Bond Arms Derringer Review — Rawhide and Stinger .22 LR

Those of us who have watched western movies or TV programs are no doubt familiar with the derringer. Many know it as the little pocket pistol that comes out of a vest pocket when a gambler has been caught cheating at cards.

The original Philadelphia Deringer was a muzzleloading, cap lock, single-shot pistol introduced in 1825 by Henry Deringer. These were single-barrel pistols, typically .41 caliber with rifled bores and walnut stocks. Barrel lengths varied from 1.5–6 inches, and the hardware was commonly a copper-nickel alloy known as “German silver.”

The term “derringer” became a genericized misspelling during the reporting of the Lincoln assassination, which was committed with a concealed Philadelphia Deringer. From that time on, it has always been spelled derringer. During the time we all know of as the “Old West,” the derringers in use were made by Remington and were two-shot .41 rimfire pistols. The Remington derringer was in production for nearly 70 years, beginning just after the civil war in 1866.

The Bond Arms Story

Bond Arms was founded in 1995 by Greg Bond who was a former Texas Instruments engineer and tool and die maker. Bond became interested in pocket pistols after being hired by a gunmaker to solve some manufacturing problems. After solving that company’s manufacturing issues, Greg decided he would design and build a safer, more dependable, innovative upgraded derringer-style gun that delivered unprecedented quality, safety, and would be more user-friendly.

Most derringer-style guns were made from zinc and alloy metals, which were inexpensive and easy to form. But Bond decided to use only stainless steel to create a rugged, sturdy gun that could stand up to heavy use and the big calibers he wanted this handgun to handle.

In most designs, the pin is extruded into the chamber with the hammer resting on them. This made those types of derringers extremely dangerous because they could accidentally go off when dropped or mishandled. Since most barrels were hinged designs, users loaded and closed the barrel in a way that the firing pin and primer would come into contact. If a user slammed the gun closed, it could accidentally discharge.

Bond spring-loaded the firing pin so it was clear of the chamber until the hammer hit it when firing. After firing, the pin sprung back into position. Bond also designed a rebounding and locking hammer. When the gun is fired, and the hammer hits the firing pin, it automatically jumps back into a half-cocked position and locks.

The only way to fire the gun is by fully cocking the hammer and then squeezing the trigger. This was a serious safety feature missing from all derringer-style guns. However, Bond thought this type of handgun needed a trigger guard. Another innovation credited to Bond is interchangeable barrels, with all barrels fitting all gun frames. All Bond Arms pistols have a lifetime warranty.

Bond Arms’ guns were slow to catch on, and it seemed almost impossible to overcome the terrible reputation equated with derringer-style guns. Greg Bond forged ahead traveling from gun shop to gun shop pitching his guns out of his 20-year-old beat-up Toyota Corolla. Behind the scenes, he had some help from his brother, Gordon, who had strengths perfectly complementary to Greg’s.

While Greg was an engineer with a vision, Gordon was a businessman with marketing savvy. Gordon bought the first Bond Arms banners and took Greg to his first SHOT Show. Finally, Bond Arms started to find its market and sales began to pick up. Then, folks from the SASS (Single Action Shooting Society) started calling and telling Bond, “I just won the World Championship with your gun,” and Bond didn’t even know there was such a thing.

Today, a Bond Arms handgun has won the World Championship 15 years in a row! Greg’s amazing design improvements, going to gun shops, displaying at trade shows, and placing a few ads in the right places started paying off. Most of those first sales were word of mouth — one customer telling someone else about the gun.

I first shot a Bond Arms derringer about 10 years ago. It was a 9mm with a spur hammer. Quite frankly, I didn’t enjoy shooting it. The trigger was a bit hard, and the recoil was significant. I chalked it up to an “I’ve shot a derringer” item in my list of lifetime accomplishments and that was it. I briefly contemplated buying one just to own a derringer but passed on it.

New Blood

Greg created an amazing product, but after so many hard years of trying to bring it to market, Greg Bond had no interest in running the business. Gordon bought the company from Greg in 2007, and the leadership shifted from one Bond to another.

I’ve met Gordon Bond on a couple of occasions and watched him at work promoting the Bond Arms products. His belief, if you can get the guns into the hands of a potential buyer, the guns will sell themselves. Through Gordon’s leadership, the company has developed numerous new products, and two of those new products are the subject of this review.

Some limits were discovered to the concept, which is why the firearms I’m reviewing are .22 caliber. When adding a .22 LR rimfire barrel to a centerfire derringer, the firing pin alignment was hit or miss. As a result, Bond doesn’t sell .22 LR barrels alone. However, if you buy a .22 Rawhide, you can buy additional barrels such as 9mm or .45 Colt and they will work. The thinner derringer featured in this review is an exception. It doesn’t accept other barrels because it has a different, narrower frame.

The .22 versions of Bond’s derringers were different for me. They sparked an interest. I shot them at a writer’s conference and arranged to get a Rawhide and Stinger RS. The Stinger has a trigger guard, and the barrel is .5-inch longer than the Rawhide.

Rawhide

The Rawhide measures 4.5 inches with a 2.5-inch barrel. The Rawhide is 1-inch wide at its widest point and weighs 21 ounces. The grips are made of thin nylon with a subdued Texas star.

The finish on the gun is what Bond calls “Rough Style,” abbreviated RS for some models. The gun features a rebounding hammer, automatic spent-casing extractor, retracting firing pins, crossbolt safety, and a spring-loaded cammed locking lever. It is fully compatible with all (except Stinger) Bond Arms Hand-Cannon accessory barrels.

When handling the Rawhide, there’s no question it is made from solid, durable material. The grip only accommodates two fingers with your trigger finger extended along the frame and your pinky finger going beneath the grip. All the controls, the hammer, trigger, barrel locking lever, and ejector are firm and require a little pressure to operate.

I found them difficult at first, but as the gun was handled, lubricated, and fired, all but the hammer and trigger became easier to operate. The hammer will always require a strong spring to function properly, and the trigger spring is important for gun safety since there’s no trigger guard.

The gun is loaded by pushing down on the spring-loaded cammed locking lever and tilting the barrels upward. The hammer should be in an uncocked position. Once loaded, the barrels can be snapped down in place. The locking lever should be parallel to the barrel. A true single-action gun, the derringer must be cocked before it can be fired. The first shot will come from the top barrel and the second from the bottom barrel.

This order is built into the firing mechanism and not controlled by the shooter. The crossbolt safety must be pushed to the right before the hammer can engage the firing pins. Use of the safety does not prevent the hammer from being cocked or released by pull of the trigger.

Bond Arms advises against dry firing with the crossbolt safety engaged, as it will eventually cause damage to the firearm. One cool feature about the .22 Rawhide is the ability to adapt different barrels. You can outfit a .22 Rawhide with a 9mm or .45 Colt/410.

Stinger RS .22 LR

In addition to having the Rough Style finish, two things set this derringer apart from the Rawhide series. For one, it’s thinner, only .75-inch wide at its widest point. The frame itself measures .55-inch, making it a very concealable handgun.

The other major difference the Stinger has a trigger guard. That gives the shooter a little more to hold onto in a two-handed grip. I personally enjoy shooting the Stinger more than the Rawhide.

On the Range

The derringer is a short-range firearm. Because the barrels are at different distances from the top of your shooting hand, the bullet fired from the top barrel will impact at a different point than the bottom barrel.

When you grasp the derringer, ensure your hand is not pressing against the hammer as this will increase the amount of pressure required to activate the trigger. The trigger pull is approximately 7 pounds, and it is best activated by using the pad of your trigger finger rather than the crook of the finger. The motion for pulling the trigger should be down and back.

The first time I shot the derringers, I was with a friend at the range. The two of us swapped off shooting and comparing notes on the derringers. We didn’t do any accuracy testing because frankly, these are not guns you would expect to shoot tight groups.

At distances out to 5–7 yards, it wasn’t difficult to get both barrels to impact within a typical 5-inch target circle. Shots from the two barrels are going to impact at different points because of the relationship of those barrels to the shooting finger. On this trip, I struggled with opening the action to tilt the barrels up for reloading.

The next time I went to the range with the derringers, I found them much easier to operate. They had limbered up, and I was getting more used to them. The barrel tilt lever on the Rawhide is round and offers plenty of room for finger contact for operation. The tilt lever on the Stinger is flat. It was designed that way because the whole gun is very narrow for concealability. That’s the only thing about the Stinger I don’t like.

All in all, I prefer it to the Rawhide because it is narrower and has the trigger guard. As I mentioned earlier, the Stinger doesn’t have the ability to attach different caliber barrels. You can buy a Stinger in the larger calibers. Bond Arms has different models, some designed for beauty or with special branding.

Back to the range. I shot them a lot that day, and I reached out to shooters in the lanes around me and asked whether anyone wanted to shoot a derringer. I hoped to gather feedback from other shooters, especially two of the women shooting with their husbands.

It seemed to be a fun adventure for each of them. It’s something different. One of the ladies did a thorough evaluation and left with a smile. She, too, had a bit of a struggle with the barrel tilt lever on the Stinger, but otherwise handled both guns very well.

I see these .22s as something to share with friends and family members whenever we’re having a shoot fest. I see where one of the larger calibers would make a great self-defense backup. The Rough Series guns will pack well in a tackle box or toolbox where they may be deployed to execute the occasional snake, rat, or similar pest. Check out the Bond Arms’ derringers — especially if you’re interested in cowboy guns or historical guns. Bond Arms’ derringers deserve a place in either.

Have you fired a derringer? Which caliber Bond Arms derringer would you be most interested in? Share your review in the comment section.