www.bgilcommunications.comJune 2010

You might be surprised to find this out,but not only is the modular approach not anew idea, but a firearm company inGranbury Texas was producing high qualitymodular guns for almost 15 years before theconcept was 'hip'. The Bond Arms double-barrel pistoloffers much more flexibility than othersmall handguns in the marketplace. Usinga Defender frame, you can attach or removethe trigger guard, change barrel length,change caliber, or install three different gripshapes. The Defender can be transformedfrom a pocket-sized powerhouse to a uniqueover-under .410 pistol with the balance andhandling of a mid sized semi-auto. The tricky thing about modularity,as the do-it-yourselfgunsmiths already know,is that not all of the bitsand pieces are necessarilygoing to get along. Howabout a universal lightmount that turn out to berail sensitive, or expensivecaliber conversion kits thatare supposed to functionflawlessly on hundreds ofmakes of pistol frames, butit jams endlessly on yours?Been there, done that,cursed vehemently.

Can Bond's double-barrel pistol,inspired by Derringer's 19th centurydesign, really be expected to changeshape, size, and caliber successfully?What about handling multiple calibers,including big-bore rounds like .44 Specialand .45 Colt? Though the reviews ofBond's products over the years have beenpositive, they have yet to be inclusive. Idecided it was time for a thorough ring-out to test this pistol's potential.

Frames For this review, I used two BondArms Defender frames. One frame is aused trade-in from a local shop. I checkedwith Bond Arms and found out it wasmanufactured in 2003. Who knows what

adventures its seen in the last seven years.Though it shows scratches and holsterwear, this frame shows no obvious signsof abuse. The other frame was alsopurchased locally, but it was factory freshwith a manufacture date of 2009. I was interested to see how a framefrom the middle of Bond's productionhistory and its latest model wouldcompare when put to work side-by-side.Some gun manufacturers hit roughpatches along the way and choose to cutcorners, resulting in fluctuations inquality control. This is not the case withBond Arms. Both the '03 and '09 frameshow the same dedication to quality, fit,and finish. Both frames took a pounding,and both look and act ready for years ofreliable use yet to come.

Barrels Folks who think of this pistol as atypical derringer will not expect much inthe way of performance. However, thetest results produced by the team atBallistics By the Inch tell a different story.Like the Thompson Contender they usedas the baseline test gun, the Bond pistolhas a hinged action. This means that no

energy produced by the fired cartridge islost through a cylinder gap or used upworking the action. All of the pressurestays directly behind the bullet until itleaves the barrel. As you can see in thetable, these double-barrel pistols arecapable of solid ballistic performance.(For more information, visit BBTI at:www.ballisticsbytheinch.com) Some ammunition and guncombinations just don't work out. Withthat in mind, I have to say that BondArms’ pistols are the least ammo sensitiveguns I have ever used. While conductingthe shooting tests, I fired eleven differentpistol-caliber barrels with fourteendifferent calibers of ammunition whileattached to two different frames.Hundreds of rounds later, these pistolshad merrily munched their way througheverything I fed them. That's impressive. Did all the test barrels fit andfunction with both frames? Yes, in factthe fit was good enough to make me thinkthe barrels had been factory-fitted to theframes rather than provided off-the-shelf.Any catastrophic failures or brokencomponents? Nope. Failures to load orfire? None. Wild or wandering shots? Afew, but only when the trigger man fellasleep at his post. Failures to eject? Onlytwo, and one was ammunition related.

A Sticky Situation Considering all the factors involvedin this test, two failures to eject are hardlyworth mentioning. However, both ofthese situations have shown up before andBond Arms felt it would be helpful toreview them here. The first failure to eject involved thepistol’s release lever. With a .40 S&Wbarrel mounted to the 2003 Defender

he shooting industry, like any other,loves buzz words. One word that's at thetop of the list these days is modular.

Folks are all a-twitter over the new bits andpieces that can now be swapped, traded, orupgraded on the latest models of rifles andhandguns.

B. Gil Horman Photos: Rick Arnold

OldSchool

VS

Bond ArmsPresents:

T

frame, I fired my first two test rounds, thenpressed the release lever to reload. I foundthe release was stuck in the locked position.It was stuck tightly enough that I had to tapit open with a tool. I switched the barrelover to the 2009 frame, then fired again.The release opened with its usual ease. Since I could not confirm at that pointif I was dealing with an ammunitionproblem, I fired this barrel again on bothframes using different brands ofammunition. The results were the same: the'03 frame release stuck tight, while the '09release would swing free. When I contactedBond Arms about the barrel lock-up, theysaid that they occasionally run into thisproblem. All that's needed to resolve thelock-up is a simple fix to the offendingbarrel. If you find one of your barrels causesthe release to lock, just send it to BondArms and they will fix it for you at no charge. The second non-ejection event wascaused by an imported brand of .410shotshell. Bond uses high tolerances toinsure the best ammunition performancepossible. In the case of their .410/ 45 Coltbarrels, they use Winchester ammunition astheir test standard. Some imported shellscan have variations in their design specs thatcause them, when fired, to stick tightly tothe barrels. Bear that in mind whenshopping for ammunition.

Name a pistol caliber youprefer and Bond Arms islikely have a barrel for it.

Real-World Velocities

The tight tolerances of the Defender’s hinged action, combined with the rightammunition, can generate impressive bullet velocities. (http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/)

Caliber Ammunition BrandVelocity (fps)

Thompson Contender3" Barrel

Bond Arms Defender3" Barrel

.38 Spec Cor Bon 110 gr DPX 963 1020Cor Bon 125 gr JHP 854 900

.357 Mag Cor Bon 125 gr DPX 1271 1313Federal 130 gr Hydra-Shok JHP 1194 1221

.44 Spec Cor Bon 165 gr JHP 906 956Cor Bon 200 gr DPX 859 871

.45 acp Federal 165 gr FJ Expanding LR 991 1013Federal 185 gr Hydra-Shok JHP 870 917

www.bgilcommunications.comJune 2010

Ammunition Results It's rare for a gun review to include thetesting of multiple calibers of ammunition.In most cases, a test involves one gun, onecaliber, and a handful of different brands ofammunition with different bullet types andweights. For all intents and purposes, thiswas a test of eleven guns, each with a variedset of ammunition to test. The table to theright captures what I call the ‘Best of theTest’. To qualify, these loads demonstratedthe best balance of accuracy, manageablerecoil, and reasonable muzzle flash for theirrespective calibers. Since there isn't room in a single articleto comment on all of the positive shootingexperiences I had, here are my favorites:

Federal's .327 Magnum.327 Federal is a relatively new round withgrand potential. Though other gunmanufactures are still catching up, Bond hastheir .327 barrel ready to go. This roundpromises recoil similar to .38 Special whiledelivering performance similar to a .357Magnum. In the Bond Arms pistol, the 85grain Hydro Shock lived up to that promise,proving to be both accurate and comfortableto shoot. If you want to bring the recoil of

the .327 barrel down to a 'powder puff'level, then .32 H&R ammunition will dothe trick. While conducting this test, Federaldid me the favor of providing two new.327 loads that will be available in theirAmerican Eagle brand. The 85 grain JSPhandled much like its hollow-pointedcompatriot, but will do so at a lowercost. If you want to see what the .327can do with a magnum-level powdercharge, then the 100 grain JSP is the wayto go. The flash and recoil of the 100grain cartridges were on par with the 158grain .357 rounds I tested. It literallyblew my hair back. It was exciting tofind out that Federal's .327, and just oneof Bond's barrels, canprovide such a diverse andenjoyable range ofshooting experiences.

The Psychic 9 It's not unusual duringa long session at the rangeto tap out a few wanderingshots. I had placed the9mm barrel towards theend of the row of barrelsto test in hopes that itwould, with lower recoil,be kind to my fatiguingwrists. Not only was itcomfortable to shoot,but it was exceptionallyaccurate. Spookily so. This was especiallytrue when I loaded thebarrel with the ‘Best of theTest’ rounds listed in thetable. Even when I usedmore relaxed defensivepoint shooting techniques,the bullets went exactlywhere I wanted them to go.It was as if they werereading my mind. The9mm barrel proved the old adage that agood gun will often out shoot theshooter. Accurate and the ammunitionis less expensive. What more could youask for?

A Manageable .357 .357 Magnum is rarely thought ofas ‘subtle’ when it comes to recoil. Thisis especially true when firing bulletsover 125 grains in weight. Even in fullsized revolvers, .357 can give you a runfor your money. I hate to admit it, but I

hesitated a little the first time I fired afull-power magnum round in theDefender pistol. Yeah, I even squinted alittle too. The first shot I fired was not thenear-death experience I was expecting. Infact, the recoil was similar to the.44 Special and .45 Colt Only barrels:stout, but not painfully so. I thought thebest balanced loads would all be lightweights, but I was in for a pleasantsurprise. Hornady's 140 grain FTXproduced a low muzzle flash, moderaterecoil, and the accuracy I was looking for.I ended up shooting almost double theammunition needed to for the test becauseI enjoyed shooting this round so much.

Beyond the Barrels For those who have large hands, orwho just want more to hang on to, Bondhas added the Jumbo Grip to their alreadyextensive line of grip panels. The grip isunique in both its feel and styling. Takingadvantage of pistol's birdshead design,the longer, thicker Jumbo offers a curvedback strap that acts to reduce felt recoil.It doesn't hurt that the grip looks reallycool, too. Even though I have smallerhands, I enjoyed using the Jumbo Grip.

It was especially nice to have on hand forthe longer test sessions. To round out their defensive options,Bond has added a line of knives with grippanels made of the same signature woodsthey use in their pistol grips. Under themonogrammed hardwood is a BuckKnives' Vantage folder. The blade isquick and easy to open, with the handleoffering just the right balance of widthand thickness for easy carry andcomfortable handling. I especiallyappreciate Buck placing the pocket clipat the butt end of the handle to allow fora more natural draw from the pocket. Bond's holsters are the answer tomany a concealed-carry prayer. Craftedof quality leather, all of the holsters Itested did exactly what they weresupposed to do: they held onto the gun,allowed for easy drawing and

re-holstering of the pistol, and, best of all,they stayed where I put them. Aren't allholsters supposed to do that? They are,but many fail in one or more of theseresponsibilities. Bond has done us thefavor of providing holsters in just aboutevery carry category there is. At least oneof these quality holsters should fityour needs.

ConclusionThe Bond Arm's double-barrel pistolproved it’s not just another derringer. Allof the components I put to the testexceeded my expectations for quality andperformance. All of the barrels, eventhough most of them are only 3" long,showed much better accuracy than Iwould have expected. Even the mysteryframe, that neither Bond or I could vouchfor, proved to be strong and reliable. You’re not going to find many otherhandguns with this many options, letalone at such a reasonable price. Thispistol, with its roots in Old School designand craftsmanship, certainly meets therequirements of the New Rule of modulardesign. And it does so with aplomb.Now, the only thing missing is anaccessory rail ...

CCaliber Brand.22 lr CCI Stinger 32 gr GLHP

CCI Mini Mag 36 gr GLHP.327 Fed Federal Premium 85 gr Hydra Shok JHP9mm Winchester PDX1 147 gr JHP

Hornady Critical Defense 115 gr FTX.38 Special Cor Bon 110 gr DPX +P

Black Hills Ammunition 125 gr JHP +P.357 Mag Hornady Leverevolution 140 gr FTX

Winchester USA 110 gr JHP.40 S&W Winchester PDX1 165 gr JHP

Hornady Critical Defense 165 gr FTX.44 Special CCI Blazer 200gr GDHP.45 acp Hornady Critical Defense 185 gr FTX

Winchester Super X 185 gr STHP.45 Colt Hornady Leverevolution 225 gr FTX

Winchester Super X 225 gr STHPCCI Shotshell, 1/3 oz. #9 Shot

.410 Federal . 410 Handgun 4 Pellet - 000 Buck

The Best of the Test

The listed rounds demonstrated the best balance ofaccuracy, manageable recoil, and low muzzle flash .

A whole different ball game withthe turn of just two screws.

The new Jumbo grip (left) has aunique curved design. The roundedshape, along with increased panelthickness and an extended fingerrest, acts to reduce felt recoil.

BOND ARMS INC.P.O. BOX 1296, GRANBURY,

TX 76048(817-573-4445)

WWW.BONDARMS.C0M

FEDERAL CARTRIDGE COMPANY900 EHLEN DRIVE, ANOKA,

MN 55303(800) 322-2342

WWW.FEDERALPREMIUM.COM

WINCHESTER AMMUNITION427 .N SHAMROCK ST.,EAST ALTON, IL 62024

(618) 258-2000WWW.WINCHESTER.COM

BLACK HILLS AMMUNITION 350 ELGIN ST., RAPID CITY,

SD 57703(605) 348-5150

WWW.BLACK-HILLS.COM

CORBON / GLASER1311 INDUSTRY RD., STURGIS, SD

57785(800) 626-7266

WWW.COR-BON.COM

BIRCHWOOD CASEY7900 FULLER ROAD,

EDEN PRAIRIE, MN 55344-2195(800) 328-6156

WWW.BIRCHWOODCASEY.COM

Bond rounds out their defensiveoptions with this handsomeVantage folder by Buck Knives.

Gather up all your favorite BondArms options for a fun shootingsession at the range.

B. Gil HormanProfessional &

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Phone: 801.414.9805E-mail: bghorm@gmail.com

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