The Bond Arms Texas Defender is a sturdy, reliable gun. I wouldn't call it small and I'm not sure exactly why I thought it would make a great carry and conceal gun. Well, actually I do know; I figured it was small, with a narrow profile and I had one in 45lc / .410. It is definitely slim, but really it's not that small. It measures in at around 5" in length and weighs upwards of 20oz. I'll break down the pros and cons as they relate to my experience with a Texas Defender in 45lc/ .410.
Pro's:
- Have you seen a 45lc? 250gr. of stopping power, that's pretty significant.
- Capable of shooting .410 ammo, though nowhere near as potent as the 45lc.
- Simple, straight forward design makes it dead on reliable.
- Fairly slim; allowing for easier concealment.
- What I consider the biggest pro, and what was probably the selling point for me at the time; is the fact that you can purchase additional barrels chambered in different calibers. I was kind of going through a phase I guess.
Con's
- Not as small as I thought it was.
- Though small enough to produce some potent recoil.
- Extremely s l o w to fire off a second round.
- The biggest con for me was the fact that my trigger finger naturally rested on the trigger at a slight angle. Apparently this was enough to prevent me from firing the gun altogether. I would have to deliberately hold the gun differently and pull the trigger in an unnatural way (to me at any rate). Before purchasing a Derringer of any make I would recommend giving the trigger a pull first to see if this is a problem for you.
I very much like the concept behind the Texas Defender. It is a solid weapon and built very well. Though at the end of the day it just didn't match me. A lesson learned along the ever winding road of firearms ownership.
