Texas-based Bond Arms is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Greg Bond, a longtime tool-and-die maker, founded the company in 1995. His brother, Gordon Bond, purchased the company from his brother in 2007 and has built the firm into one of the premier gun manufacturers today.
Derringer-style pistols stayed the same basic design between the 1860s and the mid-1990s until Greg Bond invented the “rebounding hammer” and added retractable firing pins, trigger guards and introduced crossbolt safeties.
Demand for the company’s guns grew steadily, but Bond Arms took a big leap in its lineup in 2016. That’s when it acquired the rights to the Boberg XR9-S bullpup semi-automatic pistol. After a redesign it was offered as the Bond Arms BullPup 9, a 7-round, 9mm pistol with a barrel measuring only 3.35 inches.
In 2019, the company introduced it Rough series, structurally identical to its classic derringer line but not as highly polished. These have a lower cost and are designed for use in tougher environments. That was followed in 2020 by the introduction of the Stinger model, an aluminum-frame derringer. Two years later it released the Stinger RS (Rough Series), followed by the Cyclops—a single-bore pistol chambered in .45-70 Gov’t—in 2023.
Bond Arms is the largest manufacturer of derringers in the industry today. Its derringers are modular and made in a variety of centerfire calibers including; .22 LR, .380 ACP, 9 mm, .40 S&W, .30 Carbine, .327 Fed. Mag., .44-40 Win., .44 Spl., .45 ACP, .45 Colt, .357 Mag., .38 Spl., 10 mm, .45 Long Colt/.410-bore and .45-70 Gov’t. Most models feature a removable trigger guard for a more traditional derringer appearance and all the company’s derringers are constructed to allow switching from one centerfire caliber to another with a simple barrel change. Interchangeable grips ensure a comfortable fit.
For more than 30 years, Bond Arms maintained its focus on value and quality without passing additional cost on to the consumer. To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Bond Arms will be releasing the long-awaited LVRB towards the end of the year.