Don't call it a derringer....OK you can call it that if you wish, why not? The makers of this gun use the term to describe their double barrel pistols.
We'll start with a bit of history. The single shot pistol and rifle soon gave way to the double barrel pistols, rifles and shotguns. In the days before complex repeating actions, the easiest way to add more firepower was to add another barrel.
Side note: Deringer was the name of a gun maker in Philadelphia (Henry Deringer) who became famous for making short-barreled pistols, one of which was used to assassinate President Lincoln.
Around the same time (mid 1860's) Remington created the model 95, now known as the "double derringer". Note the spelling of Deringer, they added another r, I am not sure when or why that happened.
These early derringers made by Remington and others were designed for ladies or businessmen and were not serious defensive pistols as most of them were chambered in what we would call today "wimpy calibers" not to mention many were made from questionable materials.
Fast forward to 1995, Texas. Greg Bond (I wonder if parents even briefly thought of naming him James??) decided to create a modern version, only with better materials and much better calibers.
Bond decided to make his guns from 400 series stainless steel and add some safety features, most notable is the trigger guard, although they still have some models without the trigger guard. They also added a rebounding hammer and cross bolt safety.
In case you were wondering, the guns fire the bottom barrel first, then you manually cock the hammer again (this is a single action) pull the trigger and the top barrel then fires.
One great feature is that many models can be altered by swapping the barrels, giving the owner multiple caliber and barrel length options.
In 2018 Bond Arms decided to offer a "less polished" version of their guns, calling them the "Rough Series" which helped bring the price down. The gun we are looking at today is one of those.
Called the "Rowdy", it is chambered in 45 Colt and 410 Shotshell and has a bead blasted finish with sanded flats on the barrel. In my opinion a gun that is to be carried, doesn't require a nice finish. The bird's head grip is made of a rubber type material very similar to the Hogue formula, the grips may very well have been produced by Hogue, but if you prefer wood grips, Bond Arms has a plethora of options to choose from.
As mentioned, you can change the caliber by swapping the barrels, I checked the website and for $140 you can make this gun a .357 Magnum or .44 Special or 10mm.
The guns are made in Texas (Granbury) by Texans. While these derringers are larger than the old Remington model 95, they are considerably smaller than a Glock 43X, see comparison below, courtesy of Handgun Hero.
When you first pick up the gun, you can fell the heft, these are not lightweight novelties, these are seriously well-made firearms. This Rowdy weighed in at 20 ounces which is slightly heavier than the G43X when unloaded.
Specs listed below:
I ordered this ambidextrous leather holster from a
leathersmith in Hickory, North Carolina. It has a spot for two extra 45 or 410 shells
