The Bond Arms Snake Slayer Holster Report

As I mentioned earlier, I have been trying out my Bond Arms Snake Slayer derringer in various holsters for the puprose of determining, for me at least, which are most suitable for carrying this pistol concealed. I have used the following: Remora clipless (and modified with a kydex clip), the Bond Arms driving cross-draw, and the OWB belt clip holsters, and the D.M. Bullard OWB cross draw holster.

 

This has been an excercise in expectations. Before embarking on this analysis, I had pretty well figured that the modified Remora and the Bond Arms driving holsters would come out on top. But, as with many assumptions and expectations, this did not prove out to be so. The short version - details to follow - is that, for me, the best concealed OWB carry holster is the D.M. Bullard cross draw. By a big margin. For IWB carry, the Remora with attached mag pouch, that I modified with a kydex clip and carry either appendix or cross draw, depending on the situation, works best. Strangely, though, I also have a D.M. Bullard IWB holster with belt loop for my SR9c which accommodates the Snake Slayer beautifully. I could also use this one as an IWB option, and sometimes do. Now to details.

I found both of Bond Arms holsters to be extremely well made. Beautiful leather and craftsmanship. Nothing at all to complain about with either of them. What knocked them out of contention for me were design decisions, not quality of materials or workmanship.

The Bond Arms Belt Clip holster

Bond Arms Belt Clip Holster

Bond Arms clip

Bond Arms Belt Clip Holster top

The OWB belt clip holster is plainly not suitable for conclealed carry if the retention strap is left on the holster. Although it is there to 'retain' the gun for OWB carry, it's really not needed for concealed carry, but instead is an additional, and unnecessary, impediment to a reasonably quick draw. If it was a thumb-break strap, then it might be more suitable, but as it is, you must unsnap the strap, then, hoping it doesn't get in between your hand and the grips, grasp the pistol for the draw. Frankly, one could use this holster without the strap and it would retain the pistol just fine, the fit is that good. Also, for concealed carry, this holster must be worn with a long cover garment because the holster rides so low on the belt. It is a fine holser for open carry though and I would recommend it for that without reservation.

 

The Driving (cross draw) Holster did not fare well as a general concealed carry rig for me. I was surprised at this. I've seen the videos and the photos and know this is an innovative and functional design. For sitting (including in a car, restaurant, at home, etc.) the design is very good, once properly broken in. However, when not sitting - standing, walking about, running, etc. - the holster did not work so well for me.

The Driving Holster had the longest and most difficult break in of the four. The fit was extremely tight. Not unexpected in a good leather holster, but certainly more tight than any other quality leather holster I've used. And I've used more than a few. After a few days of break in using the derringer tightly wrapped in a few layers of kitchen cling wrap, and many insertions and withdrawls from the holster, I got it to the point where it would grudgingly release. The thumb break strap also took a deal of flexing and snapping/unsnapping to attach without a struggle. Attaching the holster to my gun belt with the leather flap and velcro was easy enough, but it would not hold quite tightly enough, nor the end of the flap tuck under, or against, the holster, until the leather flap itself was sufficiently broken in to curl around the holster body and not spring away from it.

Once all that was in readiness, the thumb break and draw were easy enough to surrender to a firm pull, and the flap was attached securely to the belt and holster, I began working on the access and draw technique. The thumb break strap is attached so that it doesn't readily interfere with the draw. The holster securing-flap however, did not hold tightly enough to keep the holster from sliding along the belt until it fetched up against a belt loop and stopped, where I was then able to extract the pistol from the holster. After fooling with this for a while, I found the solution to be a combination of more break-in for the holster so the pistol did not fit so tightly but was on the verge of loose, a tightened belt (which I don't particularly like. It was tight enough to begin with.) and a tighter wrap of the leather flap around the belt, which can only be so tight because of the nature of the velcro securing patch. You can't pull it tighter like you could with a buckle, for example.

With the horizontal carry position, and the need to have a non-tight fit of the gun to the holster, a thumb break is essential, otherwise, the pistol will eventually, if not sooner, fall out of the holster. I don't worry about it discharging due to the rebounding hammer and the single-action design of the gun, but the Snake Slayer is no lightweight. If it lands on your foot, you will certainly know it. Not to mention, so will everyone else in the room.

My other objection to this holster for concealed carry is that it would, in my case at least, being tall and relatively slim, be restricted to times and places where I can wear a very loose shirt, or jacket, vest or some other concealment garment. Even with the horizontal, up front, orientation of this holster, I does not hide very well without a good cover. For me, light shirts and t-shirts are out.

My conclusion is that if one is primarily wanting a driving or sitting holster, the Bond Arms Driving holster will work fine, once properly broken in and used correctly. But for concealed carry, when one is moving around, sitting, standing, bending, and perhaps running, I don't think it is the best choice.

 

The modified Remora. I attached a black kydex clip where the mag pouch is sewn into the holster. This means it really does not move, which is an issue with Remora clipless holsters, regardless of what many reviews say. If you don't move around much, the cllpless versions are just fine. They basically stay generally where you put them, but, for me, they have moved around, swiveled, rotated and on occasion, depending on where I put them, began to work up and out of my waistband. I think the Remora with attached mag pouch is both a good idea, and, given the almost double surface area, makes for stable and extremely comfortable holsters. I just wanted the extra confidence of the clip, and this has worked out beautifully for me. One kydex belt clip. One chicago screw. One drilled hole. Shazam! An improvement to an already good holster.

The other positive thing about this rig, is that it perfectly fits the Snake Slayer and the mag pouch will hold three .410 shells flat, or you can get four in there in a diamond configuration, which doesn't add enough bulk to impact the concealability of the holster. The other good things are that this rig is inexpensive - under $30 - and can be worn cross draw or appendix carrry (my favorites) and is easily slipped on and off. I have this set up for my LCP as well.

 

 

Lastly, but in first place, is the D.M. Bullard OWB cross draw holster. Here are the good points: one of the best made leather holsters on the market today. Exact fit to the pistol to such a degree that it really required no break in. Really. I've had a number of Bullard holsters, and they all were excellent in fit, but they also required a small amount of break in. This one did not. Holds tight, but easy to draw. I'm not sure how this was accomplished, but I'm not complaining. Just the opposite.

D. M. Bullard Cross Draw Holster front

D. M. Bullard Cross Draw Holster back

The holster secures to the belt with a loop sewn on the back of the holster body and a forward-facing 'wing' of heavy leather for the second belt loop attachment. This serves to keep the holster close against the body and pulled in tightly to keep the butt of the gun from swinging outward. The nice thing about this design is that it does not require another layer of 'reinforcing' leather to be sewn around the holster mouth. It is just not needed. When I wear this one just forward of my hip bone, it tucks right in and disappears under almost any kind of shirt. When I am going into the 'city', I often throw on a light leather western vest over my shirt and that really makes the holster and Snake Slayer disappear.

 

 

I have often worn this setup around the house all day under a light sweater or long sleeve t-shirt and not only do others not know it is there, I sometimes am unaware of it as well.

Although I have not, obviously, used the Bond Arms holsters for an extended period, I have a few well worn Bullard holsters in my rotation for different guns. They show the marks and wear associated with long use, as you would expect from a good leather holster. Character marks, I call them. Even though not as pretty as when new, they fit me and the guns made for them almost perfectly. Often, after a long period of carrying in another type of holster, I will get home and switch to one of my Bullards. It is sort of like slipping into a favorite pair of comfortable slippers. That is the real test. If a holster fits me right, functionally as well as physically, it is going to stay around a long while. The others eventually find a new home somewhere.

I generally prefer OWB carry when I can and I can say without reservation, that the Bullard cross draw holster is the best I have found for this. It gets high marks in all of the categories:

• Quality
• Comfort
• Concealment
• Retention
• Fit
• Situational - doesn't matter what the situation, sitting, standing, moving about, running, etc. it performs equally well.

Holsters are very much a personal preference item. They are necessary, but all people don't like the same things. I've attemped to point out the various attributes, both positive and negative, of these four holsters in the hopes that this may help you in your choice of what works best for you.

 

Posted with Blogsy

The Bond Arms Snake Slayer Holster Report

As I mentioned earlier, I have been trying out my Bond Arms Snake Slayer derringer in various holsters for the puprose of determining, for me at least, which are most suitable for carrying this pistol concealed. I have used the following: Remora clipless (and modified with a kydex clip), the Bond Arms driving cross-draw, and the OWB belt clip holsters, and the D.M. Bullard OWB cross draw holster.

Bond Arms straight clip OWB holster

Bond Arms OWB clip

Bond Arms Driving Holster

Bond Arms Driving Holster thumb break strap

Remora (modified) with mag holder and kydex clip

This has been an excercise in expectations. Before embarking on this analysis, I had pretty well figured that the modified Remora and the Bond Arms driving holsters would come out on top. But, as with many assumptions and expectations, this did not prove out to be so. The short version - details to follow - is that, for me, the best concealed OWB carry holster is the D.M. Bullard cross draw. By a big margin. For IWB carry, the Remora with attached mag pouch, that I modified with a kydex clip and carry either appendix or cross draw, depending on the situation, works best. Strangely, though, I also have a D.M. Bullard IWB holster with belt loop for my SR9c which accommodates the Snake Slayer beautifully. I could also use this one as an IWB option, and sometimes do. Now to details.I found both of Bond Arms holsters to be extremely well made. Beautiful leather and craftsmanship. Nothing at all to complain about with either of them. What knocked them out of contention for me were design decisions, not quality of materials or workmanship. The OWB belt clip holster is plainly not suitable for conclealed carry if the retention strap is left on the holster. Although it is there to 'retain' the gun for OWB carry, it's really not needed for concealed carry, but instead is an additional, and unnecessary, impediment to a reasonably quick draw. If it was a thumb-break strap, then it might be more suitable, but as it is, you must unsnap the strap, then, hoping it doesn't get in between your hand and the grips, grasp the pistol for the draw. Frankly, one could use this holster without the strap and it would retain the pistol just fine, the fit is that good. Also, for concealed carry, this holster must be worn with a long cover garment because the holster rides so low on the belt. It is a fine holser for open carry though and I would recommend it for that without reservation.

The Driving (cross draw) Holster did not fare well as a general concealed carry rig for me. I was surprised at this. I've seen the videos and the photos and know this is an innovative and functional design. For sitting (including in a car, restaurant, at home, etc.) the design is very good, once properly broken in. However, when not sitting - standing, walking about, running, etc. - the holster did not work so well for me.

The Driving Holster had the longest and most difficult break in of the four. The fit was extremely tight. Not unexpected in a good leather holster, but certainly more tight than any other quality leather holster I've used. And I've used more than a few. After a few days of break in using the derringer tightly wrapped in a few layers of kitchen cling wrap, and many insertions and withdrawls from the holster, I got it to the point where it would grudgingly release. The thumb break strap also took a deal of flexing and snapping/unsnapping to attach without a struggle. Attaching the holster to my gun belt with the leather flap and velcro was easy enough, but it would not hold quite tightly enough, nor the end of the flap tuck under, or against, the holster, until the leather flap itself was sufficiently broken in to curl around the holster body and not spring away from it.

Once all that was in readiness, the thumb break and draw were easy enough to surrender to a firm pull, and the flap was attached securely to the belt and holster, I began working on the access and draw technique. The thumb break strap is attached so that it doesn't readily interfere with the draw. The holster securing-flap however, did not hold tightly enough to keep the holster from sliding along the belt until it fetched up against a belt loop and stopped, where I was then able to extract the pistol from the holster. After fooling with this for a while, I found the solution to be a combination of more break-in for the holster so the pistol did not fit so tightly but was on the verge of loose, a tightened belt (which I don't particularly like. It was tight enough to begin with.) and a tighter wrap of the leather flap around the belt, which can only be so tight because of the nature of the velcro securing patch. You can't pull it tighter like you could with a buckle, for example.

With the horizontal carry position, and the need to have a non-tight fit of the gun to the holster, a thumb break is essential, otherwise, the pistol will eventually, if not sooner, fall out of the holster. I don't worry about it discharging due to the rebounding hammer and the single-action design of the gun, but the Snake Slayer is no lightweight. If it lands on your foot, you will certainly know it. Not to mention, so will everyone else in the room.

My other objection to this holster for concealed carry is that it would, in my case at least, being tall and relatively slim, be restricted to times and places where I can wear a very loose shirt, or jacket, vest or some other concealment garment. Even with the horizontal, up front, orientation of this holster, I does not hide very well without a good cover. For me, light shirts and t-shirts are out.
My conclusion is that if one is primarily wanting a driving or sitting holster, the Bond Arms Driving holster will work fine, once properly broken in and used correctly. But for concealed carry, when one is moving around, sitting, standing, bending, and perhaps running, I don't think it is the best choice.
The modified Remora. I attached a black kydex clip where the mag pouch is sewn into the holster. This means it really does not move, which is an issue with Remora clipless holsters, regardless of what many reviews say. If you don't move around much, the cllpless versions are just fine. They basically stay generally where you put them, but, for me, they have moved around, swiveled, rotated and on occasion, depending on where I put them, began to work up and out of my waistband. I think the Remora with attached mag pouch is both a good idea, and, given the almost double surface area, makes for stable and extremely comfortable holsters. I just wanted the extra confidence of the clip, and this has worked out beautifully for me. One kydex belt clip. One chicago screw. One drilled hole. Shazam! An improvement to an already good holster.

The other positive thing about this rig, is that it perfectly fits the Snake Slayer and the mag pouch will hold three .410 shells flat, or you can get four in there in a diamond configuration, which doesn't add enough bulk to impact the concealability of the holster. The other good things are that this rig is inexpensive - under $30 - and can be worn cross draw or appendix carrry (my favorites) and is easily slipped on and off. I have this set up for my LCP as well.

Lastly, but in first place, is the D.M. Bullard OWB cross draw holster. Here are the good points: one of the best made leather holsters on the market today. Exact fit to the pistol to such a degree that it really required no break in. Really. I've had a number of Bullard holsters, and they all were excellent in fit, but they also required a small amount of break in. This one did not. Holds tight, but easy to draw. I'm not sure how this was accomplished, but I'm not complaining. Just the opposite.
The holster secures to the belt with a loop sewn on the back of the holster body and a forward-facing 'wing' of heavy leather for the second belt loop attachment. This serves to keep the holster close against the body and pulled in tightly to keep the butt of the gun from swinging outward. The nice thing about this design is that it does not require another layer of 'reinforcing' leather to be sewn around the holster mouth. It is just not needed. When I wear this one just forward of my hip bone, it tucks right in and disappears under almost any kind of shirt. When I am going into the 'city', I often throw on a light leather western vest over my shirt and that really makes the holster and Snake Slayer disappear.

I have often worn this setup around the house all day under a light sweater or long sleeve t-shirt and not only do others not know it is there, I sometimes am unaware of it as well.
I generally prefer OWB carry when I can and I can say without reservation, that the Bullard cross draw holster is the best I have found for this. It gets high marks in all of the categories:

• Quality
• Comfort
• Concealment
• Retention
• Fit
• Situational - doesn't matter what the situation, sitting, standing, moving about, running, etc. it performs equally well.

Holsters are very much a personal preference item. They are necessary, but all people don't like the same things. I've attemped to point out the various attributes, both positive and negative, of these four holsters in the hopes that this may help you in your choice of what works best for you.

Posted with Blogsy

Christmas Present from Texas

Well, not exactly a Christmas present, seeing as how I bought it for myself. A present to me, from me. It is a new D.M. Bullard IWB with Belt Loop for my trusty Ruger SR9c.

I've been carrying one of Dave Bullard's Belt Slide OWB holsters for my Ruger since I bought the gun. It's been through a lot and shows it, like a good leather holster will, but is still my OWB go-to holster for the SR9c. The design is such that I have also used it successfully to holster an LC9 and a Bond Arms Snake Slayer. Those were temporary solutions to a pressing need, but now it's reserved for the SR9c, as it should be.

Today I received the IWB from Dave Bullard's shop. Even though I know they have been working very hard to keep up with demand, hiring and training new people (not an easy thing when Dave's quality and craftsmanship standards are so high) and moving to a larger space to accommodate the increased work demands, the quality of my new IWB has not been compromised by all that.



It is not a good practice to say much about a holster when it is brand new. I've often found my initial enthusiasm to be misplaced because issues and irritations I had not considered come to light with actually using a holster day-to-day as they are intended to be used. But, in this case, I will say this: the fit to the pistol is right on and it's not so tight that it will take a week of break in before it is ready for duty. And, it's comfortable, right out of the box. The back of the leather is almost flat, with some moulding to the pistol shape, but not aggressively so. The 'sweat' guard (I'd call it a slide guard) cushions my delicate abdomen from the slide, yet the grips ride high enough for a good, quick grip on the draw.

I bought the version with the belt loop attachment rather than the metal clip. I don't like metal clips even though they are thinner than leather. I don't like the way the end sticks out. I know why it does that, to help you get the clip over the belt, but I've had issues with these kinds of clips before, snagging an overgarment when I lift it to uncover the pistol for the draw. The belt loop is not as thick as my belt, to put it into perspective. And, it is adjustable in cant so you can wear the holster pretty much where you like. I like the flexibility to wear my concealed firearm in different positions, depending on the situation. This one will move easily to the cross draw position when I am driving or sitting for long periods. Or I can swing it around to a strong side carry if I like.

I'll post more as time goes on about how this latest acquisition from D.M. Bullard is working out. But, since I've given many holsters the field test and I have thought long and hard about what is best for me, I think this one will become my main IWB holster, like Bullard's belt slide has become my favorite OWB holster.

Dave Bullard's website

A Powerful, Well Reasoned Statement About Civil Rights (read: 'gun control')

A friend, a former commune hippie living up in the mountains, passed this on the other day. As in most things, it is wise to not rely on assumptions. Hippies, current and former, are often considered to be left leaning, tree-hugging, socialist and anti-guns. This is perhaps the norm with city-dwelling hippies, but the ones I have lived with and known who make our homes in the country, the farms and the mountains are quite the opposite. All of the old hippies I know would agree with the 'virtual' President's statements.

I do.

Even though both sides of this question are too often drenched in emotional bullshit, if one can dig oneself out of the manure pile and marshal facts in support of your argument, it is, maybe, possible to reach some kind of consensus on this.

Just because you don't (or do) like something, doesn't mean it is wrong.

A Virtual Presidental Address on Guns

Snake Slayers, Holsters (modified and stock) and Reloads

The shot shell holder for my Snake Slayer arrived. Mine is the one on the top right. It slides over my belt and the fit is very snug so it doesn't move around. Which is good.

Bond Arms Slide Shell Holder

What is not so good is the fact that the shot shells, especially the Winchester 3" 000 buck, are slick and tend to slide up and down in the loops when you wear it in front, which I do for concealed carry. In fact, I mostly wear a pistol in the appendix position for concealed carry, this giving the best concealment, comfort and access while either sitting or standing. When the shell slide is worn in the 10 to 11 o'clock position, the normal daily movement of walking, sitting, standing, etc. will tend to push the shot shells down at different depths. In order to reliably get two of them out for a quick reload, you have to train to push two up from underneath then grab them from the top. Slows things down a little.

The other factor with a belt slide holder like this is where to carry it for concealed carry. If you are carrying the pistol at the appendix or strong side positions, then it should obviously go on the weak hand side for quick reload access. However, if you are carrying the pistol at the cross draw position, that recommended by Bond Arms for their Driving Holster, the belt slide holder has to go somewhere else. If it goes on the right side (assuming you are a right hand shooter), it's going to be awkward to access, especially if belted into your car seat. There is not enough room to carry the cross draw holster and the belt carrier on the same side. So, the alternative is to either have another gun available as a back up to go to if you have to fire more than two shots, or to stash spare shot shells in your shirt pocket or somewhere else handy in your car.

The Bond Arms Driving Holster is a solid, extremely well made leather holster built to exactly fit your Bond Arms derringer. I've seen a lot of holsters and this one is right up there with the best quality wise. In fact, it fits the derringer so precisely, that a rigorous break in period is necessary for it to perform as intended. This is not particularly easy, but it's necessary if you want the holster to perform as designed. Even though break-in can be a long process, it is in the nature of a well designed and executed leather holster. It's just part of the territory.

I use a few wraps of kitchen plastic wrap around the gun and force it into the holster. I let it sit for a while, then remove it and repeat the process. I also leave the wrapped gun in the holster over night. Working the leather around the thumb break and where it curls over the top to attach to the velcro is important for a close and sung fit. The thumb break is necessary due to the way the driving holster rides - horizontally. You want the gun to stay in the holster after it's broken in, so a thumb break is necessary for this configuration.

If the holster isn't totally broken in, when you go to release and draw the pistol, the tight fit will pull the entire rig - holster and gun - along the belt until it hits a belt loop and stops.

The Bond Arms Driving Holster - new and tight.

A black model shown in the driving, cross draw, position.

 Once properly broken in, this is a good driving (or extended sitting) holster. I can recall some excruciating meetings when I wished I'd had such a rig.... Anyway, given that the holster and gun can be easily donned and removed while in the seat, this is a good answer to the question of where to carry while sitting for ease of access. For concealed carry, it's another story.

One thing that doesn't get mentioned frequently about concealed carry is the fact the person's build has upon where and how to carry. Small skinny people have different carry requirements than big fat people. And there are those folks who fall somewhere within that spectrum. If you are a big person with a overly large gut, it's going to be much easier to conceal a handgun placed somewhere around the waistline, especially at the appendix or cross draw positions. If you are, say, tall and thin, it just gets harder.

I'm about 6' 3" and 200 pounds and while I don't have a flat, muscular stomach, I don't have a gut either, so concealing a gun of any appreciable size under a T-shirt - my favorite warm weather shirt - is not particularly easy. With the right holsters and placement, it can be done. The Bond Arms Driving Holster is not one of those rigs that lends itself to concealed carry in the warm weather for me. With my build, there is no way that setup is not going to print to a large degree. Under a loose shirt, like a flannel shirt, or perhaps a tropical print shirt or a light jacket, sure, it's going to work, but in the main, unless I can wear a pretty loose cover garment, the Driving Holster is not a good conceal carry rig for me.

The only other option I have been able to come up with is a hybrid type holster, modified by me. I took an appropriately sized IWB Remora no-clip holster with a mag pouch attached, drilled a hole between the mag pouch and the holster and attached a nice, simple kydex belt clip. The clip keeps the holster from going anywhere - sideways or up or down - and the mag pouch easily accommodate three extra .410 rounds. I padded the bottom of the mag pouch with dense foam to keep the .410 rounds at the proper height for an easy finger grab. I wish the mag pouch had been a trifle wider though. I can fit four .410 shells into the pouch, but it won't stay flat. It conceals better when it is flat.

Remora no-clip holster modified with a kydex belt clip for the Bond Arms Snake Slayer and .410 reloads.

I can carry this at the appendix or cross draw positions. When I get in the car, or someplace  where I may be sitting for along while, I unclip and slide it to the cross draw position. Or, vice versa when I like it in appendix carry position.

Gary Bond was kind enough to also send me his belt clip holster with retention strap for my Snake Slayer. It too is a quality holster and just the thing for carrying the derringer either when you can wear a coat or want to open carry. The retention strap is not so good for a concealed carry holster as it slows down the draw though.

I contacted the D.M. Bullard folks and they are sending out one of their cross draw holsters for the Bond Arms Snake Slayer. Their leather work is second to none, and David makes holsters to his own design and styles, which are well thought out and functional. Bullard's cross draw holster is an OWB with a 'negative' cant and two anchor points for the belt. Being familiar with the design, I suspect it will offer quick access while seated and also better concealment for my body type than the Driving Holster. I'll report on it after I've had a chance to break it in and carry for a while.

Reloads: This is the main issue with carrying a two shot primary self defense weapon. As I have written before, there is a matter of trade-offs and risk evaluation with a two shot weapon. Obviously, the need to quickly reload is paramount, but this may be balanced by the fact that both of those shots are going to be more powerful and effective, and probably more accurate, than the normal carry gun can produce.

I have not had the opportunity to run a set of live fire drills emphasizing reloading speed and efficiency yet. I have done a number of dry fire drills though, enough to know that this is one area where the shooter has to be proficient and fast. It is going to come down to being able to go into full "automatic" mode to open the barrels, swipe out the spent shells, lock the barrels down with the shooting hand's thumb while snatching two shells from your carrier or pocket and fully slotting them into the barrels.  Sometimes the ejectors are extended enough to inhibit a clean slot. Then snapping the barrels closed and cocking the hammer.

I have not practiced this enough to decide whether I am fast and reliable enough to depend upon it.

The Hammer: This is the last bit of not so good news. This is a single action pistol. Something to remember in these days of semi-autos and double-action revolvers. And, more importantly, with the derringer design, coupled with a strong hammer spring, it's not all that easy to cock. The smaller, curved grip doesn't provide as much leverage as a full length pistol grip does. For someone with small and weaker hands, it's going to be extremely hard to cock with only the shooting hand's thumb. A technique for cocking the pistol with the non-shooting hand as it comes out of the holster is absolutely necessary for those people, and a damn good idea for everyone.

More to remember.

So, the Bond Arms derringers are different guns that require a different approach and technique if they are to be used as a primary concealed carry weapon. The two main differences are the need to develop a fast reload procedure and a reliable easier to use cocking system.