Bond Arms Derringers

[The Annoyed Man]

These guns are interesting, but I don't know that they're interesting enough for me to spring the ducats to buy one. The way I see it, I agree that it is not a good choice for primary carry, and it is too heavy for use as a BUG. That said, I think the best use for it is as a "kit gun;" something you would keep in a tackle box or the glove compartment. It has all the attributes of a kit gun: stainless steel, chambered in an effective caliber, and it is simple.

However, for less money, I "purchased" a used S&W 640 in .357 (I say "purchased," because I actually traded a used 642 to another member plus $75 for the 640). It is approximately the same size and weight. It has stout recoil, but it is not at all unmanageable. It is stainless steel. It carries five rounds instead of two. It reloads just about as quickly, using a speed loader. It is even more simple to operate — no cocking a hammer; you just aim and point the trigger.

I really do believe that a small-framed stainless .357 or .38 special is a better choice for the personal defense niche that Bond Arms is targeting. It would be fun to own and shoot one, but it isn't something that I would rely on as either a primary or BUG carry weapon, and there are better choices for a kit gun. That makes them more of a novelty item for me.

Did anyone notice the irony in the above linked youtube video? The card he splits with a bullet fired from a bond arms derringer is emblazoned with the S&W logo. I wonder if that was coincidental, or very deliberate....

[OldCannon]

These guns are interesting, but I don't know that they're interesting enough for me to spring the ducats to buy one. The way I see it, I agree that it is not a good choice for primary carry, and it is too heavy for use as a BUG.

Yeah, the reason i got mine was for derringer side matches for cowboy shooting, which I completely lack the time to do these days. However, i just cant muster the courage to part with my Snake Slayer or my Marlin 1894 :)