Anyone make a .357 derringer? Good idea?

[Richard]

"I think a two shot O/U .357 derringer with 2" barrels would be an excellent back up gun.

Most snub nose revolvers have a 2" barrel so the ballistics would be the same. It could be much smaller in size with a micro frame, tiny grip and no wheel. Not comfortable to shoot but you could carry one anywhere. What do you guys think? Ultimate back up gun? Bad idea?

Is there one out there?"

The best laid plans... This is a superb idea until you light up the first round. You will then realize why shooters shy away from 357 derringers and scandium revolvers. They hurt to fire and you are better off with a small handgun in a caliber you can shoot well. An example is the Glock 26 makes a lot more sense to me than your idea. Regards, Richard

 

[twoshot]

i own a bond 357 and it does not kick shooting 38 special rounds

 

[farscott]

I also have a Bond Arms derringer, and one of my barrels is the .357/.38 barrel. I also have the .45/.410 barrel. With the right grips, it is surprisingly easy to shoot. I am not going to say it is like shooting .38 in a S&W M27, but it is not shooting .357 in an M&P 340 either.

For me, the biggest issue with the Bond is the trigger. It is unique as the pull is as much down as it is back. I needed lots of practice to get a round off when I wanted to get a round downrange. The sights also require some practice to acquire, especially as they cannot be aligned until the hammer is cocked. Mine is used as a snake gun. I rather use a J-frame as a BUG.

 

[Walkalong]

American Derringer

 

[gru556]

45colt Bond arms 25 to 30yd 8" target no problem

 

[1858remington]

I bought the Bond Arms Texas Defender in 44special.

What a great gun.

You might think about the 44special over the .357magnum.
The 357 round needs about 6inches of barrel to reach best performance.
This being the case, your gonna have major muzzle flash, not good in low light situations.

The 44special is a heavier round, 240 grains to the 357's 158 grains.
Thus more knockdown energy.

The 44 special will have less muzzle flash, and recoil will be more controlable.

The bond arms is a pussycat shooting the 44special.

 

[rnr4me]

I've had this for 15 years or so. I've shot probably 4 boxes thru it w/o it flying out of my hand or turning my fingers black. I even challenged the Boy Scout troop I volunteer with to shoot it which several of the boys did successfully.

The trigger is not something I'd accept in any other gun, but it doesn't detract from shooting it. I can hit a monitor sized target at about 10 yards with it. It automatically changes barrels when you shoot it. There's no lever to flip for the other barrel.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Excellent! That bond arms is exactly what I had in mind. I think it will make a great BUG. If you cant do it with 19 shots of .40sw use a couple .357s to top it off.

Monkeybear,
If you can't get it done with way less than half of those 19 .40 S&W rounds you're not going to need the 2 rounds of .357 Magnum!!! LOL

 

[Phil DeGraves]

At their intended effective range (point blank to a couple of feet) they can certainly work. Their short barrels provide almost no rifling to stabilize bullet for any accuracy at distance.

Actually, they are capable of surpriing accuracy. we had a sideshoot at a CAS match where we needed to hit targets at 15 yards with our derringers. Agreed, it wasn't target type cloverleafs, but we hit six inch plates pretty regularly at 15 and 20 yards, certainly a target equivalent to the vitals in a person.
I would strongly recommend against shooting full bore .357 in it. Light .38 loads are nice. Mine is an American Derringer.

 

[doc2rn]

To use a Bond Arms derringer it helps to have big hands. I had trouble with the large grip.

 

[Threeband]

I think a two shot O/U .357 derringer with 2" barrels would be an excellent back up gun.

Most snub nose revolvers have a 2" barrel so the ballistics would be the same

Actually, the ballistics would not be the same.

Barrel lengths in revolvers do not include the length of the cylinder, while in pistols the barrel length is measured from the breech face, that is, it includes the length of the chamber.

A 2" barrel on a .357 revolver would be the equivalent of about a 3 5/8" barrel on a pistol. Of course, you'll get some velocity loss from the cylinder gap.

 

[dairycreek]

Some years ago I owned a NIB American Derringer in 38/357 and an elegant little gun it was. Using 38 special ammo accuracy was limited to about 10 feet and, beyond that, accuracy was non existent. I fired a full house 357 load exactly once and that was enough. Recoil was both horrendous and painful. Enough was enough.

While I consider the derringer an interesting weapon I would absolutely not choose to rely on one to protect my life. Bad, bad, choice