Does anyone on the forum have any experience with Bond Arms derringers? Living in snake country, I've wondered how effective they really are on snakes. What's the trigger pull like, accuracy, recoil, etc.? I'm thinking about a .45 LC/.410 shotshell model.

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Southern Conservative

TRIGGER PULL NOT GOOD, WITH 410 SHELLS YOU WILL HAVE TO BE REAL CLOSE TO KILL A SNAKE, BUT THEY ARE FUN TO PLAY WITH

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WILL WORK FOR AMMO!

I checked out both Bond Arms and American Derringer snake-eyes, specifically 357 and 45 Colt calibers. They were built like the brick outhouse.

I compared them to my Charter Arms Tracker 357 revolver.

They were BIGGER, HEAVIER, and MORE cumbersome and had only two shots to boot.

I stayed with the Tracker and my LCP. Well built, but too much for the purpose I sought.

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The Last Standing Knight

I have a Bond Century 2000 in 45/410, this is the one with the trigger guard that can be removed. Not very accurate with the 45 as would be expected but fun to shoot the 410's. Very well made a little heavy but all in all a cool gun that will take care of snakes no doubt. I use to have a American Deringer but sold it, wish I never did. They are a little smaller and not so heavy. I don't know about Amer. Deringer but the Bond you can change the barrel to other calibers. I have not shot mine that much but I am happy with it. The best thing about either is they are both made in Texas USA! I carry it when we go to Tenn. hiking through the mountains just in case we run across a snake, and a 4" 29 in the backpack in case we run across a black bear!

They are built like a Sherman tank and weigh about as much. I'd rather carry an Airweight with a good trigger and over twice as many shots.

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Centennial Every Day

Speaking of Bond Arms, anyone have any experience with .450 AutoBond? I was thinking about getting the .45 ACP barrel that can also fire this unique caliber.

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Save a cow, eat a vegetarian.

I have, I think the model is called the Defender. It has a trigger guard and is .45 Colt and 2.5" .410. Federal and others now make pistol loads in .410 ostensibly for the Judge series of revolvers, but which should work in the Bond.

An NEF/HR Tamer or else a "Snake Charmer" shotgun, around 150 bucks from Walmart, are actually going to work better. But the Bond will give a revolver loaded with CCI shotshells a run for its money. Either is a close range item though.

Bond's are well made, but if you're not used to training with one, which most people aren't, they aren't the fastest thing to get into action. They're also rather heavy, since you can carry a steel J frame for the same weight.

We played with one during cowboy action practice and while it's a cute novelty, it's a pain in the neck to actually deal with. It's got tiny grips to hang onto. You only have two shots. And then reloading is unusual because you have to flip it open toward you and then turn it around, load it, and then turn it around again.

Cute but not really practical.

I have one and like Barb said not very practical. I've shot it with 410 shells but not very accurate not many pellets useful within snake range. probably be cheaper to use a big rock they are plentiful. I'd be more afraid of shotting myself with it while doing the snake away break dance. Cocking the hammer is cumbersome. Only good thing about it is my wife likes it. Doeboy

I generaly agree with the other posters. Derringers are not a great choice for SD. (or really, any practical use)

If however you do decide you want a derringer, the Bond is the Rolls Royce of derringers. I have a friend who has one. Even though I don't have much use for that type of gun, it's a wonder of machine work, just lovely.

A friend has one on 45/410. I found that the trigger pull made it difficult to keep on target. I am glad that I tried his so I will not have to buy one to find out that I prefer many other options.

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Corripe Cervisiam

I've shot several types of .410 shot loads through my Snake Slayer and was not impressed with the pattern density at about 10-12 feet. CCI .45 Colt shotshells (with the blue plastic shot cups) were GREAT at that range. .410 really seems to be a gimmick as the buckshot loads would likely be less effective than a 250 grain slug and the birdshot loads aren't as good as the CCI .45 Colt shotshells. Buy a 6 shot .45 Colt and have 6 shots of the best loads. I bought the gun having read about the low effectiveness of the .410 loads and just wanted a fun derringer to shoot and the Bond Arms is great fun to shoot. Be careful shooting shot loads at close range to the target as the small pellets will ricochet back from a wood backboard. Looking forward to getting another barrel for it.

I have been researching these for a few days and had not seen any negatives yet. Being that my dock is about 100ft from the house and weight is not an issue I might try the 45 Colt snake shot out of a 460 that just sits in the safe.

Had one in 45lc. Heavy and fun to shoot but would never ever carry it for sd. Sold it.

I live, work, hunt, hike, boat, camp, &tc. in a state with a baker's dozen variety of rattlesnakes, and other venomous reptiles (and arthropods), encountering them frequently, and have yet to find myself in a situation that could be improved by being armed with any handgun with snakeshot, or for that matter, any situation that could be improved by shooting a snake with any sort of projectile. The only advantage afforded by shot vs. bullets is the somewhat diminished risk of rebounding projectiles, but this is in actuality a moot point, inasmuch as if you've got time to draw and aim a gun, you can, in half the time, take one step away from the reptile, eliminating any further risk.

I hear tales of water moccasins in boats, and if this were a genuine risk, I suppose I'd rather shoot #9 shot than even a .22 solid into the bottom of a boat, but apart from that scenario, I think the whole snakeshot-as-snake-defense thing is the product of unreasonable, unwitting fear, and creative, exploitative marketing.

Most all the likely dangers to be encountered outdoors are apt to require more potent projectiles...