Bond Arms/Boberg Ultra Compact 9mm BullPup

I haven't shot one. Bond Arms just posted a series of videos on their YouTube channel about the gun. They appear to have made some improvements on the gun and reduced the price over the original. I doubt I'll ever get one, but it does seem like an interesting gun.

Have been carrying a Boberg for a couple years and love it. I like the wood grips Bond is offering, may have to get some.

Soon I hope... I'm on the waiting list and they called the other day to pick an FFL.

I viewed the videos and find that gun most interesting...and expensive. I am trying to figure out if it is more of an novelty or a practical ccw. I would look foward to learning more about it.

Interesting but way too expensive for my budget and seems to be somewhat overly complicated in its design. Doesn't really do anything my Kahr CM9 doesn't do already.

A number of years ago someone here posted their chronograph results of the boberg and a PM9. The average difference over a 10 shot string IIRC was something like 50 FPS.

I'd agree with bannockburn that for the Kahr makes much more sense. It is basically the same size as the boberg. the boberg is more complicated, more expensive and doesn't really offer any practical advantage.

There are so many different reasons to own a particular gun. I own and love old C&R guns for their history and uniqueness. I have a few range only guns and there there is home defense, and then everyday carry guns. The list goes on. The unusual action (reverse loading) makes me want to add it to my collection just for its uniqueness. The high price makes me want to think about it a while.

Price is waaaay too high for me. I saw some at Boberg's talble at SHOT 2015, but really didn't handle them much. Would be nice to try one.

They just charged my card, so hopefully that means mine'll be on its way soon...

For sure I'll put something up when it comes in. So far there are only two or three YouTube videos from people who got theirs already.

I received mine a few days ago. It looks great and I've put about 250 rounds down the pipe so far. The double action trigger is long, but smooth and it is easy to hit the bullseye at defense distances. Have been shooting 115 grain Speer ball rounds and a few hand loads. In the first hundred rounds I had three bullets pulled out of their cases. I had one instance of failure to go into battery, that was resolved with a gentle shove of the slide. After that, everything has been 100% Not a range toy, but a very well made pistol with a fascinating action.

It was easy to field strip and reassemble for cleaning. I used Breakthrough Clean Technologies Battle Born High Purity oil, as recommended by Bond Arms. I got some Breakthrough solvent when I ordered the oil, wow, this stuff is excellent for dissolving carbon, the only thing better would be old time carburetor dip, the kind that was toxic as heck.

I'm still not warm to the idea of it being called a "bullpup" but it does have a longer barrel than normal pistols. That is the basic principal involved, so, oh well.

For the complication - that's it. A longer barrel in a shorter package, you get the increased power of another inch of dwell time and gas pressure pushing the bullet out the bore with more foot pounds and power. The compact package allows for discreet carry compared to the larger guns with equal length barrels.

Is it a novelty - yes, to a degree. The increased power is actually less important. A gun the same overall size in a larger cartridge will have more power, or shooting +P will get you there, the reality is that other things are more important, such as shot placement. The basic appeal is that it does what it does, like other collector novelty pistols. That doesn't make it less than lethal or a bad choice for carry or shooting at the range, any more than it does for the HK P7 or a Magpul folding submachine gun. The appeal of the gun is "cool factor." The fundamental reality is a Glock .40 compact would be cheaper and just as effective.

And I don't really like Glocks - so there is that.

There are a large number of interesting pistols out there and I could thing of worse things to do than own a Boberg. For the practical handgun carrier, especially one limited by frugality, it's not an option, but it certainly is interesting. One of those firearms to keep in mind should we see it in a gun case 15 years from now at a good price. Then again I don't see Detonic Pocket 9's selling cheap these days, either. There will always be interest and if a buyer finds the initial depreciation acceptable then he's not doing anything different than the rest of the new gun buying public.

There will be some who focus on that bullet pulling issue but any malfunction that creates a stoppage isn't something a daily carrier will tolerate, and must practice for anyway. It's extremely rare for most as we don't go running toward the sound of gunfire.

Tirod said:

Is it a novelty - yes, to a degree. The increased power is actually less important. A gun the same overall size in a larger cartridge will have more power, or shooting +P will get you there, the reality is that other things are more important, such as shot placement. The basic appeal is that it does what it does, like other collector novelty pistols. That doesn't make it less than lethal or a bad choice for carry or shooting at the range, any more than it does for the HK P7 or a Magpul folding submachine gun. The appeal of the gun is "cool factor." The fundamental reality is a Glock .40 compact would be cheaper and just as effective.

Click to expand...

Cheaper, yes, just as effective, yes, but it wouldn't fit in my pocket. The BP9 does. Now, sure, a ton of other micro 9's would too. Whether the extra inch or more of barrel length really makes it that much more effective than an R9 or whatever is something that could be argued for ages without an answer; no question, I'm a sucker for "cool engineering marvels", and I accept this about myself.

For what it's worth, if it turns out to be reliable with quality SD ammo, I'll be happy with the purchase. It'll hard to tell from online pictures how tiny this thing is. It's literally shorter (OAL) than the LCP2. It's slightly taller and thicker (height and thickness feel pretty similar to my XDS .45), but for the extra bulk I get 8 rounds of 9mm +p on tap. Since holstered pocket carry is one of my main intentions for it, it's the length that matters to me (For reference, I could pocket the XDS but the bottom of the grip would stick out of the pocket).

It's very well made; everything's tight but moves easily, and I haven't been able to find any tool marks. I'll be taking it to the range tomorrow; I'll update after that.

The big name, mass market companies have stepped into the mini-nine arena to the point that boutique items really don't add much to the mix besides the "cool factor," and that is assuming it works and you can get spare parts and accessories such as recoil springs and magazines.

WYO said:

The big name, mass market companies have stepped into the mini-nine arena to the point that boutique items really don't add much to the mix besides the "cool factor," and that is assuming it works and you can get spare parts and accessories such as recoil springs and magazines.

Click to expand...

Which is why I'd buy one from Bond, when I wouldn't from Boberg; I've never owned a Bond gun before because Derringers aren't really my thing, but I've never heard a single serious complaint about their build quality or customer service. I'm much more willing to believe that they'll be around when I need service or parts than I ever was about Boberg. Not trying to knock Boberg; he came up with a great design after all, but it's a big gamble, buying a new, untested, very expensive design from a startup company.

So I had the Bullpup out to the range this afternoon. Spent about an hour putting holes in paper.

So far, not one complaint.

I shot 184 rounds of Winchester White Box 115 gr.; I wanted to start with a couple hundred of the recommended ammo before I started experimenting. No malfs or stoppages. Three times I thought it failed to return to battery, but I soon figured out that I was simply failing to let the trigger reset fully. That's entirely my fault - the vast majority of my pistol shooting the past few years has been with single-action and striker-fired guns; I'm chalking it up to not being used to the long (ish) double-action trigger.

The trigger was great for a DAO; not as long as many I've shot, and didn't feel that heavy. No gritty feeling or stacking. I could "stage" the trigger pretty easily, but I soon found that I did better with a smooth deliberate pull. I can see I just have to get used to the DA action.

Accuracy was good. I wasn't too proud of my groups; I need more practice for sure (again, that's me, not the gun - before today, I'd probably shot no more than a hundred rounds this year). When I did my part, the gun delivered. The three-dot sights were nice and easy to find. I think it might be shooting a bit low, but I'll wait until I get more practice in before I change anything.

The biggest takeaway for me was how comfortable it was to shoot. I like shooting my other small guns (XDS .45, Makarov, and .38 snubby), but when I put more than a hundred rounds through them I know it afterwards. The Bullpup went through nearly 200 rounds, and I could have done 200 more easily. I know it's not really Bond's thing, but if they offered a model with a longer barrel and full-length grip (maybe with double-stack mags?) it would be an amazing target pistol.

Well, at any rate, that was today. I'll probably go again next week. I'll update as I shoot more...

kemikos said:

Cheaper, yes, just as effective, yes, but it wouldn't fit in my pocket. The BP9 does. Now, sure, a ton of other micro 9's would too. Whether the extra inch or more of barrel length really makes it that much more effective than an R9 or whatever is something that could be argued for ages without an answer; no question, I'm a sucker for "cool engineering marvels", and I accept this about myself.

For what it's worth, if it turns out to be reliable with quality SD ammo, I'll be happy with the purchase. It'll hard to tell from online pictures how tiny this thing is. It's literally shorter (OAL) than the LCP2. It's slightly taller and thicker (height and thickness feel pretty similar to my XDS .45), but for the extra bulk I get 8 rounds of 9mm +p on tap. Since holstered pocket carry is one of my main intentions for it, it's the length that matters to me (For reference, I could pocket the XDS but the bottom of the grip would stick out of the pocket).

It's very well made; everything's tight but moves easily, and I haven't been able to find any tool marks. I'll be taking it to the range tomorrow; I'll update after that.

View attachment 625788

Click to expand...

I love the look of that gun so much and have read so much about it. Please keep us updated. I doubt I could afford one, and will be keeping my trusty LC9S for a while and maybe spring for the Kahr CM9 for $259 at Bud's. But hey I can dream right. Who knows, maybe I will tie one on some night and pull the trigger and get that sweet looking gun.
Thanks for Posting.

I would love to have one because of the unusual design but the price is just too much for me to justify.

I have played with the idea of owning one, for many years, but I worry about the bullet being stripped from the case under adverse circumstances. For me it's just one less thing to worry about. It also looks like it would be unbalanced for pocket carry.

Jeb Stuart said:

I love the look of that gun so much and have read so much about it. Please keep us updated. .

Click to expand...

You got it!

Range trip #2:

Started out with 200 more rounds of WWB. Started trying different stances and holds; I noticed a few things this time, now that I was starting to try and learn the gun.

First of all, it's difficult to get a proper thumbs-forward grip on this gun. In retrospect, that should have been obvious; it's a tiny pocket gun after all. It's still way more comfortable than, say, a Kel-Tec or LCP. I have big hands, so YMMV.

I need more practice; I'm still not used to the DAO trigger. When I paid close attention, I was able to get a few bullseyes at 5 and 7 yards, but most of my groups were in the 6" range. Acceptable for a micro pistol, I think, but I feel like the gun is capable of way better accuracy than I can wring out of it just yet.

Now that it's had nearly 400 rounds through it, I decided I'd do a little experimenting. I had 50 rounds of Ruger ARX 9mm+P 80gr that I've been meaning to test out, so why not kill two birds with one box of ammo? And it's not on Bond's "Approved Ammo List" (gasp!)...

I will say, loading the last round into the mag was tricky due to the fluted bullet; I couldn't ride the feed lips in like I did with the FMJ's. Other than that, it performed flawlessly. The reduced recoil they claim because of the lightweight bullet is no joke. Also, you could tell those rounds were screaming along; the "crack" of the sonic shockwave was really noticeable compared to the slower (but still supersonic) WWB.

So we're up to over 400 rounds with no stoppages. I think I'd feel comfortable carrying the Bullpup after a couple of boxes of whatever carry ammo I decide to go with (I might just toss in some more ARX; I did like how it shot).

I think the part that still gets me is how sedate this little gun is. 250 rounds in under an hour? No problem, I'm ready to shoot more! Gimme another hundred! +P? Bring it! (Try that with any other micro nine, or even some .380's...)

So far, my verdict is this: if you're one of those folks who isn't OK with a gun that can't shoot certain ammo, more power to you! The Bullpup isn't for you.

If you're ok with being choosy with what you put in your gun, the Bullpup is, so far, a fantastic micro carry pistol.

george burns said:

I have played with the idea of owning one, for many years, but I worry about the bullet being stripped from the case under adverse circumstances. For me it's just one less thing to worry about. It also looks like it would be unbalanced for pocket carry.

Click to expand...

So far, I've got 433 rounds through mine, and not one separation. I'm pretty much convinced that if the round you're firing is crimped, you won't have a problem (granted, I haven't shot a huge variety of rounds yet). I think a lot of the reputation the Boberg got for separations was due to the fact that Boberg kind of used his pre-order customers as beta testers. When the first Bobergs went out, no one knew they'd pull uncrimped rounds apart, so of course a bunch of folks grabbed their Blazer off the shelf and filled their magwell full of loose powder. Since a lot of those folks were gun writers, that immediately gave the Boberg a reputation for unreliability.

If Boberg had done the testing beforehand and specified "All ammo must be crimped" from the beginning (as Bond is now doing), I suspect it would have been a non-issue. Look at the Kimber Solo; it's picky too (can't reliably cycle 115 grain ammo), but it's not considered a bad carry gun, because Kimber says upfront in the manual to use 124 gr or better.

For what it's worth, it carries nicely in my front jeans pocket. I still need to get a real pocket holster; all I have at the moment is a cheap neoprene one. It works, but doesn't draw cleanly. A nice fitted leather pocket holster should solve that. It feels great though.

Alte Schule said:

Anybody have one or shot one. Is it the same as the Boberg XR9 just rebranded after the acquisition? It's an interesting concept for sure. IMO I think the $1k price tag is a little steep. MSRP is $977 and with tax, in my neck of the woods, it would be closer to $1,100. Bond Arms does put out some solid stuff though. Don't own one of their two shot hanguns but have shot a few.
https://bondarms.com/bond-arms-handguns/bond-arms-bullpup/

Click to expand...

LGS had second-hand XR9 which I examined closely. I passed and found nice used R9 not long after. It is smaller and by design more reliable than this abomination. If I had to do it again I would make the same choice.

I like a small lightweight pocket 9. For 75% of the time, "I am around the home and in the area of the home, the PM9 with 2 mags extra, works fine. I would stick to a 15 oz gun or under with a 6" or less length and 4-5 inch grip. The Kahr acomplishes this with ease. Once you get to 20 OZS and then load 6-8 rounds in it, they all get a little heavy for the pocket. Only way around it is to use the Liberty Civil Defens ammo, it cuts the weight of the ammo in half.