Pistol question

[Rob52240]

Do any of you guys own a Bond Arms 45/410 derringer?  If so are you happy with it?

I've been looking at getting another gun for a little while now and I've never owned or really been interested in pistols.  I've been considering getting one of these derringers because of their small size and large ammunition.

[Slate]

   Small size + large caliber = Owwwwww   Find a store with a range so you can try before ya buy. 

[Rob52240]

I've never been to a gun shop with its own range before and none of the local shops have a range.

[Skyyr]

Do I own one? No.

That said, small size + large ammunition = hard to control and not very comfortable. Factor in the two-round capacity and it's really more of a novelty than anything.

[Rob52240]

Do I own one? No.

That said, small size + large ammunition = hard to control and not very comfortable. Factor in the two-round capacity and it's really more of a novelty than anything.

I wouldn't call it a novelty.  A single shot derringer worked well enough for Booth. 

Since it will also fire .410 shotgun shells it will fire up to 5 pellets of .00 buckshot per trigger pull.

[Skyyr]

I wouldn't call it a novelty.  A single shot derringer worked well enough for Booth.  

Since it will also fire .410 shotgun shells it will fire up to 5 pellets of .00 buckshot per trigger pull.

The question isn't can you can kill with it; rather, it's can you stop an assailant by the time the last shot is fired. Typically, only a direct hit to a major artery, heart, or CNS, will stop someone in their tracks. With only two shots, you greatly reduce those chances.

All of that said, I've always been intrigued by pepperbox derringers. I'd love to get one of these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykLzgTOikek

[Rob52240]

As far as the ammo effectively giving the user more shot to shoot.  Typical loading would be 3" buckshot or Winchester's .410 bore Personal Defense ammo.



Animation of the winchester load in flight.  I wonder how well those "defense discs" penetrate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR-A8irzyWo

[olds442]

I wouldn't call it a novelty.  A single shot derringer worked well enough for Booth. 

Since it will also fire .410 shotgun shells it will fire up to 5 pellets of .00 buckshot per trigger pull.

And a 22 is often the most common round used in suicides and is still deadly well past 400 yards. Doesn't mean its good.

[10thmd]

As a former gun Sales man and a gun enthusiast, this gun just looks like a accident waiting to happen. If you want  a .410/45LC weapon look at the poly judge.

http://www.taurususa.com/product-details.cfm?id=850&category=Revolver&toggle=tr&breadcrumbseries=41

[Cremator]

Someone said they are a novelty and thats about it.  I bought and carried one for a while.  Its not pleasant to shoot at all and really only serves one purpose, "throw down."

[Brooke]

Here's one that I'd get if I wanted a very-small pistol:



http://northamericanarms.com/firearms/lr/lr.html

22 is probably OK for most self defense in that a person shot with a 22 is probably going to stop what he is doing and try to get away from you.

Here's someone shooting with it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MihQcJMy8OI

[WEZEL]

Looks like with the right ammo it could cause some damage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXHzFntUAp4

[mbailey]

Here's one that I'd get if I wanted a very-small pistol:

(Image removed from quote.)

http://northamericanarms.com/firearms/lr/lr.html

22 is probably OK for most self defense in that a person shot with a 22 is probably going to stop what he is doing and try to get away from you.

Here's someone shooting with it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MihQcJMy8OI

Have one in 22mag.  Neat little gun.  Bought it when I worked at the gunshop I worked at.  One of those " well I don't have one of these" type purchases

[Oldman731]

Here's one that I'd get if I wanted a very-small pistol

Heh.  Back in the early 1980s I represented (for the prelim - hey, it was a public defender thing) a guy who was being transported from county prison to the court house.  Because it was a light schedule that day, he didn't go in the sheriff's van, but was transported in a car, with the two sheriffs sitting comfortably in front.  They were unpleasantly surprised, halfway along the trip, to see one of these pointed at the backs of their heads.  Understandably, they let the guy out of the car.

Freedom doesn't usually last very long in those situations, Hollywood be damned, and my guy was recaptured.  I asked him how he managed to get the gun out of the prison (a friend must have smuggled it in), and he refused to tell me.  My assumption is that the piece will fit in very tight, uncomfortable places.  As Brooke says, it is a very small pistol.

- oldman

[Serenity]

Oh dear god, I hope I'm assuming incorrectly, that this and that .22 listed are being considered for self defense?! If you're looking for a novelty to own for the sake of owning, sure, why not, but if you're genuinely considering trusting your life to one, I hope for your sake the need to use one never comes. Size of the shot isn't an end-all, admittedly coming from someone who favors a .45 for a carry, but it IS a factor. .380 or smaller is generally considered too small to rely on for self defense (Yes, they CAN kill you, but are they likely to stop an assailant set on taking your life? No.) as is round count. There are people (NOT hopped up on drugs) who have continued moving with 5+ rounds of .45 in them. They didn't survive, no, but they kept charging the person they were attacking and even got a few hits in. When you're defending yourself, unlike hunting, a lethal shot isn't enough to stop the attack. You need a shot that will physically prevent them from being able to move, INSTANTLY, and in a high-stress situation like self defense, the best way to achieve such a shot is accuracy by volume. I'm not a professional instructor by any means, so take my advice as you will, but a derringer is NOT a self defense weapon. I honestly think, as much as I love carrying my 1911, it's round count is almost too low. If you want something small that could be used for self defense, look into the Sig 938:

http://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProductList/pistols-p938.aspx



But honestly, you would likely be better served by a Glock 26:

http://us.glock.com/products/model/g26gen4



Again, that is all under the possible incorrect assumption you're looking for self defense. If you just want a range toy, go for it. But it WILL be unpleasant to shoot.