so many arms afield before needing porters.

There is a viable option — a handgun in .44/.410 bore. Several manufacturers offer these, ranging from pocket-size derringers to heavy-duty hip guns that demand stout holsters.

GunHunter Managing Editor Larry Teague and I decided to put several of these snake charmers to the test so that we could report somewhat scientifically what the user might expect of each gun in a close-range snake fest. Each of the three handguns is chambered in .45 Long Colt, which also accepts .410-bore shotshells and metal shotshells in .45 Long Colt. To compare the handguns’ overall performance, we tested four different shot loads in each gun.

Perhaps the greatest surprise was that more shot doesn’t necessarily mean more pellets in the kill zone. As you will notice, each of the handguns tested put more pellets in the kill zone with No. 6 shot than with No. 8. So more pellets fired isn’t necessarily the end-all, be-all.

Given that no two firearms, even of the same make and model, will duplicate one another in such tests, this experiment offers the reader a worthy general comparison.

As one might expect, the longer the barrel, the greater the percentage of pellets in the target zone.

The trade-off, of course, is size and weight. Our three handguns ranged from 11/2 to 4.65 pounds.

Larry and I concluded that each handgun offers worthwhile snake protection at snake-biting range and far exceeds the protective value of screaming and jumping straight up!

Download the article in PDF Format Here

Click Here to Discover How to Profit Like The Ultra-Rich During Times Of Economic Chaos With The Elevation Group

Bond Arms In "America's 1st Freedom" Magazine

America’s 1st Freedom – Bond Arms Review

~ Laurie Lee Dovey

Click Here to Download a PDF of the Aricle, or view here:

[facebook_ilike]

~Charlie Chalk

In the mid-1800′s, Remington developed a double-barrel, pocket pistol, designed to fire a .41 cal. rimfire round.  Mostly used for self-defense, in close quarters, like across the card table from a low down card-cheating snake.  Carried in vest pockets on riverboats, hip pockets of miners in the Alaska gold rush, and ladies muffs in the Victorian Era, the Derringer was chosen as daily partner with a one-two punch.

The Remington design of two stacked barrels, pivoted to swing open for reloading, has existed in many forms over the years, but has never gone out of production.  Today, there are several companies producing versions in various modern calibers, but top of the line, is Bond Arms of Texas.

Bond Arms History

Bond Arms (www.bondarms.com) manufactures the award-winning Bond Arms Derringer – This 8-time SASS (Single Action Shooting Society) world champion was originally organized under the name Texas Armory.  The company became incorporated as Bond Arms in 1995 and was licensed by the BATF as a firearms manufacturer and dealer.  Bond Arms in the leader in the Derringer industry in new product development.  Greg Bond, and engineer and gun lover designed and built this patented and very unique double barrel handgun.

All guns have the patented barrel interchange system, which means that once you buy any gun, you have the option of 14 different barrels and with those, a choice of 24 different cartridges.

Trail Guns

They produce just one frame, but various interchangeable barrels and two grip designs.  Two very popular models are the Ranger and the Snake Slayer.  Other models include the Defender series and the Century 2000.  All, with proper barrels, have the ability to fire .45LC and .410 shotshell.  It is important to note that these shot barrels come in 2.5″ and 3″ and 4.25″ lengths.

Purchasing the “Snake Slayer IV” as a trail gun came about from the ‘itch’ to own a packable, shot firing gun for trail use and if needed, personal defense.  While there are other types of .410 handguns, most are larger and I believe that two shots will probably deal with most issues.  I live in the remote regions of northern New Hampshire and the  there is a certain comfort in packing some type gun wile wandering the woods or while traveling remote back roads.

The ‘SS IV’ comes with a 4.25″ barrel, 3″ chamber and extended rosewood grip panels.  The benefit of this model is that you have better control and accuracy when firing 3″ shells.  When testing the gun with shotshells and .45 long Colt, the shotshells definitely will recoil, but the barrel rises only a few inches and puts you hand in position to cock the second barrel.  The .45LC is quite a bit easier on the hand, and accuracy at 15 feel is quite good, allowing placement of both shots on a playing card.  There is a point of aim difference between barrels, which can be compensated with practice.

I found the windage to be dead-on.  Barrel firing selection is automatic, firing alternately.  You can choose which will fire first by swinging the barrels open and cocking the gun.  The front of the hammer has a firing selector that rises and drops with each cock; to fire that barrel.  After firing, the hammer rebounds to rest off the firing pins and cannot touch the firing pins unless the trigger is pulled, an excellent safety feature.  Across bolt manual safety and key-controlled firing lock are also built on each gun.

Test Firing

Gordon Bond assisted in the testing by sending 9mm and .357/.38 barrels, small grip panels and two holsters.  I wanted to test optional barrels for both fit and accuracy, as well as to see how controllable the small grips would be.  It would be a good option to reduce overall size for those occasions when you want concealability.

Swapping barrels only requires a few seconds and an Allen wrench.  Fit and lockup was perfect every time.  The 9mm barrels along with the four other rimless cartridge choices, lack extractors and instead, have a cutout at the breech, which allows you to pop them out with a fingernail.  Both optional barrels are 3″ length which is perfect for pocket carry.

Further reduction to size was accomplished by replacing the extended grips with the familiar, smaller derringer grip panels.  There are many optional grip panel materials available.  Let me say that the fit of all grips is flawless and the extended grips seem to be cut from the same piece of wood, which provides a seamless wrap around design.

Firing both the 9mm and the .38 provided similar accuracy.  These barrels are a good option for the gun and are easily controllable, even with the small grips.  Overall, the gun weighs 20 oz with these changes.  You can also remove the trigger guard to further reduce the profile, but be aware that some states do not allow this and you also must be careful when holstering the gun.

Replacing the .410/.45 barrel, and dropping in a .410, 2.5″ load of #8, gave a good pattern at 10 feet, with 80% in an 8″ circle.  This should be good enough to dispatch any slithering varmints from a safe distance.  Dropping in .45′s and backing up another five feet, gave me two deadly shots on a playing card.  Pushing my luck, I fired several additional rounds at 65 yards, ringing a metal gong three out of four.  At this point, the small grips had grown somewhat uncomfortable and I swapped back to the extended grips.  I recommend them for anyone who plans to shoot regularly.  Confidence in the gun and its ability were well established so it was time to have some fun.  Hand thrown clay targets can easily be broken to impress friends with your shooting ability, with just a little practice.  There is a video on the internet that shows a fellow breaking machine thrown clays, so I suppose there may be some hunting options on small game, with practice.

For self-defense purposes, you have a variety of options with the Snake slayer.  I would opt for shotshells in #4 or 000 buckshot.  Four-ten buckshot is three pellets in 2.5″ and five in 3″.  Either is a deadly combination for personal defense.  The #4 shot charges is perfect for medium size critters raiding your camp.  Of course, you can always load different rounds in each barrel, or toss in a 45/.410 combination.  Chronograph testing showed that the ‘cowboy’ loads in .45 LC leave the muzzle with around 280 ft lb. on average, and some 225 gr. hollow points clock at over 400.

Other options include the .410 slug and the .45LC CCI shotshell, with 1/3 oz. of #9′s.  You certainly have a variety of options with this gun.

Carry Options

While any Bond Arm Derringer can be carried in a hip pocket, backpack or purse, the best way in in a holster.  Small products like these are perfect for inside the pants carry options.  All stainless steel constructions and rounded corners and sights make all day carry possible.  While any nylon small auto or revolver holster, will fit these guns, there are some good fitted products right from Bond.  Inside the pant, shoulder, ankle, flapped or belt options are available, but the best choice might be a BAD.  That stands for “Bond Arms Driving”, a horizontal cross-draw of quality leather with a Velcro wrap for easy installation on  your belt.  While seated on an ATV, horse of Jeep, the gun is out of the way and still available.  Concealed by a jacket, the gun has traveled many back roads and trails up here in the Northeast.  Comfort is very good and the custom fitted leather should withstand years of use.

When holstering the gun the cross bolt safely should be on.  The safety must be deliberately set by pulling the hammer back slightly to engage it.  Accidental firing will not happen unless you press the trigger.

Conclusion

Bond Arms Derringers are perfect trail companions for daily use.  The are rugged and you will probably never fire enough rounds to wear one out in a lifetime.  Trigger pull is very smooth and average weight, but if you learn to pull back and down on the trigger it becomes amazingly lighter.  You just have to try that trick to see what I mean.  While you may have to ask for your local gun shop to get you one, they are worth the wait.  I believe the price is reasonable for the quality.  If you have a local cowboy action shoot, you will probably find someone there with one that you can look at or try.  I say that the Bond Arms is truly a ‘double standard’.

[facebook_ilike]

Reprinted with permission from Backwoodsman Magazine