Bond Arms is in trouble

[TruthTellers]

Because Shortlane is now making rifled adapters for .410 handguns. They're only available in .380 right now, but 9mm and .38 Special are likely on the way. For those who own a Bond .410 derringer, at $75 for a two pack of the adapters, you save 100 bucks over buying a new barrel from Bond and you don't have to mess with taking the barrels off and putting new ones on.

I would rather use them in a Judge or Governor cuz better sights and all.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Why in God's name would anyone buy a 410 revolver - wait for it - to shoot a low powered 380 out of that large hunk of a gun?

Were you trying to start the Judge wars again? No, no!

[TruthTellers]

This is beyond the Judge/Governor. There are other .410 derringers not made by Bond and they may not have extra barrel options. These adapters now make it so if you want that, you aren't restricted just to Bond Arms and their overpriced novelty guns.

And like I said, .380 is what's available now. 9mm and .38 Special are coming.

[MTT TL]

I think Bond Arms is in trouble because they sell obsolete novelty guns. Don't get me wrong they are built very strong and look nice if you are in to that kind of thing but the market for that item has to be tiny.

[CPO15]

Every time I see a Bond Derringer in the display case, I am tempted. They’re handsome, well made and almost cute.

Kinda like that spider monkey I owned in college; which also seemed like a good idea at the time.

[Lohman446]

Every time I see a Bond Derringer in the display case, I am tempted. They’re handsome, well made and almost cute.

Then you pick on up, remember they seem to weigh more than a J-frame, are the same size as the baby baby Glock, and carry two shots.

Neat.

Well built.

Practical... nope

[CPO15]

You got my point; the Bond wouldn’t work out any better than that monkey did.

[Chainsaw.]

Exactly. My daily pocket carry 9mm is 3.5x as many shots as one of those derringers.

Though, I guess the Bond would make a better set of knuckles once you ran out of ammo.

[dogtown tom]

TruthTellers
Bond Arms is in trouble

I doubt that a chamber adaptor by Shoreline will affect Bond in the least.
What will hurt Bond Arms is people will eventually realize their "derringers" are niche firearms at best, boat anchors at the worst.

Because Shortlane is now making rifled adapters for .410 handguns. They're only available in .380 right now, but 9mm and .38 Special are likely on the way. For those who own a Bond .410 derringer, at $75 for a two pack of the adapters, you save 100 bucks over buying a new barrel from Bond and you don't have to mess with taking the barrels off and putting new ones on.

Bond Arms derringers are niche firearms. While well made, they just don't sell anywhere as well as other handguns. With such paltry sales volume, I'll bet less than one in a hundred Bond owners would bother with a caliber conversion.

I would rather use them in a Judge or Governor cuz better sights and all.

I don't think the sights are really going to matter.

[CajunBass]

I would think that most people who buy Bond Arms derringers don't buy them for any real practical reason. They just want a Bond Arms derringer.

[Carmady]

Single action derringer = palm sap (with a couple of shots just in case)

[Model12Win]

Guys I'm seeing some really ridiculous comments on this thread.

Some are saying "only two shots!" well guys those two shots are SHOTGUN blasts!! They are a handheld double-barrel shotgun!! The 000 buck shells will pick a man up off his feet and knock him over every time!! Again, it takes SHOTGUN shells!!

Guys seriously, a lot of people who buy these Bonds seem to think the .410 shells are somehow the equal of a 12 gauge load fired from a full size coach gun!!

Nothing could be further from the truth. Most Bond derringers only have something like 1/2"-1" of working barrel. Advertised with 3" or so barrels, you have to factor the length of the shell so from the forcing cone forward (do they even have forcing cones?) you have an incredibly short barrel to build up pressures and velocities.

The net result is low velocities from the shot. Heavy clothing can compound the problem, there is not enough penetration to reliably hit vitals with these tiny loads.

They make no sense. Niche guns indeed, and some kind of barrel inserts means nothing.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

The Bond guns are 'just because' guns. I used to watch Have Gun Will Travel - so I might want a Remington pattern gun - just because. I used to watch Yancy Derringer and might want a 4 barrel sharp. Iver Johnson supposedly has a 22 LR version in the mix. Just because.

You are exactly right about the 410 load which is at the heart of every execrable Judge/Governor thread.

Will a Judge or even a Bond gun work if you have to shoot someone? Perphap but there are better solutions. A BP original Derringer pattern gun might work.

Is there a link to Bond having financial problems, BTW or was the OP just speculating?

[MTT TL]

Loaded with a 45 Colt the Bond can be effective at close range even with the short barrel. The .410 is kind of worthless at anything past contact ranges. I've patterned the various loads and slugs. The shot disperses in a wide cone as soon as it leaves the barrel to about 1' diameter per 1' range. The slugs are flying sideways after about 5'.

A 45 Colt will get you 200 ft/pd at the muzzle with a large bullet and be accurate to about 15 yards. While sub optimal it is enough to work with. Not a good carry piece but better than a pointy stick.

[TruthTellers]

Is there a link to Bond having financial problems, BTW or was the OP just speculating?

Speculating. For the owners who would like something other than .45/.410, I just don't see why they would buy another barrel for 100 dollars than these adapters. Accuracy will be the same: piss poor. If you're gonna accept piss poor accuracy, why spend more money than needed?

Personally, I could use these adapters in my Cobray derringer. They'll probably be more accurate too.

[bedbugbilly]

The LGS I usually go to had one of the Bond 410s listed . . . I was actually thinking about possibly getting it . . . after all, pheasant season will be coming up in October . . . .

[ThomasT]

The only reason Bond Arms may be in trouble is for making guns that almost no one wants. I picked one up at a gun show many years ago. Looked at it for a few seconds and put it down again. No thanks.

[Model12Win]

Originally Posted by bedbugbilly

The LGS I usually go to had one of the Bond 410s listed . . . I was actually thinking about possibly getting it . . . after all, pheasant season will be coming up in October . . . .

The only pheasant you'll be getting with those are the sleeping ones or the eggs.

[Model12Win]

Originally Posted by ratshooter

The only reason Bond Arms may be in trouble is for making guns that almost no one wants. I picked one up at a gun show many years ago. Looked at it for a few seconds and put it down again. No thanks.

I really appreciate what they're doing and from all reports, they're well made guns.

It's just that with all the disadvantages it's just horribly impractical as a real carry gun. And as a fun gun, they just aren't very shootable.

[Cheapshooter]

I would think that most people who buy Bond Arms derringers don't buy them for any real practical reason. They just want a Bond Arms derringer.

BINGO!!!
Winner, winner, chicken dinner
And they won't want some after market, after thought conversion tubes. They most likely want a set of barrels.

[TruthTellers]

Originally Posted by Model12Win

I really appreciate what they're doing and from all reports, they're well made guns.

It's just that with all the disadvantages it's just horribly impractical as a real carry gun. And as a fun gun, they just aren't very shootable.

I feel the same. From what I've seen in their facility, they're really well organized, they have good machines, good processes to make the parts, the employees look knowledgeable about manufacturing; Bond appears to be one of the better manufacturing companies out there and not just for firearms.

Just what they make is impractical, Bullpup included.

[agtman]

The Bond guns are 'just because' guns.

Don't they fall under the category of what used to be called, "Barbecue Guns"?

[Lohman446]

BINGO!!!
Winner, winner, chicken dinner
And they won't want some after market, after thought conversion tubes. They most likely want a set of barrels.

Agreed. People who bought a Bonds Arm gun paid A LOT of money for a "novelty" gun (no offense). I just don't see them running to the cheapest bidder to buy accessories especially when we are talking pretty fundamental to the weapon things like barrels. The people building them know what they are building and what they are not and they know what they are selling. No concern about some aftermarket barrel option.

[SonOfScubaDiver]

Somehow I don't think the people who buy Bond Arms guns are too concerned about what extra barrels cost. Part of the whole pitch is that you can have a collection of barrels in multiple calibers. These are more of the "let's show my friends this neat gun setup I have" type of guns than anything else. Can they be used for SD? Sure, just like any other gun. Would I carry one? Nah.

[ThomasT]

I really appreciate what they're doing and from all reports, they're well made guns.

Yes they are well made. Too bad they don't make something a little more practical. If they insist on making Derringer style guns how about ones that are small and light enough to actually carry? I would go for a 9mm that fit in my palm and only weighed 10oz or so. Or maybe a 32 long? Not a great round for SD with just two shots but I would think about as good as a 5 shot NAA. Especially if the gun could be kept to a similar size and weight.

Bond Arms is only 40 miles or so from where I live. I wish them all the best. I just wish they made something I could use.