Bond Arms Texas Defender?

[2ndAmendmentNut]

Thinking about picking up one of these little 3” barreled things in 45colt/410, was just looking for some opinions on them. How’s trigger pull, recoil, etc?

I need a gun for snakes, but it has to be light enough and small enough so that it is there when I need it. I am open to other suggestions as well.

Oh and could someone please explain the safety features? Can the gun be safely carried loaded, with the safety off and the hammer simply halfcocked?

[Bullshop]

One thing I can say about mine is it is hell for stout!!! I load it with a 400gn boolit in 454 Casull cases and it is loaded stout. It will split my thumb nail and cause lots of pain. I have been trying to find some 460 S&W brass to load some tri ball loads.
Sounds crazy yes but there is a reason.
I use it for a tent gun. Often time here where the bears are folks get in trouble when a bear gets on them while in there tent. Even a short barrel revolver can be hard to manage when your in a bag and being pressed on.
The little Bond Arms derringer has the best chance of maneuvering for a shot, or two in its case. The thing is the shot has to be capable of enough penetration to get the job done no matter what the angle. That is the reason for the 400gn 454's. Better to have a split thumb that a crushed skull in a bears jaws.
The chambers are 3" and then there is about 3/4" of rifling. The 410's open up fast, like at 10 feet it will pattern about 3 feet.
The trigger is very stiff but I want it that way for carrying in my pocket. I dont think there is a half cock. I carry mine loaded with the safety on. There is quite an effort to cock the hammer and the safety is a hammer block so I feel safe with it loaded. I would never carry it cocked with the safety on. Both the hammer and safety can be operated with the thumb of the right hand.
I found it easier to pull the trigger in this manner If I am holding the gun in my right hand I lay my right hand trigger finger along side the barrel and using a two hand hold I use the trigger finger on my left hand to pull the trigger. This changes the angle thet the finger is applying to the trigger and makes it easier to pull. I only use this method when I am trying an aimed shot with a 45 colt load. Shooting this way I can hit a rabbit size target at 30 feet or a wee but more. Nice to know if its all you have available and your out in the boonies and hungry.

[Bret4207]

Charter 44 Bull Dog. Light, accurate, effective, inexpensive.

[Landric]

I have a Bond Texas Defender with .45 ACP and .45 Colt/.410 Bore barrels. Recoil is less than you might expect, the cocking effort lessens with use, and the trigger is best pulled down and back rather than just back. The gun is built like a tank and its more accurate than one might expect.

As for the safety features, it has a rebounding hammer, so its basically always at half cock unless its at full cock. I carry mine safety off and loaded, its one of the few derringers (perhaps the only one) that is safe to carry that way.

Bond makes a quality product, so long as one understands its limitations, it does serve a role as a defense gun (against either animals or man).

[2ndAmendmentNut]

the trigger is best pulled down and back rather than just back.



Thanks guys for the info, but could you please clarify here.

[Landric]

Sure, the trigger pivots down rather than a straight pull back like a 1911 or many other single actions. If you push down and back at the same time there is significantly less effort involved to drop the hammer.

[Lloyd Smale]

I allways tell guys the worse kicking handgun i ever shot was a bond loaded with a 300 grain lfn and 22 grains of 110! It was like lighting off a stick of dynamite in your hand.