The double barrel derringer design may be 157 years old now but it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere any time soon. In fact Bond Arms just released three new models in their Rough Series. If you’ve looked at Bond Arms derringers before you know they’re built like tanks and have a meticulously polished finishes and actions.
That involves a lot of hand work and fitting, and that work comes with a price tag. If you want the same performance though, and aren’t as worried about a collector’s grade finish, then the Rough Series may be exactly what you’re looking for.
Bond Arms builds the Rough Series of the same materials as their other guns, they just don’t spend as much time on fancy finish. That allows them to produce guns faster, and with less effort, and they pass the savings on to you. Personally, I don’t mind the rougher aesthetic, especially on a pocket gun I’m just going to carry anyway. Especially if it comes with a good cost savings and no performance difference.
Prices on the new models do seem pretty reasonable ranging between $287 and $349 MSRP.
Before I jump in to the new models, here’s what Bond Arms says about the Rough Series:
With the Grizzly and Rough series, we do minimal clean up and deburr to make sure there are no sharp edges and then we bead blast the finish. With this gun, part of the COOL FACTOR is that you can actually see the parting lines in the metal frame and trigger guard. As a final touch we left in some of the swirly tool marks on the barrel just to give it that more ROUGH & TUMBLE Look. Also, since we are not sanding and polishing the frame, you may see tiny casting imperfections and rough areas that would never be acceptable for our current line of products. This may not sound like much, but in comparison we can build 4 to 5 Grizzly’s in the same time as it takes to build ONE Texas Defender. That Is a Huge Amount of Savings on LABOR that allows us to pass those SAVINGS down to the consumer’s level.
Now that you know what the Rough Series is, here are the latest models that Bond is introducing:
.22 Magnum Honey B
The Honey B has been out for a while now in .22LR, .380 ACP, 9mm, and .38 Special but now Bond has added .22 Magnum to the mix.With a 3 inch barrel the Honey B is only 5.5 inches long. Like all of the Bond derringers it’s made from stainless steel and this one has B6 resin grips and is equipped with a trigger guard.
Caliber .22LR, .22Mag, .380, 9mm, .38 Special
Barrel Length 3″
Grip Material B6 Resin
Grip Size Extended
Sights Fixed
Length 5.5″
Weight 17.5oz.
Ammo Capacity 2
Action Single Action
Trigger Pull Weight 7lb.
Trigger Guard Yes
MSRP: $320.00
Rawhide .357 Magnum/.38 Special
Next up is the rawhide chambered in .357 Magnum and .38 Special. It’s even smaller than the Honey B due to it’s 2.5 inch barrels with an overall length of only 4.5 inches. It comes with Rosewood grips but actually comes in cheaper than the Honey B at only $287.00.
Caliber .357Mag/.38Spl
Barrel Length 2.5″
Grip Material Rosewood
Grip Size Standard
Sights Fixed
Length 4.5″
Weight 19 oz.
Ammo Capacity 2
Action Single Action
Trigger Guard No
MSRP: $287.00
The Rowdy XL .45LC/.410
If .357 Magnum is a little light for you then you may want to check out the Rowdy XL chambered in .45 Long Colt and .410. As befits the caliber, this is the biggest of the three new models with 3.5-inch barrels and an overall length of 5.75 inches.
If the barrel was any shorter the .410 rounds would stick out the front. It has comfortable B6 resin grips and a trigger guard, just like the little Honey B.
Caliber .45LC/.410
Barrel Length 3.5″
Grip Material B6 Resin
Grip Size Extended
Sights Fixed
Length 5.75″
Weight 22oz.
Ammo Capacity 2
Action Single Action
Trigger Pull Weight 7lb.
Trigger Guard Yes
MSRP: $349.00
