Bond Arms Inc.

Bond Arms Inc. has a unique offering in the snake slayer derringer.  It pays homage to the classic derringer, but gives credence to the idea of modern ingenuity.

There has, of late, been a lot of attention given to the new offerings on the market like the double tap .45 titanium two shot pistol, because last ditch and small/lightweight carry guns do make sense for many CCW holders. But the real question is: of you are going to spend more than $475 for a derringer/tiny gun for concealed carry, why not get as much versatility as you can? By the way, there is a forthcoming article on the double tap gun; and it isn’t just more than $475, in some configurations, it is above $775, I would make the argument (having not yet shot the double tap personally) that the Bond Arms Inc. derringers are a far better value, and a much better last ditch or ultra concealable weapon.

That said, the forthcoming article on the double tap will explain the benefits of that particular gun, but this article will explain the virtues of the infinitely customizable and easily configurable Bond Arms Inc. pistols. The biggest benefit to the Bond Arms Inc. Snake Slayer or Ranger (or any of their firearms, for that matter) is not the price; in fact, one could argue they are overpriced considering the size and capacity.  The biggest benefit is that you can make any caliber out of the gun giving you the ultimate back up gun.  I’d take two shots of 10mm any day over .45ACP.  Yes I just said that.  I happen to be a huge fan of the .45ACP and have for many years championed the amazing qualities of it.  I would take the 10mm over the .45 because it’s faster, deeper penetrating and gets more speed in a 2, 3 or 4” barrel than the .45 could ever get.  In a last ditch effort, the “stopping power” argument is of the utmost importance; I for one will take penetration and velocity and scrap it out with an attacker any day over a few more grains and a marginal diameter increase, and perhaps still be scrapping it out with a tough attacker.

So the real idea behind the Bond Arms Inc. handguns is the “hot swappable” barrel/extractor setups, which range in size from .22 to .410/45LC.  There are very few calibers in between that aren’t available to be put on the body/frame of the gun.  Bond Arms Inc. decided that flexibility and reliability were the top two concerns for a last ditch gun. You can buy any caliber for around $450-475 USD (on the low end, but with accessories expect to pay $575-$775) and then pay an additional $140-$170 to get ANY OTHER caliber to fit on within less than a minute.  That means you can get a .357/.38 derringer and buy a 10mm barrel setup for swapping out when you think you might need something different.   You can buy a .410/.45LC pistol and then swap out a .22LR barrel to play around with the gun more economically at the range.  The possibilities are endless, and that’s a very good thing.  Not only is Bond Arms Inc. making residual money from sales of the barrel pieces, but the end user is getting exactly what they want for a reduced price going forward.  Win-Win.

The gun isn’t perfect. Bond Arms Inc. should probably do a few things differently to cater to the other markets available to them.  The accuracy isn’t wonderful past 7 yards, and even then, while groupings are decent, the point of aim point of impact comparisons are nearly 4 inches off at that distance.  The weight is more than you would expect and the gun is much bigger than you would think, so it isn’t by any means a micro carry gun. It’s still small, but it isn’t the tiniest thing available.  There are only two shots available and no matter how you slice it, there will be some hesitation to pull, if there is more than one attacker to defend against.

Here’s how Bond Arm’s Inc. gets it right

The thing is, that despite these concerns, bond Arms Inc., is one of the most refreshing companies in the industry and they have gotten more right than just about any other niche maker; here is why:

• Their offerings are ALL interchangeable, there is not a specialty item that only uses specialty barrels.
• The firepower, caliber wise, is unmatched for the size/weight/price
• There is an unconditional lifetime warrantee on all their pistols
• They are 100% American made
• The website is easy to use
• They offer gift certificates, which is genius, not at all as tacky as one might think for a gun manufacturer-it works along with their ultimate customization theme
• You can buy Bond Arms Inc. firearms in a ton of configurations, including with or without a trigger guard
• They created a cottage industry for their products like having good add-ons form third party companies like Hogue grips and under-desk mounted magnets for holding your derringer and speedloading strips, among others.
• The price is much more reasonable when you realize how high quality the materials and workmanship is.

Just take a look at the options and the Quality of the Bond Arms Inc. guns, and you will be sold without any of the stuff I mentioned above.  As a last ditch effort, there is no finer gun than the Bond Arms Inc. offerings.