A "Safer" Carry Gun?

A couple of posts back, I was analyzing the Bond Arms derringer models as potential self defense carry guns. Since then I've had a number of conversations about this topic, both in real time and on the internet via a couple of gun forums. And I've received a couple of news items involving self defense shootings that I think are relevant. But first, the gun forums.

Even though I moderate a small forum, and used to moderate a large one with over ten thousand registered members, I don't put a great deal of faith in what I read. Although some members are knowledgeable and helpful, and will even admit when they don't know about something, many more are willing to use the shield of the internet to jump in and comment, or pontificate, on topics they know little, and sometimes absolutely nothing, about. Derringers seem to bring this latter group out of the woodwork. They are similar to the same crowd that declares any caliber of pistol that doesn't begin with a "4" are worthless.

Now, back to the topic of derringers. Bond Arms derringers specifically. My previous post pretty much lays out the good and the bad for these little pistols, but to cut to the essence for their use as self defense carry guns, I have to say that the biggest negative that comes immediately to mind is their two shot capacity. Against this, it can be stated that most "self defense" situations that involve guns are those in which no shots are fired by anyone. Showing your firearm to a would-be assailant(s) is often enough to end the situation then and there. For other situations, I believe one or shots usually puts paid to the situation as well.

Of course, there are occasions when more than two shots are required even though these instances are infrequent. I have to comment here that when this happens it's not always because one is assaulted by more than two individuals who keep on coming even though the victim has fired three, four, five, six or more shots. In most instances, multiple shots are fired because the shooter can't hit what he or she is aiming at. Or isn't aiming in the first place. This means a number of bullets are flying around the scene, landing somewhere. A dangerous practice.

There are two ways to overcome this. Practice a lot. Practice defensive firing drills. Expend a lot of ammo getting proficient with your handgun. True, but seldom done. "It's too expensive." Yes, it is expensive. "I don't have the time." You can make time for something that important. "I don't have a regular place to shoot." And, that's because???....

The other way to deal with this is to use a close-range gun that will much more often hit the bad guy with enough force to end the situation in one shot with reduced chance of shots going astray. I'm not talking about carrying big caliber magnums. Shooting statistics don't support the big caliber theory anyway. I mean shooting something like a .410 shotgun shell loaded with 5 pellets of 000 buckshot. That will get anyone's attention and will more likely hit the intended target than a 9 mm hollow point, for example. And should one or two of those pellets sail on past, they will be rapidly losing velocity and offer a much greater chance of not killing someone or going through a wall, window or car door and into a person.

That is the main reason I am attracted to the Bond Arms derringers in .410/.45 long colt calibers. A two-shot hand-held shotgun seems like a pretty potent weapon in a self defense scenario.

One incident I learned about yesterday involved a gunfight near a Pizza restaurant. A 'civilian' getting out of his car, was confronted by an armed robber in another car who pointed a gun at him and demanded his money. The 'civilian', a legal concealed handgun carrier, drew his weapon and fired. The two men exchanged shots as the robber drove away. Neither person was hit, but bullets went into nearby building and windows. Fortunately, no one else was hit either

The second involved another attempted robbery of a man and his wife who were sitting in their car in broad daylight in a city street. The would-be robber pointed a 1911 .45 at the driver and demanded his money. The driver pulled a Bond Arms derringer and shot the robber once at six yards. The robber went down badly hurt. A bystander kicked the robber's gun away and the victim kept his gun, with the remaining .410 shell ready to fire, on the robber until the police arrived. The robber died. The man and his wife lived. No one else was hurt.


Of course, even so, should one be limited to two shots, it is necessary to have your reloading procedure down pat and be able to execute it in a hurry.

Or carry something like a Ruger LCP as a backup pocket gun, just in case.

I'm still awaiting my opportunity to put a Bond Arms derringer to the test - drawing, firing and reloading in an acceptable period before I would carry, or recommend them for self defense carry.

I'm still looking for that opportunity and when it comes, I'll report in detail here.

Stay safe.