DERRINGER PISTOLS

AND BOND ARMS

DERRINGERS
The name derringer is synonymous with a class of
handguns small enough to be carried in a pocket
or purse. Appropriately dubbed “pocket pistols,”
these handguns are favorable to concealed carry
and self-defense and make an excellent choice as
backup weapons.

Because of the intentional limit on their dimensions

and weight, derringers are not repeating weapons,
meaning they have no mechanism to automatically
Deringer pistols were initially a favorite of military
eject a fired round and then chamber a new one. Add-
officers but quickly gained popularity with
ing such a mechanism would increase their weight
civilians, having widespread use in Wild West
and size and obviously negate the very features that
saloons amongst professional gamblers and
make this pistol so appealing. What these guns do
prostitutes. And because of their low cost, small
have, though, is firepower: derringers come in large
size, and easy availability, Deringers and their
calibers. Without a doubt, this feature makes these
clones had the dubious reputation of being
short-range weapons deadly in spite of their size.
weapons of assassins. The gun John Wilkes
Booth used to assassinate President Abraham
The generic name of “derringer” is derived from the sur-
Lincoln was, in fact, a Deringer.
name of the original pistol’s inventor, Henry Deringer, a
Philadelphia manufacturer who became famous for his
pocket pistol designs in the early part of the 1800s to
mid 1860s. The original Deringer, made in 1825, was
a single-shot muzzleloading weapon with a flintlock
firing mechanism — the predominantly common firing
mechanism of that time. Subsequent Deringer models
used the newly developed percussion cap technology
and the user would usually carry them loaded with the
hammer at half-cock. To use the pistol, the user would
pull the hammer back to the full-cock position and pull
the trigger. If the gun misfired, the user could pull back
the hammer and try again, or switch to a second pistol.

Most of these original Deringers had only a front sight,

though some came with front and rear sights, or none
at all. Since these models were designed with small
size in mind, accuracy was not very good and neither
was the reliability of the firing mechanism.
An example of a percussion lock Deringer
pistol. The particular pistol shown in this image
Deringers (and those produced by competitors) were
is quite infamous—it belonged to John Wilkes
usually sold in matching pairs, most probably to
Booth and was used to assassinate President
compensate for the limited firepower of being single-
Abraham Lincoln.
shots. The average pair cost between $15 and $25,
with some models having elaborate engravings and
silver inlays and therefore costing more. It is now very
difficult to find a pair of original Deringers.
As a result of their popularity, the public bought Henry Deringer’s pistols as fast as he could produce them — but
success came at a price for the gunmaker. Many counterfeiters began to spring up (some of whom were former
employees), not only copying his designs, but also his logo. One company even hired a tailor named “John
Deringer” so that it could put the Deringer name on its firearms. To make matters worse, Henry Deringer had
never filed for a patent on his designs and ended up fighting these infringements for most of his business life.
The Derringer v. Plate ruling, in which the California Supreme Court ruled in the company’s favor, became a
landmark in trademark law.

To avoid these new trademark restrictions, some of the companies that further developed and copied Henry
Derringer’s designs did so by misspelling the logo name with an extra ‘r’ (Derringer) and eventually the misspelled
version “derringer” became one and the same with this class of weapon.

As time went on, the derringer models produced by other companies began using more modern pinfire, rimfire, and
centerfire cartridges. In 1866, William Elliot, an employee of Remington®, invented the first double-barreled derringer
class pistol. This weapon was .41 caliber and used rimfire cartridges. In keeping with the small size philosophy, the
barrels were arranged one on top of the other. A cam mechanism was used to alternate which barrel would be struck by
the hammer with each trigger pull. To load this weapon, the barrels would pivot about a hinge located at the top of the
weapon and two .41 rimfire cartridges could be inserted, one into each barrel. The firing mechanism was single-action,
meaning the user would have to cock the hammer manually before pulling the trigger for each shot. Manufactured
between 1866 and 1935, this model was so popular that when the word “derringer” was mentioned, most people
thought of the Remington Derringer rather than the ones made by Henry Deringer.
Later models used centerfire cartridges and
some also used a double-action mechanism
in which the trigger cocked and released
the hammer in the same trigger pull. One
particular model, invented by Robert Hillberg
and manufactured by COP Inc., was a
four-barrel version instead of two-barrel.

Derringer class weapons are still

manufactured today using modern
manufacturing methods and creativity
to bring old-world design into the 21st
century. The Remington Derringer
design continues to be available in many
calibers from .22 LR to .45 Long Colt from
companies like Bond Arms, American
Bond Arms derringer pistol, model Texas Defender.
Derringer, and Cobra Arms.

The following three pictures show models

made by Bond Arms and American Derringer.
In the last picture, the reader can gauge
the size of a typical derringer class pistol
by comparing it with a human hand. Overall
length of this weapon is 4.82 inches (about
122.5 mm. long). Keep in mind that, despite
its small size, this pistol can use both .45 Colt
Revolver and .410 bore shotgun cartridges.

American Derringer
double-action pistol
model DA 38, which
uses .38 Special cartridges.

American Derringer pistol that uses

.45 Colt revolver cartridges.
BOND ARMS
Originally organized under the name Texas
Armory, the company became incorporated
as Bond Arms in 1995 with the idea that the
Remington Model 95 over-under, single-action
derringer could be converted from an Old West
anachronism into a modern defensive handgun.
The barrel and frame were redesigned to safely
fire modern calibers. The beefed-up double
barrels and frames are constructed completely
from stainless steel, and shaped with modern
manufacturing processes. This makes for a
pistol that’s both strong and durable.
This 13-time SASS (Single Action Shooting Society)
world champion derringer has become the premier
derringer of choice. With such praise from competition
and conceal carry users alike, it’s no wonder the
Bond Arms derringer has the reputation of being a
serious piece of firearm hardware.
Bond Arms is the leader within the derringer industry
in new product development and has developed an
exciting stocking dealer program (SDP). In the
company’s online store you’ll find a line of customized
products as well as accessories such as holsters,
extended grips, and additional caliber offerings.
It is Bond Arms’ firm commitment to designing and
manufacturing superior derringer-style guns that
has given them an outstanding reputation with
both the industry and their customers. They are
also one of the few manufacturers that still build
exclusively in the U.S. and use American-made
parts for all of their handguns. Even their grips
and holsters are made in the U.S.A.
Bond Arms derringers are made in a variety of
calibers including the .45 Long Colt/.410 shotshell.
The three most popular models are the Texas
Defender, Cowboy Defender, and Snake Slayer.
All Bond Arms derringers are equipped with a
trigger guard, except for the Cowboy Defender,
whose trigger guard is removable for a more
traditional appearance. Bond Arms constructs their
derringers in such a way that a user can change
barrels and switch from one caliber to another. In
fall of 2014, Bond Arms introduced two California-
legal models called the Big Bear and Brown Bear.

BOND ARMS DERRINGERS COMPARISON TABLE

Model Barrel Weight Length Grips Sights Trigger
Guard
Ranger 41/4” 231/2 oz 61/4” Black Ash Blade No
45/.410 Star Grips Front &
.38Spec./ Fixed
.357 Mag Rear

Ranger II 41/4” 231/2 oz 61/4” Black Ash Blade Yes

45/.410 Star Grips Front &
.38Spec./ Fixed
.357. Mag Rear
Rustic 41/4” 231/2 oz 61/4” Rosewood Blade Yes
Ranger 45/.410 Star Grips Front &
.38Spec./ Fixed
.357 Mag R ear
Snake 31/2” 22 oz 51/2” Extended Blade Yes
Slayer 45/.410 Custom Front &
.38Spec./ Rosewood Fixed
.357 Mag Rear
Snake 41/4” 231/2 oz 41/4” Extended Blade Yes
Slayer IV 45/.410 Custom Front &
.38Spec./ Rosewood Fixed
.357 Mag Rear
Texas 3” 20 oz 5” Custom Blade Yes
Defender Laminated Front &
Black Ash Fixed
or Rear
Rosewood
Cowboy 3” 19 oz 5” Custom Blade No
Defender Laminated Front &
Black Ash Fixed
or Rear
Rosewood
Century 31/2” 21 oz 51/2” Custom Blade Yes
2000 45/.410 Laminated Front &
.38Spec./ Black Ash Fixed
.357 Mag or Rear
Rosewood
USA 3” 19 oz 5” Extended Blade Yes
Defender Custom Front &
Rosewood Fixed
Rear
Mini 45 21/2” 19 oz 41/2 Rosewood Blade No
.45 Colt Front &
Fixed
Rear
Girl Mini 21/2” 18 oz 41/2” Pink Wood Blade No
.38Spec./ Front &
.357 Mag Fixed
Rear
Backup 21/2” 18 oz 41/2” Rubber Blade Yes
.45 ACP Front &
Fixed
Rear
Big Bear 3” .45 Colt 20 oz Rubber Blade Yes
CA Legal Front &
Fixed
Rear
Brown 3” .45 Colt 20 oz Rosewood Blade Yes
Bear Front &
CA Legal Fixed
Rear
Texas 31/2” 22 oz 51/2” Custom Blade Yes
Special .45/.410 Natural Front &
Addition Wood with Fixed
Gold Star Rear