Derringer recoil

[Rustyt1953]

Gallery of Guns 'Great Gun Giveaway' (which I enter every time) is offering a Bond Arms .45LC/.410. I have only fired a derringer in .22LR. For you that have shot one of these, is it the carpal crusher that I imagine it to be?

Just curious.

 

[ShivasIrons]

I have held one, but not shot one. They are pretty large for what they are and heavy. I would imagine recoil to not be too bad.

Does not look bad:

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SoWsLdxUTs[/ame]

 

[Drm50]

I have never shot a Bond. They are built a lot heavier than ones I have
shot. I've had a few that were downright painful to shoot from 357 up.

 

[dave1918a2]

Haven't shot one like that, but a few years ago I had the opportunity to shoot an American Derringer 45/70. Good thing for the short barrel so the bullet isn't in the bore very long. Felt recoil was not bad, but I wouldn't want to shoot a full box in one sitting.

 

[Mule Packer]

For you that have shot one of these, is it the carpal crusher that I imagine it to be?

Rusty, to answer your question in one word...Yep.

As others have mentioned, Bond derringers are built like the proverbial brick shipyard. Still, while that may minimize some of the recoil, it doesn't make it any less uncomfortable to shoot.

My Bond (pictured below) is in .38/.357. Shooting the .38 isn't bad, but shooting .357's out of it is akin to having your fingers slammed in the trunk of your car.

Even shooting .38's through it would discourage you from taking it out for a day at the range. After several shots, the uniqueness wears off pretty quick. They're novelty guns. Pure and simple.

Oh sure, they're small and easily concealable, but so is a J-frame...and with the J-frame, you have more than just two shots. Also, the Bond derringer weighs 19 ounces. A Smith and Wesson 642 weighs 14.4 ounces.

Anyway, that's just my take on 'em.

 

[BearBio]

I shot one when I was 18 (50 years ago)=don't remember the brand. It was a REAL A--kicker!

 

[Loyaljeeper]

I have shot everything from 22 to 45 Win Mag in a Derringer. I had the opportunity to shoot a 45-70 a few years ago and I regret passing on the opportunity. Honestly, the shape causes them to roll in your hand rather than push back really hard. I don’t find magnums fun, but anything standard pressure isn’t too bad.

 

[kthom]

Rusty,
The Bond Derringers are not as tough to shoot as the lighter weight ones. But it depends on what you are shooting in them. Physics is still physics! And it also depends on the grip you have installed. Like an airweight J Frame, a larger or more ergonomic for your hand, or a "rubber" grip makes a lot of difference in felt recoil when firing the same ammo. They are well designed and well constructed. They are not a cheap or ill made derringer. They are also pretty heavy to carry! The longer barrels don't have as much muzzle flash and blast. All that contributes to perceived recoil and shooting experience. Hope this helps!

 

[Marshal Tom]

I have never understood the lure of these weapons. You have only 2 shots out of a short barrel that has to be cocked for each shot. they generally have an atrocious trigger and are hard to control. The Bond Arms are well made and the best of the bread as far as that goes but I feel that someone is much better served with a 5 or 6 shot snub.

 

[boykinlp]

I don't think I want to shoot one, and I don't think the second guy that shot the gun wanted to shoot one either. He was doing some serious flinching before pulling the trigger. From watching that guy shooting, it looks like the trigger pull must be extremely heavy too.

 

[shouldazagged]

Sorry, I just don't get it. Never have.

There are simply too many vastly better options than a two-shooter that weighs as much as a J-frame.

I'll admit that .45 Colt or three-inch .410 is a serious whuppin', but so is five rounds of .38 Special +P delivered as fast as you could cock and fire two rounds from the Bond.

Color me stubborn, if you will.

But hey, if the "carpal crusher" (I like that) is free, who argues with a free firearm? Especially since you can sell it to somebody with iron carpals.

 

[bigggbbruce]

I'll stick with my 5 shot NAA Sidewinder 22mag..

 

[tops]

If I was going to shoot one I would only use one hand. I think it would be foolish to use 2 hands and have both hands hurt. Larry

 

[RobertJ.]

Shooting the .38 isn't bad, but shooting .357's out of it is akin to having your fingers slammed in the trunk of your car.

A friend in Idaho has one in .357, and while .38's are comfortable, I only shot the .357 once. That was enough. It was and is the most painful handgun I've ever shot.

I have this AD in .45 Colt. I could shoot it all day. Factory loads only, of course.

I don't consider it to be an honest-to-goodness self-defense weapon, just a novelty. A cool novelty, though, that could be pressed into sevice if the need arose.



I

 

[REM 3200]

Does not look bad:

YouTube

I don't know. The grimace on their faces says different.

 

[joeintexas]

As much as I enjoy firearms I don't think I would pay for one of them. I did get a kick out of watching that second guy shooting, I bet he whizzed down both legs judging by the look on his face and the flinch before the shot. Good luck on the giveaway at any rate.

 

[JayFramer]

Excellently made guns with immense knock down power with 3” .410 000 buck loads. Very near to being hit with five 9mms all at once. So, multiply that by two rounds, and you have essentially the same firepower as a Glock 26 that can be unleashed as fast as you can cock and pull the trigger twice (read: very fast with practice).

In short, they are devastating.

Two rounds may not sound like much, but in the vast majority of civilian self defense situations, where most often the gun doesn’t need to be even fired, it will be enough almost every time. Plus with the spread of the buckshot you increase the likelihood of getting rounds on target.

Granted, they are rather large and heavy, but they can conceal extremely well. Also, a better snake gun for deep woods use has yet to be made. Keep one barrel loaded for snake, and the other loaded with a .45 Colt LSWC for “bigger” threats such as a boar or leopard.

 

[Old Corp]

I've never really gotten the appeal of them either, even though I bought (used) one of the cheapy Cobray Arms SxS double .45 Colt/.410 models.
For $75, figured it would work well mounted on my lawn tractor for snake duty. When a 3" .410 is chambered, the shell is about 1" from the muzzle.

With .45 Colt ammo, I can sometimes hit my pond with it.
It looks like something made up in high school metal shop.

 

[CH4]

With all the other options, they’re a well-made novelty.

 

[mikerjf]

I remember seeing a .357 derringer in a gun store case years back. My first thought was "I'd shoot the first round and never find it again!"